Stylish and sofa bed aren’t two words you’ll often see together. Sofa beds tend to sacrifice chic design for comfort, favouring a harder base to support snoozing forms and firmer cushions that can double up as pillows or headboards.
But if there’s one contender who has proved itself in the stylish sofa bed stakes, it’s Swyft.
The London-based sofa-in-a-box brand has been hailed a “relationship saver” and the “future of furniture” for its collection of contemporary sofas that require no tools to build.
Instead, it uses locking hinges that slot together the backrest, seat and arms to put your new sofa together in mere minutes.
All parts are delivered in slender boxes, making them easier to manoeuvre through tight doors and narrow halls - no need for frantic “pivots!” to get it into situ. In short, Swyft is a London homeowner or renter’s dream.
Now, the brand has released a new sofa bed design into its ranks: say hello to the Swyft Sofa Bed Model 11.
What it lacks in a catchy name, it makes up for with mid-century design, gorgeous colourways and three angles of recline, including a flat 180° that sees it turn into a small double to sleep overnight guests.
I tried it out to see if it really is as easy to set up as the company claims.
Swyft Sofa Bed Model 11 key specs
- Dimensions: W193 x H82 x D100cm
- Fabric: anti-stain velvet
- Colours: grey (in linen upholstery), moss green, teal blue, brick red, charcoal, kingfisher blue and mustard yellow
- Accessories: two matching sofa cushions
- Cushion filling: 100 per cent silicone fibre
Delivery
While many sofa bed companies need months to make delivery, one of Swyft’s USPs is that your new purchase can be with you as soon as the next day, or in this case, two weeks. While my brick red Model 11 took a couple of weeks to arrive, thanks to busy delivery times, it’s still miles quicker than a custom sofa bed design from a competitor might be.
The boxes slid easily through the hall into the living room, and while there was a lot of cardboard to recycle, removing it and sticking it into the right bins was the most time-consuming element.
Set up
Unlike many of Swyft’s other sofas, the seating pad on the Model 11 is all one piece, omitting the need for locking hinges.
Flip over the three-seater pad so that it’s upside down on the floor exposing the leg bracket screwed into the underside, and attach the screw on legs to the corners.
Then, with assistance from a friend, flip it over - the sofa should now be in the 180º flat angle for sleeping. To get it seating-ready, you’ll need to pull up the backrest, which is the smaller portion of the bed, up through the 135º lounge angle to seating, which is 105º - it should click at each angle. Add the two matching cushions, and the sofa bed is ready for use.
To return it to bed mode, push forward the backrest slightly to release the angle out of its lock, then gently push back until you reach your desired angle.
It’s all easy enough to manage for one person, meaning you can get the sofa bed into the right angle in a shorter time than it takes to dress it up for your lucky guest to sleep on.
Performance
But what’s it like to sleep on? Swyft recommends adding a mattress protector or topper to protect the sofa’s upholstery. I subbed in a spare quilt in the absence of a topper, and this worked well in providing enough cushioning so as not to feel the sofa bed’s hinge, which is around two-thirds into the width of the design.
However, the size feels like a small double, so while I got decent shut-eye as a solo sleeper, two people may struggle if they’re kipping for longer than a night or two. Meanwhile, my mother, a much lighter sleeper who slept on the Model 11 separately another night, reported that she could feel the hinge under the quilt - but crucially, it didn’t stop her from drifting off.
The big pro here is that the lack of armrests will make this more pleasant for taller sleepers, since there are no obstacles for heads and feet to run into. Invite your 6-foot-tall guests to stay worry-free.
Cash - is it worth the money?
Compact and available in seven tasteful colours, Swyft’s new Model 11 is ideal for city dwellers short on space. It’s currently on offer for £599 (down from £649), which makes it well-priced against similar sofa-only options - only this one turns into a temporary bed as well.
The protruding leg bracket at the rear, essential to support the backrest when the sofa is in sleep mode, means it can’t sit completely flush against a wall, unless you slide the base out every time you want to adjust the backrest angle. It’s the only notable drawback.
The other? Having to buy a suitable mattress protector or topper separately. Considering Swyft already sells these on its website, it should be included in the cost or sold as part of a bundle for a true one-stop sofa bed-buying experience.
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Swyft Sofa Bed Model 11
If you’re looking for a chic sofa bed that earns its floor space, look no further than Swyft.
The brand has four styles of no-tool sofa beds to choose from and Model 11 is its newest arrival.
The three-seater design, which comes in seven colours, can be up and running moments from unpackaging. Simply screw on the legs to the brackets, found on the underside of the sofa’s base, and you’re ready to start reclining.
The bed offers three levels of tilt, from sitting at 105º, lounge at 135º and the 180º flat angle for sleeping. I found it to be firm but comfortable for a few nights’ rest (which is probably about as long as you’d want houseguests to stay around, anyway).
It’s wrapped in anti-stain upholstery, but a topper is recommended to keep it looking and smelling fresh. The sofa bed can be easily spruced up by running a damp microfibre cloth over it to get rid of spills and smells.
It looks good, performs well and needs no tools to build, which will come as a relief to anyone lacking the requisite flat-pack skills. For that alone, I’d deem it priceless.
Buy now £599.00, Swyft
