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mia__gw

Problems with new sofa...uncomfortable and cushions too soft

Mia_
16 years ago

I recently received delivery of my new sofa which I paid over $3,000 for (a huge sum of money for me). The manufacturer is very well-known and established and makes high-quality furniture in the USA. Before I made this purchase, I sat in a lot of the sofas in the showroom, and I decided to buy this sofa because it is attractive and comfortable - I actually spent a good deal of time sitting in this sofa to make sure it fit my body. This sofa comes standard with spring-down cushions (the showroom model has the SD cushions)...I was concerned about SD cushions, but the sales person assured me that the SD cushions would not feel softer than their standard cushions, that the SD cushions would be very supportive, and that the SD cushions would hold their shape very well and not compress.

Right when I sat on the newly delivered sofa, I noticed that it felt different than the one on the showroom floor, that the showroom model seemed much more supportive and comfortable. On my sofa, I am sinking into the seat cushion quite a bit, and this is not comfortable and is giving me lower back pain. Plus, when I sit upright with good posture, my feet do not touch the floor and the cushions press hard into the backs of my knees, yet the showroom model fit me just fine with my feet touching the floor. Within only five days in my home, the seat cushion I spent the most time sitting on is now compressed by 2" more than the other two seat cushions, and when I am sitting on it, it compresses to about 3" where most of my weight is. I guess it's a good thing that the other two cushions were barely sat on so a comparison can be made between the flattened seat cushion and the cushions that still have their shape. Even though I fluffed the compressed cushion, it still went right back to being compressed when sat on. The cushion does not look a week old - it looks years old. By the way, I only weigh in the 130's, yet my butt sinks into the cushions a lot.

I expressed my concerns to the sales person a few times prior to the purchase about spring-down cushions feeling too soft, unsupportive and compressing, but the sales person assured me that the cushions would not have these problems. I don't have this in writing from the sales person, but I had someone with me when the words were spoken.

How can a sofa fit my body and feel comfortable in the store, yet the one made for me is is too deep and quite uncomfortable? I'm upset that I paid over $3,000 for a sofa that I can't sit on for long without lower back pain.

It's weird because my former sofa only cost about $600 and lasted me 10 years. The foam cushions never sagged and were supportive and comfy. It was not 8-way hand-tied or anywhere near the quality of this sofa, but it was comfy for 10 years. The only reason I got rid of it was because the fabric was showing wear.

The company is going to set up an appointment for a repair person to come to my house to look at the sofa, and I have no idea what the outcome will be...just hoping for a remedy since I cannot afford to buy a new sofa again, and I can hardly bear to sit in the one I have. If they give me new cushion cores made of foam (not spring-down), my feet still won't completely be flat on the floor...you might say to put a pillow behind my back, but I hate the feeling of a pillow.

Thanks for reading this and for any comments.

Comments (11)

  • dcollie
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would recommend you approach this issue in a different way. First off, a repair person can do nothing for you - because its not really a repair per se.

    I would contact the manufacturer direct - ask for their customer service department. Explain your issues just as you did here, and ask them to UPS you out a set of standard Qualex cushions, with some extra high-density bunting added under the ticking. I think you will find them much more supportive - they don't 'crush' as much - and you'll get a higher crown on the cushion which will prevent you from sinking into the sofa.

    Most manufacturers in that price range will be glad to accommodate you on a cushion request, and will probably ask you that you only return the original cushions.

    As I've posted many times before, Spring Down is not for everyone! I actually prefer a high-quality Qualex cushion for my own personal use in most applications.

    Duane Collie
    The Keeping Room

  • PRO
    iCustomSofa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is a unusual problem, Maybe should check if any dimensional differences from sofa in store vs sofa you receive. Remove seat cushion and measure the height from the floor then measure the inside depth. Take this along with one of the seat cushions to the store and do a comparision. Standard seating height is

  • ilmbg
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How old is it? Depending on the brand, the manufacturer will replace it- at least the cusions. I have had a Lazy Boy for 4 months- same thing- yhe cusions are so soft that if you sit in the middle area, you are about 4-5 inches lower! LB is replacing, as cusions are guaranteed for the life of the sofa, I believe. Talk to the owner of the store- he wants you to be happy so you will come back to buy more. Hope you are satisfied.

  • jejvtr
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wonder if you have a different type cushion then the one in the showroom - I would suggest bringing the cushion to the showroom and checking them against each other -

    Who is the manufacturer?

  • Mia_
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the replies. I wonder if other people have problems similar to mine with their new sofas?

    To answer some of your questions:

    The sofa is only two weeks old, and the cushion I've been sitting on is showing a little more compression and the fabric doesn't look quite tight against the top of the cushion...all of this makes the cushion not look so new. Besides looks, comfort is important, and the cushion doesn't offer enough support. Gosh, two weeks is such a short time for a cushion to show this type of compression.

    My seat cushions are definitely spring-down and I'm 99% sure that the cushions on the model in the store are spring-down because that model comes standard with SD, but I can ask that the repair man bring one of the cushions from the showroom model for comparison, as I'm not sure if I will be able to make the drive back to that showroom. I'd like to go back to the store to figure out why their sofa fits me, but mine seems too deep. Maybe they had the back cushions at an angle when I sat in it.

    It's a Stickley sofa, and I believe Stickly stands by their products, so I'm hoping the issue can be resolved to my satisfaction. The other problem with the sofa is that some of the 8-way hand-tied springs in the sofa make noises...I don't know how this can be fixed.

    Thanks again.

  • houseinqueens
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    This is more than 8 years old, but I can't believe you are having the same problems that I am having. I simply googled my problems with my new sofa, and this came up...and lo and behold, my sofa is from Stickley too! I don't know if you still check this forum, but hope you can let me know how your problem was resolved. I too, am horrified that I spent more than $4000 on a sofa that my husband and I can't bear to sit on because of the middle compression on a three seater and the uncomfortableness it brings to our backs.

  • freethinker99
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The easiest solution is to just buy new cushion cores. You can see a local upholsterer or do a google search for companies that sell replacement cushions. There are several. Expect to pay width delivery about $400 online and about twice that from a local upholsterer. The advantage of the local upholsterer is he or she will exactly fit your seat cushions and offer his or her expertise. Perhaps you might have chosen a firmer cushion when you purchased you sofa. Often times consumers will think they want a soft cushion but after sitting on cushions that are too soft you will find that you will get a a back ache from sitting on your sofa.

  • houseinqueens
    8 years ago

    I contacted Stickley, and they will be replacing my cushions. They told me every two weeks, I should flip the sofa cushions around so that all cushions have pressure on them equally so that one is not more compressed than the other. Unfortunately, they told me they sell these sofas at the store but they are not the manufacturer, so they wouldn't have any cushions that would fit this exact model. And this manufacturer does not carry any firmer cushion as an option. I am hoping that the new cushions may be a bit better as the ones I bought were straight from the showroom on sale (I paid $4000+ for a showroom model, it would have been twice as expensive had I bought it new). I will try the new ones for a bit, but if the cushions still compress deeply and gives me back pain, I guess I will have to look for that local upholsterer. If I can buy it online I would. Any recommendations?

  • Barb Hookway
    6 years ago

    I have trouble not only with my expensive couch but with every chair and every recliner I buy. It's not the cushions, it's me. The back of my thighs ache no matter what I sit on. My cushions on my expensive couch are the expensive high end ones. Slouching doesn't help. Ofcourse, if I were younger, maybe it wouldn't hurt to sit so long.

  • Allen Tubis
    3 years ago

    Good luck. had the same problem a number of years ago with my $2,600 Stickley Sofa. The company rep did come out and authorized new cushions for the sofa. It did not fix the problem and they refused to do anything else. I believe that the actual problem is in the frame allowing the springs to sag. I have had the couch too long to return but assure you that t will never buy anything from Slickley again.