Nabru Sofas - for those on a budget

[Macabre]

So how did you come across Nabru? I could have waited 'til you got yours and seen what is what like and let you be the guinea pig before buying?

Maybe you only had a week wait as you were setting it up yourself so didn't have to wait for the delivery guy to do it for you. I'm guessing yours would have come on a big pallet. The driver yesterday said all the jobs he does are assembling, whereas people doing it themselves get it delivered on a pallet.

We just searched online for sofa beds and it came up. We've got a tight, winding hall so we figured this option was best.

We're on the ground floor and we weren't bothered about putting it up ourselves, so they just dumped it outside :-D

 

[ymu]

I'm thinking of getting one of these for my boat!

Me too!

Ace find minnie and mac. A new front-runner. Cheers!

 

[fractionMan]

see also: intosofa

 

[ymu]

Not had much luck with intosofa. The main problem being something that can get onto the boat, looks decent and is mega-comfy.

Our main bed is going to be summat like this - so we have an extra sitting room when we want it, but no hassle putting the bed up/down as needed:

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

see also: intosofa

Found them months ago when I found Nabru. Intosofa had quite a few bad reviews though whereas I could only find a couple of complaints about Nabru - one of them being that the sofabed was uncomfortable

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Not had much luck with intosofa. The main problem being something that can get onto the boat, looks decent and is mega-comfy.

Our main bed is going to be summat like this - so we have an extra sitting room when we want it, but no hassle putting the bed up/down as needed:

If you're in London or near, I would go and check Nabru out yourselves to check the sofabeds. They do after all say that they are only supposed to be for occasional use. Not also that the two-seater sofa is only a very small sofabed, probably suitable for two small children but not two adults.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

We just searched online for sofa beds and it came up. We've got a tight, winding hall so we figured this option was best.

We're on the ground floor and we weren't bothered about putting it up ourselves, so they just dumped it outside :-D

Did you only start looking a week ago and then decide to buy one?

I spend weeks (or in this case, a few months) looking for reviews before I commit to any big buy

 

[ymu]

Thanks. We only need an occasional bed in the living room. As long as it's a damn comfy big-as-we-can-fit sofa we don't really care as it'll mostly be us sleeping on it when we have guests. We're happy enough sleeping on the floor, but on a narrowboat you have a sofa or floor space, but not both.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Thanks. We only need an occasional bed in the living room. As long as it's a damn comfy big-as-we-can-fit sofa we don't really care as it'll mostly be us sleeping on it when we have guests. We're happy enough sleeping on the floor, but on a narrowboat you have a sofa or floor space, but not both.

My b/f's sister has a barge with 3 bedrooms. Admittedly, one of them is the living room sofa which folds down but the other two rooms have double beds in them. Maybe their boat's wider

 

[ymu]

Ours is 6' wide inside. A generous corridor, basically.

The locks around here are only 7' wide, so not a lot of choice.

ETA: We have two bedrooms, but we also have nephews and niecelets. The bedrooms make an ace family suite.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Ours is 6' wide inside. A generous corridor, basically.

The locks around here are only 7' wide, so not a lot of choice.

ETA: We have two bedrooms, but we also have nephews and niecelets. The bedrooms make an ace family suite.

Chuck 'em overboard and you'll have more space

 

[ymu]

If I did that they'd never visit me again.

 

[Mr Retro]

Well it's either pay £40 to get him to set it up, or have to carry it up ourselves (there was a 3-seater and a 2-seater sofabed). Believe it or not, they're incredibly heavy.

He made maybe more than 10 trips up four flights of stairs (NO LIFTS), and I made maybe half a dozen or more, and b/f did maybe one trip and a half.

They will only deliver to entrances of flats/houses, not carry them up the stairs unless they're making them up.

Apart from the fact that if you're like me, you'd probably find it easier to eat the fucking sofa than put it together properly.

 

[fractionMan]

Not had much luck with intosofa. The main problem being something that can get onto the boat, looks decent and is mega-comfy.

Our main bed is going to be summat like this - so we have an extra sitting room when we want it, but no hassle putting the bed up/down as needed:

Is that from wilsons of kniver?

I've been looking at their sofas cos they're only 4ft wide and fold out into small doubles (as opposed to the singles you'd get from everyone else on a sofa that size). They make sense as you can have them facing down the boat instead of across it, which I've never got on with really.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Apart from the fact that if you're like me, you'd probably find it easier to eat the fucking sofa than put it together properly.

Most people on their own can put together a two-seater in well under an hour apparently. Ask Macabre how long it took them.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Apart from the fact that if you're like me, you'd probably find it easier to eat the fucking sofa than put it together properly.

PS: You don't even need a screwdriver, although if you're getting a sofabed, you'll need an Allen key, and they supply that.

Here's how easy it is:

http://www.nabru.co.uk/self_assembly_sofa.php

 

[ymu]

Is that from wilsons of kniver?

I've been looking at their sofas cos they're only 4ft wide and fold out into small doubles (as opposed to the singles you'd get from everyone else on a sofa that size). They make sense as you can have them facing down the boat instead of across it, which I've never got on with really.

That one is here: http://www.elitefurnishings.co.uk/salisburysofa.html

Not necessarily the one we'll get, just that style.

We want one which is 4'6" wide when open - standard double, but still 18" to squeeze past in the corridor when it's down.

Getting a bit fed up of beds which are too narrow or too short (our current one drops down from the wall across the cabin so it's only 6' long).

 

[Macabre]

Did you only start looking a week ago and then decide to buy one?

I spend weeks (or in this case, a few months) looking for reviews before I commit to any big buy

Looked for a few days, our options weren't many so it wasn't a hard choice. Our living room in small and a prebuilt sofa wouldn't fit through the hall so it was this or chairs really.



It took my girlfriend about a two hours to put the sofa bed and chaise togethter herself. The only problems that came up was that the fabric wasn't right on one of the arms and the chaise fabric is very odd as each corner is a different hight for some reason.

 

[fractionMan]

That one is here: http://www.elitefurnishings.co.uk/salisburysofa.html

Not necessarily the one we'll get, just that style.

We want one which is 4'6" wide when open - standard double, but still 18" to squeeze past in the corridor when it's down.

Getting a bit fed up of beds which are too narrow or too short (our current one drops down from the wall across the cabin so it's only 6' long).

That's fair enough if you're going to be using it a lot. My fixed double is only 4' wide but luckily my gf is kinda small

 

[ymu]

Who gets to sleep under the gunnels? Four foot becomes more like a generous single, unless one of you is immune to claustrophobia. Or you think about the design issues and have a very low bed with high storage - but boat-builders never seem to do this.

They don't seem to think about fitting sinks on a tilt so that the draining board always drains either. Drives me nuts!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Looked for a few days, our options weren't many so it wasn't a hard choice. Our living room in small and a prebuilt sofa wouldn't fit through the hall so it was this or chairs really.



It took my girlfriend about a two hours to put the sofa bed and chaise togethter herself. The only problems that came up was that the fabric wasn't right on one of the arms and the chaise fabric is very odd as each corner is a different hight for some reason.

why didn't you help her?

Yeah, the fabric is slightly loose on the arm corners but I'm not bothered. Better loose than tight (in case you shrink them in the wash)

 

[fractionMan]

The gunnels on mine are quite high so it's not too much of a problem to be under them, thankfully. I really do want to extend the bed to a normal 4'6" at some point though.

I'm also looking at things like this:

Which is an extra large (1.5 people) armchair. You can fit two people in it easily, as long as they're *ahem* close. At 129cm wide it's stretching it a bit though.

http://www.sofaworkshop.com/sofa/charlie-loose/large-snuggler-bed/ethereal/aubergine/dark-wood

John lewis also have similar:

which are 116cm wide or 124 wide

http://www.johnlewis.com/230682336/Product.aspx

 

[ymu]

Those look quite decent. The sofabed doesn't need to be big and comfy - it's for single friends or us when we have family over.

The main problem with finding sofabeds is the length when they're in bed mode - most of them are more than 6' extended. That's the other nice thing about those where you just push the back down to make it into a bed - you don't have to turn them through 90 degres to use them as a bed.

 

[fractionMan]

Damn, it's the small snuggler not the large one with the bed built in.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/large-comfy-a...n_LivingRoom_Armchairs_SR?hash=item1e591d2ac1

Otherwise it's a bargain.

 

[Macabre]

why didn't you help her?

Yeah, the fabric is slightly loose on the arm corners but I'm not bothered. Better loose than tight (in case you shrink them in the wash)

She did it while I was at work, I told her to wait for me but she did it anyway. The issue with the arm wasn't the tightness it was that it was stitched wrong, we had to do a bit of cutting and restitching. And the chaise is just weird, the corners are 17cm, 18cm, 22cm and 23cm and which corner is which for the cover isnt marked.

 

[fractionMan]

Those look quite decent. The sofabed doesn't need to be big and comfy - it's for single friends or us when we have family over.

The main problem with finding sofabeds is the length when they're in bed mode - most of them are more than 6' extended. That's the other nice thing about those where you just push the back down to make it into a bed - you don't have to turn them through 90 degres to use them as a bed.

That's the thing about facing it down the boat, you can just fold it right out, no turning involved

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

She did it while I was at work, I told her to wait for me but she did it anyway. The issue with the arm wasn't the tightness it was that it was stitched wrong, we had to do a bit of cutting and restitching. And the chaise is just weird, the corners are 17cm, 18cm, 22cm and 23cm and which corner is which for the cover isnt marked.

You shouldn't have had to restitch. I'm sure if you'd rung them they'd have sent another one out.

Anyway, is it comfortable to sit on?

Did you pick standard or soft seating? Did you have the cushion covers with piping?

 

[gracious]

re intosofa...

sofas we bought are great - delivery men were rude and horrible to my other half and didnt bring the sofas upstairs. bargain price tho and flatpack was the only way to get em into the flat, i must admit to being really happy with em.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

The gunnels on mine are quite high so it's not too much of a problem to be under them, thankfully. I really do want to extend the bed to a normal 4'6" at some point though.

I'm also looking at things like this:

Which is an extra large (1.5 people) armchair. You can fit two people in it easily, as long as they're *ahem* close. At 129cm wide it's stretching it a bit though.

http://www.sofaworkshop.com/sofa/charlie-loose/large-snuggler-bed/ethereal/aubergine/dark-wood

John lewis also have similar:

which are 116cm wide or 124 wide

http://www.johnlewis.com/230682336/Product.aspx

I noticed that John Lewis had an almost identical sofa to the Nabru one that's commonly displayed. Went up there to see it and it wasn't there, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was a Nabru considering it was only £299

 

[Macabre]

You shouldn't have had to restitch. I'm sure if you'd rung them they'd have sent another one out.

Anyway, is it comfortable to sit on?

Did you pick standard or soft seating? Did you have the cushion covers with piping?

Yeah but it was only a few inches, easier and quicker to do it ourselves. We just went with the standard seating, we're on a budget, and its very comfy, especially with the chaise. We've already started fighting over who gets to sit on that side.