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​Where do I start when looking for a sofa?

Personally, I think the best place to start with a sofa search is to pick a couple of brands which a) you can afford and which b) get rave reviews from experts or customers. 

Most sofa brands offer sofas in a range of sizes, shapes (corner, 2 seater, 3 seater etc) and materials (fabric or leather) so you can narrow things down later.

So which is the best sofa brand if money is no object?

For those with deep pockets, one option is to listen to the industry experts and look for sofa brands which have won prestigious awards: (In case you’re wondering, the Manufacturing Guild Mark is an award given to only a handful of furniture makers, who make most of their products in the UK. The Furniture Awards are a UK industry annual awards run by Furniture News, though I expect you saw the hours of live coverage on the telly...)

Hmm…my budget won’t quite stretch to that. Which are the best mid priced sofas?

I've got my own personal favourites, based on a combination of reviews, size of range, value for money and whether their websites actually give you enough information about what you're buying. 

Mid-priced brands which tick a lot of boxes for me include:

  • John Lewis & Partners - award-winning customer service, clear product specifications, mostly traditional designs, large range of 400 sofas and dozens of fabric and leather options - £700+ for a 3 seater 
  • Sofology - one of the highest rated big names sofa sellers on Trustpilot, with average scores of 4.6/10 when I checked - £500+ for a 3 seater

Where can I buy cheap sofas?

If you're just looking for a cheap sofa, I'd have a look at:
  • The 'reduced to clear' section in John Lewis & Partners online. I've seen some real bargains in there (e.g. good quality £700 sofas reduced to £350)
  • Amazon has a small selection of sofas, most of which are at the cheap end of the market and are sold by third parties.
  • Very has two seater sofas starting from about £200
  • eBay is great for second hand and used sofas. Obviously, prices vary massively but a second hand sofa costs a fraction of the price of a new sofa. The initial choice is overwhelming, but you can narrow it down so you're only searching for three piece suites, three seaters, two seaters, armchairs and corner sofas. You can also choose how far you're willing to travel with the 'item location' filter. 

What about customer reviews?

Another option is just to go on customer reviews. The most useful and comprehensive site I've found is TrustPilot.  A non-exhaustive list of high scoring sofa brands includes:
(Scores checked in 2021)

What types of sofa are there?

Another way to start your sofa search is to start by picking what shape you want. The main options are: 
  • corner sofas
  • two seaters
  • three seaters
  • modular sofas, where you buy sections and join them together to make a much bigger sofa

You can also buy armchairs, sofabeds and other options but let's not overcomplicate things.

Once you've decided on your sofa shape, take a look at some of the best brands and find a style you like.

​So what makes expensive sofa brands better than cheap sofa brands?

That isn't a complete list, but here are seven boring but important things which the best quality sofas offer: 
  1. The frame of a good sofa is made from a hard wood, so it holds its shape. Cheap sofas cut costs by using soft wood or metal frames
  2. Good sofas are held together with screws, glue or dowels. Cheap sofas are held together with staples, which is about as good as it sounds 
  3. The best sofas don't need much assembly at home. You might have to put the legs on, but if the sofa requires a toolkit and an instruction manual in bad English then it's not a good sign. Many of the poshest sofas come fully assembled (i.e. with the legs on).
  4. Many of the best sofas are made in the UK or other European countries (​Nicolletti Home is made in Italy for example). 'Made in China' is not a good sign, as a general rule (though there are exceptions, such as posh brand Halo).
  5. Most of the best sofas use springs for support. The cheaper alternative is usually called 'webbing', which is nothing to do with Spiderman. Many of the poshest sofas use 'coil' springs but some also use something called 'serpentine' or 'zig zag' springs. It's not quite as simple as saying that 'coil' springs are always the best option though, as some springs work better with different types of cushions than others (read on for the next thrilling instalment about springs).
  6. Covers on posher sofas are often made from natural materials such as leather, cotton or velvet. However, manmade materials are easier to clean and are better for allergies so it's not as simple as saying there's a 'best material' for everyone
  7. As a general rule, the best quality sofas offer long warranties. It's not a completely fool-proof test but if your £5000 sofa comes with a 12-month warranty then I'd be asking questions...

What's the best type of sofa spring? 

After much Googling and reading many (many) articles online I’ve concluded that the best sofas have 'serpentine' or 'coil' springs.

However, for those of you with time on your hands (people waiting for a bus, people stuck in lifts, prisoners etc.) I’ll explain in a bit more detail.

There are three main ways of supporting the cushions on a sofa.
  1. Sofas without springs are the cheapest option. They use an elasticated material instead which is usually called 'webbing'. It's not necessarily a rubbish sofa just because it doesn't have springs, but most high-priced sofas don't use this (there are exceptions). 
  2. Sofas with a ‘serpentine’ or 'zig zag' set of springs is the most common type of sofa suspension. These are a layer of wiggling metal which stretch across the frame. Your grandma had these springs on a Z-bed in her spare room. They’re quite supportive but some guides I've read say they'll sag over the years (don’t we all).
  3. Sofas with some other type of springs, such as pocket springs are generally the most expensive option. They typically give you a fair bit more bounce than the other options.

However, just to complicate matters further, I've read various guides which emphasise the importance of combining the right kind of springs with the right kind of cushion. 

Perhaps a better way to look at the quality of the support on the sofa is to look at the warranty offered by the manufacturer. Some sofa companies offer a 1 year guarantee, whilst posh sofas offer 10 or 15 year warranties.

Which is the best material or fabric for a sofa?

There isn't a 'best' material for a sofa as it depends on what you plan to use it for.
  • Leather is durable and is generally seen as a high quality option but some people find it sticky in summer and cold in winter. It also gets scratched by pets and has a limited range of colours. Cheaper leather sofas just use a little bit of leather in more visible areas whilst posher leather sofas are more generous.
  • A manmade material like 'microfiber' or a faux suede is generally easy to clean and quite cheap. Manmade covers are more likely to be removable and can be stuck in the washing machine. They're not a posh option, but they are practical and good for people who have allergies to natural fibres. 
  • Velvet and wool look classy and are more expensive than manmade material, but they are hard to clean so are less practical for snotty children running around the lounge with felt tip pens. Generally they are good for rooms which you don't use very much (your third drawing room, for example) or for people without pets or allergies to deal with.
  • Cotton is another natural material that is seen as a posher option than synthetic materials. It's not as easy to clean but is durable.

Which is the best filling for a sofa?

There are three main options for a sofa filling:
  • A low maintenance and durable option is a manmade foam (also called things like polyurethene). High density foam feels firm whilst low density foam feels soft. Foam mattresses are made from similar materials. New foam can smell a bit, but it soon fades.
  • Another popular option is to use manmade fibres which are a bit like the materials you'd stuff into a teddy bear or a microfibre duvet. These mould around you more than a solid lump of foam but don't hold their shape so well. They need a bit more fluffing up so you don't end up with an imprint of your bottom after a few weeks.
  • The most expensive option is a feather filling but they require a lot of fluffing and reshaping and they aren't good for people who are prone to allergies. Posh sofas often include some feathers.
    ​
You'll find that many sofas use a combination of different materials, rather than just one. For example, some posh sofas use foam and fibres in the seat and feathers in the back of the sofa

Also from the Best Sofas Guide 

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