Next Sofa Very Uncomfortable and not happy with resolution

Hi @BaroluleniI have recently bought this sofa (Stamford Grand Relaxed) 3-seater and am really regretting it. I fall down the edge of the sofa and I have to re-plump it after each use. I’ve had it less than 2 months so still in the window to return. Would you suggest doing so?

Hi @DBD1975how did you get on with this? I have recently bought the Stamford Grand Relaxed and am experiencing the same issue. I thought it was so comfortable in the shop, but now I’ve had it for a few weeks, as soon as I’ve sat on it for half an hour I’m falling down the side of the sofa and there’s a big dent where I’ve sat and I have to re-plump ready for the next person to sit. Really disappointed

I've never heard of a cushion inner filled with chip foam, and not one of our suppliers sell them. No wonder they're a nightmare.

If you want decent support, go for foam - we sell it in varying densities of soft, medium and firm and it's wrapped in dacron to give a soft top. These never need plumping, just the occasional turn to keep good. For a softer feel, you can get fibre filled ones (Qualofil) which is like you get in pillows but upholstery grade. These have a lofted appearance (unlike foam which is flat) and require turning but not plumping as such. Feather are lovely are soft but require daily plumping. You can get a foam core with a feather wrapped jacket that are supportive but you still sink into - and no plumping required.

A good upholsterer will have ones you can try, and they'll measure your seat cushions so you get the right density/fill.

I do that with our feather-filled sofa. But it's not hard to do. Two side punches and two up punches once a day, unless I have an issue to resolve, then it gets a lot more fluffing up Very therapeutic. But OP's sofa sounds really uncomfortable.

You have left it far too long OP. Next are pretty good in terms of custumer service but I think you are going to struggle to get a return. Pillow back cushions sofas are usually very comfortable but annoying to plump. Ive got a sofa from DFS 15 years and going strong.

We have the The Stamford Chaise and 2 seater from Next.
like others, spent ages selecting what we liked.
Net for the relaxed cushioning as deeper and felt more squishy and comfortable in store:
3 years down the line, most definitely regret it.
Every single day without fail, I plump every single cushion! It’s a ball ache for sure, but the only way to keep them looking nice and staying plump.
Sadly, the arm cushions have squished and do not retain their shape.
Will probably need to get them re filled somewhere, if anyone can suggest a place?
they’re like pillow inside, so not like seating and backing.

Would it be worth contacting Next and asking them to send out foam insets and return the soft ones?

OP your story is also my story! We actually spent several years looking for a comfy sofa and finally sat on one in Next and thought it was great. We chose the chaise option which they didn't have in store. When it arrived I immediately complained as it felt nothing like the one we had tried in the store. They sent a technician who said that it had been made to the specification so there was nothing he could do. Kept pestering Next and they sent a firm version of the Chaise cushion but it didn't fit and it didn't match the other cushions. The cushions were all very heavy but they were just about manageable apart from the chaise which weighed nearly Two Stone! I had to plump every day and I have a joint condition so ended up in a lot of pain. Eventually Next simply stopped replying to my emails and in desperation I went to a local upholsterer. He told me that the chaise section was webbed while the remainder of the sofa was sprung so it would always feel odd. The webbing was insufficient and the cushions were filled with pieces of foam. He said he'd never seen anything like it and he thought it was a cheap way of filling cushions. Over two years I slowly had the sofa rewebbed and the cushion inners replaced. This cost me more than the original sofas but it was either that or buy new ones and tbh I loved the colour and the material. Given we'd also spent so much time looking I just couldn't face that again. Next time I will just go to a small manufacturer and pay more because in the long run it will probably work out less expensive. I would never buy a Next sofa again.

Thanks that does help. I didn’t know about the different toes but this has prompted me to check and I’m getting a firmer sit.

That is very disappointing. I have recommended Next sofas to other people but will hold back now! Who has the time for all that jiggling?
I hope you get a resolution. We had our sofa cushion refilled but that was after about 7 years use. May be worth getting a price for that option.

Which sofa is it OP? I’m about to buy one!

I’ve had a feather sofa for five years and never fluffed it. It’s super comfy! So all this plumping stuff sounds mad to me, who could be bothered with that?

You need to regularly beat them. My next sofa i’m going back to a traditional back after 10yrs of the plump ones as they are a pain. Didn’t they tell you in the store? I got mine from SCS and they made it clear i’d have to plump it regularly.

Next didn’t have to send you new cushions as sure there would have been info in paperwork about it. Nothing you can do apart from sell it if still not happy.

An upholsterer told me that with those sort of cushions you need to put them upside down on the floor once a week and trample all over them in your stockinged feet.

Every time I've bought a new sofa I've been made aware of the difference between feather filled cushions and foam cushions, which is why we've always gone for foam cushions because no one wants lumpy seats!!

I'm quite surprised they didn't try to upsell you on this in store because it usually costs more, it's the one time I will gladly pay more for something because it's worth it.

This is a great idea. Do you have any advice on choosing cushion inners?

We also had one once and although I cannot go into details, I can honestly say it was the worst 2 weeks of my life

I work in the upholstery trade OP, and we never advise taking the inners out of the covers - that's a whole load of tosh.

Go to a local upholsterer and get some decent cushion inners. We buy ours trade from a UK supplier and a cushion inner can vary from £6 plus VAT to £600. There are a LOT of options, and you've just got the wrong ones.

We had a next sofa. Never again.

I had issues with a cushion on a new sofa, the leather (faux) had worn and crinkled incredibly quickly. I made a complaint and they sent a furniture inspector who said it was because I hadn't correctly plumped the inside, causing the fabric to crease.

I didn't agree but this was in late 2019 and COVID happened so I had other priorities. In 2021, I had resigned myself to buying a new sofa but decided it was worth contacting Next again.

I highlighted that I wasn't happy with the outcome and that the result was I would need to purchase a new sofa and due to my experience I wouldn't chose Next again and wouldn't recommend them to friends and family.

They reviewed the case and agreed to give me £1300 credit (value of the original sofa) plus 20% off.

So I would write again to their dedicated complaints department to exhaust that process. Most people won't bother and they will have an element of loss costed in.