6 Essential Qualities You Should Look for while Buying Sofas

Planning to buy a sofa for your new home, but cannot decide what to look for? Here are tips that will help you choose a perfect piece of furniture that’ll make you feel comfortable and proud.

1. Look for Comfort

Whichever style of sofa you consider, comfort should be your primary concern. For example, take a look at the Chesterfield Sofas and you’ll find how they’ve been designed with users’ comfort in mind. Seat height should be such that you or no other family member will find it difficult to sit on it. It should be low enough so that after sitting, the users’ feet should not remain hanging, but high enough so that elderly users’ knees should not ache while sitting. Also, choose a correct size of the seat. Too large or too small size will make the user uncomfortable. The sofa’s back should adequately support users’ back. It should neither be bent too backward nor too straight.

2. Make Sure the Frame is High-quality

Cushion and upholstery of a sofa is certainly important. But if they are not to your liking, they can be changed. However, the frame of the sofa should be high-quality, solid and strong, because it will make a good sofa. Frames of cheap sofas are made from plastic, metal or particleboard which are not strong, whereas high-quality sofa frames are made of hardwood, preferably a ‘kiln-dried’ hardwood made of beach, ash or oak. Pine frames are low-priced but usually start to warp and wobble within a few years of use.

Also if you choose a sofa with legs, make sure the legs of the couch are either integrated in the frame or held in place with dowels or screws. Never choose a sofa in which legs are just glued on.

Just lift one of the front corners of the sofa you’re testing, and if the other front corner is lifted quickly and simultaneously, it’s a sign of a strong frame. If it’s not, it shows that the frame is twisted and weak.

3. Check Joinery

The joints of the frame should ideally be made from wooden dowels, metal screws and brackets, or wooden corner blocks like those found in the high-quality sofas at slf24.co.uk. This may not be evident but the salesperson should give you this information. Avoid sofas that are put together with only nails, staples or glue; however, these things can be used for additional reinforcement.

4. Check Springs

The springs used to hold up the cushions on sofas are of three types. The cheapest (and the weakest) are no springs at all but only mesh or webbing. If you’re looking for quality you should avoid this type.

Second are serpentine springs that are commonly used in couches. These are supple pieces of snaking wire spanning the gap between frame components. They provide good support but may sag over time if their metal is not heavy-gauge.

Eight-way hand-tied springs are the next type which is used in luxury sofas and are very comfortable, but very expensive too. Some experts think that good serpentine springs are equally good as hand-tied springs; but you can judge this.

Just feel the springs through the upholstery. If they feel quite firm and are close together, they are good.

5. Test the Padding

Run your hand over all corners and you should not feel the edges of the frame through the upholstery. If you do, it means, there is no enough padding there and the upholstery is likely to wear quickly, leaving your sofa not-so-comfortable.

6. Check Seat Cushions

Make sure the seat cushions are firm and strong, and fit snugly in the frame. They should retain their shape after you press them down and then take the pressure away. If the cushion remains pressed down, it will flatten quickly, looking unsightly and feeling uncomfortable.

Look for these qualities in your sofa and you’ll get a great return on your investment!