Should You Splurge or Save on a Sofa?

published Mar 6, 2013

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It’s the workhorse of your living room, subjected to spills, snacks and couch surfers, so should you spend a lot or a little? The New York Times analyzes the couch.

Writer Steven Kurutz investigates sofas, from budget to designer, to discover exactly how such similar designs can have such different price tags. Is it simply the frame, foam and fabric, or do your extra dollars pay for the very designers and marketing campaigns that necessitate the high sticker price?

And should you bother buying a last-forever model, or will that force you to be too careful to ever be comfortable? Your sofa should reflect your lifestyle — obviously nomadic types shouldn’t bother with an investment piece — but there’s also quality to consider. As Magnus Breitling, director of product management for Emeco chair company, puts it, “They say only rich people can afford to buy cheap stuff.”

Be sure to read through to the end to get guidelines for a sofa test drive, so no matter what you have to spend, you’ll get the best for the money.

Read the full article at The New York Times.

(Image: 1. Kivik Sofa from Ikea 2. Reid Sofa at DWR 3. Massimo sofa from Poltrona Frau)