Where is good for sofas?

[Clymene]

Boring but I need a new sofa. I went to John Lewis yesterday and found one I liked but looked online today and the reviews all say the cushions filled with some environmentally friendly stuff become hard and lumpy after time so that's out.

Where is good? I need to be able to sit on the sofa and look at proper size fabric swatches not tiny squares.

Thanks for any advice

We are very happy with the sofas we got from Sofology.

We went to an independent furniture store for ours. No problems at all and really good service.

Barker and stonehouse. Got them just before covid and still look good as new.

We got ours from snug and are very happy with them - comfy and the fabric cleans very well too. They have showrooms in some parts of the country.

Thank you. There's a sofology not far away so will have a look there. Nowhere near the other two.

I'm guessing DfS etc are really poor quality?

Sofology is owned by DFS. Mass production and made to last the lifespan of the credit it's bought with.

Go to a local upholsterer. You'll get a frame that will last a lifetime and it'll just need recovering every 15 years or so. And for a price that avoids retail mark up.

How would you find. Local upholsterer

I’ve always found IKEA to be good quality for the price. Obviously if you get one of their stupidly cheap sofas it’s not going to be great but if you spend the equivalent money to DFS etc then you will get much better quality for the money.

Sofology are good. We have one.

BUT they do not last, various problems. After sales care shocking.

My advice would be steer clear.

My friend bought one (totally different sofa), same time I did. Hers is worse than mine!!!

Dfs isn't poor quality at all. My last sofas came from there about 15 years ago and still going strong.

Oh dear I didn't realise they were owned by DfS and there seems to be of a difference of opinion on how well made their stuff is!

We've bought several sofas from DFS and all have been very good and long lasting. Most are made in the UK, though an armchair was made in Poland.

DO NOT GO TO DFS. I've had nothing but endless trouble with them over delivery. It's eventually come with the wrong feet on. Couch is lovely and comfortable though. I would recommend SCS. I get a new sofa every 2 years and never had any problems with SCS.

Hmmm we got DFS and it still looks great 5 years on despite two toddlers who are pretty feral and a cat! It has 15 year guarantee on parts and mechanisms (recliner type)

We will be replacing soon and moving to the snug but only to accommodate ever expanding family and needing more seats

I was surprised by quality of Next sofa. We got them nearly 4 years ago - and still in excellent condition. Especially rate the sofa bed which is comfy as both a sofa and a bed - a lot aren't!

Sofa.com is good.

I've also got an ikea sofa from the Stockholm range which is the more expensive end and it's a great sofa.

Sofas and stuff is made in Britain and we have just had a sofa delivered which was ex display (so half price). I was really impressed with the quality when we tried them out

DFS are fine. I have a leather sofa that's lasted at least 15 years from there

I also have an ikea sofa which is covered in material. That's lasted a while too. Ikea sofa is a modern style whereas the DFS is a classic style

You get a new sofa every two years?

I expect mine to last at least 10

The Association of Master Upholsterers should give local upholsterers. But always go by word of mouth too - local FB or SM will also give you some good recommendations.

We have a decades old velvet Parker Knoll that’s still comfy and looks good.
I doubt their new stuff is that durable, but worth checking.

Sofa sofa. But they only have one showroom which isn't ideal

If you're getting a new one every two years you're not exactly putting them to the test are you?

I've had my DFS sofas for 15 years and still so bloody comfy.