Really good sofa (John Ryan equivalent): Stressless?

[AmberRoseGold]

I bought my mattress from John Ryan after seeing recommendations on here. Really like it and have bought more from there. Now need to pony up and buy a sofa. Does anyone have any recommendations for something super comfy. I think Stressless look good (well, ugly but comfy). Any other suggestions or warnings please? Looking for it to last forever so will pay a fair whack. Thank you.

Why would you buy a sofa you think is ugly? (I think they’re hideous tbh!) They are also hugely expensive, I presume because of all the reclining functions. Do you need reclining?

Sofa companies worth a look: sofa.com, sofaworkshop, Loaf, swyft (no wait time, but may not be the comfiest I suspect), made.com, swooneditions, rose & grey, arlo & jacob, sofasandstuff.

The more traditional designs with separate squishy cushions will generally be more comfy than the more streamlined mid century or modern type designs.

I have sofas from sofa.com and sofaworkshop and they’ve held up well for many years.

We are definitely prioritising comfort over looking v nice. We would like one where three and occasionally four people and a dog could fit and ideally reclining or expanding. Prone to bad backs and tbh I have only a few times sat on sofas that I think are super comfy.
Resigned to having a fairly ugly one as I think it is the really old fashioned companies who make the comfy ones. Trisha Greenalgh (who i follow for the evidence based medicine mostly!) recommended Stressless chair which is why I am thinking of them.
I think I want to go up a price bracket from loaf etc. but don’t want to pay for style instead of build quality. Does that make sense?

We have stressless sofa and chairs in our conservatory (bought second hand). They are so comfortable and if you have a bad back are really perfect as so supportive.

The decorative ones in the sitting room are not very comfortable at all.

When our adult children visit they all comment on what “perfect chairs the Stressless ones are if only they were not so ugly”

Ah ok, back issues, makes sense. So you need something shallow and upright rather than slouchy and deep.

Parker Knoll seems to fit the brief but I don’t know much about these sorts of companies sorry!

I’ve found Natuzzi and Heal’s sofas very comfortable, if you have that sort of money to spend. Also stylish. The ones you’ve linked to look like they belong in the communal lounge of a sheltered housing scheme, and the individual seat cushion style isn’t actually very comfortable for lounging or if you’re trying to fit more people on it than seats as someone has to sit in the crack.

We have a Stressless Emily with the long seat and all the others reclining. It's a big sofa though so you need a big room to be able to fit it in. It's quite comfortable and easily sits four. It's like this one (this is the one from the catalogue).

Thank you, this is all very helpful. Parker Knoll was also on my ugly sofas list. Will investigate Heals and Natuzzi, thank you.
The Emily looks less frightful than the others, but we have a fairly specific space so I will get out the measuring tape.
Thank you all.

If you are prioritising comfort - get a Maker and Sons sofa! Like a flipping bed in the living room. My parents have one and it's outrageously comfortable (and looks nice too).

They are outrageously expensive too, mind...

Designers Guild or Andrew Martin are very well made and last years.

However, we have lots of sofas, eight in total, and the all time winner is an IKEA ektorp two seater in our kitchen, that sofa looks great, holds its shape is more comfortable than any other (not too deep, a big factor when you have a bad back) in fact I just love it. And our children seem to leap all over it. It is bomb proof.

Bed in living room sounds amazing. Designers Guild a good shout too. Not a fan of Ikea sofas, tho’ like their wardrobes.
New sofa and new car purchases due this year. Am not excited about either tbh but want to get it right.

George Smith are truly excellent quality if you want a step up. Quite trad designs so may not be suitable for back issues

We have a second-hand Errol, which is amazing for comfort, build quality and looks great too.

I’m house hunting on the south coast and the retiree style properties all seem to have Stressless - now I understand why.

Ercol obvs, not Errol.

I actually just said “urgh!” out loud when I clicked on that link OP! Surely no amount of comfort is worth looking at that every day for the next 10+ years? Agree look at Natuzzi or somewhere instead.

Sofa.com are good.

Habitat also still sell, though mainly online. They've a few nice ones and they last quite well (ours was maybe 13 years old and only needed replacing because we got a cat which decided to destroy it).

What I found when we were looking at sofas, is it really comes down to sitting/trying them out yourself. Even within a company, some will suit you and others won't.

A sofa I was buying for long term comfort I'd need to see in person and give a trial run.

I was hoping for a month long trial (which I think is what the John Ryan mattress deal is) but can’t see a sofa company that does that.
We have given up on VWs because we don’t like their seats but it’s not the kind of thing you can find out in a quick test drive annoyingly.
Might look up Ercol. Rest of our room is v nice so maybe we can pull off hideous sofa. Or drape it.

Swyft do a 100 day return policy (although you have to keep their boxes in the meantime in case you want to return). However, they only have 3 styles and I’m not sure any is what you’re looking for really. Decent looking though.

Will have a look at Swyft before I go down the retirement home chic wormhole! Thank you.

I know someone with Natuzzi - no retirement home chic there!

I couldn’t ever buy a sofa I couldn’t lie down on, what’s the point? Those stressless ones are just individual seats attached together in a row.

Oh, I definitely want to be able to lie down on it again. I ordered the Stressless catalogue so will take a closer look. Hmm, will keep looking and follow up all these ideas. Swyft does look quite nice, I haven’t looked at Natuzzi yet- homeschooling and work getting in the way of the serious stuff. Thanks again