Sofa Beds

Sofa Beds

Sofa beds may seem a humdrum topic, but they actually have so much history behind them. Patented in 1899, the first folding bed was called a "hide-a-bed". The Japanese futon influenced its evolution. Many types of sofas and couches are on the market, each with their unique folding mechanism and cushioning system so a mate staying over at your place can be comfy.

As its name suggests, click clack sofa beds make clicking and clacking sounds when you fold them in and out. This sound comes from the fastening mechanism of the hinges to keep them in place. Leather sofa beds typically use this mechanism. To transform them from couch form, you would typically push the backrest forward a little to dislodge the fastener before pulling the backrest all the way back to fold it out flat into a bed.

Small modern apartments are great for futons, which share the same principle as click clacks but vary in design; in fact, many futon beds have completely wooden frames. A good option is a futon sofa with a fold-out mechanism that uses carved-out slots on the arms. These are simple, elegant and practical couches, and the best part is that you can choose the mattress because it is not integrated into the frame like conventional click clack sofa beds.

Pull-out sofa beds use a complex system to transform into a fully functional bed. You lift the foot of the bed up and out from under the cushion via a handle and pull it out. The first foot or support bar goes on the floor, and you pull out the other bar to fold out the base of the bed. And then it’s just a matter of folding out the mattress. It takes a few more steps to transform these sofa beds, and their complex mechanism often makes them a tad more exy than click clacks or futons.