Swyft Model 04 sofa bed review

Sofa beds are notoriously uncomfortable to sleep on, so how does sofa-in-a-box specialist Swyft's 'new way of sleeping' Model 04 stack up? It's a generous three-seater sofa that can be transformed into a UK-sized double bed when needed, and we put it to the test in this Swyft Model 04 review to test how it delivers when it comes to style and comfort.

Don't miss our Best sofa beds for the lowdown on our favourite sleeper sofas 

It’s been a number of years since we had a sofa bed, after getting rid of our last one because it was just so uncomfortable to sleep on. As a sofa it was great, but when it came to sleeping it fell short of the mark. The pull-out mechanism was clunky and difficult to use when trying to transform it into a bed, and the mattress springs dug into you when you lay down. On the lookout for a solid and comfortable sofa bed, I was excited to see Swyft add one to its sofa-in-a-box offering.

 We moved house less than a year ago, and with my twins about to turn 12, we found ourselves in need of an extra living space so that the kids and adults can hang out and watch TV separately. With our spare room acting as a home office, turned a small room downstairs into a snug. This space now doubles up as a hang out zone for kids and/or adults, and a guest room for when friends or family come to stay.

 A big selling point of the Swyft Model 04 that got my attention was the promised durability and resilience of Swyft's fabrics, which boast stain free technology – I really wanted a sofa bed in a light colour so this was an important feature for me. The Swyft Model 04 seemed to offer the holy grail of a sofa fabric that looks good, but is  also kid and pet friendly – perfect as our mud-loving dog loves to curl up on the sofa. So confident are Swyft in this claim, that they guarantee the fabric for two years.

Did the Swyft Model 04 live up to the hype? We put it to the Young family test.

Swyft Model 04 sofa bed

RRP: £1,995

Delivery

Swyft’s first big plus point is the short lead time. You can say goodbye to the frustratingly-long wait between ordering a sofa and taking delivery. Once you place your order, your sofa will be delivered in just 24 hours, meaning that as long as you order before 3pm, your sofa will be with you the very next day.

The Model 04 comes delivered in four (large) boxes, that are guaranteed to fit through the tightest of doorways or halls, and can get up multiple flights of stairs. We didn't have an old sofa to get rid of, but if you do, you can arrange for Swyft to have that collected to make space for your new one (plus they'll take away the packaging from the new sofa at the same time).

Set up

We couldn't spot any assembly instructions (these are actually emailed to you to save paper) but my husband and quickly found Swyft's assembly video online and had the Model 04 put together in under 30 minutes, with no tools required. I definitely could have managed it solo, although due to the sofa bed weight, it was easier to manoeuvre it into position with two people.

The Model 04 fitted perfectly in our snug, but if we wanted to save a bit of room, the sofa is designed so that you can leave the arms off (they slide in and out of position) if you need to. Swyft is known for acing modular design as we found with our Swyft Model 03 review, so we were keen to see how the functionality of their sofa bed model would compare to their sofas.

Returns

If, for whatever reason, you’re not 100% happy with your sofa bed, Swyft give you 100 days to arrange a return. After this, they offer a 15 year frame guarantee. I'd prefer not to work out how old my kids (and I) will be when that guarantee expires!

Is the Swyft Model 04 sofa bed comfortable?

Sitting on the Swyft Model 04 sofa bed

First up, let's just give the Model 04 some props for its good looks. This is one stylish sofa bed, with its buttoned seats and back cushions and clean, contemporary shape. There are seven fabric choices available – three velvets and four linens ( 73% polyester, 27% cotton) – all with Swyft stain resistant technology.

We chose Pumice, which is the linen fabric in a soft beige shade that's really versatile. Normally I'd be nervous about such a light colour for a family sofa, but the stain resistant technology made me confident enough not to compromise on my colour choice.

The sofa seat is firm, and the back cushions are nice and chunky. The back of the sofa is quite low, so if you prefer to lounge back and nestle into the cushions for a long Netflix session, this design probably isn't for you.

I would also detract some design marks due to the limited choice of leg designs. The Model 04 currently doesn't offer a choice. I'm happy enough with the ones (dark wood) that came as standard, but for this price point I would expect there to be other finishes.

Sleeping on the Swyft Model 04 sofa bed

The foam mattress on the Model 04 sofa bed is seven inches thick and boasts 300 pocket springs. It definitely falls at the firmer end of the mattress spectrum, but doesn't feel hard or uncomfortable, especially with the mattress topper that comes neatly stashed away in the sofa bed's integrated storage unit. You could always browse our best mattress toppers if you wanted to make it even comfier.

Transforming the Model 04 from sofa to bed is impressively simple. In fact it's so straightforward and ergonomic that my son (age 11) was able to manage it himself with no difficulty. You just lift the sofa seat, unhinge the extra legs (hidden in a zippered compartment), then slide the seat forward on its castors. The sofa back then pivots down to form the other side of the mattress.

The double mattress is spacious enough for overnighters. We sleep on a king-size bed usually so this is smaller than we're used to, but it didn't feel cramped with two of us sleeping on it. My 11-year-old twins can vouch for that, as they insisted on a sleepover in the snug, sleeping comfortably head-to-toe on the Model 04.

My parents (in their Seventies) haven't stayed overnight yet, but they have tested out lying down on the bed, and deemed it comfortable enough to sleep on, too!

Is the Swyft Model 04 the best sofa bed for everyday use??

Comfort

It's safe to say that the Model 04 will be used everyday by my family, whether it's by the kids while they watch TV (their favourite set up is to convert it to a bed, then pop the back cushions up against the wall so they have a full-sized chaise to stretch out on!). For me, it's a great space to sit and chill away from the rest of the house. The Model 04 has become my new morning coffee spot, where I sit first thing to write lists and plan out my day.

Ease of use

I was incredibly impressed with how straightforward the sofa was to assemble when it arrived. It's heavy to try to move around as a whole unit due to its solid design, but the sofa bed mechanism means it is very easy to transform into a bed when needed.

The integrated storage compartment that the mattress topper lives in is handy. It's not enormous, but there would be space in there for guests to store folded clothing, or spare towels.

Stain-resistance

It took some courage to test Swyft's stain resistant technology. My husband is known for being clumsy with a glass of wine, and so red wine spillages are an all-too-frequent occurrence in our house. I read through Swyft's cleaning instructions many times (they're simple to follow, I was just stressing out) before taking the plunge and pouring a dash of red wine on the sofa seat.

Rather than spraying the fabrics with a stain repellent, each one of the threads is coated in stain resistant technology, so the wine didn't get absorbed into the fabric, and I had time to blot it with a paper towel and some water, before sponging to make sure the stain was gone.

While the damp patches were drying I popped out to walk the dog, worrying about what I'd find when I returned, but I was relieved that the sofa looked as good as new when I got home. This meant I didn't need to try out Swyft's advice for more stubborn stains – bicarb of soda and vinegar.

The Swyft Model 04 has been well-received by all members of the family (dog included!), with positive feedback from everyone. We're excited that we can now host guests overnight, confident that they will have a comfortable night's sleep.

About this review, and the reviewer

Heather Young is the Editor of  Ideal Home and Style at Home. Heather recently moved into a Victorian house in Surrey, and lives with her husband, 11-year-old twins, Hungarian vizsla Lyra and (grumpy) cat Lily. Heather's house is full of the usual family chaos of discarded Lego and craft projects. Any decorating or furniture decisions have to pass both the style and practicality tests.

The Swyft Model 04 was tested over a month, while Heather and her family used the sofa and bed as much as possible to get a full picture of how it lived up to the demands of family life. They have been allowed to keep it so expect an update over time.