The Best Sofa Brands to Know for Excellent At-Home Lounging
One of the biggest commitments you can make is buying a sofa. Sofas are not cheap, and they’re essentially the centerpiece of the living room. These days, you no longer need to go to a crowded showroom, stalked by an overeager sales associate to get the perfect couch for you. Instead, you can buy a sofa online without ever leaving your existing sofa. We narrowed down the seemingly endless places to buy a sofa to find the 25 best sofa brands for you.
Mục lục
What to Look for When Buying a Sofa
Materials
There are a lot of different materials that go into making a sofa, and you’ll want to take the time to consider each of them. First up is the frame. The basic foundation of a sofa or couch, the frame should be sturdy enough to hold up through several years of regular use without degrading. The best frames are made of solid kiln-dried hardwood, but they’re also the most expensive. Plywood and solid softwood frames are still-worthwhile step downs, while the bottom of the barrel would be a frame made from medium-density fiberboard (MDF), a type of inexpensive engineered particle board that has a reputation for falling apart quickly.
Your sofa’s upholstery is another important material consideration. Leather is always a classic since it’s durable, easy to clean and looks better with age if properly cared for. It is expensive, though, so a cheaper alternative — at least from a durability standpoint — would be to go with a trendy performance fabric that resists stains and other damage caused by kids, pets or any other common living room hazards.
Finally, there’s the cushioning. This will largely be a personal preference, as not everyone likes the same style of sofa for lounging. Some people prefer a big fluffy couch they can sink into, while others enjoy a firmer seat with more support and cushions that won’t flatten over time. Whatever your taste, some mix of the density of the cushioning used — likely a type of high-resiliency polyurethane foam in most cases — and the sofa’s suspension system (spring-based or webbing) will ultimately determine your comfort level.
Size
One of the most important steps to take before plunking down money on a new couch is to get out your tape measurer and take some measurements. You’ll need to measure not only the width and length of the space where you’re planning to put your sofa but also any doorways and hallways leading to the space. Remember, just because a sofa will fit in your living room doesn’t mean it will make it through your front door. There’s nothing worse than ordering a sofa, having it show up at your home and then realizing that there’s no way it’s going to make it into your place. Save yourself the headache and get all of those measurements out of the way before you even start shopping.
Utility
Another major question you’ll need to ask yourself about your upcoming sofa purchase is just how you’ll be using your new couch. Obviously, you’ll be sitting on it to watch TV, but what other duties will you need it to perform? Will it function as a bed for guests? If so, then you may want to consider a sleeper sofa or a futon. Should it be a gathering place for your entire family? In that case, a sectional may make the most sense. Is your living room always cluttered due to a lack of storage space? Go for a sofa with built-in storage and kill two birds with one stone. There are many potential uses for a sofa that go beyond its intended purpose of lounging, so figure out your needs before you choose your new furniture.
