Is it time for a sofa upgrade? Looking to furnish a new home? Welcome to your guide to buying a sofa. We’ve listed all the considerations to help you find the perfect match for your living room. A sofa can easily set you back £1000+, so it’s worth getting to know the varieties on offer and why one type might be a better option for your home. We’re covering everything from the durability of the materials to the designs and comfort levels. Get sofa-savvy and read our guide.
Durability and longevity
If you and your family love using your sofa, it’s worth investing that little extra to get a material that’s durable. This is especially true if you have pets or young children. But how do you know if a sofa will stand the test of time? Abrasion resistance is a key consideration. Well-used sofas endure a lot over the years, from shoe scuffs and pet scratches to drink spillages and general wear and tear.
A way to quantify the durability of a sofa or armchair is the Martindale test, also known as the rub test. This involves a machine applying pressure and rubbing against the material. The test ends when the material shows visible signs of wear. The number of rubs the furniture received before its appearance degraded reveals how durable it is.
To put this into perspective, between 25,000 and 30,000 rubs is the gold standard for sofa and upholstered furniture hardiness. Anything less than 20,000 is not recommended for domestic sofas that get a lot of use.
What is the most durable sofa fabric?
So, now that you know the score for a hard-wearing sofa, here’s our recommendation of the most durable materials:
Leather: Due to its dense fibre structure and presence of oils, natural leather is one of the most durable materials. To enhance its longevity, we recommend cleaning your leather sofa once a week with a leather wipe. This locks in moisture and prevents the material from drying out and cracking. As for stains, the tanning process makes it more resistant to common food and drink stains. This means your sofa could look like new for years to come. With a predicted lifespan of 15–20 years, even with minimal maintenance, leather is an ideal choice. Perhaps the only downsides to leather are that it’s not as scratch-resistant as fabric and tends to be more expensive. But we’ll let you weigh up the pros and cons.
Fabric: Fabric might not be quite as hard-wearing as leather (even if it is more scratch-resistant), but there are characteristics that can improve the lifespan of your sofa. Remember to look out for the 20,000+ rubs on the Martindale test! Aside from that, check for a tightly woven weave. Chenille and twill have particularly good weaves. We also recommend stain-resistant fabric sofas, especially when opting for a lighter colour! If well taken care of, a fabric sofa should last 15 years or longer.
Hypoallergenic options
A natural repellent for dust mites and pet hairs, leather is the champion hypoallergenic material for sofas. Unfortunately, fabric sofas, like carpets, are more likely to trap fur and dust, so if you have a dust or pet allergy, leather is your safest bet.
Environmental impact
At Sena Furniture, we supply eco-leather for some of our sofa designs. What makes this environmentally friendly? Eco-leather is tanned and dyed with vegetable-based materials, rather than harsh chemicals. It can also provide a cheaper alternative to real leather while still providing the look and feel of the genuine thing. So, if you want to save a bit of money while also helping the planet, this is the sweet spot for your choice of sofa.
Comfort and ergonomics
If it’s ultimate comfort you’re searching for, consider a reclining sofa! By elevating your legs, you can even give your circulation a healthy boost while relaxing after a long day. Some designs even come with adjustable headrests for added ergonomic comfort to support your neck, shoulders and head.
Want to know which materials come out on top in the comfort ratings? The same material used in modern-day mattresses, we recommend sofa seats crafted with high-elastic foam. This moulds to the shape of your body to offer support and comfort.
Leather can be super comfortable, but tends to be firmer than fabric. So, if it’s firmness you prefer, over that soft, sinking feeling when you sit on a fabric cushion, leather is a great choice for you. However, in the summer, leather can become sticky, and you may see sweat patches where the material comes into contact with bare skin. However, these are easy to wipe away and won’t damage the material.
Perhaps the best way to decide on comfort is to head to a showroom and try out a sofa for yourself!
Design and aesthetic
As for design and aesthetics, fabric sofas win out every time. Why? Because there’s so much choice in the design. It’s super versatile and comes in an almost overwhelming range of weave patterns and colours. What that means is that you can find the perfect pairing for the interior theme of your room.
Should your sofa be lighter or darker than the walls?
To create a harmonious living room, expert interior designers often recommend pairing lighter walls with dark furniture for smaller spaces. If you choose light sofas with light walls, adding some bolder colour accents with accessories, such as cushions, throws, pouffes, curtains or wall pictures, will help liven up your interior for a fun, contemporary space. If you’re thinking of placing a dark sofa against a dark wall, that tends to work best for larger spaces with a heritage style.
When you buy your sofa with Sena Furniture, you benefit from over 200 fabric and leather finishes, which can be viewed in our showroom. This includes a choice of traditional wooden legs or ones with a contemporary metallic black matte finish.
There’s also the design to consider. Your available space, how you want to use your sofa, and where you want to place it will play an important role in your choice of design.
Typical designs include:
- 2-3-seater sofas: A popular choice, two-seater sofas are ideal for smaller spaces. To fill a larger space, a three-seater could be just the thing.
- Corner sofas: Corner sofas are perfect for partitioning large, open-plan spaces or utilising room corners more effectively.
- L-shaped sofas: Weighing up between a sofa and a chaise-longue? L-shaped sofas provide the best of both worlds, so if you prefer to sit or lounge, you can choose based on your mood.
- U-shaped sofas: For larger family homes or if you love entertaining, U-shaped sofas are ideal for getting more seats into your living room. Their design creates an inclusive, sociable arrangement for your family and friends to enjoy catching up and having a good time.
- Armchairs: The ultimate cosy chair for one! Armchairs are a great way to fill the bare corner spaces of your living room.
Ready to find the perfect sofa?
One last thing to bear in mind is that luxury furniture won’t just be more durable; it’s also more likely to retain its value, providing food for thought on whether to invest in high-quality living room furniture.
