IKEA's most popular £499 sofa bed is genius for small homes, and it's just been relaunched in the 'it' colour of the year

A few years ago I flew to Sweden to see IKEA’s latest homeware collection launch, and at the time, the new LINDÅKRA sofa bed was by far my favourite product.

Like a lot of IKEA’s furniture, this £499 sofa bed is designed with small-space living in mind, and I thought its multifunctional design was genius.

It was very close to being the best sofa bed I'd tested. And as Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've reviewed a lot of sofa beds over the past five years, so I don't say that lightly.

However, there was one problem. I *really* didn't like the colourways IKEA had chosen to upholster it in. Luckily, two years later, this sofa bed has just been relaunched in the 'it' colour of the year, and I for one couldn’t be happier to see its new look.

The LINDÅKRA sofa bed offers a *lot* of functionality. It's a sofa, a sofa bed, and there's a detachable pouffe with hidden storage that transforms the sofa into a chaise, or can be used as a coffee table or extra guest seating.

I could see it instantly becoming a bestseller when it launched in the UK. It's perfect for those of us with small living rooms or small bedrooms, who still want to host overnight guests in style.

The only downside was those colour options. The sample on display at the press show was upholstered in *bright* orange fabric, and although it drew lots of attention at the press launch, it wasn’t a colour I could ever imagine having in my home.

Yes, I’m all in favour of statement furniture, but bright orange is a colour that’s very difficult to incorporate into most decor schemes, and I felt it would also date very quickly.

There was another ‘safer’ option: a dark grey. I didn’t hate this option, but I also didn’t love it. It felt very ‘bachelor pad’, and although there’s nothing wrong with that, it also wasn’t for me.

Two years later, as predicted, the LINDÅKRA has become one of IKEA’s most popular sofa beds. The sofa bed has a growing number of 5-star reviews on the IKEA website, and like me, its owners are clearly fans of the sofa bed's versatile, multifunctional design.

'We have a small living room, and this sofa is perfect!, says one reviewer. 'Great storage space and the fact that you can move one part around is brilliant. Plenty of space to sleep too.'

And thankfully, its popularity also means that IKEA has just relaunched it in what I think is a *far* more versatile colour.

Now upholstered in a stylish sage green upholstery, this calming colour is one of the 'it' shades of 2026. And it's a hue that interior designers and decor experts can’t get enough of.

In interiors, 'sage green has become a go-to,' says interior designer and Hutley & Humm co-founder, Melissa Hutley. 'It's very soft, versatile and easy to live with.'

'The versatility and timeless nature of sage green makes it the perfect choice for larger pieces of furniture, like a sofa,' agrees Shelley Cochrane, buyer at furniture retailer Furniture Village. 'Green is an enduringly popular colour and will never go out of style.'

And this year, 'lighter and fresher tones of green are proving to be particularly popular,' says Shelley. 'They're a great way to bring the outdoors into the home, and act as an anchor for the space, providing a calm base that allows a variety of colours, patterns and textures to be layered into the scheme.'

Of course, the LINDÅKRA isn't the only option if you want to make the most of this timeless shade.

I've rounded up some alternatives below, although it is worth noting that none of them offer *quite* as much functionality as IKEA's LINDÅKRA does

In its new on-trend upholstery, I definitely think the LINDÅKRA now truly gives the best sofa beds and best chair beds on the market a run for their money.

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