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Sofa in a box review - which brand is best?

We tested two popular sofa in a box brands, Snug and DUSK, to see how they measured up!

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Published: May 12, 2023 at 10:28 am

A sofa in a box is an excellent choice for those looking for a comfortable, stylish, and convenient seating solution. Whether you're looking for a new sofa for your living room, kitchen-diner, or home office, a sofa in a box offers an easy and affordable way to upgrade your space.

What is a sofa in a box?

Generally speaking, a sofa in a box is a compact, easy-to-assemble sofa that is delivered in a box, or several boxes, to accommodate dinkier homes, renters or anyone after an easier solution to traditional sofa delivery.

Many sofa in a box companies offer speedier delivery and more affordable prices too compared to conventional sofa brands.

HomeStyle staff writer Katie Dutton and YourHomeStyle's digital writer Thea Jeffreys put two popular sofa in a box brands to the test. Read on for their honest reviews...

Sofa in a box reviews

The Rebel 2 Seater Sofa in Biscuit, Snug

  • Delivery service Direct to your living room
  • No. of boxes 3
  • Dimensions of sofa 90cm H x 158cm W x 88cm D
  • Materials Polyester cushions, hardwood and plywood frame
  • Guarantee 15 years

What's special about the Snug Rebel sofa?

Snug is aimed at a new generation of sofa shoppers who value 'quality, comfort and convenience at once.' Each sofa is delivered in parts, with boxes designed to fit through even the dinkiest of spaces.

How was the Snug Rebel sofa delivered?

We can certainly vouch for the latter - our test model, the two-seater Rebel sofa, came in three large boxes but all of them managed to fit up a narrow staircase. We were a bit taken aback by how large the boxes were for a 2-seater size, but with the brand's excellent delivery service we didn't have to worry about lugging them about anywhere as they were delivered straight to our living room. From placing the order, delivery took just three days.

Snug offers five designs of sofa in a box, to suit all types of interior styles, from the super squishy Cloud Sundae, perfect for the Danish pastel aesthetic, to the sleek, contemporary Maverick, ideal for cool mid-century homes. We chose the Rebel in Biscuit, which we feel is a great adaptable design that can be styled in numerous ways.

What is the Snug Rebel sofa like to assemble?

Snug's sofas are designed to be constructed without tools and this made assembly super speedy. Between the two of us, we assembled the Rebel 2-seater in under 20 minutes. The only thing that took a bit of time was lining up the arms into the metal brackets on either side. We recommend having someone else with you when you're assembling it to make things easier.

Is the Snug Rebel sofa good quality?

In terms of comfort, the Rebel was firm but plump and felt supportive as well as cosy and enveloping. The chenille finish was plush and soft to touch.

Should you buy the Snug Rebel sofa?

What we really love about Snug is their sofas are modular and configurable, so our compact 2-seater Rebel can also become a spacious 4-seater, or a cosy corner sofa, evolving with you and your home's needs. This is great in terms of sustainability as should your living situation change you don't have to lose out on your sofa - you can adapt it instead!

We'd definitely recommend Snug for an investment, quality and easy-to-assemble sofa.

Browse Snug's sofa in a box range at snugsofa.com

DUSK Hudson Click Clack Sofa Bed

  • Buy now from DUSK (£499 £319)

Delivery service Direct to your living room
No. of boxes 1
Dimensions of sofa 80.5cm H x 206cm W x 86.5cm D
Materials Linen-look velvet, metal legs
Guarantee None

DUSK is an online-only brand that’s best known for its luxury look bedding, so when we found out about their sofa offering, we were very intrigued.

The British company specialises in delivering ‘high quality luxury homeware at affordable prices’, and their 3-seater Hudson Click Clack sofa bed is delivered in one single box.

What’s special about the DUSK Hudson Click Clack sofa bed?

We love the elegant, contemporary design of this sofa bed, and it comes in a beautiful range of colours – stone grey, dark navy and a lush forest green. The most attractive selling point of this sofa bed, however, is the price. It’s £499 at full price, but it’s very often in the sale, and currently available for as little as £287.10. This is extremely low for a 3-seater sofa, with equivalent models at the likes of John Lewis retailing for over £1300.

How is DUSK's Hudson Click Clack sofa bed delivered?

DUSK's sofa bed arrives in 3-7 working days. It comes in a pretty large box, but it’s delivered directly to your living room, so you don’t have to worry about transporting it up stairs or lifting it yourself. When it arrived at our flat, the delivery drivers called to say they were round the corner, and they carried it up the stairs and into the spot where it would be assembled, which made everything incredibly easy. There was no trouble getting the box round staircase corners. If you’re concerned about getting the box into your home, however, it might be worth speaking to the company before ordering.

What is DUSK's Hudson Click Clack sofa bed like to assemble?

Before receiving the Hudson sofa bed, we’d read reviews which claimed assembly was tricky. Unfortunately, we found our experience to be the same - it took us well over an hour to assemble the whole thing, and at a few points, it seemed that the pre-drilled holes weren’t properly aligned to where they were supposed to be. As a result, getting certain parts of the sofa to line up, so we could screw in the correct parts, took quite a bit of effort.

Putting the arms and legs on was particularly difficult, but with that being said, we did get there in the end, and the instruction manual had very handy illustrations to follow. Assembly isn’t especially intuitive, but we liked that the parts were all labelled with letter stickers which corresponded to the diagrams on the manual.

Is DUSK's Hudson Click Clack sofa bed good quality?

Considering the particularly low price of the DUSK's Hudson Click Clack sofa bed, it’s fantastic quality. The material looks and feels expensive – it’s hardwearing, a really beautiful colour (we chose the stone grey), and overall, the sofa looks really elegant. The metal legs also look chic, and the sofa has kept its structure really well. In our opinion, it looks no different to some that retail for over £1000.

The only negative thing we’ve noticed about this sofa is the fact that the button detailing catches on clothing quite frequently. After a month of consistent use, the buttons have started to come away. While this isn’t a huge problem in terms of the functioning of the sofa, it isn’t ideal, and it makes the sofa slightly less comfortable to sit on. This might be something to bear in mind before you buy it.

This sofa bed certainly isn’t a squishy one, but it’s very comfy. Both the base and back are on the firmer side, and it feels very supportive. It’s also very comfy to sleep on.

Should I buy DUSK's Hudson Click Clack sofa bed?

We love our DUSK sofa bed. We’d definitely recommend it if you’re after a low-cost sofa that’s stylish and multifunctional. While assembly was slightly tricky and we’ve noticed that slight issue with the buttons, the pros of purchasing this sofa outweigh the cons quite considerably, as there’s no guarantee you wouldn’t encounter these issues with a more expensive model.

Browse Dusk's full range of sofas at dusk.com

Looking for more sofa inspiration? Check out our shopping guide to the best sofas for small spaces and our favourite stylish corner sofas.

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