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bnicebkind

Can anyone educate me on purchasing a sofa?

bnicebkind
16 years ago

Can anyone give me a quick education on purchasing a sofa that will be really comfortable, quality and will last, and whether you would buy "comfort down" or down, or what ever other options are available in sofa's cushions?

Next, how important is this 8-way hand tied, or kiln dried frames, and why? What about the talk about new technology being better than 8-way hand tied, where they wrap the coils or something, and claim the sofa will last longer?

Can you help me understand the difference between the very high end sofa's one might see in a magazine and those offered at various furniture stores, from mid range to high range?

And last, can you tell me whether you can tell the difference by simply looking at a sofa at a model home, or by sitting in it, on what you see that tells you whether it is a quality sofa or not?

Does a high price tag usually assure you of a top quality sofa?

I was in the clearance room of a very high end furniture store. A woman came in wanting to return a sofa she bought from them saying that the cushions sank in the middle of the sofa. The store would not do anything about it. So I am trying to learn what to look for so that I purchase something that is not a disappointment down the road.

Anyone able to educate me and others also looking? Thanks in advance!

Comments (16)

  • camillez
    16 years ago

    Here's another link--specific to your sofa question. Long discussion of what makes a mid to high end sofa, with some brands disucssed. I saved this one and refered to it often during my sofa search--I haven't bought yet, but I've settled on one. I think.
    Camille

    Here is a link that might be useful: mid-to-high end sofas

  • dcollie
    16 years ago

    Yes, we've covered that in Furniture 101 and other posts. Would take a small book to answer all of that but heres a quick rundown:

    * Cushions are simply what feels good to you. That's it!

    * 8-way hand-tied is STILL the industry standard and always will be. It allows different coils to be placed in the deck in various firmnesses throughout the piece. I also like a 4-way hand-tied coil back in most tight back upholstery. Superior support over the deck of the piece, and if done correctly, will not fail or need to be repaired for a lifetime of use. I like 8-way hand-tied bases so much that I just ordered a custom Royal-Pedic Queen Mattress and Box Spring (for my own personal use) with the optional 8-way springs in the base of the box spring. Keeps the roll rate down in the bedding and supports better (99 % of customers will not pay the extra $ 300 for this option).

    * All wood frames should be kiln-dried. To use any other kind of wood is asking for issues (air dried, or not dried at all). However, the newer engineered woods (basically high-performance plywoods) are very, very good as well.

    * To really tell quality on a sofa you need to see inside the piece, which you cannot do in a store. So the quick and dirty store tests are : 1) Grab the arm and squeeze. Do you feel the edges of the wood? You should not. 2) Push outward on the arms. They should be tight and not move much, if any, Avoid pieces that move. 3) No furniture should squeak. If it does - that means there is metal on metal. Pass on it. 4) Look at pattern matching. Everyone matches down the front of the piece, but does the pattern match down the sides and back? 5) How is the quality of the sew job? Are the seams straight, and the welt trim laying smooth? 6) Are the legs screwed on, or integrated into the frame? Naturally the latter is better. 7) on all motion pieces, mechanisms should be robust and heavy. 8) On cheaper, Chinese-made pieces (like La-Z-Boy) they are using cardboard as support frames, so hit the corners hard to make sure you have some wood on the piece and not corregated.

    Price alone is not indicative of quality, but most of the time it can be relied on when there are no other ways to compare.

    I'm amazed that store would not help that customer with her cushions. That's a simple replacement, and I do it all the time for my customers (just did a no charge set of three on a Leathercraft sofa last week). Some cushions are defective, others wear out with use. No biggie, easy to replace as long as the maker still has that cushion model. That's what customer service is all about.

    -Duane

  • carrie01
    16 years ago

    Duane,
    Just wondering ,what kind of back cushion do you prefer.
    Loose back,attached back or tightback. I'm looking at Sherrill sofas. The loose back always need adjusting,the
    attached back looks neat but I'm afraid they will flatten and look bad in a short time with daily use. I haven't seen any samples of tightback and I'm wondering if Sherrill puts coils in their tightback.

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago

    There are two easy tests: lift. Is it heavy? Heavier is better.

    Two: how does it look? Are there threads hanging? Is everything straight? Are seams evident? Everything even?

    I'm not sure I understand why everyone is so concerned with the technical aspects of purchasing sofas when you're buying brands that are basically made in the same area of the country with the same range of materials (more or less).

    Any brand sofa has a reputation. Do your research and you'll know what you're paying for.

    The most important thing is that you like the sofa, it's comfortable and it looks great in your home. Quality is a relative thing and so is wear. Same sofa in two different homes will wear differently.

  • tinker1121
    16 years ago

    We just bought a Flexsteel sofa and are extremely happy with the quality and construction.
    Nothing is tied as it constructed with steel springs and cushions have a lifetime warranty. Cushions are also very heavy and like none I have ever had in other brands.

    Very impressive and probably the last set of furniture I will need to buy. (not sure if I like that though! lol)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Flexsteel furniture construction

  • beachlily z9a
    16 years ago

    Oh, my, I think I just tickled my sofa and it giggled. Oh well. I have the contract in front of me. Leathercraft sofa (H3330) and chair (H3332) and ottoman (H3333) in Miami Blue, purchased March 1994. They have been moved long distance 3 times, lived in 3 different houses, and were put in air-controlled storage once for over a year. They are in my greatroom and the sofa is angled into the room. I can see EVERY stitch and steam on this 13-year old piece (try doing that with the normal old sofa). Arms, when tugged, don't move (that's when I thought I heard a giggle). Contrasting steams are straight and flat as they were when they were delivered new. The loose cushions have to be fluffed occasionally. Chair and sofa are used every day and still look great.

    Trust a brand name that has a great reputation. Find a sofa and chair that fit you and enjoy them for years! I've had thoughts about selling this sofa and replacing it with a different style, different color, but I've had it so long its part of the house, part of us. Guess I'll just decorate around it again.

  • mogator88
    16 years ago

    * To really tell quality on a sofa you need to see inside the piece, which you cannot do in a store. So the quick and dirty store tests are : 1) Grab the arm and squeeze. Do you feel the edges of the wood? You should not. 2) Push outward on the arms. They should be tight and not move much, if any, Avoid pieces that move. 3) No furniture should squeak. If it does - that means there is metal on metal. Pass on it. 4) Look at pattern matching. Everyone matches down the front of the piece, but does the pattern match down the sides and back? 5) How is the quality of the sew job? Are the seams straight, and the welt trim laying smooth? 6) Are the legs screwed on, or integrated into the frame? Naturally the latter is better. 7) on all motion pieces, mechanisms should be robust and heavy. 8) On cheaper, Chinese-made pieces (like La-Z-Boy) they are using cardboard as support frames, so hit the corners hard to make sure you have some wood on the piece and not corregated.

    I'll second this advice. Don't worry about hanging threads, that happens, just snip them off. And I'll disagree with Duane on the springs and a couple of other things. I'm very happy with a good sinuous spring or drop in spring. I don't care a lot for any reclining sofa or sectional. Screw in legs are OK, sometimes they MUST be removed to get the sofa through a doorway.

    About pattern match.... don't buy a pattern match sofa unless the store has a pattern match sample on display. Even a "perfect" match sometimes isn't perfect (i.e. the back of a camelback sofa) so see what you're getting ahead of time.

  • dcollie
    16 years ago

    >There are two easy tests: lift. Is it heavy? Heavier is >better.

    Sorry, I disagree. I have carried a couple of makers who build frames that are very heavy yet the overall quality of the piece is marginal at best. Engineered plywood is always going to be heavier as well, but its no better than solid wood. How are the frame components attached to one another? Thats more important than the weight of a piece.

    >I'm not sure I understand why everyone is so concerned with >the technical aspects of purchasing sofas when you're >buying brands that are basically made in the same area of >the country with the same range of materials (more or >less).

    That's like saying all restaurants taste the same because they all use the same food service supplier. There's a dozen different ways to grille a steak.....

    Furniture makers use suppliers for their core (raw) products, but there are so many grades of products from a particular supplier (think cooking ingredients) that there are multiple factors at play. One supplier may have sixteen grade levels of cushions they sell, and Factory A buys at the top grade while Factory B buys third from the bottom. Factory C buys right in the middle. Its a collection of all these various parts - made or purchased at various cost levels - that determines what makes one piece superior than another within a given price point.

    When a manufacturer starts up, they determine what their market audience is going to be and build to suit that demographic. Some companies go for the best components in the business and let the cost fall where it may, others decide they want to position themselves at a price point 20% lower than the best in the trade and them build to that level. Yet another will price to offer a great exterior and get by with a junk frame/components in order to give the retailer a $ 999 price point on a sofa.

    Every major upholstery maker out there knows how to build "the best" sofa if they want to, but its as much about marketing to their target customer and price points as it is about quality.

    The real trick in all this, is to sort out the wheat from the chafe and if you pay $ 3,500 for a sofa, to make sure you are getting all that entails in the quality of the components.

    I've been in this business over 25 years now, and I can't tell with even 90% certainty how good a piece is made unless I spend a day in their factory and watch their processes from the ground up.

    -Duane

  • dcollie
    16 years ago

    >Duane, Just wondering ,what kind of back cushion do you >prefer. Loose back,attached back or tightback. I'm looking at >Sherrill sofas. The loose back always need adjusting,the
    >attached back looks neat but I'm afraid they will flatten and >look bad in a short time with daily use. I haven't seen any >samples of tightback and I'm wondering if Sherrill puts coils >in their tightback.

    Its more about the style to suit your needs or tastes than one performing better than another. Generally speaking your are correct in that a tight back will stay neat and trim looking most all the time. Semi-Attached backs should not flatten on a quality piece.

    Springs are always different depending on how a piece is engineered. You'll have to check with your retailer and hav them find out.

    I have never been a dealer for Sherrill but they have a good rep in the industry.

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago

    You're refuting what I said but confirming it at the same time.

    It's not possible for consumers to know who is being marketed to by a company or what the sofa is really made of -- unless you see it stripped down and then most people wouldn't know even then.

    Wood from years ago and wood today is very different. Fabric manufacturing and finishing has changed. Pillow materials have changed except at the very high end. I've been in good showrooms where there wasn't a single fabric I would use. People pick chenille and wonder why there are problems with it.

    And then there's the whole issue of style -- you can have very finely made sofas but if the styles aren't what I want then they do me no good.

    No one should expect a high quality sofa at a $999 price point. But when you get in the $1800 - $3500 range there should be some expectation of decent quality. Still, it's not anything that can be independently verified prior to buying. It's a matter of experience with a brand or taking someone's word -- or both.

    So my feeling is that the lift test is as good as anything else and maybe better because good wood and springs get heavy. It's not absolute. But there's a huge difference in the weight of my 33 y.o. custom love seat and the much larger new sofa because the wood in the love seat is better.

    The most important thing to me is that the sofa is comfortable, affordable and keeps its structural integrity -- as you so rightly point out -- during the lifetime of its use.

  • bnicebkind
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    What about when they say it is kiln dried on exterior of piece, and engineered on the interior parts of the sofa?

  • dcollie
    16 years ago

    >What about when they say it is kiln dried on exterior of >piece, and engineered on the interior parts of the sofa?

    Perfectly fine. Virtually all wood used in furniture making is kiln-dried as there is too much chance of the piece 'blowing up' with non-kiln dried wood.

    What is more important is how the pieces are joined together. In case goods, the gold standard is mortise and tenon. In upholstery frames its double-doweled, screwed (or lagged) and glued.

    -Duane

  • marlenelin
    16 years ago

    I am interested in purchasing a media sofa from Domain. Can anyone tell me the quality of Domain furniture? It is on sale until Sunday, so I have to decide quickly. Thanks Marlene

  • marlenelin
    16 years ago

    I am interested in purchasing a media sofa from Domain. Can anyone tell me the quality of Domain furniture? It is on sale until Sunday, so I have to decide quickly. Thanks Marlene

  • marys1000
    16 years ago

    This certainly is a hard question and one I struggle with too.
    A furniture brand - can have little dips in quality if bought by a new owner, starts manufacturing somewhere else (quality may come back up but new operations often have trouble)

    When some says "we just bought X and are really happy with it" Well yea, its brand new, whats not to like?

    Conversely when some says "we bought brand X 15 years ago and its been great" What's happened to the company since then?
    I have a Pennsylvania House couch that's 15 years old and its starting to sag. But PH was good quality and I'm thinking of rebuilding/reupholstering it - I hear that PH is now made in China (not necessarily a bad thing) and the quality is no longer there.

    So......its hard out to research good quality for the money.