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One simple way to choose a new sofa is to start by picking a brand. You can then narrow things down by choosing a fabric and style that you like the look of.
We've picked out five of the best online sofa brands by looking at value for money, specifications and customer reviews. We've picked a range of prices, since not all of us can afford to spend thousands of pounds on a sofa.
We've picked out five of the best online sofa brands by looking at value for money, specifications and customer reviews. We've picked a range of prices, since not all of us can afford to spend thousands of pounds on a sofa.
1. John Lewis & Partners (£700+ for a 3 seater)
John Lewis & Partners has a huge range of traditional style sofas
Shoppers looking for a well-built mid-priced sofa with a traditional design have got a lot of choice in the UK.
Long-established British sofa companies like Parker Knoll, Ercol and G-Plan are certainly worth considering, but we've gone for John Lewis & Partners' own-brand of sofas and armchairs because of the size of the range. They do sell other brands but there are 400+ available under their own name, with a huge choice of sizes, styles and fabric colours which can easily be narrowed down on their website.
They're also not as expensive as you might expect, with a 3-seater starting from about £700 and some decent sofas occasionally popping up in the 'reduced to clear' section.
Most John Lewis & Partners sofas tick the right boxes for me but it's worth taking a bit of time to have a rummage into the descriptions and specifications, which are clearer and more transparent than any other retailer I've found.
Ideally, you want a sofa made with a hard wood frame (e.g. birch) and which is held together with screws, glue or dowels. It's also a good sign if it's made in the UK, though that's not a deal-breaker. Also, take a look at the support - some sort of springs is a better option than 'webbing'.
Reassuringly, you'll find that many of their sofas come with frame guarantees of 15 years. John Lewis & Partners came second in a recent customer service award, although that was the whole store rather than just their sofas.
You'll notice that some sofas are under a brand called 'House by John Lewis' rather John Lewis & Partners. From what I can tell, this is nothing to do with Hugh Laurie but is the cheaper range which are made using cheaper materials and techniques. Go for the stuff labelled John Lewis & Partners instead if you can afford it.
Long-established British sofa companies like Parker Knoll, Ercol and G-Plan are certainly worth considering, but we've gone for John Lewis & Partners' own-brand of sofas and armchairs because of the size of the range. They do sell other brands but there are 400+ available under their own name, with a huge choice of sizes, styles and fabric colours which can easily be narrowed down on their website.
They're also not as expensive as you might expect, with a 3-seater starting from about £700 and some decent sofas occasionally popping up in the 'reduced to clear' section.
Most John Lewis & Partners sofas tick the right boxes for me but it's worth taking a bit of time to have a rummage into the descriptions and specifications, which are clearer and more transparent than any other retailer I've found.
Ideally, you want a sofa made with a hard wood frame (e.g. birch) and which is held together with screws, glue or dowels. It's also a good sign if it's made in the UK, though that's not a deal-breaker. Also, take a look at the support - some sort of springs is a better option than 'webbing'.
Reassuringly, you'll find that many of their sofas come with frame guarantees of 15 years. John Lewis & Partners came second in a recent customer service award, although that was the whole store rather than just their sofas.
You'll notice that some sofas are under a brand called 'House by John Lewis' rather John Lewis & Partners. From what I can tell, this is nothing to do with Hugh Laurie but is the cheaper range which are made using cheaper materials and techniques. Go for the stuff labelled John Lewis & Partners instead if you can afford it.
2. Made.com (£500+ for a 3 seater sofa)
**Made.com Sale: £50 off £500 or £100 off £1000 until 28/09/20**
Made.com offer modern designs in bold colours
Made.com's range of 500+ own-brand sofas is worth considering if you want the look of a designer sofa without paying for it.
They offer funky modern designs and interesting colours, rather than fussy old floral patterns which your grandma likes. That mum on Instagram with the beautiful lounge probably has a Made.com sofa.
Sure, you have to compromise something if you're spending £500 rather than £5000, but you may not be looking for a sofa to last for decades if you've got a house full of children and pets.
We looked at 3-seater sofas and found that the cheaper options (around £500) tended to use manmade fibres for the sofa cover and foam seats. Meanwhile, the more expensive 3 seater sofas (£1000ish) mostly used a mix of manmade and natural fibres for the cover and a mix of foam and feather for the cushions.
So what does that mean exactly?
Well, the general rule is that natural materials cost more than manmade materials on a sofa. However, if you've got allergies then you'll probably want to steer clear of natural materials anyway.
On the downside, only some of the sofas on Made.com actually tell you what type of wood was used for the frame or the way it is held together. That may sound like a whole new level of boring detail, but top quality sofas use hardwood to stop them falling to pieces after a few years. The sofas which did list materials were mostly softer woods.
Most of the sofas we looked at used 'webbing' to support the cushions, whilst a few used springs alongside webbing. Again, this is excruciatingly boring (you did ask...) but most of the best sofas use springs rather than webbings.
These are hardly issues which will keep you awake at night, but it's worth understanding what you are getting for your money.
The standard warranty is 12 months, so quite short compared to some brands which offer 10 or 15 year warranties (albeit on the springs and frame usually). Overall Trustpilot reviews for Made.com were 4.5/5 when I checked (that's for the whole store, not just their sofas).
They offer funky modern designs and interesting colours, rather than fussy old floral patterns which your grandma likes. That mum on Instagram with the beautiful lounge probably has a Made.com sofa.
Sure, you have to compromise something if you're spending £500 rather than £5000, but you may not be looking for a sofa to last for decades if you've got a house full of children and pets.
We looked at 3-seater sofas and found that the cheaper options (around £500) tended to use manmade fibres for the sofa cover and foam seats. Meanwhile, the more expensive 3 seater sofas (£1000ish) mostly used a mix of manmade and natural fibres for the cover and a mix of foam and feather for the cushions.
So what does that mean exactly?
Well, the general rule is that natural materials cost more than manmade materials on a sofa. However, if you've got allergies then you'll probably want to steer clear of natural materials anyway.
On the downside, only some of the sofas on Made.com actually tell you what type of wood was used for the frame or the way it is held together. That may sound like a whole new level of boring detail, but top quality sofas use hardwood to stop them falling to pieces after a few years. The sofas which did list materials were mostly softer woods.
Most of the sofas we looked at used 'webbing' to support the cushions, whilst a few used springs alongside webbing. Again, this is excruciatingly boring (you did ask...) but most of the best sofas use springs rather than webbings.
These are hardly issues which will keep you awake at night, but it's worth understanding what you are getting for your money.
The standard warranty is 12 months, so quite short compared to some brands which offer 10 or 15 year warranties (albeit on the springs and frame usually). Overall Trustpilot reviews for Made.com were 4.5/5 when I checked (that's for the whole store, not just their sofas).
3. Loaf (£1600+ for a 3 seater sofa)
Loaf combine bright, modern styles with high quality materials
If you want a modern fabric sofa which is built to a high standard then I'd start with Loaf (assuming you've got deep pockets). They offer modern styles in bright colours - much like Made.com - but the sofas cost about twice as much.
So why the higher price?
Well, you generally get what you pay for with a sofa and Loaf's specifications are certainly impressive. All the Loaf sofas I found had a hard wood frame and a 15 year frame guarantee which means it shouldn't lose its shape (cheaper sofas use softer woods and give a 12 month warranty).
Loaf sofas are made in the UK, which is a good sign, though not a complete guarantee of quality. The sofas I looked at used springs for support rather than cheaper options like 'webbing'. Most combine foam, feather and fibre for the fillings which is a good mix (there's no simple answer to the best filling but using a mix for different parts of the sofa is a sign that they aren't cutting corners).
Overall customer reviews for Loaf were around 4.3/5 on TrustPilot (bear in mind that is the rating for the Loaf brand as they do make furniture other than sofas). Individual product ratings were also very positive when we checked.
So why the higher price?
Well, you generally get what you pay for with a sofa and Loaf's specifications are certainly impressive. All the Loaf sofas I found had a hard wood frame and a 15 year frame guarantee which means it shouldn't lose its shape (cheaper sofas use softer woods and give a 12 month warranty).
Loaf sofas are made in the UK, which is a good sign, though not a complete guarantee of quality. The sofas I looked at used springs for support rather than cheaper options like 'webbing'. Most combine foam, feather and fibre for the fillings which is a good mix (there's no simple answer to the best filling but using a mix for different parts of the sofa is a sign that they aren't cutting corners).
Overall customer reviews for Loaf were around 4.3/5 on TrustPilot (bear in mind that is the rating for the Loaf brand as they do make furniture other than sofas). Individual product ratings were also very positive when we checked.
4. Sofas & stuff (£1000+ for a 3 seater)
Sofas & Stuff gets impressive customer reviews
British brand Sofas and Stuff makes our top 5 on the basis of its customer reviews and customisable designs. Reviews were at 4.7/5 when we checked, from nearly 2000 customers, which is well above average. Their website is full of black and white images of men and women carefully crafting with a chisel or a pair of fabric scissors.
Their quirk is that they only offer fabric sofas and that you can pick 'any fabric in the world'.
You start by picking your sofa type and then choose from a great big range of fabrics, or you can provide your own. Most sofas take several weeks to make but they also have a 'pronto' range of sofas which are available within a week.
For the uninitiated, natural materials like velvet and wool are more expensive than manmade fibres on a sofa. They look classy and will impress your snooty aunt when she comes to visit.
The downside is that natural materials aren't great for people with allergies and that they are more difficult to clean.
Sofas and Stuff has 12 stores in UK, or you can order online. They also got my attention because the springs and frames in their sofas come with a 'lifetime guarantee'.
Their quirk is that they only offer fabric sofas and that you can pick 'any fabric in the world'.
You start by picking your sofa type and then choose from a great big range of fabrics, or you can provide your own. Most sofas take several weeks to make but they also have a 'pronto' range of sofas which are available within a week.
For the uninitiated, natural materials like velvet and wool are more expensive than manmade fibres on a sofa. They look classy and will impress your snooty aunt when she comes to visit.
The downside is that natural materials aren't great for people with allergies and that they are more difficult to clean.
Sofas and Stuff has 12 stores in UK, or you can order online. They also got my attention because the springs and frames in their sofas come with a 'lifetime guarantee'.
5. Tetrad (£1700+ for a 3 seater)
Tetrad is a winner with furniture industry experts
It may sound like a Doctor Who baddie, but Preston-based Tetrad is worthy of a place in this top 5 thanks to its recent awards at the UK's Furniture Awards. For those who missed the biggest night in the furniture calendar (what's your excuse?), Tetrad won in the Living Category in 2017 and 2018.
Tetrad's sofas are mostly darker colours which won't appeal to everyone but if you dig into the specification you'll see that you're paying for quality, not just for a fancy name that will impress your neighbours. They use natural materials like wool for their covers, hard wood for their frames and springs rather than cheaper options (such as 'webbing').
Tetrad sofas are also made in the UK and come fully assembled, rather than arriving in a shipping container from China with a confusing instruction manual. So yes, it ain't cheap, but if you've recently sold a Picasso or your shares in Apple then I'd consider a Tetrad.
Tetrad's sofas are mostly darker colours which won't appeal to everyone but if you dig into the specification you'll see that you're paying for quality, not just for a fancy name that will impress your neighbours. They use natural materials like wool for their covers, hard wood for their frames and springs rather than cheaper options (such as 'webbing').
Tetrad sofas are also made in the UK and come fully assembled, rather than arriving in a shipping container from China with a confusing instruction manual. So yes, it ain't cheap, but if you've recently sold a Picasso or your shares in Apple then I'd consider a Tetrad.
