The IKEA Friheten sofa bed made it into a few of our “best sofas” list for a reason – it is an all-rounder due to its function, design, practicality, price and comfort that are balanced.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.First impression
2.History & slipcoverability
3.Function & practicality
4.Technical information
5.Assembly & disassembly
6.How good is it to sleep on?
7.Durability
8.In what ways can it be hacked?
9.Price
10.Verdict
11.Assembly guide
First impression
With an unassuming outer look, the boxy Friheten looks just like a normal sofa with nothing special about it. But if only you knew what was hidden underneath: a pull-out section that instantly turns it into a fully functional bed, plus storage space for bedding, pets’ toys and anything you don’t want your guests to see when they come over.
History and slipcoverability
Launched in 2015, the Friheten is easily one of the longest-standing IKEA sofa series as it’s still very popular and sold in IKEA worldwide. It doesn’t come in many colours, only in blue, black and shades of grey. We usually can’t slipcover upholstered sofas, but we’ve managed to make one for the Friheten after bettering it again and again. So, if you’d like to purchase the Friheten but want a different look on it, we’ve got you.
Unlocking possibilities for your Friheten
Function and practicality
Although it is a sofa bed, its main function isn’t as a bed for sleeping. In fact, the Friheten sofa bed is usually just a temporary bed for guests when they crash or when the heater or air-conditioning system in the room is broken. Emiko, who looks after our Japanese market, says it’s great for her kids to have movie nights on Fridays. Naomi, who manages our marketplace, says when her relatives come over, the pull-out sofa bed works as a huge seating area for them to gather and chat with drinks in their hands, happily. 🙂
Technical information
The Friheten comes in 2 models. Although both open up to become sofa beds, there are some differences between them. The 3-seater sleeper sofa without the chaise is less wide (225cm), but when it opens up as a bed, its seats are deeper than the one with the chaise (144cm) and there is no barrier on both sides of the bed.
On the other hand, the Friheten sofa bed with chaise is wider (230cm) but when it opens up, the depth is only 140cm and there’s a barrier on one side (back of the sofa). However, with this model, you’d still get a bed length of 204cm, minus one of the armrests as it is the same level as the seat cushion.
Assembly and disassembly
Our colleagues who own Friheten sofa beds mentioned that although the assembly and disassembly does take a while, it’s pretty doable especially when you’ve got two pairs of hands. It’s still a little bit of work, but in the end it’s still an alright kind of task. It wouldn’t make you go crazy.
How good is it to sleep on?
Naomi has back problems so she likes that the seat cushion is firm. Even though some people recommend using a mattress topper, she doesn’t require one for a few nights a week on the Friheten sofa bed. Emiko only uses it as a spare bed when her A/C has malfunctioned and she finds the sleeping experience alright.
Durability
Having had them for 2 years and almost 4 years respectively, both Naomi and Emiko have found the Friheten pretty durable. Except for some areas with very high traffic (especially during lockdown), the sofa bed is still pretty firm.
As it happens a lot, the back cushions of the Friheten tend to go out of shape and saggy due to frequent use. Naomi fluffs up and reverses the cushions once a week so it retains its original form. Due to the longer use of Emiko’s, hers seemed to have gone out of shape with very obvious “I’m squashed” signs at the bottom part of the cushions.
Although the original cushion covers can be removed, there is an obvious distinction between the front and back, so you can’t reverse the cushions. But, AH-HA! With the Comfort Works sofa slipcover that includes cushion covers, the front and back side of the cushion covers are the same, so you can reverse it anytime, easily.
Take a look at some of our Friheten slipcovers:
Our fabric options aren’t just limited to these, visit our website to see more.
In what ways can it be hacked?
If you’re planning to get the Friheten with the chaise, then you are in for some modification because you can assemble it on the left or on the right. It’s fun to change the sides of the chaise once in a while, and together with our customisable slipcovers, a mini sofa transformation is simple.
Did you know though, the old Friheten slipcovers that we made required the users to disassemble the sofa and reassemble it – and it was such a hassle! Not to mention that the slipcover had some issues here and there which made assembling the Friheten harder. Good news is, our new Friheten slipcovers now require NO disassembly, and the frame cover is made of only ONE huge piece that allows you to slip it on in one go! The only thing that you need to care about when purchasing the slipcover is to know which side your chaise is on, that’s because the main frame cover can only fit the chaise one way.
Price
With a selling price that starts from USD649 and tops at USD899, I think the Friheten is quite affordable for a sofa that’s so well balanced in terms of function, design, practicality and comfort.
Verdict
When I popped the question, “Would you buy the Friheten again?”, both Naomi and Emiko said that they would. “My Friheten is impeccable” is what Naomi notes. It’s because it does its job well with such an affordable price. Being a sofa and a firm bed that’s worth every penny, it’s very hard not to like the Friheten.
Verdict: 8/10
If you have very young, jumpy kids though, the Friheten’s seat cushions might not be the most suitable sofa for your family. Take a look at the Finnala review or the Holmsund review instead.
Ratings:
Comfort: 7.5/10
Design/Aesthetics: 7/10
Price: $$ (out of 5)
Assembly guide
Download the guide below for assembly instructions:
IKEA Friheten sofa bed assembly guide
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