Understanding Sofa Bed Mechanism Types

Luxurious to sit on and super comfortable for sleeping, at the Mobility Furniture Company we are proud to offer an extensive range of high quality mobility sofa beds.

Creaky hinges, stabbing springs, a lumpy mattress… haven’t we all been there at some point? A sleepless night on a dodgy sofa bed can be enough to put you off forever. But it shouldn’t be this way. Not all sofa beds are equally made – and we only offer the very best.

Sofa beds are incredibly versatile. If you have limited space for guests or need a stint sleeping downstairs whilst you recover from illness or surgery, a sofa bed can provide an excellent solution.

Read on, as we explain everything you need to know about our superior range of sofa beds and their mechanisms – from how they work, to what to do if you run into problems.

What mechanism do our sofa beds use?

At The Mobility Furniture Company, we have two types of sofa bed: electric and manual.

Electric sofa beds operate via a simple remote control. Simply press a button and the sofa unfolds into an extremely comfortable bed. Once you’re ready for it to be a sofa again, press another button and you’re ready to sit comfortably.

Manual Recline sofa beds mean the user manually pulls out a foldable mattress, which forms the bottom part of the bed.

There is a third option – an electric rise and recline settee. Recline to your desired angle and put your feet up at the touch of a button. Some can even help you stand up.

How do mobility sofa beds work?

Electric sofa beds have a motorised opening system. The in-built motor is activated with a remote control. There is no need to remove the cushions. Without any effort, the sofa bed can be transformed into a bed within a few seconds.

Manual Recline sofa beds are convenient as well. Remove the cushions that form the sofa’s seat to reveal a two-fold mattress attached to a sturdy metal frame. Once this is folded out, the sofa is  transformed into a fully horizontal comfortable bed.

Rise & recline settees are motorised too. One button elevates the leg portion and another reclines the back to almost horizontal. This means there are lots of different positions in which to get comfortable.

How does a manual sofa bed mechanism work?

Here’s how our manual sofa beds work:

• Step 1: Remove the cushions
• Step 2: Pull the frame out from the centre. A pair of legs comes down and folds neatly into place.
• Step 3: Unfold the rest of the mattress, the second set of legs folds out and you’re ready to go (or sleep!)

What if the sofa bed mechanism stops working?

In the unlikely event that there is an issue with your electric sofa bed or electric rise and recline settee, please get in touch. All of our mechanised furniture comes with a five year warranty.

Manual Recline sofa beds come with a one year warrantee so providing you are within this timeframe, our engineers can help. Should you be outside of the one year window, please give us a call anyway and we will see what we can do.

What sofa beds does The Mobility Furniture Company offer?

Good news! Five of our most popular furniture collections include manual sofa beds. This means that the sofa beds can have different back styles and there are a wide range of upholstery and fabric options. 

Where the Surrey Collection Sofa Bed features a stylish pleated arm design, the Hampshire Collection Sofa Bed offers extra arm padding for additional comfort.

Smart contemporary arms make the Suffolk Collection Sofa Bed a distinctive choice. And the Norfolk Collection Sofa Bed has a pretty scroll arm with piping. As with many of these options, the Cheshire Collection Sofa Bed has a comfortable pocket sprung mattress and is available in three sizes.

Furthermore, ALL of our collections are available as rise and recline settees.

We are extremely proud of our Electric Sofa Bed. Turning from sofa into bed and back again by using a remote control, the frame is robust, the operating system quiet and the mattress supremely comfortable. It couldn’t be easier.

The bottom line

A sofa bed is an extremely useful addition to your furniture. Extra beds for guests are always helpful, as is a bed on the ground floor at times. Our sofa beds come in different widths, styles and fabrics, so rest assured that we will have an option for your living room. Plus the advent of the electric sofa bed means it’s never been easier to transform a sofa into a bed and back again.