In Australia, where space comes at a premium, space-saving sofa beds are the unsung heroes of smart living. Unlike most sofa beds that sacrifice comfort for convenience, these modern solutions let you convert your lounge into a guest room in seconds, ideal when the in-laws drop by unannounced.

With Koala and Emma Sleep leading the charge in comfort and convenience, how do you decide which brand deserves a place in your home? We’ve put these brands' mid-range sofa beds, Koala Sofa Bed [4th Gen], and Emma sofa bed, head-to-head to find out the best sofa beds you can choose from.

Emma vs Koala: Best Sofa Bed Brand Overview

When choosing the best sofa bed brand, it’s important to look beyond just comfort. Factors like innovation, sustainability, and customer experience play a big role. Here, we compare Koala and Emma, two brands with distinct origins and values, so you can decide which one fits your lifestyle best.

Koala

Founded in Byron Bay in 2015, Koala disrupted the Aussie market with a cheeky, sustainable twist on the traditional sofa bed. From a single comfortable mattress to a full-blown sofa bed range, Koala blends ease, ethics, and Aussie spirit. This brand is B Corp certified and supports koala conservation, proving that comfort and conscience can go hand in hand. 

Emma Sleep

Emma is a German brand that started with mattresses before expanding to furniture. This brand operates primarily online, and its products follow conventional furniture design principles with assembly requirements.  

Versatile and Value-Packed

Koala offers something for everyone, blending style, comfort, and practicality. Their sofa beds combine innovative FlipBed™ technology with practical design. Their thoughtful approach extends to material choices, incorporating recycled fabrics and family-friendly finishes. The colour palette draws inspiration from the Australian landscape, while the designs prioritise both comfort and functionality for everyday living.   

Emma offers a single sofa bed model for basic functionality. Their design philosophy centers on minimalism, offering a standard foam construction and sleep features. The sofa features clean lines and neutral colours, targeting customers who just want a sofa. While the model provides essential sofa bed functions, it has limited customisation options for specific sleep preferences or needs.

Head-to-Head Comparison

To help you decide between Koala and Emma, we’ve broken down their key features side by side. From comfort to materials, and from ease of use to sustainability, here’s how these two popular sofa bed brands stack up in the most important categories.

Comfort & Sleep Quality

Koala elevates the sofa bed experience through their innovative Kloudcell® technology. This proprietary foam structure creates a uniquely responsive sleep surface that adapts to your body's pressure points while maintaining optimal airflow. The breathable design helps regulate temperature throughout the night. This advanced material engineering ensures you have the most comfortable sofa bed and enjoy the same comfort whether using it as a sofa or a bed.

Emma makes their sofa bed with standard foam layer construction. Their layered design provides just the basic support for occasional use. While the basic materials offer comfort, the conventional sofa design principles can’t match Koala’s innovation.      

Conversion Mechanism

Koala has revolutionised the sofa-to-bed transformation with their intuitive design approach. Their conversion mechanism eliminates the traditional struggles of sofa bed setup. The system's smooth operation allows for quick transitions between configurations in mere seconds, no tools, no fuss. This thoughtful design makes late-night guest preparations or spontaneous nap transitions effortless and stress-free.

Emma utilises a fold-out mechanism for their sofa bed conversion. The basic system follows traditional design principles, offering standard functionality for transitioning between sofa and bed configurations. While the mechanism performs its purpose, it lacks additional features or innovations that the Koala cushy sofa bed offers.          

Build Quality & Materials

Winner: Koala – ticks more boxes for quality and ethics. 

Sofa Comfort

Koala's innovative approach to sofa bed design prioritises versatility and superior comfort across all uses. The thoughtfully engineered deeper seats provide perfect lounging depth, while plush armrests enhance relaxation. The carefully calibrated back support ensures optimal comfort whether sitting or sleeping, delivering a truly multipurpose solution.

Emma, on the other hand, offers a standard medium firmness level for basic seating and sleeping functions in their sofa beds.

Sleep Surface

Koala sofas use sofa bed Kloudcell® topper technology, engineered with a breathable structure to help manage temperature during sleep. The design maintains consistent dimensions across its range, with the topper incorporating specific zones to provide targeted support throughout the sleeping surface. 

Emma utilises a standard Layer foam construction in their sofa design. While the sleep surface includes basic cooling properties within its structure, it lacks Koala’s innovative cooling features.   

Koala outperforms Emmas by delivering a superior comfort engineered for Australian conditions.  

Practical Features

Practical details can make or break your sofa bed experience. From size options to assembly and storage, Koala and Emma bring different strengths to the table. Let’s explore how each brand’s sofa bed handles these everyday essentials.

Size Options

Koala sofa beds are designed to accommodate various room configurations. This model spans 177cm in width when used as a sofa, extending to 222.5cm when converted to a bed. These dimensions provide flexibility for different living layouts.           

Meanwhile, Emma's sofa bed comes in a standard queen-size configuration. This sizing aligns with standard bedroom furniture dimensions, which can be limited in compact living areas.      

Assembly

Koala's design emphasises tool-free assembly through a snap-together system. The components connect using integrated clips and locks, allowing most customers to complete setup within minutes. This approach eliminates the need for additional tools or hardware during installation.

Emma follows a standard flat-pack assembly method. The process requires basic assembly of individual components to create the finished piece.       

Price and Value

Price isn’t just about the sticker number; it’s about what you get for your money. Comparing budget options, extra costs, and perks like delivery and returns helps reveal which sofa bed brand truly offers the best value. Here is how Koala and Emma stack up:

Cost Breakdown

Koala offers a range of sofa bed options, with sizes spanning from a 1.5 seater to a 3 seater with queen-sized bed mattress dimensions when it folds out. This flexible pricing structure allows customers to select the perfect balance of features and value for their specific needs, making quality sleep solutions accessible across different budget levels.

Emma provides their sofa bed in a single price point with standard features. This approach limits options for those seeking different size configurations or price points to match varying space and budget requirements.

Additional Costs & Perks

Winner: Koala – fewer extra costs, more included services.

Customer Experience

A smooth, worry-free buying experience matters just as much as the product itself. From trial periods to delivery speed, customer support, and sustainability efforts, let’s see how Koala and Emma compare in creating happy, loyal customers.

Return Policy

Koala demonstrates their customer-first approach with a comprehensive return policy. The process is straightforward and hassle-free, offering free pickup services across metropolitan areas. For smaller items like pillows, customers receive a free return shipping label, making the entire experience seamless regardless of purchase size.

Emma, in contrast, the return process operates through their retail partners, which means policies can vary depending on where you make your purchase. Each retailer sets their own terms and conditions for returns, including potential fees and timeframes.

Delivery

Koala's innovative delivery service sets new standards in customer convenience. With same-day delivery available in major cities, customers can transform their living room almost instantly. The brand's premium evening delivery option between 5 pm and 8 pm accommodates busy schedules for an additional $95.

Emma operates through regular delivery channels, providing basic shipping options for their furniture. Their standard delivery service follows typical furniture delivery timeframes, which lack the speed and flexibility Koala offers. 

Support & Warranty

Koala shows a strong commitment to customer satisfaction through their comprehensive 5-year warranty, covering manufacturing and material defects with full replacement or repair options. They offer excellent customer service with a support team available 24/7, ready to provide solution-oriented service, ensuring quick resolution for any concerns throughout your ownership experience.

Emma, in contrast, provides basic warranty coverage for their furniture products, following standard industry practices. Their customer service handles regular support requests, but only during business hours

Sustainability

Koala has shown exceptional environmental leadership through its comprehensive sustainability initiatives. As a certified B Corp with an impressive 91.9 score, they contribute 1% of revenue to environmental causes and have donated over $3.5M through the WWF partnership. Their commitment extends to using 83% recycled polyester fabrics and operating the innovative Second Home refurbishment program.

Emma, on the contrary, their approach is limited to basic industry practices for material sourcing and production methods. Their sustainability program focuses only on meeting standard industry requirements rather than pushing beyond conventional practices.

Customer Reviews & Real-World Use

Hearing from real users helps paint a clearer picture of how these sofa beds perform day-to-day. Let’s dive into customer feedback and see which brand meets expectations across different lifestyles and living situations.

Review Volume

Koala boasts 50,000+ five-star reviews and multiple ProductReview awards. In contrast, Emma lacks local feedback.

Use Cases

Winner: Koala – more tailored options.

Who Should Choose What?

When deciding between Koala and Emma, it comes down to your personal priorities and lifestyle needs. Here’s a quick guide to help you match each brand’s strengths with what matters most to you.

Choose Koala if you:

• Want comfort, flexibility, and storage

• Prefer tool-free, fast assembly

• Care about sustainability

• Need same-day delivery or 120-night trial

• Appreciate a local brand with proven performance

Choose Emma if you:

• Don’t mind minimalist design

• Don’t need storage or fast assembly 

Final Verdict

Koala demonstrates market leadership across all essential categories, from superior sofa and sleep comfort to outstanding convenience and value. Their commitment to sustainability pairs perfectly with excellent customer support, making their sofa beds the standout all-rounder for Australian homes. The comprehensive package of features and benefits sets a new industry standard.

Emma provides basic functionality in comfort and convenience. Their sofa bed offers standard features and regular customer service options. 

Transform Your Living Space With High-Quality Sofa Beds

Koala offers more with a variety of choices, more features, and a seamless customer experience. While the Emma sofas offer comfort, Koala nails all the important aspects from design, engineered comfort, delivery, to lounging and sleeping.

Unless you’re laser-focused on European sleep tech, Koala’s high-quality sofa beds are better suited for modern Australian living, no compromises required.

Ready to upgrade your extra sleeping space with a great sofa bed that ticks every box? Explore Koala’s award-winning range of sofa beds today and discover why Aussies are making the switch. 

With fast delivery, easy setup, and comfort that lasts, there’s never been a better time to make your lounge work harder in both bed and sofa mode, a truly convenient and space-saving solution.