I had three guests test out DUSK's £349 sofa bed – this is their verdict

Hudson Click Clack Sofa bed | from £349 at DUSK

The Hudson is a 3 seater sofa which folds out to act as a bed. We tested the grey, but it's also available in an off-white bouclé.

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Not all sofa beds are created equal, so if you've been tempted by the sleek-looking DUSK Hudson click clack sofa bed, you're probably wondering how it measures up to the competition.

When it comes to choosing the best sofa bed for your home, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. One of these is the age-old debate of pull-out sofa bed versus click-clack sofa bed. 

At the time I was selecting one for myself I decided to opt for the latter, thanks to the lower price-point and more compact design. Here's how it performed.

DUSK sofa bed review - the Hudson Click Clack

Specifications

• Sofa width: 86.5cm
• Total sofa width when open: 110cm
• Sofa length: 206cm
• Material: Polyester
• Delivery: delivered in 3-7 days
• Assembly: arm, leg and subframe assembly required

How I tested

Thea Babington-Stitt

I'm Thea, Ideal Home's Managing Editor, and I live in a Victorian flat in West London where I typically host friends or family at least once or twice a month. Guests usually stay between one night and a week, which is why I was looking for a sofa bed for my home office. Over the past four months I've tested out the DUSK Hudson click clack sofa bed. I've sat and slept on it myself, and three different guests have used it to sleep on, too.

About the Hudson

I already have a great sofa in my living room, but was looking for another for my home office so that this room could double up as a guest bedroom. My flat has a slightly unusual layout, and the living room is also essentially the hallway between my bedroom and the rest of the apartment, so the narrow office space is the best option for hosting friends and family overnight.

Having done my measurements I worked out that the three-seater DUSK Hudson sofa bed would fit the room I wanted it in, and still allow me access to my desk.

However, I will confess: I made a rookie sofa bed buying mistake as my initial measurements didn't account for the size of the sofa unfolded into bed form, which meant I had to place it against a different wall than I'd planned - otherwise the door wouldn't open or close! The moral of the story; get someone else to sense check your measurements, or use Ideal Home's guide to getting sofa measurements right!

Despite this I've still had plenty of use out of the Hudson sofa bed over the past four months. As mentioned, I've sat and slept on it myself, and three different guests have used it to sleep on, too. Here's what we thought.

Delivery

One of the factors which drew me to the DUSK Hudson click clack sofa bed was its speed of delivery. I needed a quick delivery sofa bed as I had someone arriving for a long weekend in a fortnight, and DUSK promises the Hudson will arrive within 3-7 days.

The sofa arrived within the expected timeframe, and I was kept in the loop by the delivery company, so it was simple enough to arrange a day and time slot.

Upon arrival the two men carried the heavy box up the three winding flights of stairs to my flat and then placed it into the room of my choice. The box was slightly damaged on arrival, but nothing inside was affected.

Ease of assembly

I was slightly tentative about the prospect of having to assemble a sofa bed by myself as although I'm very crafty, I'm not the most practical person (some IKEA pieces have confounded me), but I set myself the challenge to complete it solo.

While it did take some time, just over an hour, I was able to assemble it. In fact, the most difficult part was the issue of firstly opening the large box (80 x 110 x 23 cm), then removing the sofa from within it and, finally, disposing of that cardboard (I had to call in the troops at that point).

The actual assembly was fairly straightforward. In the base of the sofa is a zipped compartment which held the armrests, throw pillows, legs and subframe as well as the screws, the instructions and an Allen key.

The instructions were easy to follow, however, it did require some elbow grease. And, as the sofa bed is quite heavy, you may well need someone with a bit of muscle to be involved.

While I was able to do this on my own, if you're good at DIY, or have another person helping to hold, for example, the armrests, while you tighten the screws, I imagine the task would have taken considerably less time.

Ease of transformation

Part of the allure of something like the DUSK Hudson click clack sofa bed is how easy it is to transform from sofa to bed. On the reverse of the backrest are two hidden zips, and inside each is a metal leg, which you unclip and secure straight outwards.

Next, you push the backrest forward until you hear a click and feel a slight release, which then allows the backrest to be folded all the way back until it's lying horizontally and the legs are on the floor. To transform it back into sofa form, you simply reverse the process.

Both directions take only a matter of seconds once you've had a bit of practise, so it really couldn't be much quicker to set up when guests arrive.

However, one of the downsides of a click clack is that it isn't an actual bed. This means it's tricky to put a sheet on, or secure a mattress topper. My workaround has been to place a topper on it and just accept the fact that it isn't fitted to the surface.

Comfort

A large part of the Hudson sofa bed's appeal is its price. Its full price is £387, but DUSK has frequent sales which usually reduce the price even more. That's an incredibly competitive price considering how much sofa beds usually cost, and extremely good value for a three seater sofa, so I was really interested to find out how comfortable it would be considering its affordable price tag. 

Overall, I found it comfortable enough to sit on. It's on the firmer side, but I think you could just about use it as your main sofa, and I've found the bed fairly comfortable to sleep on. However, there are two things to be aware of.

Firstly, there is a noticeable height difference between what was the seat and what was the backrest when the sofa bed is folded flat for sleeping. Although I fully accept that this may have been a user error in my putting it together.

This doesn't actually bother me, or the majority of my guests. Myself, my mum and my friend all found the backrest section particularly comfy to sleep on.

Secondly, this really isn't an option if you're tall. My 6'4" brother was set to sleep on it, but when I saw him in the morning he told me he gave up and slept on the floor instead. This is because the armrests aren't removable so he had to lie diagonally across the uneven middle section, which isn't ideal for anyone who struggles to get comfy in bed.

Verdict

Whilst I don't think this is an ideal choice for sleeping on every night, or for an extended period of time, for its price, I think the Hudson sofa bed is a great option for an occasional guest spending the odd night, and (as I can also attest) for naps! 

It looks stylish, and there are two colour options available. I opted for the bestselling neutral colourway in a cool-toned grey which is often sold out. However, the off-white bouclé is a good alternative for some extra style points (if perhaps a little higher maintenance).  

You will have to self-assemble it, but this is a fairly easy process with minimal DIY skills, and the fact its delivered flat-packed does mean its easier to get up awkward stairways.

However, once assembled, the armrests aren't removable, so it isn't a great option if you're expecting lots of taller guests.

That said, I still think the DUSK Hudson click clack sofa bed is a good, solid reliable option, especially for its incredible price. It's good-looking and comfortable enough to be used as a main sofa and easily fits three people sitting on it. Plus, there's 45cm clearance underneath which leaves plenty of extra storage space, too.

Hudson Click Clack Sofa bed | from £349 at DUSK

The Hudson is a 3 seater sofa which folds out to act as a bed. We tested the grey, but it's also available in an off-white bouclé.

View Deal