In a studio flat, a small children's room or a living room that doubles as a bedroom, the sofa is unfolded every evening and packed away every morning. A sofa that opens once or twice a year for guests and one that serves as a bed every night are very different things. In the second case, the mechanism's ability to cope with daily loads, the flatness of the sleeping surface and the ease of opening become the key criteria.
Eurobook and pantograph
With a eurobook, the seat pulls forward and the backrest lowers into the space behind it. The mechanism is simple, with few parts to break, and there is usually a large bedding box underneath. Its weak point is the joint between the two sections: if the upholstery layer is thin, you feel the line when lying down.
In the pantograph version, sometimes called tick-tock, the seat lifts and moves forward without its legs sliding on the floor, which reduces the risk of scratching rugs or parquet. Both systems are widely used for daily folding.
One detail to watch with these systems is height. When the seat moves forward, the sleeping surface sometimes ends up a centimetre or two higher or lower than the back section. A simple showroom test is to open the sofa and run your palm across the joint: if you feel a step, you will feel it at night too. Some households put a thin mattress topper over the join; if so, the bedding box must be tall enough to store it. Also think in advance about where the back cushions will go, because hunting for somewhere to put them every evening quickly becomes tiresome.
Dolphin: the corner sofa option
The dolphin mechanism is mostly found in corner sofas. A second block is pulled out from under the seat by a strap and lifted level with it. It opens quickly and gives a large sleeping area. However, the castors on the pull-out block must suit the floor covering, and its cushion is often thinner than the main seat. For daily sleeping, ask separately about the foam density of that block.
Accordion and click-clack
An accordion sofa unfolds forward into three sections, giving a long, flat surface where joints are barely noticeable. Because it works on a metal frame, it is considered suitable for everyday use. What it demands is floor space: the unfolded length needs plenty of clear room in front, and the coffee table has to be moved each time.
Click-clack sofas lock the backrest in several positions: sitting, reclining and fully flat. They suit compact sofas, but need a gap between wall and sofa for the backrest to drop. The sleeping width is usually limited, so they are rarely chosen as an everyday bed for two.
Fold-out bed mechanisms
In so-called French and American fold-out beds, the mattress is stored in several folds under the seat. They are designed for guests: a thin mattress on metal mesh is generally not comfortable enough for nightly sleep. If the sofa will be used every night, it is best to avoid this type.
Checklist for daily use
In a showroom or when ordering, look for answers to these questions rather than just the mechanism's name:
- Can one person, including a teenager, open and close it without strain?
- How flat is the sleeping surface, and where do the joints fall?
- What filling is used in the seat and sleeping area: foam density, pocket springs?
- Is the mechanism fixed to a metal frame or a timber one?
- Is there a bedding box, and is it ventilated?
- Does the open sofa block a door, radiator or balcony exit?
With a made-to-order sofa, dimensions can be adapted to the room. If space for an accordion is short, a deeper seat with a eurobook mechanism may work, or a corner sofa can be ordered with firmer filling in the dolphin block.
Because Zaferoglu Mebel builds sofas to order, the opening mechanism and filling can be matched to the room plan and to whether the sofa will be slept on nightly or only now and then.
