Are you thinking about buying a new couch? If so, you need to read this guide on buying the best sofa. Click here for more info!
Did you know that pieces of furniture in your house have life expectancies?
It’s true! Mattresses should be switched every five to 10 years, that bath mat needs to be refreshed every one or two years, and that cursed washer and dryer should only last about 10 to 15 years. (We say “should” here…)
But what about your couch? Those sofas don’t look as plump and ready for action like back in the day. Truth be told, your best sofa goes for about seven to 15 years.
After this timeframe, your couch will probably look saggy and somewhat sad.
Are you thinking of buying a new couch? If so, read this guide to buying the best sofa.
Buy With the Room in Mind
When you go to purchase your new couch, you should bring a picture of the room it’s going to call home. Why you should do this is because buying with the room in mind allows you to see the sofa for what it is – a part of the space.
In order to find the best sofa, you need to think about your living room (or the space it will be placed). Interior design dictates that everything should tie together in a specific room. The final look of the room should be cohesive and a major player in this is the couch.
Your couch is usually one of the biggest pieces in a room, next to the entertainment center and maybe a table. Therefore, the best sofa for your space will fit the style of your room, as is.
Also, you’ll want a couch that fits size-wise.
How deep do you want your couch? This will depend on whether you simply sit on your couch or lay on it from time to time.
How long does your couch need to be? If the room can allow a sectional or long couch, maybe it makes sense to go bigger. However, if you don’t normally have to seat a ton of people, then it’s more prudent to go small and tasteful.
Figure out what you use your couch for and how it will fit into the room you’ll be putting it in. This will go a long way in determining that perfect couch for your home.
To Arm or Not to Arm?
This might seem weird to consider when finding the best sofa for your purposes. However, whether you have arms on your couch or not makes a huge difference.
On one hand, you have couches with arms. The benefits of these are obvious:
- classic couch look
- edges where pillows (decorative or other) can rest
- can act as headrests if you lay on your couch often
- can be a relaxing spot for your arm
This is how most couches have looked for years. It will most likely never go out of style.
But then there are no-arm sofas. Despite deviating from the norm, this option could be better for your living room or personal preference.
Benefits include:
- adds couch where armrests used to be
- could make the room appear bigger
- allows for laying down fully
- elegant compared to couches with arms
Perhaps it’s time for a change of pace; be a fashion pioneer and go with an armless sofa. It will help you with keeping the room in mind, plus it gives off a different feel than couches with arms.
Frames, Fabrics, Patterns
These should be obvious when selecting the best sofa for your life. The materials need to be high-quality.
When it comes to the frame of your couch, you want durability first and foremost. Hardwood frames will improve the longevity of your sofa’s bones. This means wood like poplar, ash, oak, hickory, maple, and beech.
It’s sometimes alright to go with sofas made with plywood, but make sure it’s made with at least 10 layers of plywood for durability purposes. Completely avoid particle board or any softwoods, as these won’t keep long.
For fabrics, you want something that feels great while also handles who will be sitting on it. Just like keeping the room in mind, you should keep in mind who sits on your couch. Kids, adults, men, women, all have various levels of respect when it comes to couches.
Fabrics like linen, cotton, velvet, silk, leather, polyester, and nylon are all great options for your couch. Some of these do stain and wrinkle easily, such as linen. Usually, sofa companies do a combination of natural and synthetic fabrics to get that ideal mix of stain-resistance, durability, softness, and comfort.
Lastly, your pattern could make or break the entire room. You can always go single color but stains and imperfections can be easily seen. In contrast, sofas with patterns (Argyle, striped, checkered) can hide the wear and tear of use.
Patterns, fabrics, and frames should tie the room together nicely while staying sturdy for a decade too.
(Note: These are the characteristics you should be on the lookout for. Click here for more info on the best sofa reviews of 2018.)
Suspension & Filling
This section is for both the feel and the construction of the best sofa for you.
Lifestyle design is all about having pieces that are beautiful and quality. This means having screws, interlocking and glued joints, brackets, and corner blocks in the building of your couch.
The suspension is how far the couch sinks when someone sits on it. For simplicity’s sake, the three types of suspension you should look for are:
- 8-way hand-tied springs (top quality)
- Sinuous springs (S springs)
- Web suspension (hammock-like)
Ask about the suspension in different couches and test out how each feels. Go with whichever suspension your backside likes the most.
As for the filling, there are again three types you should consider:
- Goosedown (best choice, especially if wrapped in foam to avoid lumps)
- “Blendown” (foam core + layer of polyester fiber + thick layer of down + poly-fiber blend; super pillowy)
- Foam (most popular; different densities go from firm to soft, without wrinkles or need to fluff)
It’s easiest to choose your filling based on how much maintenance you want to do for your couch. The best sofa is normally the one that involves the least work with the greatest look and comfiest feel.
The Best Sofa is the One You Love
Honestly, all of the above doesn’t matter as much as how you enjoy your new couch. If it ties the room together, has excellent construction, and has soft fabrics, but you don’t absolutely love it, then it isn’t worth it.
Always buy with what you think looks and feels the best. However, if you are having troubles trying to decide between a selected few, use this guide to aid your decision.
Wishing you success in finding the best sofa.
If you want more advice on fashion, including current trends and DIY, check out our fashion section.
