Investing in the right couch is important. After all, many of us spend at least a couple of hours a day on a sofa. So, how do you ensure you’re getting a good piece of furniture. We take a look.
1. Check The Fit
Look for a couch that is comfortable for all your family members. There is no point in wasting your hard-earned money on a couch that isn’t comfortable. Recliner sofas should be comfortable in different positions. The depth of the seats is an important factor to consider when investing in a couch for your home. Deep or shallow seats are the latest trend in the market. The couch needs to support your back properly with your feet flat on the floor. The back of your knee should be slightly forward of the lower seat cushion when you sit on the couch. If you plan to nap on the couch, see if it is long enough by laying out on the couch.
2. Evaluate The Frame
The frame of the couch should be sturdy and long lasting. No couch is a good piece of furniture if it doesn’t have a solid inner frame. In fact, the fabric, cushions, and upholstery can be replaced when they are worn out but the same cannot be done with the frame. Cheaper couches have plastic, metal, or particleboard frames. But luxury sofas should be made of solid hardwood – preferably kiln-dried. Hardwood frames made of beech, oak, or ash are the best. Pine frames can be economical, but they will start warping or wobbling within five years.
The legs of the couch should be integral parts of the frame or held on with screws and dowels. Avoid couches that have legs that are merely glued onto the frame. You can test the quality of the frame by lifting one corner of the sofa at least six inches off the ground. If the other leg doesn’t rise off the ground, it is a sign of a weak or twisting frame. Any sofa that creaks under this test isn’t the best for you.
3. Ask About The Joinery
The methods by which parts of the frame are held together may not be immediately evident. But the sales or technical staff can provide you with such information. Frames that are joined with wooden corner blocks, double wooden dowels, wooden dowels, metal screws, and brackets are the best. Never invest in a sofa that is assembled with glue or staples although they can be used to provide additional reinforcement to the frame.
4. Test The Arms
A sofa with a hardwood frame, dowels, and corner brackets should be a quality piece of furniture for your home. But you should test the arms of the sofa to ensure they are tight without any give when you lean on them. If you have active children, the arms are the most common area of failure on a couch. Push hard on the arms and look for signs of wobble when testing the strength of the arms. Avoid buying a couch without rock-solid arms.
5. Check The Springs
The springs hold up the cushions on a couch. They come in three levels of quality. The least expensive is the least durable, and they are not springs at all. Avoid such a couch if you are looking for a quality piece of furniture for your home.
Serpentine springs—sinuous pieces of snaking wire are used in most couches. They span the gap between elements of the frame. These springs can sag with time if the metal isn’t heavy-gauge. Luxury sofas have 8-way hand-tied springs. They are very comfortable and expensive. Even though some people think that serpentine springs are more comfortable than hand-tied springs, you should be the judge of that. Feel the springs of the couch through the upholstery and good springs should be firm and spaced together for good support. The couch should provide good support without too much give when you sit on it.
6. Feel The Padding
All the corners of the sofa should be well padded including the entire frame. Make sure you check all the corners of the couch and feel the edges of the frame through the upholstery before buying the sofa. The best furniture will have this. If not, you may invest in a couch that has upholstery that wears out too quickly. Such a couch won’t be comfortable to use.
7. Test The Operating Mechanisms
If the couch is a sleeper or recliner, you should operate the mechanism aggressively and repeatedly to ensure it operates easily and smoothly. Motion or recliner sofas are more expensive, and you will be paying for the functioning of the mechanism of the sofa. Never overlook mechanical glitches that you notice when testing the sofa. In fact, these glitches may become more pronounced with repeated use of the sofa after you have purchased the product.
