The Sofa’s ‘Transformation’: Beyond Seating to Sleep and Health Management

[Financial News] Push the sofa’s backrest and a place to lie down appears; pull the handle and it unfolds into a bed. You can even get a heated spinal massage while sitting on the sofa. As sofas, once furniture for sitting and resting, expand into sleep and health management, competition over features is heating up in the furniture and healthcare industries.
According to the furniture industry on the 26th, sofas that once served only as places to sit and rest are expanding their role to include beds and massage devices.
Casamia is focusing on sales of ‘Mode,’ a sofa bed designed to convert into three forms: a sofa, a daybed and a floor mattress. It can be used as a sofa while watching TV or reading, and as a daybed when stretching out to relax. Fully unfolded, it becomes a mattress for lying down, relaxing or sleeping.
At 72 cm wide, this compact model can be used not only in living rooms but also in guest rooms and multipurpose rooms. Its detachable backrests can also be used to combine multiple units.
The product’s average daily sales in September were about four times those from August 19–31, immediately after its launch.
Buoyed by this popularity, Shinsegae Casa also introduced new sofa beds, including the two-seater ‘Souffle’ and the three-seater ‘Nuvola.’ The company has expanded its lineup from compact models to conventional living-room sofas. Souffle features an easy conversion into a bed and pocket springs for sleeping comfort, while Nuvola offers ample bed space and storage for bedding.
Sofas that adjust their seating to suit the user’s posture, rather than unfolding fully into beds, are also popular. Last month, Hanssem Co., Ltd. launched the ‘Swive Edge Swing Sofa,’ expanding its lineup in this category to five models. Moving the back cushion forward or backward adjusts the seat depth, and lowering the armrests creates more room to stretch out and lie down. Conversely, raising the armrests lets them serve as a pillow supporting the head when lying down.
Hanssem Co., Ltd.’s functional ‘Swive’ swing sofa series is also proving popular, with sales rising 49% year over year from June to August this year.
Emons also unveiled the ‘Sereni’ chaise sofa, featuring a rotating backrest, at its new product showcase for the second half of the year. The product allows the backrest position to be adjusted to suit the user’s posture and living-room setup. Emons also introduced some 30 sofas with enhanced swing and modular designs, expanding its range of functional furniture.
In the healthcare industry, CERAGEM Co., Ltd. is focusing on sales of the ‘Reflex Massage Sofa Bed,’ which combines a sofa and a massage bed. It can be used as a sofa normally and unfolded to provide a heated spinal massage. The product uses body-shape recognition technology to analyze the user’s spinal length and curvature, and offers 15 care modes that can be selected for different purposes, including stretching.
An industry source said, “More consumers are considering not only design and seating comfort when choosing a sofa, but also how they relax and how they can use their space,” adding, “Companies plan to offer customers more choices by tailoring sofa-bed sizes and features to different home environments and lifestyles.”

[email protected] Kim Hyun-chul Reporter