I spent $700 on my last sofa, which is at around year 5 or 6, and the cusions are just about too saggy to use anymore. So, I went to Macy's sale and bought another $700 sofa, which is all mid-century retro and so stylish! It's gray (to match my dog's fur), and I suspect it will get me through another 5 or 6 years.

I read about people buying $5,000 sofas because they want them to last 25 years, but I don't get that. If you're style-minded, seems like you'd want to change out the lines and form far more often than that. Maybe if you buy something very neutral... but I guess I've seen so many couches that I thought were "classic" come in and out of style in my life, I don't trust the notion of timelessness.

This is a good article! Oftentimes we get stuck on style instead of quality. I think if you are buying a classic style that you want to last, you should check the quality!

I just bought a new couch and it tooks months of searching. and I bought my condo after only one day of looking! However, I am in love with my couch now :) I hope it will last

Make sure the seat is deep enough to be comfortable. We have a monstrosity of a La-z-boy recliner for comfort. But to put your feet up you have to lay back! And you can't tuck your legs up under you without being uncomfortable. It's been about five years...lifetime warranty but I'll be glad to see it go.

I've been debating whether or not to save up for a Thrive sofa. I'm so hesitant to go through with the purchase due to the price, especially since I'd like to opt for leather. Sofa shopping is the most intimidating design experience I've encountered so far.

I also bought my sofa from Macy's, and it's held up pretty well. I will add that it has screwed-on legs and those were a lifesaver for us when we had to move it up stairs. Those legs will scratch the walls and get stuck in the railing. Sometimes it's just more practical to do it that way.

I'd like a post about extended furniture warranties. I don't think they're really worth it at all, and have never purchased a warranty for any of my furniture. I've just stuck with the manufacturer's warranty, and I figure after 4 years, if I spill coffee on my couch cushion, the company isn't going to do much about it anyway and it's part of owning furniture - you're going to spill things.

On the subject of high quality sofas lasting a lifetime, I inherited one from my grandmother that was purchased in the 1960's and other than a few cosmetic stains the sofa is in great condition. The sofa's pushing 50 years and I have a feeling it will last me many more.

any thoughts on west elm sofas? i have my eye on the henry and the dunham...

There are so many variables when purchasing a sofa that there's a lot more to consider than just the listed reasons, and much of it depends on how it will be used. There are good manufactured sofas like Mitchell Gold (as an example). They're stylish and will hold up even under fairly heavy use for 5-8 years. Then everything starts to break down. Bench made sofas tend to cost far more but they will last longer and many folks consider them an investment. One of the reasons that slipcovered sofas are so popular now is that most all of the companies will keep slip templates even for discontinued models so down the line, the slipcovers are easily replaced. Considering that slips will run about half the price of the original sofa, it still racks up the $$$ outlay. It all depends on how often you like change.

I'm in the market for a slipcovered sofa—one that has a machine-washable slipcover. Anyone have any suggestions???

Fantastic article! I wrote a similar post a while back about the importance of those things and got a lot of questions about spending money for quality vs. wanting to change out every few years. I say to each their own. But if you are looking for a couch that will hold up - these are the cornerstones. And surely if you get it in a pretty classic and non-overt or trendy form then you can have it reupholstered as your tastes change (unfortunately for me its every year or two, but they say the average is 5-10 years).

My recent quote of over $200 to have my sofa cleaned made me wish I could save that cash to buy a new sofa. But it's beige microfiber, kinda icky, and can't be cleaned with my "little green machine."

I don't usually like the look of slipcovered sofas. Are they worth it? Because I'm thinking of going that route the next time, to avoid the expense of cleaning.

Some synthetic fabrics are magnets for oily stains. And wool, a natural fiber, is pretty easy to clean because it doesn't hold on to most dirt.

One thing to keep in mind: upholsterers will replace the foam in seat cushions for a nominal price. It's quick and easy to do. You can do it yourself if you want to save a little money but don't just stick some more cheap foam in there. (The stuff at JoAnn Fabrics is not great quality, for instance. Check online foam dealers or upholstery supply sites.)

Another tip: press down on the corners of the arms. If you can readily feel the sharp edge of the frame, pass on the sofa. Fabric will wear out quickly at that point.

Also, skip fabrics with high cotton content. Cotton feels nice but it doesn't wear well and it's hard to clean. Go for a cotton slipcover if you must have cotton.

Can anyone recoomend an upholsterer in LA who can swap out the foam cushions in our vintage Milo Baugham couch? We bought it recovered and the upholstery is in decent condition but the cushions are shot.

I bought a new sofa last year. It is a Lake Hickory, and cost $1800. It is very sturdy and has heavy cushions. It has the hand-tied springs and other features of a quality sofa. However, I'm disappointed in the fabric. I chose a neutral - tan - and it appears to be a tightly-woven basket weave. The fabric has shadings that do not brush out, and it looks worn already. I guess it's just the nature of the fabric, but for a well-made piece of furniture, I expected more. I just ignore the high-low shading of the fabric and tell myself it gives it "character."
Has anyone else encountered a similar issue with fabric?

My sofa is now 30 years old and has been through 3 recoverings with 2 restylings, and I still love it. It was fairly expensive for the time, but just the right size and depth. Each time it has needed a makeover, I've shopped around for something else, and I've never found anything that I liked better. I'm definitely of the opinion that if you buy quality in a classic style you really can't go wrong.

This made me want to go inspect my sofa, which is in year 10 of use and is doing fine, although I had new slipcovers made and some of the pillows plumped up by the slipcover guy. This is the only sofa for a family of four and it is in our living room, which is the everything room as we don't have a separate family room. With kids and pets, I am a true believer in slipcovers. Yes, they are expensive, but the extend the life of your sofa immeasurably.
We are hoping to redo our garage into a hang out room for the kids and when we do the sofa will most likely move out there and we'll be shopping for a sectional so I will save these tips.

A tip for Angelenos: the Macy's furniture warehouse in East L.A. is THE PLACE TO GO for sofas. If you can find what you like and the quality is what you're looking for you save major, major money. I think our sofa cost $400 and as I said, is still in good nick. (I think I paid more when I did the recovering than the sofa cost.) Friends have also bought there. A Macy's sales lady told my friend that merchandise only stays on the regular Macy's floor for six weeks, then goes to the outlet. Just sayin'
Just a note to Mary B.C. I think one of the reasons for buying quality, besides comfort, is not to be constantly adding to the landfills, etc.

So, I have a few issues with this article.
1: Top grain leather is actually the second best leather you can get but generally the most readily available. Full grain leather is the best but you want to avoid split grain hides which tend to crack easier and faster.. Top grain is sanded to remove imperfections while a full grain will allow imperfections such as barbed wire scars, brands and wrinkels to show. It is important to look for things like analine dyed or semi analine dyed. Semi analine do not have color going all the way thru the skin but they are coated and are better at repelling stains and being fade resistant.
It is true that down cushions are top of the line however they are extremely labor intensive. They must be fluffed and turned on a continual basis. If you are wanting the feel of down you should look for a down wrapped cushion which will have a foam rubber core that is surrounded by a down 'envelope'.

Auntfifi, we've had an Ikea Ektorp slipcovered sofa and armchair for about 4 years - I've washed the covers several times with good results. In a home washer doing a few covers at a time works best. The sofa and chair get very heavy use and I'm pleased with how they've held up particularly give the price ($850 for both). When you get sick of what you bought, there are 14 covers available to switch it out.

I'm rehabbing & reupholstering a Victorian settee in an upholstery class. Now that I know first hand how much work goes into a quality upholstery job, and the importance of a solid, well-made frame and quality materials, I find I'm willing to pay more for good furniture.

This is excellent information. I sold furniture for more than two years in a store that represented name brands in the mid-to-upper price range. Do you know how many people — in all that time — asked me to turn a sofa over so they could see the structure, or even take off the cushions? None. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

They cared about the following things which I list in their importance to the average buyer: the color/appearance of fabric, how it feels to sit in, how well the fabric would wear, how big could they get and still have it fit in their room.

Many customers won't allow sales associates to offer them ANY information about the product or the manufacturer because they perceive it as being "pushy." So they often buy something that is unsuitable for their needs simply because they get no informative data — they make assumptions based only on their own, sometimes incorrect, perceptions.

The second item on my list — comfort — caused the most fights between spouses and brought many a sale to a halt. Men as a rule have longer legs than women, they sprawl more, and they want to sink into a sofa. Women tend to have shorter legs and many sofas today are so deep anyone under 5'9" cannot sit all the way to the back of the seat and have their feet touch the floor. Also, many women perceive a really soft cushion as poor quality, which may or may not be true depending on materials used.

It's especially difficult for elderly people to buy appropriate furniture today, even though they are more willing than young people to get help from a sales associate. The older a person is, the more they are looking for solid support. Many of today's sofas are so cushy that once a granny sits, she can't stand back up. They also require shallower seats and ones that are higher than many others prefer for the same reason. They can't stand up comfortably after sitting down.

I've yet to find the right sofa in Japan and it truly is frustrating...I'm big and tall and so so many of the sofas here are low and tiny. Wreaks havoc on my knees and legs. I've even tried a few Ikea sofas but the size just overwhelmed my living room. I'm still looking for the right fit even though I just got a new sofa in March...sigh

Why do sofa makers skimp so much on seat depth these days? When we bought our last couch a year or so ago we sat on EVERY sofa in our city from bargain basement to highest dollar and we found about 5 that were deep enough for our totally average height peoples. In my opinion a seat depth needs to be about 36" or deeper to be comfortable AT ALL and most couches meeting that requirement are hideously ugly.

I just want a stylish sectional without TONS of flame retardants in the cushions. All natural is gonna cost me a pretty penny but it's worth it...