Tips for Buying a Large Sofa

Looking for a new sofa? It has to be durable because you don't get a sofa every year. Therefore, it is important that your new sofa is perfect and exactly what you expect. How to choose the "right" sofa? It depends on your budget, family situation (children and/or pets), your material preferences and how the new sofa will fit into your current interior. We're here to help you make the decision to choose the new sofa that's right for you, step by step!

· First, measure the size of the room and existing furniture.

Before going to the store to evaluate a new sofa, make sure to accurately measure the dimensions of the room and the dimensions of your existing furniture.

Creating a calm atmosphere is very important. Too many accents and accessories piled up in one room can leave you feeling dazzled and unsettled. Choose an expressive piece of furniture rather than small elements. When considering the choice of a modern sofa, consider the color of the existing furniture and the room.

A sofa that "protrudes" from the ground looks less "heavy", especially when the sofa is placed in front of a window and the sun is shining on it. Even a large corner sofa can create a spacious feel in a relatively small room.

· Check sofa frame quality

Shake the sofa or chaise longue with both hands to feel the firmness of the entire frame. If possible, open a corner at the bottom of the sofa and check for rot, insects, scars, etc. You'll also want to check the wood framing to make sure it joins better by using mortise instead of nails, and whether the mortise joint is reinforced with glue.

· Check the quality of the inner cushions

Today's high-end sofas use nylon webbing and spring cross-knit structures as the underlying structure of the sofa. You should also see bedding with layers of high-resilient foam, polyester cotton, and lightweight foam. This type of cushion will ensure super comfort and optimum elasticity. The back and bottom of a mid-range sofa are usually made of fiberboard with multiple layers of medium density foam and polyester cotton. When sitting on these sofas, you feel the cushions are a little stiff and less resilient.

· Check fabric and sewing

There are two types of leather sofas, full leather and half leather or leather. A full leather sofa usually consumes up to 10 cows of leather, so it is very expensive, but has the best breathability and feel. Leather matching refers to the use of top grain leather in the areas where the body touches, while the sofa back, sides will use PU leatherette PVC instead of leather, reducing the cost and making it more affordable while still having good quality.

Sofa leather can come from cattle or buffalo. From other perspectives, leather is divided into three types, top grain, second layer (the second layer of leather below the top grain) and third layer leather. Top grain is the most durable type of leather for sofas because it has good color, is more resistant to mechanical strength, and has a rich, premium appearance and good breathability. Two-ply leather is the inner layer of leather, which is divided into two pieces, not as good as top-grain leather.

You may also have heard of bonded leather. But this is a misleading term because the leather it bonds to is not genuine leather. Some furniture retailers classify their bonded leather furniture as genuine leather, which is unethical and unfair.

When inspecting a leather sofa, you need to feel whether the leather is soft or hard. When you pinch good-quality leather, the wrinkles should disappear when you let go, not stay in place.

When buying a sofa fabric, make sure that the covers for the seat and back are removable so you can replace and clean them. The sofa fabric should be thicker. High-quality fabrics must be able to withstand 12,000 mechanical rubs and typically weigh up to 300 g/m². Some high-end sofa fabrics are processed to have anti-static, anti-fouling, flame retardant and other functions. You also need to check that the sewing is fine, straight and smooth.

· Check the foam sponge

For modern sofas, high-end seat cushions have a density of 30 kilograms per cubic meter and are made of high-resilient foam and sponge. For the back, the pads should have a density greater than 25 kg per cubic metre with high elastic foam. To provide a better feel and comfort, sofa manufacturers make the cushions softer or firmer according to the needs and preferences of their customers. Sometimes metal springs are used for higher elasticity and anti-aging purposes. As a rule of thumb, when you sit on the sofa cushion, it should not sink or sag more than 10cm.