Curious how the Sofee compares to the Nugget? Check out this independent review from creative play loving mum, @montessoritoddles. She’s a UK-based mum to two kiddos, an active 3-year-old and a curious 15-month-old, and she’s a big believer in the value of creative play for her little ones.

@montessoritoddles owns a Nugget (from the USA) and also purchased a Sofee. This is her experience.

Discovering Sofee 

I’ve wanted a play sofa ever since I first saw the Nugget play couch about two years ago on Instagram. However, once I got one, I became sold on the idea of having two play sofas!

I looked for UK play sofas and was pleasantly surprised to find a few options. I started by contacting each company to get all the information about each option. My goal was to get the play sofa closest to the Nugget – I wanted to replicate the size, fabric material and foam quality. 

My first problem was finding an option that was a similar size, as most of the UK options are a lot smaller than the Nugget. I also wanted to find something that felt sturdy like the Nugget, with similar (or better) quality foam. I eventually decided on the Sofee.  

The Sofee is 170 cm long which meant both play sofas would make good spare beds. Personally, I wouldn’t want anything smaller for play, especially with two growing children.

Choosing Sofee 

Like the Nugget, the Sofee is made from a microsuede material, and I was very happy with the Sofee’s colour range. Emily was super lovely to chat to on Instagram @mysofee. She gave me a ton of information about the Sofee and even sent out fabric swatches so I could pick the best colour. I decided to let my little one choose the colour and he decided on Candy (hot pink). As we have a Koala Nugget (light grey), I thought it would be a nice combination.

Delivery 

When I ordered my Sofee, I just picked a day I’d be home and it arrived within the timeframe given to me. The Nugget is vacuum packed, so it needs to come out of its box asap to avoid foam damage. The Sofee came in one large box and one medium box which allowed me to store it away in the garage until Christmas with no problems.

First impressions of Sofee 

I officially opened the Sofee box on Christmas Eve, and I immediately thought the Sofee looked pretty darn good! The fabric on the Sofee not just looked good, but it felt really nice. I also have since found out, the Sofee’s microsuede  fabric grips really well when building. 

Zippers

I was also impressed to see that the zipper and zip sliders were hidden on the Sofee. Because the Sofee zippers and sliders are hidden, I don’t have any problems putting them up close to the wall as I know it won’t scrape or snag. 

The little extras – handles 

I also really like the handles on the Sofee. They are made from the same fabric as the Sofee and you can also tell they have reinforced stitching as they are really tough. 

The Sofee also has mini handles on the wedges which is a great idea! It might seem like a small thing, but it actually makes a big difference, as it means they can be picked up one handed, and my 3-year-old can also move them much more easily. The little bit of fabric covering the zip sliders can also be used like a handle which I use all the time with the Sofee wedges.

Sizing

In terms of size, the Sofee and the Nugget are almost identical. The main difference is that the topper (thin bit) of the Sofee is thicker than the topper of the Nugget. I made an “ice cream van” recently and the Sofee topper was the PERFECT roof thanks to its thickness. The topper is also thick enough to be used as a spare bed (although I prefer the base personally).

Cleaning

We’ve had a few spots on both our Sofee and Nugget. Lighter marks like dribble and snot come off both pretty easily with a damp cloth. But for more intense marks, they come off the Sofee really easily. 

Both are machine washable, but the Sofee should be washed on cold with the zippers fully closed. 

Foam comparison

Both the Sofee and the Nugget use three different densities of foam in each play sofa. The base is the firmest, the topper is medium firm and the wedges are sturdy enough to act as pillars but soft enough to be back rests. I love how they have both invested in three different foam types in each play sofa.

Thanks to my research, I know the Sofee uses a high density foam, so there is more foam packed into each piece. It means the foam will last longer, won’t collapse as easy and is good enough to be used as a spare bed. 

Playing on our play sofas

I was a bit worried that my kids wouldn’t actually use the Sofee or the Nugget, as my 3-year-old isn’t particularly boisterous. However, they both absolutely love them and play on them every day. They use them as buildings, vehicles, couches, obstacle courses and for generally jumping on. My 3-year-old is constantly asking me to make new builds.

I think they will still get a lot of use as couches even when the kids are much older, so they really are a great long-term “toy”. We have a lot of open-ended toys and I love our play sofas. 

I’m already planning my third play sofa and I’m definitely getting another Sofee!