An unidentified man has spent years questioning what part of his couch is for, before learning that the strange feature actually has a very simple explanation. He shared an image of his sofa on social media, sparking a debate as to what the “mysterious folding mechanism” is. He went on to explain, “It’s very uncomfortable if I put the cushions back when it’s folded, because they don’t have enough support.” The post quickly went viral, with hundreds of users rushing to solve the mystery that had been troubling the homeowner. The real reason behind the mysterious folding mechanism turns out to be what’s called a “flat pack,” a feature that allows it to be folded down in the shipping box and makes it easier to move through doorways once it’s assembled. It makes the back flush with the arms so it’s more compact for shipping and storage. While it may have added some cost for the manufacturer to add this feature, it probably saved more money in shipping by allowing it to go into a smaller box.
