A brief history of the sofa bed you sleep on today

Ever crashed on a mate's sofa bed and wondered how we arrived at this point in furniture history? The trusty sofa bed has been saving friendships and family gatherings for centuries, but its story stretches back much further than your last awkward sleepover. 

At Koala, we believe that knowing where sofa beds came from helps you appreciate just how bloody brilliant today's versions really are. 

So let's dive into how this versatile piece of furniture came to be and why it deserves a prime position in your lounge room.

Contents

• The Ancient Beginnings of Convertible Furniture

• Birth of the Modern Sofa Bed

• The Post-War Boom and Sofa Bed Golden Age

• Bringing Sofa Beds to Your Screens and Devices

• How to Choose the Best Sofa Bed with Historical Wisdom in Mind

• Upgrade Comfort Without Sacrificing Space

The ancient beginnings of convertible furniture  

Long before the Byron Sofa Bed graced Aussie lounge rooms, our ancestors were already solving the sit-and-sleep dilemma with some seriously clever designs. 

In ancient Egypt, folding beds and stools that could be easily moved and stored were popular among the upper classes. These weren't just practical. They were status symbols, often crafted with gold inlays and intricate carvings.     

What's fascinating is how these early designs tackled the same problems we still solve today, making the most of limited space. And while they didn't have modern materials or engineering, our ancestors were just as clever about creating multipurpose furniture.

The next time you effortlessly transform your Koala Sofa Bed from lounging to sleeping mode in seconds, spare a thought for your ancestors struggling with their wooden settle.

They'd be jealous of how far convertible beds have come with no splinters, no backache, just cloud-like comfort at the simple fold-out of a sofa bed.

Birth of the modern sofa bed     

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The Industrial Revolution didn't just transform manufacturing and transportation. It revolutionised how we sleep at night, especially when unexpected guests rocked up. 

In the mid-1800s, inventors raced to patent clever convertible furniture designs. Leonard C. Bailey, an American inventor, made history in 1899 with his patented folding bed that incorporated a metal bed frame, a big leap from the all-wood constructions of earlier times.               

Further contributing to this trend was William Murphy, who patented his Murphy Bed in 1900. While the Murphy bed folded up and could be stored against the wall (not exactly a sofa bed), the principle of flexible, space-saving furniture was catching hold.                                         

By the early 1900s, the Bernard Castro Convertibles emerged as one of the first commercially successful sofa bed brands. 

Their advertising proudly proclaimed that even a child could open their sofa bed, though we believe our Koala designs, which transform from sofa to bed in seconds with no tools required, might have given them a run for their money.

These early 20th-century designs established the fundamental elements we still see in many traditional sofa beds:     

• A metal frame mechanism that hides a bed under the sofa body

• A folding mechanism where the mattress unfurls as the frame extends

• Dual-purpose upholstery that works for both sofa and bed modes      

Those early inventors couldn't have imagined the cloud-like comfort of today's innovative Koala sofa bed designs that eliminate the dreaded middle-of-the-night backache.    

     

The post-war boom and sofa bed golden age

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After World War II, Australia, like much of the Western world, experienced a massive housing boom. Returning soldiers started families, suburbs expanded, and the iconic Australian dream home began to take shape.

In Australia, the sofa bed's golden age aligned perfectly with our indoor-outdoor lifestyle and casual entertaining culture. As backyard barbies and impromptu gatherings became quintessentially Australian, having a sofa bed meant you could always accommodate overnight guests after a long arvo of socialising.

The post-war immigration boom also influenced Australian homes, with European craftspeople bringing their furniture-making traditions to our shores. 

This fusion of European craftsmanship with practical Australian sensibilities created sofa beds that were functional and beautifully made, a tradition that continues with Koala's Australian-designed pieces today.

By the end of the 1960s, almost every Aussie home had some form of convertible furniture. Whether it was a formal sofa bed in the living room or a chaise lounge on the sunporch, these versatile pieces had secured their place in our domestic landscape. 

Bringing sofa beds to your screens and devices

Fast forward to today, and we've taken sofa beds from the sunporch to the smartphone. Gone are the days of trudging through furniture warehouses with screaming kids in tow. We've revolutionised how Aussies shop for furniture by bringing the entire experience online.

Sofa beds now show up on your feed through targeted campaigns designed to reach exactly the people who need them. Whether it's on social media or via influencer videos showing real Aussies catching some Z's, we promote our designs with the same focus. We emphasise comfort, design, and space-saving style that doesn't compromise on a good night's sleep.

While traditional retailers were still expecting you to schlep to showrooms, we brought the whole experience to your phone. Browse in your trackie dacks at 3 am, get fast delivery, and test it properly with our famous 120-night trial. No more awkward display model testing while strangers judge your sock choice!

Between our no-nonsense approach and videos showing how bloody easy assembly is, our digital experience is furniture shopping is convenient, cheeky, and delivered to your door faster than a pizza. It's the natural evolution of that practical Aussie spirit that's always been at the heart of the sofa bed story.

How to choose the best sofa bed with historical wisdom in mind

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Looking back at the rocky sleep history of sofa beds gives us some pretty handy insights when shopping for one today. After all, those who don't learn from furniture history are doomed to repeat it, usually with a sore back the next morning. 

Here's how to use those historical lessons to find your perfect sofa bed.            

Comfort evolution

The infamous "bar in the back" wasn't just an unfortunate design flaw. It was the result of manufacturers prioritising the sofa function over the bed experience. When shopping for a modern folding bed, look for models that have solved this historical pain point.   

Koala's sofa beds, such as the OG Sofa Bed, feature plush cushions that bridge the gap between sitting and sleeping comfort. This technology represents a direct response to decades of sleepers waking up with mysterious back pain and wondering why they didn't just sleep on the floor instead. 

Frame construction

Sofa bed frames have historically been the weak link, often developing squeaks, creaks and structural issues after minimal use. Early designs used whatever materials were cheap and available rather than ones built to last.

When evaluating modern sofa beds, look for those made with sustainable materials that provide better durability than their historical counterparts. The Stunner Sofa Bed, for example, uses FSC® certified wooden frames, which would be considered luxurious materials in previous generations.                

Unlike their ancestors, quality modern frames should maintain their integrity for years without developing the telltale "sag" that plagued earlier sofa bed designs. This is one area where you definitely don't want vintage performance.  

Mechanism matters

The history of sofa bed mechanisms reads like a medieval torture manual, from clunky pull-outs that required the strength of ten men to operate to pinch-your-fingers contraptions that turned bedtime into a hazardous activity.

Today's tool-free mechanisms should operate smoothly and easily, a direct response to those historical frustrations. The Koala Sofa Bed converts "faster than you can say 'best sofa bed in the biz'" according to happy customers, with none of the qualities of its predecessors.

When testing a sofa bed, try the conversion process yourself. If it requires a user manual, excessive force, or makes you break a sweat, that's a red flag that the design hasn't learned from history.    

Sizing issues

Early sofa beds were notorious for their awkward dimensions. They were either too narrow for comfort or so bulky they dominated the room. Many designs were designed for occasional use by unexpected guests rather than regular sleeping.              

Modern designs such as the Wanda Sofa Bed offer full-sized queen mattresses in compact footprints. This represents a major evolution from the three-quarter-sized compromises common throughout much sofa bed history.

When measuring your space, remember that historical sofa beds require clearance for opening mechanisms. Today's designs are more space-efficient, but you should still ensure you have enough room for both configurations.

Material evolution

The materials inside sofa bed cushions have evolved dramatically. Early versions stuffed with horsehair or cotton batting would compress quickly, losing comfort and shape.        

Today's options feature materials like CertiPUR-US® high-density foam and specialised plush layers that maintain their properties over time. 

When shopping, also look for materials that address the historical problems of heat retention and compression.

The Koala mattress toppers with Kloudcell® technology found in our sofa beds even offer cooling technology that would have seemed like science fiction to shoppers just a century ago.

The trial period

Perhaps the biggest lesson from sofa bed history is that you can't truly judge one until you've sat and slept on it repeatedly. Traditionally, this meant being stuck with your purchase regardless of comfort.

Koala's 120-night trial represents a revolutionary response to this historical issue. It allows you to properly test the sofa bed functions in your own home, something our furniture ancestors could only dream about.      

This extended trial acknowledges the historical truth that a sofa bed needs to be experienced in both roles over time to determine if it truly works for your needs.

Upgrade comfort without sacrificing space

Looking back at how far sofa beds have come, it's clear we're in the best time ever for comfy sleep solutions. From ancient folding beds to those painful metal frame designs many of us remember, sofa beds have finally evolved into something truly comfortable.     

Today's Koala sofa beds fix all the old problems. They're easy to fold out, comfortable to sleep on, and you don't need any tools to set them up. We've even added cloud-like plush layers, queen-sized mattresses, and designs that work perfectly for sitting and sleeping.

Want to try the best sofa bed in history? You can test a Koala sofa bed in your own home for 120 nights. If you don't love it, we'll take it back with no hassle and no questions.

Visit our sofa bed collection today and discover designs that make sitting and sleeping a dream. Your back (and your overnight guests) will thank you!