Have you thought of a tightback sofa? I like this style best. No cushions to sag.

No, I'd prefer something with cushions. Tightback sofas don't appeal to me at all.

The kids can't play King of the Hill with attached cushions!

dedtired wrote: The kids can't play King of the Hill with attached cushions!

precisely why i vote for attached!

Advantages to detached:
- You can flip them over to even out wear or hide damage
- You can easily get into them to replace the cores or add padding as needed.
- There is not attachment stitching to break open
- Don't tend to sag as much because they are foam core not fiberfill.
- Worst case scenario: you can replace the cushion with new materials

Advantages to semi-attached
- Cannot be removed for play

Seems to me the answer is detached and house rules.

If you have young children you definitely do not want attached cushions. Attached cushions are relatively easy to rip away from the main body of the sofa and they are not easy to repair.

I was just browsing the furniture forum to see if I could find any information on how in the world to repair the attached cushions on a sleeper sofa. I think there was a small tear and the kids definitely enlarged it. One cushion is halfway torn off. The sofa is so heavy that taking it in to be repaired is not an option. I don't think any upholsterer makes house calls. My next idea may be terrible but I am thinking of pulling off the cushions and taking them to an upholsterer and having coordinating fabric sewn on the back. At least the existing back of the sofa is completely upholstered.

I will never do attached cushions again.

The best forts (& memories) are made out of sofa cushions.