IKEA Flottebo sofa bed review: Offbeat design, unusual structure

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview & price
2. Technical details
3. Designs, aesthetics & slipcoverability
4. Comfort
5. Verdict

Overview and price

Launched around October 2017 and designed by C Halskov/H Dalsgaard, the Flottebo is not how a sofa in a home would normally look – it’s really more like a sofa you’d see at a waiting room of the dentist’s office.

Even though it’s marketed as a sofa bed, it isn’t the same as the other sofa beds commonly found in IKEA. Instead of pulling out the top of the sofa to turn it into a bed, you simply shift the cushions around, make space and there you get a bed.

The Flottebo sofa is currently only available in Australia, starting from a price of AUD1,099 depending on the colour.

Technical details

When it was initially launched, 2 models with different seat depths were offered: 90cm and 120cm. However, we’re now left with the 120cm model, which I think is better anyways because as a tall person, I’d never complain about more seat depth and space. With a width of 120cm and bed length of 200cm, the IKEA Flottebo would be great as my day bed. But also, the fact that the sofa bed is 200cm makes it not so ideal for smaller spaces.

Designs, aesthetics & slipcoverability

The Flottebo comes in 3 colours: Gunnared Medium Grey, Vissle Dark Grey and Vissle Purple. They’re all removable covers made out of 100% polyester. 

This model has a storage compartment beneath for you to store anything from pillows and blankets to accommodate guests when they come to visit. The storage is pretty spacious, but the con is it does not open up enough, so it can be a little inconvenient when you’re trying to retrieve an item from the deeper end. 

To prevent the movable cushions from sliding around, they have an underside that’s made out of anti-slip material. This is useful when you decide to shift them into a backrest or a divider for your 2 children who argued just a while ago and haven’t made up yet.

Design rating: 6.5/10

Comfort

The Flottebo’s individually wrapped pocket springs offer sufficient density to the seats, so the seat cushions are on the firmer side. We reckon it’s quite alright to sleep on for a few nights a week. However, we’d still recommend getting a real bed for your back in case you’re thinking of using the IKEA Flottebo as a bed for the long term.

Rating: 7/10

Verdict

Even though the anti-slip material on the cushion creates a bit of a friction with the sofa seat, it doesn’t really help because it still slips when you try to lean your back against the backrest. Unless your IKEA Flottebo is pushed up against a wall, then the cushions can make sturdy backrests. But I personally prefer a higher backrest for a fuller support.

If it’s a sofa you’d purchase for a waiting room or a room where it’s not often being used, the Flottebo would fit very well in the space with its offbeat design. Or, if you’re sure that the sofa will always be leaning against a wall and you don’t intend to ever move it to the centre of the room, then you’ll be fine purchasing the IKEA Flottebo.

Overall rating: 6.5/10

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