Buying a flat and need some help with sofas!

[Reformation]

Hello!

I'm buying a flat on my on which is in equal parts scary, exciting and hilarious that ive managed to do it! But i wondered if you can offer me some advice on sofas please? I've had VIMLE sofas from IKEA and they havent really lasted that well, they seem to lose the guts out of them quite quickly, ive had it less than 18months and its knackered really... :-(

I dont mind spending a little bit of money on the right sofa so long as it lasts and the cushions maintain there oomph.

Can anybody recommend some good sofas they've had for a while that are reasonably hard wearing please? Also any nice bits you'd recommend for a new flat that wont break the bank but will last nicely!

I just ordered a sofa last night in the loaf sale. We went to their showroom last year and there were a couple of very comfy ones.

I'm after a corner sofa with chaise bit, so a 2 or 3 seater isnt quite what im after

I dont know if you like the Chester Field look but them guys are absolute fantastic, yes they are expensive but you get lots of choice for your money .
I know three people that have bought from them and they are all very happy and importantly comfy in their choice.

handmadechesterfields.com/products/stanhope-chesterfield-sofa?variant=31945109831795

OP i think the Stocksund Ikea has an option with a chaise if you want it.

Don't buy an Ercol sofa. Biggest mistake we ever made. We previously had 2 Alston sofas which were extremely comfortable. Unfortunately they had to be replaced as they didn't fit our new house. We really liked the look of the Ercol sofa and thought we would treat ourselves. We have wasted good money. The sofas took twice the length of time to arrive as originally quoted. On arrival it was very obvious that the one sofa had very poor quality sofa cushions. We complained to our retailer, Arthur Llewellyn Jenkins. They contacted Ercol who agreed the wrong foam had been used. We have waited 14 weeks for replacement cushions. During that time the sofa was too uncomfortable to sit on. Also during that time the other sofa cushions have settled & now that soda is uncomfortable. We are now going to have to buy better quality cushions costing £500. Really not happy & go only recommend you don't buy Ercol.

@Persipan wow! Amazing job. That's extremely stylish.

'Snug sofas', arrive in a box and are self-assembly - so no problem getting it into a flat

Good lord don’t get a snug sofa......no end of issues

We have Ikea Tidafors sofas... they are 10 years old and still have all their original ompf! Only downside is, unlike all other IKEA sofas, they don't have removable covers. So after two years of potty training (2 kids) and toddler snacks etx they were pretty stained. Put a super duper vax carpet cleaner (also have light carpets) which made a world of difference.

Anyway, we will shortly need a new corner sofa for our extension and fancied the Vmile as it gives us exactly what we need but read reviews like yours, which I'm gutted about. Finding sofas with machine washable covers is neigh on impossible.

What i did find though is the difference between padding in Tidafors and Vmile is a layer of memory foam. Other things I've read suggest that might be the key to a longer lasting oompf!

So my sofa spec list will be size/shape, colour, machine washable covers and memory foam.

(P.S. also be a bit wary about promises/guarantees on stain treatment from DFS etc... a quick Google shows loads of people have fallen foul. My mum also had quite a pricey DFS corner sofa years ago that compeltely sagged and stained).

I had an Ektorp that was second hand to us and we kept it for 5 years, now it’s going strong in someone else’s flat; goodness knows how old it actually is. The covers say ‘dry clean only’ but they’ve been through our wash several times and come out fine. The back folds flat and the main sofa splits into 2, so it’s very flat friendly.

We’ve replaced it with a striking mid century wooden thing, which looks wonderful, but I do miss how comfy the Ektorp was!

Bought 2 snug sofas as access is a real issue for us. Very overpriced for the quality of the product. One of the most uncomfortable sofas I've sat on. Really really hard but accept that is purely personal preference. Very easy to assemble though.