How to pick a sofa suitable for everyday living
When picking a sofa, everyone has different priorities, whether it’s the style and look of the sofa, the comfort and support it offers, its dimensions or the price.
One factor that will be at the top of every wish list will be durability - your new sofa must wear well. The main reason that most people will be looking for a new sofa is because their old furniture will be looking tired and worn out.
The longevity of a sofa very much depends on how often it will be used, who’ll be using it and how well it will be maintained and cleaned.
Selecting the right quality sofa is critical if it’s to furnish a living room that will be used everyday, especially if it’s going to be used by a young family. Having pets in the household will further increase the need for a hardwearing sofa.
When configuring a sofa there are several key components that will directly influence its durability – the type of fabric or leather that it’s upholstered in, the quality and nature of the fillings, its seat suspension or springing plus the frame construction.
Leather is the hardest wearing cover, especially if it’s a pigmented corrected grain leather. Leather is impermeable to most spillages and just needs occasionally wiping down with a damp cloth. Even semi-aniline leather has a protective outer seal. Leather doesn’t absorb dust or smells and is pet friendly, although it may scratch. You should avoid aniline and pull-up leathers if you have animals or a young family.
Textured chenille fabrics are the most practical soft cover for everyday living, especially with families. They don’t show marks easily and are fairly resilient to pulling. Even certain velvets are recommended for everyday use, as like chenille, they have a pile. Some are even machine washable, suitable for contract use. Plain fabrics, including velvet, are more likely to show everyday bits and fluff, they’ll also shade.
Man-made microfibres are known as easy-care fabrics and are very hardwearing. With a suede-like appearance and appealing soft feel, they’re wipe-cleanable, so recommended for everyday family use and suitable for pets.
We don’t recommend cotton or linen as an everyday fabric, as they’re most likely to crease and go threadbare sooner.
The interiors or fillings used in the upholstery of your sofa will also directly influence its durability, especially the type of seat interior and arm-pad filling if there are any.
80% of our body-weight passes through the seat cushion which is also supported by a sprung base.
Foam is the most resilient filling, especially the denser variety. It requires very little maintenance but the cushions should be switched and rotated on a regular basis, if they’re loose and fully covered, to equalise wear.
Pocket sprung foam seat interiors, constructed like mattresses, are also used to help increase the resilience and durability of seating. We often use them in the fixed fully upholstered seats on our leather sofas.
A lot of foam interiors may have a soft fibre top or wrap to enhance comfort, this will need manipulating and plumping-up on a regular basis. Fibre fillings have an undulating more casual appearance, requiring daily plumping and maintenance.
Feather interiors are the softest and most traditional type of filling, often used in scatter cushions and will need daily maintenance due to their softness, which naturally moulds your posture and sitting position.
When comparing seat and back cushions, those that are switchable and also reversible are the most practical and will wear the best if maintained in the correct manner.
All seat platforms are sprung to help absorb your body weight. The most traditional and luxurious are coil sprung, although steel serpentine springs are more than suitable. Both will help your seat interiors wear better. Webbing is a slightly less resilient type of suspension but completely adequate in back supports.
Upholstery frames should always be constructed from hardwood in the key load-bearing areas, such as castor blocks. Some of ours even have reinforced sides and backs to help prevent any frame movement if the timber contracts in a centrally heated living room. Even though the frames have been “dried out” or seasoned before use, they can still lose any remaining moisture if positioned in front of a radiator or window. If they do, they may be prone to rocking.
Certain upholstery features can also help improve the durability of sofas and chairs.
Piped edging to cushions helps to protect sewn seams from abrasion.
If available, arm caps or throws will help to protect arms from wear in their most exposed areas.
As previously mentioned, regular maintenance and cleaning will help prolong the life of your favourite sofa or chair. Most soft fabrics can be protected with Guardsman Fabric Protection which will prevent most spillages from soaking in. Leather Protector also performs the same function, increasing impermeability. In all cases, any spillages should be cleaned up immediately.
You should have your upholstery regularly cleaned, at least every couple of years, to avoid permanent soiling build-up and potential fabric brittleness.
The care instructions on your furniture will detail any specific maintenance requirements.
Picking the correct sofa is a big decision and can be an expensive mistake if you get it wrong.
As with any aspect of selecting the most suitable seating solution for your living space and lifestyle, we’d recommend that you speak with one of our experienced experts, either in-store, on the phone or via Livechat.
