The best kids’ play sofas: Let your child’s imagination run wild
One minute it’s furniture, the next it’s a cubby house!
Who knew a piece of furniture could be so much fun? A play lounge, made from sturdy foam pieces, allows your child’s imagination to run wild as they create cubby houses, climbing structures, castles, slides, you name it!
A play lounge provides a space where children can unwind, relax, and have fun. With its versatile and durable design, a play sofa offers endless hours of physical and creative play and will be a much-loved addition to any home or playroom.
To help you shop for the best kids’ play sofa, we’ve rounded up some of our top picks below. Plus, we’ve got expert tips to help guide you on making the right purchase!
2024’s top play sofas
- Huddle Kids’ Foam Play Couch, $213.30, Big W (here’s why)
- Honey Joy Convertible Kids Play Couch, Amazon AU (here’s why)
- NooK play sofa, $655, My NooK (here’s why)
The best kids’ play sofas to buy in 2024
1. Huddle Kids’ Foam Play Couch
from $213.30 at Big W
Best for playtime fun
With comfy, slow rising foam cushions, your child will love building a fort or a hide-out spot for reading, playing games or chilling out.
Look for a play sofa with a modular or convertible design that allows it to be configured in different ways to suit various activities and play styles.
Key features:
- Includes base cushion, soft cushion, and triangular base cushions
- Dimensions 76.2cm (d) x 17.3cm (h) x 51cm (w)
Available at:
- $213.30 from Big W
- $213.30 (usually $237) from Catch
- $213.30 from Amazon AU
- $225 (usually $237) from Kogan
2. Honey Joy Convertible Kids Play Couch
from $182.95 at Amazon AU
Best for value
This kids’ play sofa has four pieces, including two folding mats and two triangular pillows. Toddlers to teens can use the sofa cushions for playing, climbing or just relaxing watching.
Key features:
- Filled with high density and high resilience sponge
- Suede fabric covers zip off for easy-washing
- Dimensions: 167 (w) x 84 (d) x 54 (h) cm
Available at:
3. NooK play sofa
from $655 at My NooK
Best for quality and comfort
NooKs are made to last, with heirloom quality this play sofa is guaranteed to bring years of comfort and creative, happy play.
Made by hand in Sydney using only the highest quality components, every piece of NooK play furniture comes with a three year warranty.
Key features:
- NooK Foams are 100% Australian Made and certified by GECA to standards up to twice as strong as imported Certi-Pur foams.
- Fabrics are tested to Australian Fire and Safety standards as well as Oeko-Tex Standard 100
- The Zip-Apart versatility means NooK base cushions can be used separately as 4 square bases, or zipped together in pairs.
- NooKs are not compressed for shipping so the foam will not be misshapen, damaged or go flat.
- In partnership with Eat Up, every Nook purchase provides one week of school lunches for an Australian child in need.
- NooK is also an NDIS Registered Provider and can provide products for those with approved NDIS plans.
- Dimensions: 160cm (w) x 80cm (d) x 25cm (h) (or 56cm (h)
Available at:
- from $655 at My NooK
4. 10 Piece All 4 Kids Wyatt Modular Play Sofa Set by Project Kindy Furniture
from $499.95 at Temple & Webster
Best for hours of creative fun
The modular design offers flexibility in style and configuration, providing plenty of space for kids to relax and play.
The suede-covers can be un-zipped for easy machine washing. Plus, two large blocks can be zipped together or apart, adding even more flexibility and convenience to the playtime setup.
Key features:
- Includes: 4 x base cushions, 2 x trapezoid cushions, 2 x rectangular cushions, 2 x round cushions, 1 x assembly manual
- Materials: suede upholstery, foam padding
- Blocks feature suede cover and zipper for easy machine washing
- 2 large blocks can be zipped together & apart for added flexibility and convenience
- Dimensions: 58cm (h) x 160cm (w) x 80cm (d)
Available at:
- $499.95 at Temple & Webster
5. jela Couch 14PCS Floor Sofa
from $469 from Amazon AU
Best for building an epic fort
This foam couch set includes a total of 14 cushions. Kids can let their creativity run wild as they transform their couch into a fort, playhouse, reading corner, castle, play tank, happy hammock and more.
Key features:
- Includes: 4 x basic cushions (with 1 basic cushion can be detached to 4 parts), 3 x armrest parts, 2 x triangle pillows, 2 x semicircular cushions
- No sharp edges/ smooth zippers
- Cushions are made from high-density polyurethane foam
- Covers are made from premium eco-friendly and nontoxic material
- Dimensions: 71cm (d) x 144.78cm (w) x 45.72cm (h)
Available at:
- $469 from Amazon AU
The founder of My NooK shares her tips for buying a play sofa
In September 2020, while the global pandemic was in full swing, Patrick and Olivia Rudomino founded their modular play lounge company, My NooK, after exploring ideas for practical play ideas, inspired by their own children.
The design of the sofa
Opt for a play sofa with soft and comfortable padding to provide a cosy seating and playing area for children.
“We took inspiration from the four basic shapes of design,” explains Olivia.
“We created square base cushions as our main building blocks; triangular back cushions for castles, tea parties and obstacle courses; rectangular bolsters for building support, resting your head or jousting; and circular cushions for sitting, resting and they also make a mean frisbee!”
Shop for a quality product that can ‘withstand being jumped on’
Look for a play sofa made from sturdy materials that can handle rough play and frequent use without losing its shape or structure.
Olivia Rudomino says they set out ot create a high-quality, luxe product that would withstand being jumped on and transformed into cubby houses, all while still looking beautiful in the home – and they nailed it.
“We have three children of our own so we understand what needs to go into a kids product to make it really last,” explains Olivia.
“We were very focused on creating a versatile product – whether it was to be made into a cubby house, a sleepover bed, an obstacle course or the perfect spot for family movie nights.”
The handmade modular sofas are made from 56 individual parts, which are turned into a set of 10 soft-cushioned pieces that can be reconfigured, and even zipped together, in multiple ways.
Finally, choose a play sofa with removable and washable covers or materials that are easy to clean in case of spills or messes.
Make sure the materials are safe for children, free from harmful chemicals, and meet safety standards
Olivia speaks further about the strict product safety guidelines and the Australian regulations that the company follows and recounts a scary story which could have had a very different ending.
“All of our fabrics that are imported into Australia are fire-testeld and have to meet Australian regulations. Anyone importing finished products doesn’t have to jump over those hurdles, so it’s cheaper because getting everything fire-rated to Australian standards is expensive. We had a customer who emailed us one morning and I nearly had a heart attack,” she recalls.
“Her kids had built the NooK against their gas fire place which was on a timer and it came on at 3am to warm the house up. The NooK was against it and it smoldered but it didn’t catch alight and she was writing to say thank you because she could have lost her home or even worse. Having the Australian standards in place and knowing that we more than clear all of those is really important to us.”
Support a play sofa that is Australian-made
The Rudominos are proud of their product and even prouder that it is all made in Australia at their Sydney factory.
“We are proud to be able to support Australian manufacturing and ensure that these quality upholstery skills are not lost. My NooK is actually about so much more than a kids play sofa.”
