If you want a fun gag , put two people to set up a sofa bed – or three, or four. The result will be the same: a scene typical of a slapstick , that genre of comedy that Chaplin in which everything was blows and blows. But here’s a spoiler : it’s funnier in the theater than it is in your living room at three in the morning, when your friends decide to sleep over.
In order not to re-stage a Marx Brothers movie in our home –and finally give our guests a decent rest.
What should we take into account when choosing a sofa bed?
According to López, it is very important to think about the comfort provided by the sofa in each of the positions. “A sofa bed that is very comfortable as a sofa, but not as a bed, and vice versa, is of no use to us.” For this reason, the professional bets because, as an essential characteristic, we must look for the model to have an Italian opening system. “It is also important to think about the upholstery; since we are going to subject the furniture to movements that are not usual in a normal sofa, we must choose a resistant one,” adds the expert.
Vezzoli is of the same opinion, and admits that the key is to have things clear: “The most important thing to keep in mind is that you do not have to compromise anything. You should not settle for a mediocre sofa and a mediocre bed: you should look for an excellent sofa bed. Of course, you should never underestimate quality, but look for good design and good materials,” he says.
What types of sofa beds exist… and which ones are worth it?
To understand what the sofa bed market offers us, we must take into account the opening system; Depending on how it is, we can distinguish three types: Sofa beds with Clic-Clac system or “book” type; drop-down and sliding or “nest” type.
Clic-Clac system or “book” type
Thanks to an opening system similar to that of a book, this type of sofa shows and hides the mattress. The method is based on separating the sofa from the wall and folding down the backrest, and it is probably the one we are most used to seeing. However, that does not mean that they are the best, because, according to the person in charge of Soffing.com, the seat usually leads to some wear, so when used as a bed, one of the sides is more sunken than the other. “In addition, we must bear in mind that the mattress is split in two,” adds the expert, who clarifies that they are the cheapest, so they tend to have more presence in youth bedrooms.
Sliding or “nest” type
In this case, the system works based on a sliding structure that comes out from under the sofa and that, by means of legs or a lifting system, equals the height of the seats, thus offering a split bed of good dimensions. “The mechanism is somewhat more uncomfortable to remove the bed, so it is recommended for sporadic use,” they clarify from Soffing .
Dropdowns
This mechanism rolls up the mattress to finish leaving it lodged under the seats of the sofa. “To unfold the bed, you just have to pull the structure and the mattress will begin to unfold,” explains López. Now, in this category, it is necessary to distinguish between two subtypes: convertibles, which require the removal of seats and backrests in order to unfold the mattress, and the one known as the “Italian system”, which allows the bed to be unfolded without the need to remove them. since these are automatically hidden under the mattress. “The Italian system is the one that offers the best benefits, since it is very comfortable to remove the bed and, in addition, it allows better quality mattresses to be incorporated. It also has an electro-welded mesh bed base that favors rest,” explains López.
More advantages of dropdowns? “The backrests and seats are not used when converting it into a bed, so none of the parts suffers wear when fulfilling another function”, notes the person in charge. “Furthermore, it is the only option for a sofa bed that allows us to have a mattress up to 160 centimeters wide without any indentation once opened”, so, for López, it is clear: “It is the most recommended option for a quality rest. In addition, in the case of those with the Italian opening system, they are more durable furniture and, a priori, the same as any other sofa. “When choosing a sofa bed, it is an added plus the fact that it is difficult to distinguish it from any other sofa, both in terms of comfort and appearance,” explains the expert. The disadvantage? Its price,
Other patented systems
In addition to those large groups of sofa beds, there are many companies that patent their own opening method. This is the case of Flexform , which has, for example, sofas that hide a complete single bed inside (just lift the fabric that covers the bottom of the sofa and drag the folded bed, which unfolds easily). In this way, the result is two twin beds, since the sofa itself becomes another.
Let’s face it, is it possible to find a sofa bed as comfortable as a standard sofa?
López is clear: absolutely yes. “In our store we have several models of sofa beds that have absolutely nothing to envy in terms of qualities of any ordinary sofa. In the end, it is about choosing a model whose characteristics make it comfortable in both versions of the furniture”, he specifies. In the case of Vezzoli, the answer is the same, since he considers that his brand has resolved the issue “providing good design to a type of product that normally left a lot to be desired.”
