Sofas - you get what you pay for?

[Notcontent]

I wanted a sofa that was not going to be too expensive (had to buy other furniture too). I ended up buying one from Made and it’s ok but slightly disappointing - not super comfortable and looks ok but looked much more impressive in the photos. I need an armchair too, in the future, once I save up! Where would you recommend? John Lewis? Loaf?

Don't ever buy a Lazy boy recliner, I've had mine 10 years & it's been fit for the dump for the last 4 years at least.

[quote Notcontent]@WaltzingBetty it’s a small orson. It’s not a bad sofa - it’s quite nice - it’s just that I can see myself having to replace it in a few years.[/quote]
I bought a small Orson for my last house. Thankfully it had a mark on at delivery as it was so uncomfortable I couldn’t have kept it.

We now have a large velvet Chesterfield style from Barker and Stonehouse and smaller sofa from Sofology. Of the two I prefer the B&S one.

Our most recent sofa (big corner one) is from barker and stone house and I love it! Big gamble as we ordered online without trying it (lockdown plus being hours away from nearest showroom) but it paid off and we are v happy

We have an old habitat, an old Parker knoll and this, which is excellent surprisingly

www.relaxsofasandbeds.co.uk/products/details/alstons-savannah-grand-sofa.html

We have a number of John Lewis armchairs and a chaise ( no sofa though) and they are all still very comfortable and good looking after 10+ years - very annoying as I want new furniture but can’t throw out good stuff - . But the upholstery hasn’t held up and needs changing now. We had picked Designers’ guild fabrics and the upholstery wasn’t done properly, which I understand is a frequent criticism of JL. Seams have come off (not in visible places) so they need replacing now.

Our Habitat sofas sagged and broke very quickly, delivery service wasn’t good, I wouldn’t consider Habitat again.

I’ve got some sofas from Debenhams which have been lovely and I would happily replace if I could like for like.

We had 2 from SofaWorkshop about 15 years ago.
One was damaged by a teenager leaping on the arm. It cracked the frame. We told SifaWorkshop what caused the damage but they still came out and mended it.

The man said he repairs all brands from cheap to very expensive. He said that unless you pay over £10k most are made using similar frames and methods. Therefore, a £3-4K sofa might well be no better than a £700 sofa. However, in terms of sustainability, it's not great to be replacing sofas more often than every 15-20 years or longer if poss......I'm always amazed how many people Hvs e a new one every 5 years.

IKEA always do well in reviews as long as you don't buy the cardboard ones for about £75. They are robust and replacement parts or covers are available or even cushions.

I've liked sofa cushions which are foam but wrapped in either feather or some other softer wrap for added softness. Always liked the loose fillings, but there's no doubt that they sag quickly and the plumping needed is annoying.

Buying arm caps or some extra fabric can help prolong the life.

Obviously things like no shoes on sofas or no children jumping or standing helps them survive longer too....lots of people don't show much respect for their furniture but then wonder why the frame breaks or it doesn't last long.

I paid about £2,000 for my two sofas - in 1987! They are still amazingly comfortable despite children, dogs, parties, the lot. Given the use I've had from them they effectively cost nothing. They look shabby though, obviously, but reupholstering costs a fortune and I would only pay to replace with the same quality. I'm beginning to lose heart on finding it. Sticking with throws for now

I replaced my Made stuff with sofasofa. I love it. Comfy, supportive, great colours, went through the doors (!) and over £2k less than Loaf.