When it comes to small space hosting ideas, IKEA is having an absolutely storming year.
The brand already launched one of the best sofa beds I’ve seen hit the market this year in its PS 2026 sofa bed design, and now it’s launched one of the best chair beds I’ve seen in a *long* time.
In fact, I think the uber contemporary Skiftebo Chair Bed is set to become a design icon of the future, and I can’t believe this designer-look small-space solution is only £250.
The Ideal Home team first set eyes on the Skiftebo Chair Bed when our news writer, Kezia Reynolds, flew over to IKEA’s design headquarters in Älmhult, Sweden, to cover the launch of the brand’s new IKEA PS 2026 collection.
Designed around the central theme of ‘playful functionality’, the IKEA PS 2026 collection is fun, practical, and – like all of IKEA’s range – incredibly well thought through in practical terms.
The collection is also jam-packed with small-space-friendly designs, of which the Skiftebo chair bed is certainly one.
Many of us don’t have the space in our homes for a larger sofa bed, and for those of us living in smaller spaces who still want the ability to host a guest, I think a chair bed is the ideal solution.
A chair bed certainly feels a lot more ‘intentional’ than offering your guest a blow-up mattress, even if it is one of the best air beds on the market.
Plus, as designer of the Skiftebo chair bed, Matilda Lindstam Nilsson, shared with Kezia at the IKEA PS 2026 launch, a chair bed is designed to offer ‘many functions in one’.
In the case of the Skiftebo, this means that by night it can be unfolded to become a spacious single sleeping space, whilst by day it doubles up as a very stylish and contemporary accent chair.
And its space-saving build was something Matilda factored in from the start of the design process. ‘Of course, you can place it in the living room if you have a big house,’ says Matilda, ‘but my first thought was to design it for small spaces.’
That means this chair bed has a small footprint that makes it perfect for squeezing into a home office or kids’ bedroom.
Although, to my mind at least, this chair bed is far too stylish to let the kids have all the fun!
After all, unlike a lot of chair beds that are on the market, IKEA’s Skiftebo isn’t just functional furniture. Instead, it features design details that really elevate it into a statement focal point in a room.
I think its design-led look makes it appear a *lot* more expensive than you’d expect from its very reasonable £250 price point.
‘It has a lot of IKEA identity,’ agrees Matilda, ‘it’s modern, and we worked a lot with the details to make it smart, functional, and playful.’
From the button detailing and the metal frame that supports the back cushions, to the removable and washable cover that makes for easy maintenance, it feels like every aspect of this chair bed’s design has been well considered.
And it’s that attention to detail, alongside its contemporary yet timeless design, that I think will make it an IKEA cult classic of the future.
That said, this isn’t the only stylish and modern chair bed on the market. I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite alternatives below so you can compare what’s out there and decide if IKEA’s new Skiftebo launch is the one for you.
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Habitat’s Roma chair bed is a bestseller for good reason. A stylish and slimline chair by day, this multifunctional design unfolds into a single sleeping space by night.
John Lewis & Partners
Innovation Living Cubed 90 Armchair Bed
Made by Danish brand Innovation Living, this Scandi chair bed also gives IKEA’s Skiftebo a run for its money. However, it’s £1199 does make it a *lot* more of an investment.
Dunelm
Jackson Velvet Foldable Single Sofa Bed
Dunelm’s Jackson chair bed is another fun and playful design that’s elevated by the addition of some luxe-look velvet-effect upholstery.
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