How to choose sofa?

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management

How to choose sofa?

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Thu, Apr 04 2013, 11:45 pm

We're looking to buy a sofa, maybe a sectional.

Two things that are really important to us: quality and ease of cleaning. We don't have an unlimited budget by any means, but we do very much want good quality. We're not into fancy, nor too modern, just more traditional.

We've been considering leather, but it seems that you have to choose between top quality and easy to keep clean. I really haven't looked at the top quality range and it may be that's it outside our price range. We're really confused by the types of choices out there.

Does anyone have experience with leather - what would you recommend? What about other materials?

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 1:59 pm

Bump

MaBelleVie

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 2:11 pm

I have a dark leather sofa that was not extremely expensive, and its very easy to clean. There are definitely midrange leathers that should work for you.

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 2:31 pm

How did you choose it, what is the quality, where did you het it, how long have you had it?

MaBelleVie

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 11:22 pm

We looked at many different couches until we felt like we had a sense of what good leather felt like. Then we found one in our price range in a style that we liked. I bought it in a local store that probably isn't relevant for you.

Maya

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 11:27 pm

How do you determine quality of leather, and what range do you think is top quality?

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 11:38 pm

MaBelleVille, was it top grain leather, aniline, semi-aniline, high density foam etc? Everything is so confusing

MaBelleVie

Mon, Apr 08 2013, 11:52 pm

I honestly don't remember what it is. Why don't you speak to a knowledgeable salesperson?

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 12:27 am

We got top quality leather and it has been a breeze to keep clean and looks as good as the day we bought it. (That said, it's a dark color and I don't let anyone eat or drink on it, and my kids know not to jump on it - so these things help).

acccdac

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 12:44 am

I know this wasnt your question, but I wanted to add

we had a couch from my in laws that was 25 years old (good quality leather) and they bought a new one for their house. The old one was so comfortable to fall asleep on. Then they got rid of the new one because they moved out of state, and gave it to us. We got rid of the 25 year old one and took their 5 year old hardly sat on couch.

This one is HORRIBLE to sleep on. the arm rests are much higher than the seat cushion and they dont "bend" so you cant use the arm rest at all to sleep, you have to use only the cushion part.

I just dont want you to buy a couch and when your sitting reading your magazines on shabbos start to doze off and think to yourself.....wow this couch is so not comfortable to doze off on during shabbos.

amother

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 1:23 am

acccdac wrote:

There's always your bed.

Karnash

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 2:48 am

Cheap leather couches sometimes combine real leather with vinyl or faux leather. Real leather where you sit or see it - tops of cushions, arms, etc, and then fake leather for the sides and underside.
The problem is that they stretch and wear differently - so that in a relatively short time, a couple of years, the seams start splitting.
A good leather couch, with proper care, should last a very long time.

tzfatisha

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 5:54 am

although leather wears well and looks great... there is one problem that noone has mentioned..
it can be very uncomfortable to sit on in the summer as it can get very sticky and sweaty.
the only way to buy a couch is to make a short list of shops/style of couch that u like and then go together with yr dh or even yr mother/ mil/ and sit/lie on each couch for at least 10 -15 mins preferably 1/'2hr and then choose..
some are immediately comfortable and get uncomfortable v quickly...

u also need to decide if u want it to open up into a bed for visitors..
this is a good idea.. but sometimes u can get a couch that turns out to be lousy at being a couch and at being a bed.. others do both functions really well and last forever.. or are good at one and so so at the other.. if it's just so-so for the bed that's ok, unless u expect to have visitors all the time.. but a so-so couch and great sofa-bed is obviously not worth it..

do not go just by 'the look'
u are not looking at it.. u are sitting on it. so test it before u buy..
at a high end shop u may even be able to have a '30 day money back guarantee' if you don't like it..
I once took 3 months to buy a sofa-bed couch.. and the one I chose was very fashionable ( I was single and living in the big city) but it was a lousy sofa and a lousy bed.. but it looked amazing.. Smile

amme

Tue, Apr 09 2013, 9:32 am

Karnash wrote:

Yup. So many leather couches out there for a reasonable price are in fact only bonded leather which means it is made of leather as well as partially synthetic materials. we made the mistake of getting a bonded leather couch and within a year it stated splitting, and it looked awful within 3 years.

Page 1 of 1