Koala Wanda Sofa Bed Review: Compact Comfort

We’ve all been In situations where we had to sleep on a sofa bed. I can remember many childhood vacations where I was tossing and turning and turning on a screaming setting. If this is you too, a sofa bed may not be the most attractive option. But they’ve evolved from the flimsy pull-out mattresses of the past – today’s sofa beds are a more comfortable and efficient way to create a guest bed anywhere you want, whether in a spare room or a small apartment.

However, the sofa bed, also known as Sofas for sleepingNot all of them are of the same calibre. This is where Australian furniture brand Koala aims to stand out. Since entering the US market in the fall of 2023, it has focused on comfortable, stylish, and easy-to-assemble sofa beds. However, as a professional mattress tester, I was very curious to see if Koala’s newest sofa bed offering, the Wanda, was as comfortable and supportive as The mattresses I usually test. So I went on a test mission and dedicated an entire week to sleeping aboard Wanda’s ship. What I’ve found is that it’s a comfortable short-term solution for guests and general relaxation, but I wouldn’t replace your mattress setup with it.

Quadruple threat

Sofa beds typically use a “2-in-1” design, combining a sofa with a pull-out bed that can be folded under the seat cushion when not in use. Wanda offers a “4-in-1” design that combines a sofa, daybed, reversible sofa, and slide-out queen-sized bed.

The Wanda arrived in four large boxes – you’ll definitely need help moving it, especially if you plan on taking any stairs. Regardless of size, these boxes range in weight from 47 pounds to 104 pounds, which I struggled to haul upstairs on my own.

It’s all together now

Photo: Julia Forbes

In honor of all my previous sleeper sofa experiences, I wanted to know how the Wanda would perform in a small room. So, instead of my usual spacious studio setup, which measures 13 feet by 15 feet, I decided to use my home office upstairs. Since I didn’t move my desk out of the way, the wanda took up half the room, which was only 10.5 feet by 10.5 feet, plus or minus, with other furniture in it. The sofa bed is 99 inches (8.25 feet) long and resembles a sideways “L”, where the chair is 69 inches (5.75 feet) long. As if that wasn’t convenient enough, my husband and two small dogs decided to set up shop with me.