There are several deep questions to ponder in life. Do aliens exist? Why does toast taste better when it’s cut into triangles? And one of the most mentally taxing of all: which is the best sofa to buy? Of course, there are far worse things than choosing the wrong sofa, but it’s certainly a mood-dampener when you sit on deckchairs for months, only to discover your new purchase won’t fit through the front door or the cushions are a little lacklustre.
When buying a sofa, remember that lead times exist – and they can be especially long, with average waiting times between eight and 12 weeks.. So if you’re in the market for a new one, keep this in mind. The right sofa is always worth waiting for, but if you truly can’t, some brands hold stock of customer returns or ex-display pieces that are available immediately (and often at a discount), plus several high-street stores have a number of ready-to-go sofas in their best-selling designs.
How do I choose a sofa that will last?
The lifespan of your sofa will have some correlation with cost. That’s not to say you need to remortgage your flat first, but a sofa for life will be made in a traditional way – hand-built and stuffed by makers who have honed their craft over several years. The most important thing is that the frame will be made from durable hardwood (not fibreboard) and the filling made from natural materials such as down and natural latex (not polyester wadding). A good-quality sofa should retain its shape for many years, so you’ll spend less in the long run.
Having said that, it’s not always realistic to put a whopping chunk of cash aside for an heirloom piece, and you don’t have to – you can buy a comfortable handmade sofa for a couple of thousand pounds. Remember that several of the big high-street sofa retailers will also allow you to pay in instalments, which makes it more palatable to invest in quality. Otherwise, consider secondhand and set up alerts on sites such as eBay, Vinterior or 1stDibs for the makers and style names that you love.
Which material is best?
When deciding on the best fabric, ask yourself how you live and how it will fit with your decorative style. Velvet sofas look incredibly sumptuous but they can be nightmarish if you’ve got toddlers running around, smothering yoghurt across each surface. If your sofa will get a lot of use, look for the fabric’s Martindale rating; the rub-count of upholstery fabric should be at least 30,000 but higher is better – it means the fabric will last longer before it begins to wear out. Also, consider a patterned fabric, which will do a stellar job of hiding spillages and stains.
Colours can read differently depending on the light in a showroom or the calibration of your laptop screen, so if you’re unsure, always request a fabric sample. Lastly, consider sun-fading and whether that could determine the fabric you choose. When a sofa is close to a bright window, colours can become noticeably lighter where the sun has bleached them over time. To avoid this, choose a light-coloured fabric or look for fabrics that have been treated with fade-resistant dyes.
So, which type of sofa is best?
The best style and comfort level is entirely subjective, but a new sofa is one of the single biggest furniture purchases you’ll make, and getting it right can be laborious, so we’ve narrowed the mountain of choice down to a much friendlier molehill. From modular to modern, velvet to vintage, our round-up of sofas has been curated to give you options for any style of interior and any budget…
Best sofas for small spaces
The best sofas for small rooms, tight staircases and narrow doorways will either be modular, flat-packed or small in dimension to avoid any “pivot!” scenes. If the issue isn’t the access but the room itself, look out for space-saving details, such as armless sofas for a visually light appearance, or else very straight, slim arms and a straight back. You don’t want to waste precious floor space and lose seat width on a sofa with chunky arms or a sloping back. Check the depth as well as the width – small Victorian terraces and sweet little cottages just weren’t built to house one-metre-deep sofa seats.
Arlo & Jacob Harriet Small Sofa
Why we love it: Elegant and compact, expect to sink into this space-saving sofa. It’s a no brainer if you’re short on room.
