9 Things to Consider When Buying a New Sofa
If you want a new sofa but don’t know where to start, consider these nine things while you search. As one of the biggest and most expensive furniture pieces in your home, it’s worth thinking about size, shape, construction, foam, fabric, colour, etc. before choosing your new couch!
Overall Size
The first order of business is figuring out how big your sofa should be. This is based on A) the size of your room, and B) how many people you’re trying to seat. Ideally, living areas should provide comfortable seating for at least six people (via a combo of couch(es), chairs, etc.), but if you’re tight on space, aim to comfortably seat at least four. This can usually be accomplished with a standard 8’ sofa plus one or two accent chairs, or one corner sectional.
Ideally, your sofa is proportional to your room, but if you’re squeezed into a small living space, I think it’s okay for your couch to be a little “too big”. In your home, you AT LEAST want to be able to sit & chat with a gal pal or snuggle with your honey, so ditch the tiny loveseat and size up if you can!
Anna Page | There’s comfortable seating for five in this small living room, without sacrificing circulation or views!
TIP: Don’t forget to measure all your doorways, stairwells, and/or elevators to ensure the sofa pieces can actually be brought into your home!
TIP: When it comes to larger sectionals, consider a 3-piece base so the segments are smaller and easier to move. You can still get bench cushions for the top so it looks like a 2-piece sofa.
Shape
The basic configurations are sofa, chaise sectional (aka right sectional, left sectional), corner sectional (aka L-sectional), and U-sectional:
SOFA: A sofa is best when you can pair it with a love seat and/or accent chairs to provide more seating.
CHAISE SECTIONAL: Chaise sectionals are very attractive and great for lounging, but the chaise itself isn’t comfortable to sit on as it lacks a back. However, the low profile maintains sight lines and a more open feel.
CORNER SECTIONAL: Corner sectionals are the best way to maximize seating. Consider this option if you’re tight on space but still want conversational seating for four!
U-SHAPED SECTIONAL: U-sectionals are great for lounging but trickier to pair with other furniture. The configurations above are better for living spaces, but U-sectionals are great in TV / media rooms.
Dimensions
Length is largely determined by the size of your room, but here are a few other dimensional guidelines:
SEAT HEIGHT: minimum 16” high so you don’t strain the ol’ knees getting up and down!
SEAT DEPTH: minimum 20” to be comfortable, though 24”+ is better for curling up and lounging.
ARM HEIGHT: at least 6” higher than the seat so you can comfortably lean or prop up a pillow.
BACK HEIGHT: minimum 16” from top of seat to feel ergonomic and supportive.
Van Gogh Designs | The Stirling by VGD is a lovely sofa with nice dimensions. Higher-end furniture stores offer customizations so that your sofa fits you and your space perfectly!
Construction
Go with solid wood framing whenever possible. Sofas framed with MDF can start to wobble and fall apart within a few years 😵.
As for the suspension — make sure you can’t feel (or hear!) the springs when you’re testing out your sofa. Sinuous (s-shaped) springs and polypropylene webbing are often better than drop-in or pocket coils which can creak, sag and deform over time.
New York Times | Sinuous spring suspension stretches across hardwood sofa frames. Photo by Gregory Han.
Foam
The most important considerations with foam are its density and firmness, which surprisingly are not related! (I.e., you can get dense, high-quality foams that are soft and plush, whereas low-density foams can be super rigid, like styrofoam.) When it comes to furniture, you always want high-density foam, but firmness comes down to personal preference.
There’s a lot to know about foam, but here are the highlights:
Higher density = better quality.
Density of polyurethane foam is measured in lbs / cubic foot (CF).
Firmness is measured by ILD (indentation load deflection).
High-density foam weighs a minimum of 1.8 lbs / CF, but ideally you want something that’s at least 2 lbs / CF (sometimes called “Lux” foam). If a sofa is advertised as “high density” but no specs are given, the foam is likely 1.8 lbs / CF (which typically lasts 3-5 years).
High-end seat cushion foam should be at least 2.5 (up to about 3.0) lbs / CF.
High-resiliency foam has been treated to produce better recovery (spring back) and will hold its shape the longest.
Seat Cushions
There are a few practical things to consider about seat cushions. While it’s common to have three+ cushions across a sofa, you could drop that to two, or even to one long bench cushion across the entire piece. Regardless of number, it’s best when the cushions are loose with removeable covers so they can be swapped around and washed/replaced as needed.
BENCH CUSHIONS offer a gorgeous, high-end look. The entire length is comfortable as there are are no seams to sink into, and no seams mean fewer couch crumbs. 👌 If your sofa will get a lot of use by several people, bench cushions are a great choice. But if there will mostly be one person sitting on one side, you may want to go with multiple, moveable cushions so you can even out the wear & tear.
TWO CUSHIONS also look great and work well on a couch that usually seats two people, so long as the cushions are moveable. Switch them around every couple of months to even out the wear!
THREE+ CUSHIONS is a classic look that allows for the most flexibility. If you’re worried about kids or pets wreaking havoc on your furniture, be sure to get pieces with loose seat & back cushions and removable covers that can be washed (or replaced!) as necessary.
Upholstery
Style is important, but so is comfort when it comes to upholstery. A basic slubbed or chenille fabric is a classic choice for a sofa, or you can look into performance fabrics if you’re contending with pets and kiddos. Upholstery durability is measured in “double rubs”. Upholstery that will get a lot of use should hold up to at least 15,000 DR.
“But what about velvet and leather!?” I know I know — they’re gorgeous and tempting — but leather is expensive and uncomfortable against bare skin; and the texture of velvet has a maaajor cringe factor! I generally recommend saving these fabrics for accents chairs and choosing something more practical for your main sofa.
Colour
Though most people default to the current trending neutral (brown in the 2000s, charcoal through the 2010s, white in the 2020s), you’ll get a more longevity from a pale neutral or a colour. Choose a light neutral (as opposed to a mid-tone or dark neutral) that coordinates with the other neutrals in your space, or a colour that you want to decorate with! My advice is to choose a sofa first, then a rug to match, then find some coordinating accent chairs 🤩
Retailers
Now, where the heck does one buy a sofa?
If it’s in the cards, consider a custom piece by a manufacturer like Van Gogh Designs. After choosing a base model to work with, you can tweak the dimensions, firmness, colours, and details to create a piece you truly love!
You can also find nice pieces at your local furniture stores, and many mid- to high-end retailers offer basic customizations.
If you’re working with a smaller budget, try FBMP, liquidation outlets, HomeSense, Ikea, Structube, or one of the emerging online direct-to-consumer retailers like Article, Cozey, Noa Home, etc.
Buying a sofa can be a daunting task, but if you keep these guidelines in mind as you search, you’ll find something beautiful AND comfortable to enjoy for years to come!
PS — if you want to deep dive into the world of furniture, Jeff from the Insider’s Guide to Furniture is a wealth of knowledge!
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