Spend as much as you can afford on a quality frame — it will see you through many years of lounging. A solid hardwood frame is a good option, but be wary of a particleboard or metal construction. Also, take note of the guarantee before you commit — always opt for manufacturers who offer at least a year guarantee.
Remember that what's inside a sofa is just as important as what's used on the outside. When it comes to the sofa back and seat, feather-filled cushions are high on comfort but they will need regular plumping, while foam or fibre fillings may flatten out and lose their shape over time.
The perfect solution? The team at Sofa. Back cushions filled with feathers and seat cushions filled with foam or fibre works well. Whether you go for a bold colour, pattern or a neutral, your choice of upholstery fabric will have a huge impact on the room, so choose carefully to ensure it fits with your scheme. Natural materials may fade in strong sunlight so go for a synthetic fabric if the sofa will be near a window. It's particularly important in a busy family home, and if you have a dog or cat, opt for a fabric that's easy to spot clean.
In this case, loose covers are worth investigating, as they can be removed for cleaning and some are washable too. Get out the tape measure and make sure you're certain of the maximum sofa dimensions that will fit, and suit, your space. One tip for making sure that your sofa will fit in your space is to cut out the shape of your sofa from newspaper and place it on the floor in the room.
Finally, check the dimensions of any doors and stairways the sofa will have to pass through on delivery — your unscuffed walls will thank you. If access is limited, you may need to opt for a low-back style, one with removable legs or even a modular design that can be delivered in sections.
Or if you have a small room, consider a two-seater or a snuggler. You might have your dream sofa in sights but you have to be practical too. The good news is that it's never been easier to customise a sofa to make it really work for you and your space.
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Best Budget Sofa. Best Affordable Modern Sofa. Best Mid-Century Sofa. Best Modern Sofa. Blu Dot. Best Modular Sofa. Best Leather Sofa. West Elm. Best Faux Leather Sofa. Good springs will be quite firm and spaced close together for good support. There should be good support without too much give when you sit on the couch. Feel the Padding and Cushions.
The frame and all the corners of the couch should be well padded. Run your hand over all corners to make sure you can't feel the edges of the frame through the upholstery. If you can, the upholstery may wear through quite quickly, and your couch will not be very comfortable to use.
Seat cushions should be firm and resilient and fit snugly within the sofa frame. The cushions should regain their shape after you press down and let go. A cushion that stays put when you press down will be flattened in no time, end up looking unsightly, and feel uncomfortable when you sit on it. Cushions that do not fit snugly will also lose their shape quickly and the edges will start looking unsightly. Test the Operating Mechanisms. If your couch is a recliner or sleeper , make sure to operate the mechanism repeatedly and aggressively to make sure it operates smoothly and easily.
Reclining, or motion furniture is generally more expensive, and you are paying for a functioning, smoothly-running mechanism. Don't overlook any mechanical glitches or rough operation you notice—these will only become more pronounced after repeated use in your home. Evaluate the Upholstery. If there are any buttons, check to see that they are sewn on securely.
Loose buttons will come off and quickly get lost. For fire safety reasons, look for the gold UFAC tag, indicating that the sofa manufacturer certifies that it has been made in accordance with UFAC methods. UFAC—the Upholstered Furniture Action Council— was founded in with the purpose of making upholstered furniture more resistant to ignition from smoldering cigarettes. UFAC claims that the number of household fires has gone down considerably since these standards were put in place.
If you are buying a couch online, do your research. Read reviews, read all the product information you can find, and take advantage of any virtual assistant or question and answer features the site may offer. If you can, try to find a nearby showroom with the type of couch you're considering—you can go try the sofa there. Once you've made your decision, pay attention to the return policy and delivery options.
Some companies offer white glove delivery where the deliver brings the item into your home and sets it up for you—and sometimes even removes the old one—while others will simply ship the couch to your door, and the rest is up to you.
Select the best delivery option for you and your space, and always make sure that you have the option to return the couch if it's not what you hoped for. Most large furniture retailers sell couches. A number of newer companies also sell couches online, and you can often find sofas at yard sales, estate sales, and other secondhand shopping opportunities.
You have plenty of options: The key is to find that perfect balance of style, function, comfort, and price. While couches—especially well-made ones—can be repaired to extend their lifespans, most are not made to last forever. If your couch is sagging, looking worn, uncomfortable to sit on, or damaged and you don't want to put the time and effort into fixing it up or it's beyond repair, it's time to purchase a new one. As the terms are used today, there's no difference between a couch and a sofa: The words are used interchangeably today.
Traditionally, a couch meant a low piece of furniture meant for lying on—similar to what we might consider a chaise lounge today—while a sofa had arms, backs, and cushions. Used or old couches can be resold, donated, or hauled to a landfill, depending on their condition and quality.
Take care to dispose of your old couch responsibly and try, if at all possible, to reuse or recycle before tossing it. Couches should be cleaned regularly, and according to their material.
Couches with fabric upholstery should be cleaned differently than leather couches. If you are purchasing a used couch, be sure to clean it thoroughly before enjoying it. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile.
Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. You need to pick a style that suits your living space, a colour you love, a material that lasts and — after all that — it has to actually fit through the front door.
Get to grips with the various sizes, fillings and finishes before you part with your cash. Not sure where to buy a sofa? Find out which are the best sofa shops in our customer survey. Style is one of the most important considerations to make when choosing a new sofa. When you're choosing a sofa style, think about what will suit the rest of your scheme, as well as what you like the look of.
Sofas tend to fall into five main style groups - mid-century, Chesterfield, contemporary, traditional and country. The most popular style among the Which?
Characterised by clean lines, a boxy, streamlined shape, wooden angled legs and low arms, a mid-century sofa has a modern retro feel. It's a tailored look, rather than overstuffed. With rolled back and arms, both at the same height, a deep, pinched button detailing and often made of leather, a Chesterfield sofa is a recognisable, grand statement and suited to a variety of interior schemes.
Modern sofas often have loose back cushions, one per section of seat, and straight arms that are the same depth. Metal feet are a common addition. Traditional sofas come in all shapes and sizes, however the most common styles, often referred to as a 'Lawson' or 'Howard', tend to feature rounded arms that are lower than the back and stop short, not quite reaching the front of the seat cushions. Feet tend to be turned rounded , wooden legs and sometimes on castors.
Sometimes called a 'Bridgewater', these country-style sofas have valances to cover the feet, low armrests and removable seat and back cushions. Sofas are made up of different parts that determine the overall look and feel of the piece. Get to know the different styles of arms, feet, base and back cushions and you'll begin to notice what elements you like in a sofa. When looking at the silhouette of a sofa, start at the back and choose between a fixed, scatter or cushion back.
The design of the arm can identify a sofa or chair as classic or contemporary. Low arms tend to signal a more traditional style while higher, and usually slimmer, arms are often spotted on modern and contemporary sofas.
Some people enjoy lying and leaning on a low, flat arm while others prefer the support of something taller. Think about how you lounge on your sofa as well as what you like the look of. From scroll to square, here are the four most popular sofa arm shapes.
Legs or feet are so much more than support at the base of the sofa. Whether you pick a sofa leg as part of a bespoke design you're having built or you're looking at a ready-made style, the legs set the scene.
Adding new feet to an older sofa can instantly add a little boost to a dated design. From elegant turned legs to contemporary metal ones, or no legs whatsoever, the choice of sofa leg will influence how the rest of the sofa looks. More than half of all Which? Swatches are usually free, so it's best to get hold of a range of different options.
Seeing a picture of your chosen fabric just isn't the same as touching it yourself and looking at it in different lights. Live with the swatches for at least a few days. Look at them in natural and artificial light, to see how they'll look at different times of day. You could even splash some food or drink onto them to see how well they clean up. And, if you're worried about pet scratches — particularly cats — let them claw at the swatches to see how the fabric holds up. Whether you go for soft leather or a relaxed-look linen, the fabric your sofa is upholstered in will set the tone for your living room.
For everyday seating in a room you use a lot, you might prefer a hard-wearing man-made fabric with stain protection treatment. Good-quality leather is also a durable choice.
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