Latest news with #Koala
7NEWS
2 days ago
- Business
- 7NEWS
Best-selling furniture brand has two epic deals for one week only: Receive a free Koala pillow or $375 ottoman
Have you been considering purchasing a new sofa or mattress but haven't wanted to spend the money? Now is the best time to do so because leading furniture and bedding brand Koala, is currently offering two epic deals for Aussie customers, this week and this week only. For a limited time, shoppers purchasing an eligible Koala Mattress, will receive a bonus Koala Pillow — absolutely free. Or, for those on the hunt for a new sofa, you can score a FREE ottoman (worth $375). There's no code needed. Simply add all items (including the pillow or ottoman) and both will be automatically discounted to $0 at checkout. If you've hit pause on updating the bedroom or living space, consider this your sign to r esume your search for a new mattress or sofa. Mattresses included in the deal: Koala Luxe Mattress – Luxury comfort with multi-layered support. Koala Polar+ Mattress – Cool-to-touch fabric for hot sleepers. Koala Plus Mattress – Zoned support and pressure relief. Koala Mattress – Koala's award-winning original. The Koala Pillow valued at $155, is Australia's number-one rated pillow and comes with both a firm and a soft side, depending on your preference. Shoppers have given it a 4.6-star rating on Koala's website. 'I've been using the Koala Pillow for a few weeks now, and I honestly wish I'd discovered it sooner. The dual-sided firmness is a brilliant idea—it's like having two pillows in one depending on my mood or neck support needs,' one shopper wrote. 'The best pillow, literally perfect,' another shopper added. 'Large and oh-so-comfortable,' a third reviewer wrote. For those looking to upgrade their sofa or sofa bed, now is the perfect time to do so because you'll receive a free ottoman of your choice, no code nor catch involved. Just add your sofa and ottoman to the cart, and the discount will apply automatically at checkout. Choose from Koala's beautifully designed, easy-to-assemble seating options that combine comfort, durability, and minimalist style.
Business Insider
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Business Insider
The Koala Sofa Bed puts uncomfortable fold-out couches to shame — here's why we love it for small spaces
Growing up, my parents had a pull-out sofa bed that my friends and I used during sleepovers. It was the kind with a metal bed frame and a super thin foldable mattress that had the thickness of a mattress topper. When I moved into my own house, I was glad to offer a guest bed to visitors, but sometimes my visitors outnumber the guest bedroom availability, and someone has to sleep on the couch. For this reason, I was excited to test out the Koala Sofa Bed, a stylish and compact couch that flips out to turn into a mattress. Unlike the sofa beds of yesteryear, there are no metal bed frames inside the Koala Sofa Bed. Instead, the cushions fold out and lie on the floor, so you can freely stretch out. I assembled a queen-size version of the Koala Sofa Bed and tested it for two weeks, relaxing on the sofa during the day and in the evenings folding it out into a bed to sleep on overnight. I discovered that this firm and supportive sofa is ideal for those with small living spaces. In fact, I wish I had known about Koala when I lived in an apartment. best places to buy a couch. Design and customizations The Koala Sofa Bed comes in three sizes — a queen, full, or single size — all of which are small-space friendly. The size of the sofa differs depending on the size of the mattress you order. The queen-size Koala Sofa Bed measures 70 inches wide, while the full-size is just a few inches smaller at 64 inches. When folded out, the bed matches the dimensions of a queen or full-size bed. Both the queen and the full-size versions look like loveseats rather than couches. Alternatively, the single size is only 46 inches wide and resembles an armchair. The Koala Sofa Bed is available in four standard fabric colors and one luxe fabric. I ordered the couch in the standard "figtree" color, an olive green that, in real life, matched what I saw on the website. The standard fabric is a soft jacquard weave made of polyester, while the luxe fabric is a dual-tone Demi-Boucle made of 70% polyester and 30% recycled polyester. Both are stain-resistant. The frame consists of 100% FSC-certified poplar plywood and medium-density fiberboard. The cushions are filled with CertiPUR-US Certified polyurethane foam, and feature a support layer and a comfort layer, both of which are wrapped in a polyester wadding layer. Two pillows rest against the back cushion and two pillows on either armrest, offering some cushioned comfort. The pillow covers are removable and machine-washable. Delivery and setup The Koala Sofa Bed shipped for free via FedEx in four boxes. Delivery can take 2-7 days depending on where you live. I was able to easily move the boxes from my front porch into my living room. One of the boxes was opened at the end, but nothing was damaged or disturbed inside. As a single woman who lives alone, I hate asking a neighbor or friend to come over to help me assemble furniture. Not only could I move the boxes myself, but I was able to put this sofa together without any assistance. Assembly only took 30 minutes, and no tools were required. Instructions are provided, and it's very clear which piece goes where. Everything slots into place quite easily. For instance, the arms slide into a latch along the sides of the back sofa piece. The bottom two pieces are held together by screwing on the legs. The entire assembly process was smooth and free of any frustration or confusion. Comfort and durability I test mattresses quite often and have tested a sleeper sofa in the past, so I am familiar with rating the firmness of a sofa or mattress. Overall, I found the Koala Sofa Bed cushions to be quite comfortable to sit on, though definitely on the firm spectrum. I enjoyed sitting with my back against the side with my feet outstretched in the evenings while watching TV. I was even able to work with my laptop on this couch more easily because it's so supportive. The pillows provided some plushness and softness against my back, too. Perhaps most notably, I found the Koala Sofa Bed to be one of the easiest to convert from a couch to a bed, even quicker than assembling an air mattress. After removing the back and side pillows, all I had to do was pull the back cushion forward and the bottom cushions followed. The cushions are connected so they extend out in one swoop onto the ground. It's as easy to close the sofa as it is to open it. There are Velcro strips on the bottom of the sofa and the bottom cushion, so the Velcro essentially catches the cushion in place. The cushions lie flat on the floor, which means you're only five or six inches off the ground. If your floors are dirty and you order a lighter-tone Koala Sofa Bed, there is a possibility that such grime will appear on the fabric when you convert it back to a couch. I have a rug in my living room, so I didn't have to worry about this, but it might be a good idea to place a sheet on the ground before opening the couch. I can see why many pull-out sofa beds have bed frames or legs to keep the bed off the ground. For sleeping, I covered the sofa bed with a sheet set and some thin blankets. I could have used the pillows that sit on the sides or back of the couch, but I decided to use my own pillow just because I prefer how it feels. I didn't get hot, warm, or sweaty sleeping on the mattress (no matter what I wore) throughout the testing period. Sleeping on the Koala Sofa Bed was difficult at first. The firmness of the couch was far more noticeable when I laid down on the sofa bed than when I was sitting on it. I like a firmer mattress, simply because I like to sleep on my back and stomach in addition to my side. A firmer mattress supports my lower back and hips and keeps my spine aligned. However, the Koala Sofa Bed is far firmer than I like. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it an 8.5 or a 9. Because of the firmness, I was quite uncomfortable the first few nights of sleeping on the Koala Sofa Bed. Though the discomfort didn't keep me up at night, I had difficulty falling asleep. My body finally became used to the firmness by the fifth day. That said, I was unable to sleep on my side. There wasn't any give around my hip area. For reference, I weigh 170 lbs. Anyone who weighs less than me is likely going to have the same experience that I had unless they prefer super firm mattresses. Those who weigh over 250 lbs. might find the Koala Sofa Bed to be less firm than I did. I also felt a slight divot between the cushions when lying on the sofa bed. It wasn't that uncomfortable for me because I could adjust my body further down or up so that the divot landed at my waist. If you're a taller person, like six feet or more, this might not work. As for the edge support, it was far better than I expected. Rather than fold the mattress into a couch every day, sometimes I left it open, taking Zoom calls while sitting on the edge of the mattress. I felt decently supported, which was no surprise since the mattress is on the firmer side. Lying near the edge of the mattress didn't cause any issues either. The edge didn't dip, and I never felt concerned that I'd roll or slip off. The firmness level shouldn't deter you from the Koala Sofa Bed. For one, your guests will manage just fine sleeping on it for a few days during their visit, though a soft mattress topper or pad wouldn't hurt to add. In my two weeks of testing, I haven't noticed any softening of the cushions as of yet. However, the cushions will become softer the more you use the couch or the sofa bed. In fact, I think the initial firmness of the couch is a benefit, as it indicates that the foam is more supportive and will take longer to break down, which means you don't have to buy a new couch anytime soon. Cons to consider I wouldn't necessarily say that the Koala Sofa Bed has "cons." It's more accurate to say that there are some preference drawbacks. The first is how low this sofa is to the ground. I like that gap between my couch and the floor, and if you do too, this is not the couch for you. When my father, who was visiting, sat on the sofa, he also noted that the back of the couch was not very high. Again, this is a preference thing. It didn't bother me, but it might not be as comfortable for you. I should also add that the queen-sized Koala Sofa Bed is compact. You can only fit one large person or two medium-sized or smaller persons on it. In fact, it looks more like a loveseat than a couch, which makes it a great choice for a small living room or apartment. It's probably not big enough for a large home or living area. Remember, the full-size version is even smaller, and the single-size Koala Sofa Bed is basically an armchair. Lastly, this couch is firm — which means the sofa bed is too. It took my body about five days to get comfortable with the firmness of the mattress, and that's coming from someone who prefers medium to firm mattresses. Day to day, you'll probably be fine with the firmness of the couch, but your first few overnight guests may not like the firmness of the pull-out bed. At least the cushions are supportive, which is important for lower back health. Over time, they'll likely soften up. What are your alternatives? Where the Koala Sofa Bed is better suited to apartments or small living rooms, Koala's Byron Sofa Bed is a good option for those looking for something larger and more chic. It comes in one size — queen — but is considerably wider at 92 inches. As a couch, it has an elegant, round-edge design with deep seating and plush arms. It has a similar fold-out design but differs thanks to concealed storage and a nifty slide-out platform base that the cushions sit on so they don't touch the ground. The Bryon Sofa Bed is about $400 more than the queen-sized version of the Koala Sofa Bed. The mattress sits horizontally, following the length of the sofa. Cozey offers the Neptune Sofa Bed 2 Seater, which is 64 inches wide, making it the same dimensions as the full-size version of the Koala Sofa Bed. However, the Neptune 2-Seater is modular and can be built out with other pieces in the future. Rather than a fold-out design, the back cushions of the Neptune appear to shift down while the bottom cushions pull out, creating a full-size bed. The Neptune cushions are a bit more prominent (they stick out in the middle) than the Koala Sofa Bed, so you're going to feel the dips between the cushions, which might not be comfortable. The cushions of the Neptune don't touch the ground. A third alternative is the brand-new Eclipse Sofa by Sabai. It just launched in March 2025, and is available in many different colors in hemp, recycled velvet, and up-cycled poly. The fold-out design is exactly the same as the queen-sized version of the Koala Sofa Bed. (Sabai offers an Eclipse Chair that converts to a single-size sofa bed.) The Eclipse Sofa is a bit more expensive than the Koala, but that's likely due to the more stylish fabric and the sustainable materials used in this sofa bed. For instance, the fabrics are free of PFAs and the brand uses rubberized coconut fiber in the cushions. The bottom line The Koala Sofa Bed is available in three different sizes (queen, full, and single), all of which are great for small spaces. In addition to being a stylish and cozy couch, the Koala Sofa Bed converts into a bed thanks to a simple fold-out design. Sure, the cushions are quite firm, but the more you sit on the couch or have guests sleep on the fold-out mattress, the softer the cushions will get over time (though I expect they'll remain supportive). If I'd known a sofa bed like the Koala Sofa Bed was around when I lived in an apartment, I would have absolutely invested in one. Koala also offers a 120-night night trial and a five-year warranty, giving you the opportunity to try it out for yourself.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- General
- USA Today
Endangered right whale gal pals Curlew and Koala spotted in Canada
Endangered right whale gal pals Curlew and Koala spotted in Canada Show Caption Hide Caption Two right whales take rogue winter trip across the Gulf coast Two female right whales traveled across the U.S. Gulf coast during the winter which is rare for the endangered whales, according to researchers. A pair of endangered right whales that made several surprise appearances off Florida's west coast this winter have returned to their feeding grounds in the North Atlantic. "After taking a nice little Spring Break trip in the tropics, the pair was seen a few days ago," said Erin Vande Ven, a senior communications manager with Oceana, an ocean conservation advocacy group. The gal pals, named Curlew and Koala, were seen on May 15 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence north of Canada's Prince Edward Island, Canadian officials said during an international right whale team meeting on Wednesday, Vande Ven said. The pair was spotted by an aircraft with the Conservation and Protection Program within Fisheries and Oceans Canada, according to interactive maps published by the U.S. and Canada. On maps, it appears they traveled a distance of roughly 2,700 miles since they were seen off St. Petersburg 34 days earlier, on April 11. That's an average of about 3.3 mph. Curlew and Koala spent almost three months off Florida's west coast, swimming north and south from near St. Petersburg to beaches along the western Panhandle a couple of times. Whale advocates worried the wayward whales might linger too long in the much warmer Gulf of America, formerly called the Gulf of Mexico. However, after Koala and Curlew were seen on April 11, they were next seen four days later off Bimini in the Bahamas. No known sightings were reported until the pair was spotted on May 15. A portion of the endangered right whale population migrates south to the waters of the U.S. Southeastern coast each winter, including pregnant females, juvenile whales and random male and female adult whales from the waters off New England and Nova Scotia. They navigate through busy shipping lanes and fishing grounds. It's uncommon for any of those whales to keep swimming south and around the Florida Keys. Right whales are identified by individual markings on their heads and bodies, with extensive photo catalogues managed by the New England Aquarium. Because they are critically endangered, with only an estimated 372 remaining, they are monitored by both the U.S. and Canadian governments, with a variety of agencies and nonprofits participating in efforts to conduct whale surveys and sighting networks. During the most recent calving season, 11 mother calf pairs were spotted in the waters between Florida and New England, far below the number officials say is needed to sustain the population. Scientists with Oceana and governmental and conservation organizations say the whales also face dangers from entanglement in commercial crabbing and fishing gear and vessel strikes. Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change, wildlife and the environment for USA TODAY. Reach her at dpulver@ or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
No Straight Road Takes You There by Rebecca Solnit review – an activist's antidote to despair
According to Rebecca Solnit, a lot of us are suffering from something called moral injury. She describes this as the 'deep sense of wrongness' that can infiltrate our lives when we realise we are complicit in something seriously bad. The first time I experienced this in relation to climate change, I was changing my baby's nappy soon after one of the worst Australian wildfire seasons on record in 2020. The nappy featured a smiling cartoon koala on the front. I immediately recalled the scene of a singed, parched koala being fed water from a plastic bottle by a human as it fled the inferno. A disposable nappy takes up to 500 years to decompose. I felt disgust and despair at the degree of consumption, waste and exploitation that even a modest lifestyle in a high-income country seems to entail. From smartphones to food, our daily lives leave a bitter trail of harm. Some become painfully preoccupied with these realisations; others, avoidant and numb – an even more psychologically injurious strategy. I oscillate somewhere between these two positions, which is to say, I am in dire need of some moral first aid. In No Straight Road Takes You There, a constellation of essays with interlinked themes, Solnit provides just that. From a meditation on an antique violin as a symbol of sustainability, to reminding us that radical ideas move from the fringes to the mainstream, this collection of her best work teems with vitality, forming an antidote to political paralysis and despondency. Solnit is a prolific, omnivorous and brilliant writer and this book makes apparent her intellectual wingspan. There is great variety here – one chapter is even titled 'In Praise of the Meander' – but two bright threads run through the whole: the importance of hope, and the power of storytelling. Hope is no casual platitude here. Nor is it merely a more pleasant state of mind than despair. Rather, Solnit sees it as a more accurate mindset, since nobody is an oracle, and history is full of surprises. Uncertainty is the most rational position to embrace, and unlike optimism or pessimism, it does not entrench us in complacency or inaction. Climate doomers are particularly pernicious, Solnit observes, propagating misery and incorrect narratives about how screwed we all are, 'like bringing poison to the potluck'. Above all they are guilty of failing to use their imagination. At heart, Solnit is a storyteller. 'Every crisis,' she writes, 'is in part a storytelling crisis.' The powerful are those who decide which stories are heard and which are silenced. People who tell stories well – like Donald Trump – captivate millions. Citing the non-violent resistance that led to the fall of eastern bloc regimes in the 1970s and 1980s, Solnit sees radical ideas as acorns, campaigns as saplings and the final results – changes in the law, policy, or land ownership – as mighty oaks. 'The most important territory to take is in the imagination. Once you create a new idea of what is possible and acceptable, the seeds are planted; once it becomes what the majority believes, you've created the conditions in which winning happens.' Solnit urges us to imagine a radically different future. She quotes Mary Wollstonecraft's hope in 1792 that the divine right of husbands might be as contested as the divine right of kings, and footnotes this with Ursula Le Guin's hope in 2014 that the seemingly inescapable stranglehold of capitalism will one day yield, just as did the divine right of kings. Solnit herself is strikingly unafraid to wish for more. One of her specific visions is for a world in which people do not rape, not because they fear punishment, but because the very desire to commit rape has withered away. The book's signoff, a 'credo', has something of the sermon to it. In a world where tyranny is on the ascent and shareholder profits are worshipped like the golden calf, this is a comfort. Solnit is like a seasoned boxing coach tending to the spiritually and politically exhausted citizen flopped in the corner. She mops our brows and offers us motivation. 'They want you to feel powerless and to surrender,' she writes. 'You are not giving up, and neither am I … The pain you feel is because of what you love.' Grieve, yes. Scream with fury, sure. But also, keep going. 'There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep on walking whether it's sunny or raining.' Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion No Straight Road Takes You There: Essays for Uneven Terrain by Rebecca Solnit is published by Granta (£16.99). To support the Guardian buy a copy at Delivery charges may apply.
Leader Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Cheshire Oaks to host anniversary gig with secret headliner
Summer's Greatest Secret will feature an iconic 2000s music act, with multiple UK number one singles, and a catalogue of beloved hits. They will take to the on-site stage for a one-off performance on the evening of Friday, June 6, which will be free to shoppers and visitors. The headline and supporting acts are yet to be revealed but all set to bring high energy and big personality to the stage through the evening. The retail outlet will be giving back to its local charity partners including The Hospice of The Good Shepherd, Koala, Flynns Port in the Storm and Claire House amongst others, as well as its staff and their families, with exclusive golden circle access for the best seats in the house. Cheshire Oaks And for a lucky few, the experience will be even more memorable, with a select group of VIPs from the local community receiving the opportunity to meet the headline act in person. Kenny Murray, general manager at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, said: 'This anniversary is a moment to celebrate the rich history and vibrant future of Cheshire Oaks. OTHER NEWS: 'We have evolved continuously over the last three decades, and now it's time to celebrate in true style. 'Over our 30 years we've built a real sense of community that makes this centre special and we want to celebrate this milestone with the local area and people so close to our heart. 'This summer's music event, crowned by a secret headline act, promises to be a truly special experience, and a way that we can give back to the loyal customers who have trusted us to bring them the latest fashion trends since the 90s, we can't wait to enjoy it with them.' More information is available on the Cheshire Oaks website.
