Overview of Sofa Beds: Children's, Corner, Transformers

Advantages of Sofa Beds

Some live in a tiny apartment, in a single living room where all possible zones are connected, and cannot afford a separate bedroom with a bed. For them, a sofa bed is the solution. Others are not familiar with such problems, but also choose sofa beds for their practicality and beauty. Bedroom, living room, children's room – a sofa bed will come in handy in any room. The decorative nature of this piece of furniture makes it adaptable to any interior, especially modern ones. Regarding practicality, sofa beds have no equals in furniture assortment. If briefly formulated, their main advantages will look like this:

• space savings,
• multipurpose,
• decorativeness,
• a wide selection of options for any interior,
• moderate prices.

Purchasing even the most expensive sofa bed brings certain savings, as buying one piece of furniture actually means purchasing two.

Photo 1 – Meta Corus Sofa Bed

Disadvantages of Sofa Beds

There is an unwritten law regarding all multifunctional devices and items that combine features of multiple objects. It lies in the fact that such a synthesis leads either to increased cost or reduced quality of individual functions. This is true for most sofa beds: when used as a sleeping place, they always fall short of proper beds.

The main reason for this is the difference in the filling of a sofa and the mattress for a bed, as well as its modular structure. The size, firmness, and material of the filling in individual sections can vary, which, to put it mildly, does not contribute to a healthy body position during sleep.

Therefore, most sofa beds are suitable as a guest accommodation for several nights, but not for use as a permanent sleeping place. However, this issue is solvable: there is a type of sofa bed that can be used for years, and we will discuss it further.

Photo 2 – Smile Sofa Bed with a folding transformation mechanism and modern design

For the Bedroom: Sofa Bed with Orthopedic Mattress

A sofa bed with an orthopedic mattress is free from the above-mentioned disadvantage and represents an excellent alternative to a stationary bed. These sofa beds, in appearance, do not differ from their regular counterparts. But inside, they contain a rolled-up orthopedic mattress that is folded in two or three times. The thicker this mattress, the better: a thin one will compress quickly and become thinner in areas of bend. Naturally, a sofa bed with a quality thick orthopedic mattress will cost a decent sum, but it's not worth saving on one's own health, which is directly dependent on sleep.

Scandinavians are known for their love of multifunctionality and high-quality furniture. An excellent example of a sofa bed with an orthopedic mattress of sufficient thickness can be found in the collection of furniture designed by Heikki Toropainen from the Scandinavian company Bellus.

Photo 3 – Amanda Sofa Bed from Bellus with an orthopedic mattress

For the Children's Room: Children's Sofa Beds

Children's sofa beds come in various types and appearances. When choosing a sleeping place for a child, it is advisable to follow the same criteria as for adults. Considering that the musculoskeletal system of a young organism is still forming, a child should sleep in the most comfortable conditions for the spine. This means that the best choice is not a segmented folding bed-sofa, but one equipped with a solid mattress.

Regarding design, for very young children, something cheerful and colorful can be chosen. However, children grow fast, so many parents decide that the next furniture after a crib will be a more serious teenager sofa bed.

Photo 4 – Handmade Divano Letto Sofa Bed from Pellegatta

For the Living Room: Corner Sofa Bed

The primary purpose of a sofa bed in the living room is to serve as a place for family and friendly gatherings, conversation, tea time, and watching television. Here, the function of a bed is secondary, used much less frequently and not playing such a decisive role as in the bedroom. Therefore, there are no restrictions on choosing sofa beds for the living room, although if possible, it's better to choose models that are good both as a sofa and as a bed.

There is a wide variety of forms, colors, and mechanisms, but among them, one can highlight the most suitable for a living room. For example, a corner sofa bed has long since left behind its peak popularity. But its concept remains the most relevant for a hall. Such a sofa takes up no more space than a regular one and significantly less than a set of a sofa and armchairs. It can be used in the living room or complemented with compact footstools.

Photo 5 – Corner Sofa Bed with a Dolphin Mechanism

Sofa Bed-Transformer

The term "sofa bed-transformer" is often used as a synonym for the name "sofa bed." Most of the furniture in this category is equipped with a certain mechanism that, in fact, allows transforming a sofa into a bed and vice versa. The sofa bed mechanism can belong to one of the three main types:

• pull-out;
• folding;
• modular.

Photo 6 – MARO Sofa with a click-clack mechanism, different from the book in its ability to recline at a half-slope position

The first type includes all possible variations of sofas with pull-out and extendable parts. This includes the above-mentioned corner dolphin sofa with a part that extends from under the main seat, pull-out sofas where it is enough to pull the seat belt to unfold, and euro-books where the sofa seat extends and the backrest is tilted into a horizontal position.

Photo 7 – Sofa Laur, folding according to the principle of a French sofa or merallat

Folding – the most extensive category of sofas. This includes a regular sofa-bed and slightly more advanced mechanisms like the "click-clack," as well as rotating models such as French and American sofa beds, and accordions. Sofa beds differ in the strength of their mechanisms, mattress thickness, and design. Therefore, if style is prioritized, French models are often chosen, while for healthy sleep, American sofa beds are preferred. Accordions receive the most positive reviews because they meet all decorative and functional requirements and can be supplied with linen storage boxes.

Photo 8 – Favorite 3 Sofa Bed with an Accordion Mechanism from Azbuka Komfort

Modular sofa bed – the rarest type. Its classic example can be considered a round sofa made of several segments. Individually, they can perform the functions of sofas and armchairs, but when assembled together and covered with a mattress, they take on the role of a bed.

Photo 9 – Example of a round sofa made of several separate modules

Sofa Bed (Transformer), Price

Just like for any other piece of furniture, the price of a sofa bed is determined based on its size, quality of materials, and the level of the manufacturing company. The mechanism also plays a role in how much a sofa bed-transformer will cost. The price of simple folding and pull-out models can be approximately the same, more complex mechanisms like sofa beds cost more. However, this is not due to the mechanism itself but rather because of its more frequent use in popular designer furniture.

Photo 10 – Corner Sofa Bern with a Rotating-Pull-Out Transformation Mechanism

The lower boundary of the price range starts at approximately 2500 rubles. Naturally, this is for the most compact models from domestic manufacturers (toddler-sized), made in a not very modern design and using the cheapest materials. At least twice as much money is needed for a quality double sofa bed of similar size. The price of good children's models also starts at about 5000 rubles. For furniture with an optimal price-quality ratio and appearance, one needs about 10000 rubles. Foreign brand products will cost from 30000 rubles.