Convertible sofa beds could be the future of airplane seats

trip

by ben cost

Flying could become like couchsurfing in the sky.

Sardine can airplane seats may not become the norm, as AI predicted. An Italian aerospace company has designed a convertible “sofa bed” style business class seat that could forever change the face of air travel.

Designer Optimares, an Italian aerospace company, advertises it on its website as a “sofa that turns into a bed with simple mechanical movements.”

The design, called “SoFab,” will be unveiled next month at the 2024 Red Cabin Awards, which recognize innovation in the aviation industry that addresses issues such as sustainability, comfort, space and cost.

The appeal of SoFab, currently nominated for a sustainability award by RedCabin, is perhaps its simplicity.

Unlike traditional reclining seats, this state-of-the-art arrangement does not roll back, but instead connects to a cushioned leg rest with a second ottoman underneath.

Passengers access the latter manually, similar to a hotel sofa bed.

Like a clown car designed for comfort, this seemingly minimalist mechanism provides a bed surface area that is “25% larger than a comparable luxury business class seat,” according to Optimere.

The bed measures approximately 40 inches wide and 78 inches long, just a few inches shorter than a standard king-sized bed. It's also just an inch shorter than the bed in his QSuite on Qatar Airways, which is considered the gold standard in luxury airline accommodations.

SoFab's additional space also allows flyers to sleep in their preferred position – on their back, side, forward, curled up or stretched out – and additional cushioning at each site increases comfort.

Additionally, the lack of mechanical add-ons reduces “the risk of seat failure,” the site says.

“This ensures a high level of risk-free seat availability and virtually eliminates onboard maintenance,” Optimere wrote.

Other benefits of this convertible mattress include a privacy divider, ample seat storage, a 21-inch in-flight entertainment monitor, and a table that converts into a complete restaurant-style eating table.

It can also be folded in half and used as a “cocktail side table”.

Despite all the amenities, this seat weighs just 110 to 132 pounds, about 100 pounds lighter than some business class seats.

According to Optimares, these reductions in pounds mean less fuel consumed and therefore less cash. Optimeres uses recyclable and sustainable materials to manufacture business class seats.

At this time, the state-of-the-art transformer seats are not being installed by any airlines.