Koala Wanda Sofa Bed Review: Compact Comfort

We have all been in situations where we had to sleep on a sofa bed. I remember many childhood vacations where I would turn on and turn on a squeaky setup. If this were also your case, sofa beds might not be the most attractive option. But they’ve evolved from the rickety pull-out mattresses of yesteryear: today’s sofa beds are a much more comfortable and efficient way to create an extra bed wherever you need it, whether in a guest bedroom or small apartment.

That said, sofa beds, also called sleeper sofas, are not all the same caliber. This is where Australian furniture brand Koala wants to stand out. Since entering the US market in fall 2023, it has focused on sofa beds that are comfortable, stylish and easy to assemble. However, as a professional mattress tester, I was very curious to see if Koala’s newest sofa bed, the Wanda, was as comfortable and supportive as the mattresses I usually test. So I embarked on a testing side quest and dedicated an entire week to sleeping on the Wanda. What I’ve found is that it’s a comfortable short-term solution for guests and general lounging, but I wouldn’t replace your mattress setup with it.

Quadruple threat

Sofa beds typically use a “2-in-1” design, combining a sofa with a trundle bed that folds under the seat cushion when not in use. The Wanda offers a “4-in-1” design that combines a sofa with a daybed, a reversible chaise lounge, and a queen-size slide-out bed.

The Wanda arrived in four large boxes. You will definitely need help moving them, especially if you plan to climb stairs. Besides their size, the weight of these boxes ranges from 47 pounds to 104 pounds, which I had difficulty moving upstairs alone.

All together now

Photography: Julia Forbes

In honor of all my previous experiences with a sleeper sofa, I wanted to know how the Wanda would perform in a small room. So instead of my usual spacious studio, with dimensions of 13 feet by 15 feet, I decided to use my home office upstairs. Since I didn’t move my desk, the Wanda took up half the room, which was only 10.5 feet by 10.5 feet, give or take, with other furniture in it. The sleeper sofa is 99 inches long (8.25 feet) and resembles a sideways “L” with the chaise protruding 69 inches (5.75 feet). As if that wasn’t comfortable enough, my husband and two small dogs decided to move in with me.