Next has just launched its bestselling £499 sofa bed in one of this year's most on-trend colours – I'm in love with this earthy shade
This upholstery is stylish *and* practical
Next has just launched a new colourway in its bestselling Palma sofa bed, and I think this gorgeous shade is exactly what 2026 calls for.
Whether it's bedding trends or colour trends, this year, earthy tones are in. As are deep reds, and the new Next Soft Twill Rust Brown Palma Double Sofa Bed combines the best of both with its beautiful rust-red upholstery.
I thought Next's Palma sofa bed was a great buy when it first launched, in a white boucle upholstery. However, I have to admit, white isn't the most practical choice for seating, let alone a piece of furniture guests will be sleeping on, so it's great to see it reimagined in a more practical colourway.
Luckily, this is one of those occasions where practicality doesn't mean any loss of style points, as this rust-red colour is big news in interiors this year, reflecting a return to shades that are inspired by nature.
It's perhaps no surprise then that this sofa bed has already amassed a fan club, with Next shoppers rating it an average of 5 out of 5 stars, and considering its mix of space-saving practicality, stylish good looks, and affordable price tag, it's easy to see why.
'Bought for spare room/office and very happy I chose this one,' says one 5-star reviewer of the Palma sofa bed on the Next website. 'It is so nice, lovely colour, very sturdy, and is quite chic looking. Very happy customer!'.
In fact, the Palma sofa bed now comes in a range of ten colourways, with easy-to-style, grey, navy, and olive green upholstery options, as well as more unusual black and white striped and even a faux fur cow print option!
Plus, this sofa bed isn't all about looks. Like most click-clack sofa beds, it will likely need the addition of one of the best mattress toppers to make it a more comfortable guest bed, but Next shoppers are still impressed by its build quality and functionality, as well as its compact space-saving design.
'Bought this for my son’s loft bedroom, so had to be compact to fit up the loft stairs,' shares one happy owner. 'Perfect size and great quality fabric. Easy to convert to a bed. Looks stylish. The bed is fine for occasional use.'
'Looks as good as in the photos,' says another 5-star reviewer. 'Really easy to put together, cleverly designed pocket to house the legs, which easily screwed in... very sturdy... very comfy.'
And also a very good price. I've rounded up three of my tried-and-tested alternative options below, but as you'll see, the Next Palma sofa bed gives them all a run for their money in terms of style, practicality, and affordablity.
Shop alternatives
If you want a compact sofa bed that won't take up too much floor space, then Habitat's Roma single sofa bed is one of the best chair beds I've come across. It's also cheaper than Next's Palma sofa bed, although, unlike Next's option, you can only sleep one guest rather than two at a time.
The Kota is another of Habitat's bestselling sofa beds, and again, it comes in well under the Next Palma sofa beds price tag. You also get a lot more seating space, with this sofa bed offering a three-seater sofa. However, unlike Next's sofa bed which offers a true double-sized sleeping area, you only get a small double with the Kota, and that's a squeeze for two.
There are a lot of reasons that the Innovation Living Cubed 140 Sofa Bed was Ideal Home readers' most-shopped sofa bed of 2025, not least its compact footprint and generous double bed-sized sleeping area. However, you don't get that curved backrest, and it is a *lot* more money.
All in all, I still think the Next Palma sofa bed is a great buy. And now it's available in this new on-trend colourway, there's even more reason to shop.
