A sofa bed you can sleep on every night: why we talked people out of it for years, and what 2Sleep changed
Let's start with a confession. If you ever walked into our showroom and asked for a sofa bed "to sleep on every night", you most likely heard something like: "Buy a bed. Seriously." We wrote it on the site, we said it in the showroom, and we still say it: no transformation system replaces a proper bed with a proper mattress. Every mechanism is a compromise, and what usually pays for it is your back — or the comfort of the sofa itself. But life is not a catalogue of perfect flats. A study that occasionally becomes a bedroom. A guest room where a bed would stand empty 350 days a year. A one-bedroom flat where the living room and the bedroom are the same room. In those situations a sofa bed is necessary, and the question stops being "should I?" and becomes "how do I not regret it?". So we built our own transformation system — 2Sleep. In upholstered furniture, very few manufacturers have their own system; almost everyone fits ready-made mechanisms. We wanted a different result from what ready-made ones give.
Why an ordinary sofa bed is uncomfortable
The main problem with most sofa beds is not the mechanism. It is what you are actually lying on. Take the "dolphin" — one of the most reliable and most common mechanisms. Nothing to fault in its reliability. But its base is plywood, that is, a rigid surface with no give, and on top of it a little over 10 centimetres of foam (around 12 cm when folded). The result is firm: to sit on and to sleep on. Not a disaster, but not the sofa you want to fall into at the end of the day either. With the classic pull-out French bed it is simpler still: we consider it the weakest transformation system there is. The frame is flimsy, and the whole construction is designed at best for a guest who stays one night and leaves. We do not recommend sleeping on one every night to anybody — and we say so plainly in our descriptions. So usually you have to choose between a sofa that is comfortable to sit on and a sofa you can sleep on. Both at once, rarely.
What is inside 2Sleep
We started from the opposite end: not "a sofa that opens out", but "a bed that folds into a sofa".
- A frame like a bed's. A metal frame with wooden slats. The slats are springy: they give under your weight the way the base of a normal bed does, instead of holding you "on a board".
- Over 24 cm of foam. For comparison: the "dolphin" has around 12 cm. You feel the difference the moment you sit down.
- Comfortable in both positions. Folded, a 2Sleep is a properly soft Interia sofa; opened out, it is a proper bed. You cannot get that with a "dolphin", and certainly not with a French pull-out.
- Firmness of your choice — medium or firm.
- Removable covers. The covers on the cushions you sleep on come off and can be washed. On a sofa somebody sleeps on every night, that is not a detail — it is hygiene.
- Reliability. On reliability, 2Sleep is no worse than the "dolphin".
Bed size
2Sleep is made in several bed sizes, and the standard one is 160×200 cm — the width of an ordinary double bed. Which means sleeping two on a 2Sleep is not "making do", it is normal. The sizes available for each model are listed on that model's product page, because they differ from sofa to sofa. If you need a size that is not on the list, ask — most of our furniture is made to measure.
Which sofas can be ordered with 2Sleep in Portugal
In our Portuguese catalogue the system is available in these models:
One thing worth saying: these are not stripped-down "sofa bed versions" with a worse seat. They are the same models, with the same soft armrests and backrests, simply with a bed inside. The sofa's outer dimensions depend on the bed size you choose and on the width of the armrests — our sales team works it out for your space. The rest of the range is under Sofas.
Who 2Sleep is for, and who it is not for
Take a 2Sleep if:
- it is a study or a guest room where a separate bed would eat half the space
- a nanny or a grandmother sleeps over in the children's room from time to time
- you have one room for everything, and need a living room by day and a bedroom by night
- you want one piece of furniture rather than two compromises
Do not take one if you have a separate bedroom and room for a bed. On this we have not changed our minds: buy a bed, choose a good mattress and enjoy sleeping. No sofa bed, not even ours, beats the right bed with the right mattress.
A few things to sort out before ordering
- Measure the room with the sofa open. Everyone remembers the folded dimensions and forgets that at night it gets deeper. Check that a walkway is left and that it does not block the sockets — it is the most common mistake, with sofas and with beds alike.
- Think about who will sleep on it. For a single guest a narrow bed is enough. If two people will sleep on it regularly, look at 160 cm.
- Choose a fabric you are not afraid to wash. The covers come off, but the fabric has to survive washing — in the showroom we will tell you which ones do it best.
- Sit on it and lie on it. The best way to judge 2Sleep is in person: sit, open it out, lie down. You can try it in our showroom in Cascais, at Joaquim Teotónio Segurado 68A.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sleep on a 2Sleep every night?
Yes. 2Sleep was built for daily sleeping: a metal frame with springy wooden slats, like a bed, and over 24 cm of foam.
How does 2Sleep differ from the "dolphin" mechanism?
The "dolphin" has a rigid plywood base and around 12 cm of foam, which makes it firm. 2Sleep has slats, like a bed, and twice the foam, so it is soft both folded and open. On reliability the two systems are equal.
Which Interia sofas have 2Sleep in Portugal?
Meridian, Place and Piccolo.
What is the standard bed size?
160×200 cm. The sizes available for each model are on its product page.
Do the covers come off for washing?
Yes, the covers on the cushions you sleep on come off and can be washed.
Where can I try 2Sleep?
In our showroom in Cascais, Joaquim Teotónio Segurado 68A.
What firmness can I choose?
Medium or firm.
Does 2Sleep replace a bed?
If you have a separate bedroom, we recommend a bed with a good mattress. 2Sleep is the best solution where a bed cannot — or should not — go: a study, a guest room, a child's room, a one-bedroom flat.
How long does production take?
An individual order takes 25 to 44 working days.
