Next Sofa Very Uncomfortable and not happy with resolution

[DBD1975]

Purchased a Next sofa and very unhappy with how uncomfortable it is.

Technician has been out and told me I need to take the cushions out of the covers and replump on a regular basis. Seat cushion covers are very tight and this is hard work and time consuming.

I was not happy with this and I have spoken further with Next who have advised they will resend new seat cushions as a goodwill gesture but the new seats will require regular plumping.

Apparently because I haven't been plumping regularly the seat cushions have 'impacted' and are now 'damaged' and will always be uncomfortable.

I just want a comfortable sofa I can sit on without having to regularly maintain it!

I have never had a sofa before which has needed to be treated in this way and I didn't realise this was a thing.

Am I being unreasonable to think this is unacceptable?

It is less about the sofa and more about the sofa filling. They do a firm cushion or a softer style it is the softer style which is the issue.
They are not feather they are still foam but foam chippings and so uncomfortable, lumpy and very high maintenance.
I don't have the time or energy to be taken sofa cushions out of there covers and regularly beating (the technician was here for over an hour doing it).
I hope this helps.

I can understand this more with feathers but the cushion fillings aren't feather, they are foam chippings which are heavy and very difficult to plump.

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.

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.

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.

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

So sorry to hear of your experience and I couldn't agree more.
Our cushions are filled with foam chips which have now impacted because we haven't been doing the regular maintenance of taking the cushion covers off and re-plumping.
I believe this is a ridiculous expectation, like you, I have a health condition and physically I just can't do this.
I am sorry your experience is similar to mine. I am shocked anyone would think this is acceptable and be prepared to do it.
I am not giving up and will go to the ombudsman if necessary.

Thanks for this idea but the seat covers are a lot deeper for the softer fit so they wouldn't fit the firmer cushions.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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?