What is the difference between a diwan cum bed and a sofa cum bed?

A diwan is a bed frame that stays a bed. You sit on its edge or against cushions by day and sleep on it at night, with nothing to convert. A sofa cum bed is a sofa with a backrest and arms by day that opens out into a bed at night.

Which is better for sleeping every night?

A diwan, in most homes. It is a fixed bed frame that takes your own mattress, so there is no conversion and no joins between cushions. A sofa cum bed can work for daily sleep if you are happy to open and close it every day; our daily-sleep guide covers this in detail.

Which is better for sitting?

A sofa cum bed. It has a backrest, arms and a seat height of 19 inches on our 6 x 6 ft designs, like a normal sofa. A diwan has no backrest of its own, so you need bolsters or cushions against the wall to sit back comfortably.

Does your diwan bed come with a mattress or storage?

No. Our Solid Wood Diwan Bed lists no storage, and the mattress is not included. If you need storage under the bed, look at our sofa cum beds with storage or ask us on WhatsApp +91-7838834141.

What sizes do your diwan and sofa cum beds come in?

Our Solid Wood Diwan Bed is listed in Queen (6 x 5 ft) and King (6 x 6 ft) with a 16 inch depth. Our wooden sofa cum beds list a 6 x 6 ft option with a 34 or 36 inch sofa depth, depending on the design. Check each product page for the exact size.

Diwan cum bed vs sofa cum bed: which suits your Indian home?

Golden Paradise Furniture

Oct 13

6 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

Choosing between a diwan cum bed vs sofa cum bed comes down to one question: do you need a real bed that also gives seating, or a real sofa that also gives a bed? Both save space in Indian homes, but they work very differently. This guide compares how each works, sleeping and seating comfort, storage, space and custom options, using the specs listed on our own product pages.

Low solid wood diwan bed with a plain wooden frame, short legs and no headboard, made up with white bedding and a beige throw, from Golden Paradise Furniture — Solid Wood Diwan Bed: a solid teak frame with no storage and no headboard listed, in Queen (6 x 5 ft) or King (6 x 6 ft)

Quick answer

Choose a diwan if someone sleeps on it most nights and you only need casual seating by day.
Choose a sofa cum bed if it is mainly your sofa and you need a bed for guests or now and then.

What is a diwan cum bed?

A diwan (also spelt deewan or divan) is a low bed frame that is often used in living rooms and bedrooms as both a bed and a day seat. It does not convert: it is always a bed. People usually add bolsters or cushions against the wall to sit on it during the day.

Our diwan cum bed option, the Solid Wood Diwan Bed, lists a solid teak wood frame, P.U polish and no storage, in Queen (6 x 5 ft) or King (6 x 6 ft), with a 16 inch depth. No headboard is listed, and the mattress is not included.

What is a sofa cum bed?

A sofa cum bed is a sofa with a backrest and arms that opens out into a flat sleeping surface. Our wooden sofa cum bed designs list a 6 x 6 ft option, a 19 inch floor-to-seat height, solid Marandi wood, 220gsm suede fabric and 40 density foam. The solid wood sofa cum bed lists a 34 inch depth, and the wooden sofa cum bed with storage a 36 inch depth.

How a sofa cum bed opens differs from design to design. Check the product page of the design you like, or ask us on WhatsApp +91-7838834141, before you order.

How each one works day to day

Diwan: nothing to fold or pull. You make the bed, add cushions for daytime seating, and remove them at night.
Sofa cum bed: you open it into a bed at night and close it back into a sofa in the morning. Bedding has to be stored somewhere in between.

Sleeping comfort

A diwan takes a full mattress of your choice on a fixed frame, so it feels like a normal bed. A sofa cum bed sleeps on its own foam cushions, so comfort depends on the foam and how flat the opened surface is. If you plan to sleep on a sofa cum bed every night, read our guide on whether a sofa cum bed is good for daily sleep first.

Seating comfort

A sofa cum bed wins here. It has a backrest, arms and a sofa-style seat height. A diwan is bed depth, so sitting back means leaning on bolsters or cushions against the wall. It suits lounging and sitting cross-legged more than upright sofa seating.

Wooden sofa cum bed with wooden arms and base and cream cushions, shown opened out flat into a bed, from Golden Paradise Furniture — Wooden Sofa Cum Bed With Storage: solid Marandi wood, 220gsm suede fabric and 40 density foam, 6 x 6 ft option

Storage

Storage depends on the design, not on the type. Our Solid Wood Diwan Bed lists no storage. Some of our sofa cum beds are named "with storage", like the Diwan Sofa Cum Bed With Storage, which is a convertible sofa cum bed with a diwan-style look. Please confirm the storage space on the product page or on WhatsApp before you order. To decide whether storage is worth it, see our sofa cum bed with storage vs without guide.

Space and room fit

Diwan: takes the same floor space all day, at 6 x 5 ft (Queen) or 6 x 6 ft (King). Our double bed size in feet and king vs queen bed size guides help you plan walking space around it.
Sofa cum bed: takes sofa depth by day (34 to 36 inches on our wooden designs) and more floor space when opened at night. Measure the opened size and leave room to walk around it.

As a general rule, measure your room, mark the footprint on the floor with tape, and check doors and windows before you choose. Our bed size for small rooms guide has more tips.

Materials and upkeep

Diwan: an exposed solid teak frame with P.U polish. Dust with a dry or slightly damp soft cloth, and keep it away from heaters and damp walls.
Sofa cum bed: wood frame with suede fabric and foam. Vacuum the fabric with a soft brush attachment, blot spills quickly, and use a cover if it gets heavy daily use. Our wooden vs fabric sofa cum bed guide compares finishes.

Who each one suits

A diwan suits: a room that is mainly for sleeping, a parent or guest who stays often, or a traditional living room where people like to sit back on bolsters.
A sofa cum bed suits: a 1BHK living room, a study or a guest room that is used as a sitting room most days.
Not sure? think about how many nights a month someone will sleep on it. If it is most nights, lean towards a diwan.

Custom size and options

On many designs you can ask about a custom size, fabric or colour. Send your room size and a photo of the look you want on WhatsApp +91-7838834141. Once the customisation is agreed, you receive a confirmation with the details. Read more about custom furniture in Delhi.

Price, delivery and warranty

Prices change with design, size, material and offers, so check the current price on each product page. We deliver pan-India; orders are usually shipped within 7 working days, and our products come with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing and workmanship defects under normal household use. Full terms are in our store policies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a diwan cum bed and a sofa cum bed? A diwan is a bed frame that stays a bed. You sit on its edge or against cushions by day and sleep on it at night, with nothing to convert. A sofa cum bed is a sofa with a backrest and arms by day that opens out into a bed at night.
Which is better for sleeping every night? A diwan, in most homes. It is a fixed bed frame that takes your own mattress, so there is no conversion and no joins between cushions. A sofa cum bed can work for daily sleep if you are happy to open and close it every day; our daily-sleep guide covers this in detail.
Which is better for sitting? A sofa cum bed. It has a backrest, arms and a seat height of 19 inches on our 6 x 6 ft designs, like a normal sofa. A diwan has no backrest of its own, so you need bolsters or cushions against the wall to sit back comfortably.
Does your diwan bed come with a mattress or storage? No. Our Solid Wood Diwan Bed lists no storage, and the mattress is not included. If you need storage under the bed, look at our sofa cum beds with storage or ask us on WhatsApp +91-7838834141.
What sizes do your diwan and sofa cum beds come in? Our Solid Wood Diwan Bed is listed in Queen (6 x 5 ft) and King (6 x 6 ft) with a 16 inch depth. Our wooden sofa cum beds list a 6 x 6 ft option with a 34 or 36 inch sofa depth, depending on the design. Check each product page for the exact size.
How does your sofa cum bed open into a bed? The opening method differs between designs, so please check the product page of the design you like or ask us on WhatsApp +91-7838834141 before you order. We can show you how it opens at our Shastri Park showroom.
Can I get a custom size diwan or sofa cum bed? On many designs you can ask about a custom size, fabric or colour. Send your room size and a photo of the look you want on WhatsApp +91-7838834141. Once the customisation is agreed, you receive a confirmation with the details.

See both in person

The easiest way to choose is to sit on both and see a sofa cum bed opened out. Visit Golden Paradise Furniture & Interiors at Gate No. 4, Shastri Park, Shahdara, Delhi 110053. Read our Shastri Park showroom visit guide first and WhatsApp +91-7838834141 before you come. You can also shop our sofa cum bed range, our solid wood beds, or start at goldenparadisefurniture.in.