While Koala are still renowned for being the mattress-in-a-box brand in Australia, many still forget that the business is steadily growing into a bit of a one-stop-shop for simple, neutral furniture that straddles the line between affordability and quality.
Much has been said about Koala’s exceptional service, transparent delivery and quality builds. And since we’ve dabbled into home decor every now and again on the AU review, I wanted to started highlighting more homeware for our readers this year. I own a Koala mattress and have been satisfied with it for the past few years; I was curious what some of the brand’s other products would be like.
So I’ve taken a look at one of the latest key products from Koala, the seamless Beauty Sofa Bed which, at $2,090, is the second most expensive lounge room product on the website. Behind the $2,195 Stunner Sofa Bed.
$2,090 is quite a good price point for a sofa bed of this size and design, yet it’s still quite a punchy price tag so you’d want to shop around a bit for others experiences with the couch before you take the dive. Below, I’ll attempt an accurate, honest (disclaimer: Koala sent me the sofa for the purpose of review but, as always with the AU, there is no financial obligation and, in the age of authenticity, brands no longer – and should no longer – expect favourable reviews for free product).
That said, there’s very little I’d have to complain about the Koala Beauty Sofa Bed.
Design
Koala clearly wants to give customers options, and the company has been focusing heavily on that lately. There are six different colours for the Beauty Sofa Bed: Morning Grey, Currawong Grey, Green Wattle, Cappuccino, Coastal Blue and Blush Sunset. The latter two would fit much better with a bolder colour palette, while of course the greys or cappuccino are more suited to a broader style of home decor.
The sofa bed arrives in five smaller boxes, which each are quiet heavy at around 30kg. I’m estimating, however. I didn’t specifically weigh each box, but I did need someone else with me to take delivery.
Pieces differ in size but they are all modular and have been designed to fit together with very little effort. That said, you’ll need some patience. Once assembled, it’s recommended that you leave the sofa bed for 72 hours so that all the fabrics can take shape.
As a “bed”, the Beauty comes with some storage shelves and compartments for some smaller personal items. This is probably my favourite feature as I’ve never tested a sofa bed with storage before.
The sofa bed is a three-seater in “couch mode” and a Queen bed in “bed mode”.
Comfort
I guess the real thing you want to know is whether this feels premium or not. After all, the price tag is still quite steep even if it’s much more affordable than traditional sofa beds. The answer is yes. Koala has clearly tested this thing and not put it out until they were completely satisfied with the level of comfort and support it gives.
Everything has a nice feel to it. The backrest cushions are supportive and firm but still have a lot of give so you kind of just sink back into the sofa bed. The armrests are similar, although can feel quite solid without any additional cushioning.
Take off the backrest cushions and pull out the bottom frame to turn the sofa bed into an actual “bed”. You’ll need to unfold the mattress as well and I found this requires a bit of effort. In that it feels quite heavy so movement wouldn’t be seamless.
As long as you’ve fit the mattress properly (make sure it’s not hanging over the edge), then you’ve got an incredibly comfortable bed. At times, I felt it was just as comfortable as my actual bed, which also has a koala mattress. That’s not much of a surprise, of course, given the company’s experience in the market. It’s stable, has a nice give to it, and can fit two people comfortably with minimal partner disturbance.
Verdict
Koala has been generous enough to also extend their definitive trial period offering to its sofa bed range as well. You’ll get 120 nights with this in the trial period, and if you aren’t satisfied, you can refund it quite easily. You also get a five year warranty, although you’ll have to spot clean any spills. Koala doesn’t recommend removing and washing any covers.
I find this much more comfortable and plush than Koala’s Modern Sofa, which I’ve had for quite a few years now. That one can lean a bit too much on the support side and forget that a degree of softness is necessary, especially for anyone lying down. I feel with the Beauty Sofa Bed, the company has really refined its offering and presented something well worth having in the lounge room.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Koala supplied product for the purpose of this review.
