Expand Furniture Review: A Real World Test

More than one-quarter of Americans outgrow their homes within two years. This number is even higher among those living in apartments. At the same time, the tiny home movement is on the rise, as more and more people embrace minimalist living. 

In either scenario, you’ll want to maximize the space in your home. Expand Furniture, a Canadian brand, offers furnishings that fit small spaces without compromising aesthetics. We’re talking about convertible coffee tables, expandable sofas, and wall beds—just to name a few. Today, we’ll share our experience with the brand and the products we’ve tried so far. 

Scoring

In This Review

Concept | Products | Table Test | Chair Test

The Concept Behind Expand Furniture

Founded in 2013, Expand Furniture offers multifunctional pieces to help people optimize their living spaces. The Canadian-based company works with designers from South America, Europe, Asia, and other regions to create unique furnishings for the modern home. Its products have been featured in the Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, and other media outlets. 

What makes the brand stand out is its emphasis on save-spacing furnishings. For example, its offering includes wall beds that can be turned into desks. Some items have a glossy, white reflective surface to give the appearance of more space in your home.

The company also sells do-it-yourself (DIY) loft kits for studios, small apartments, and children’s bedrooms. Notably, these products are only available by special order in North America, with wider availability in other countries.

These units are fully adjustable and can be a great choice for those looking to maximize the space above or below a bed, or create their own private space in a given room. 

If you want to save more space with your bed then a Expand Furniture’s murphy bed is another good option.

Some products come pre-assembled, whereas others require minimal setup. This can be an advantage for those who live alone or lack the technical skills required to assemble the furniture. Plus, customers can order replacement parts, panels, and other accessories to customize or restore the pieces purchased. 

Another notable aspect is that Expand Furniture donates a portion of its profits to Sleeping Children Around the World. The funds are used to purchase bed kits for children in Kenya, Honduras, Sri Lanka, and other developing countries. 

Expand Furniture also plants trees for every product sold as part of its efforts to protect the planet. Additionally, its products are made from ethically sourced, sustainable materials, such as recycled wood. 

Product Selection

The Vancouver-based company has a small but interesting selection of products, from beds and mattresses to convertible tables.

Let’s see a few examples:

• Folding chairs 
• Modular sofas
• Convertible dining tables
• Freestanding bed desks
• Modular wall shelves
• Compact TV stands
• Reversible mattresses
• Storage cube sets
• Expandable benches

Most pieces are multifunctional and can be folded, expanded, or converted into something completely different. 

For example, the Companion Cube looks like an ottoman at first glance, but it actually has five padded seats inside it. You simply remove the upper part, take the seats out, and unfold them. After that, you can use both the ottoman and the seats for family dinners, small gatherings, and other events. 

Another product that caught our eye is the FlexYah Bench. When you first see it, you’d think it’s just a cardboard box. But if you unfold it, you’ll get a full-size bench that can accommodate up to 10 people and 2,000 pounds of weight. 

We were also impressed with this office set, which looks like a filing cabinet when folded. However, despite its compact size, you can turn it into a fully functional office workspace with a desk, a chair, and shelves. 

Our team had the chance to try out one of the brand’s convertible tables and chairs. After using them for a while, we decided to share our experience to help you make the right choice. 

Transforming Table v3 Review

Expand’s Transforming Table is large enough for four to six people, despite its compact design. Although it looks like a regular coffee table, it can be converted into a full-size dining table suitable for small spaces. 

Pros

• Sleek, versatile design
• Multifunctional
• Easy to move around
• Easy to clean
• Large selection of tabletop finishes
• Adjustable height and width

Cons

• It would be nice to have wheels on both legs
• Lowering the table is a little bit tricky
• The folding mechanism could be better

The Design

This piece of furniture is available in six different colors and textures, featuring a hydraulic lift system and hidden wheels on one leg.

The current options include:

• A black grain panel covered with black glass, plus gold legs
• Concrete-textured top and black legs
• Light oak wood top and black legs
• A glossy white surface and chrome legs
• White glass surface and silver legs
• Chocolate walnut top and block legs

The tabletop is made from either wood or glass, and the legs are crafted from metal. At the lowest height, it measures 7.48″, which allows you to store it under the bed or in a drawer when not in use. The tempered glass model and those with wood surfaces look nice and seem fairly durable. 

Key Features

The Transforming Table v3 has a minimalist design and can be easily moved around and folded as needed. However, figuring out which leg the wheels are on can be a bit annoying, especially when the table is fully expanded.

The lever to raise or lower the table moves smoothly—just make sure you have another hand on a different side of the table when handling it. As long as the level is pulled, the table will rise effortlessly.

As far as this mechanism is concerned, I noticed that, as soon as you release the lever, the table holds in that spot, and it seems to work well. 

On the other hand, lowering the table is a little harder than expected. I felt like I had to put a surprising amount of weight on it while holding the lever to bring the height down. 

After discussing with Expand Furniture, I was informed this is an intentional safety feature. It helps avoid a sudden drop in the table if someone were to accidentally pull the leaver. As a result, the added pressure feels like less of an issue for me.

Folding and unfolding the table is simple, but it takes some time to get used to it.

Here are our observations: 

• To unfold the table, you first need to rotate it. Because of this additional step, moving the table can be a little frustrating—unless you want to expand the tabletop;
• Its locking mechanism limits the rotational functionality;
• The tabletop can feel heavy when unfolding the table. It was fine overall, but while folding the table, I found there was no easy way to close it without pinching my fingers.

Should You Buy the Transforming Table v3?

This expandable coffee table can be a good choice for tiny houses, studios, and small homes. What’s more, it’s compact enough to fit into most rooms and has a timeless design. 

Its folding mechanism could be improved, but it’s a matter of getting used to it. The same goes for the hydraulic piston system, which may seem tricky at first. Apart from that, the table is visually appealing, sturdy, and practical. 

Click here for more information or to buy the Transforming Table v3.

Nano Chair Review

The Nano Chair is part of a convertible dining set, but it can be purchased separately, too. We were impressed with its sleek design, its sturdy seat, and its minimalist feel. Plus, it’s available in a wide selection of colors and looks better than the average folding chair. 

Pros

• Comes fully assembled
• Padded seat
• Sturdy frame
• Easy to store
• Sleek design

Cons

• Some of the screws holding the frame were loose

Design & Functionality

Expand’s Nano Chair is fairly basic but nice. The base wood for the seat feels sturdy, whereas the leather cover of the cushion is soft and comfortable. There’s also extra cushioning, which comes in handy for those who plan to sit longer on these chairs. 

As mentioned earlier, Expand Furniture offers this item in several colors, including:

• White gloss seat with a golden or white metal frame 
• Black seat with a silver or golden metal frame
• Gray coffee seat with a gray metal frame
• Walnut (silver metal frame)

The seat is made of polyurethane leather and matches the color of the wooden backrest. It can accommodate up to 250 pounds and measures 15.75″ in width. 

Our team members tested the chairs, and we all agreed they’re fairly lightweight, which makes them easy to carry around as needed. Plus, they’re foldable and can be stacked together when not in use. 

When we took them out of the box, one of the backs of the chairs had the screws come loose. This most likely happened during shipping, but it’s worth mentioning. 

Like other products from Expand, the Nano chair comes fully assembled out of the box. We would describe it as sleek, functional, and visually appealing. Depending on your needs, you can use it as a dining chair, an office chair, or even a camping chair when the weather is good. 

Apart from that, there isn’t too much to say about the Nano chairs. Personally, I wouldn’t sit in them for hours, but I would prefer them over a standard all-metal folding chair.

Is the Nano Chair Worth It?

Expand’s Nano Chair can be a good fit for most homes, as it allows you to accommodate extra guests even if you have limited space. It’s sturdy, compact, and chic, featuring a soft, padded seat for increased comfort. 

Overall, it looks much better than a standard folding chair—and the quality is hard to beat. Although it’s not the best choice for prolonged sitting, it can double as an office chair when needed. 

Click here for more information or to buy the Nano Chair.