How to choose a sofa to serve for many years?

Well-known manufacturers of high-quality furniture give advice on how to choose the right sofa: what materials should be made of the frame, filler and upholstery, why it is so important to pay attention to the quality of the seams and how to recognize a low-grade product. We hope our recommendations will help you make the right choice and enjoy your purchase for many years.

The sofa can be used for daytime relaxation, comfortable organization of a berth or for zoning the office space. Depending on the above criteria, the shape of the sofa, the type of frame and filler, the material from which the upholstery is made, and the optimal transformation mechanism are selected.

So, the corner sofa with a high back and voluminous armrests will be optimal for the living room. It is desirable that its size should include 4-5 seats, especially in cases where you often receive guests.

For the dining room or kitchen, it is necessary to select a functional model that meets all the requirements of practicality and ergonomics. The frame, upholstery and filler must withstand the effects of humidity and temperature changes, so stainless steel models will be the best solution. It is advisable to choose an upholstery that is durable and non-marking - it must withstand frequent washing without losing a presentable appearance.

For the bedroom, the sofa should be selected with a transformation mechanism, so that if necessary it was possible to decompose it and turn it into a full-fledged berth.

Furniture for office premises should be expensive and stylish. A win-win option will be compact models of neutral colors (gray or muted dark).

The degree of rigidity of the sofa is selected taking into account personal preferences and, if necessary, medical indications. So, overweight people need sofas with a rigid filler, and the frame is better to choose from dried wood - this material makes the furniture silent during use.

Modern manufacturers offer a fairly wide variety of transformation mechanisms, by which the sofa can be converted into a berth.

• Book - such models are compact products. In order to lay them out, it is enough just to move the sofa away from the wall, raise the seat - and the berth is ready for use.

• Eurobook. This is an improved version of the book, quite wide with a reliable transformation mechanism. The difference from the book is that this sofa does not need to be moved to decompose.

• Click-gag. This is another type of modernized book. This model assumes a flat surface and a “reclining” position.

• Telescope. In this case, a berth is formed due to two seats and a back. Such a sofa is easy and quick to open, comfortable to sleep on.

• Pantograph. The transformation mechanism here resembles the “Eurobook”, but such a design is more convenient, and the sleeper is smoother - they cost an order of magnitude more expensive.

• Dolphin. The transformation is based on a lifting mechanism, such sofas are optimal for frequent folding.

• French clamshell. This is a triple folding sofa, during the transformation of which the berth is placed on an arc.

The reliability of the sofa depends on the quality of the frame. Modern manufacturers offer several options:

• With a metal skeleton - these are reliable and durable models to which any upholstery approaches.
• With wooden frames - no less reliable material that meets all environmental safety requirements. The term of use of such sofas directly depends on the type of wood used. So, the most expensive and durable materials are beech, walnut and oak, while conifers and birch are less durable, but at the same time have an affordable cost.

Most often, several types of fillers are used.

• Foam rubber - cheap material with the appropriate level of quality. Such a filler quickly wrinkles under the weight of the user, as a result, loses its original appearance after a year or two after purchase.

• Latex foam - represents the optimal filling option for expensive orthopedic furniture. This "filling" is characterized by resistance to fungi and mold, it is environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic. Foamed material does not fall through and remains elastic after several years of active use.

• Polyurethane foam is very popular among manufacturers of upholstered furniture. Such material is inexpensive, however, unlike foam rubber, it serves for a long time, creates conditions for a comfortable and physiological position of the body during sleep.

Sofa upholstery should be distinguished by aesthetic appeal and harmoniously fit into the general decor of the room. At the same time, it is important to select such material that:

• the bedding on it did not slip;
• the fabric did not fade after cleansing and did not fade in the sun;
• the canvas was pleasing to the skin.

To identify a poor quality sofa, The following factors must be noted.

• Suture condition. The stitch should be even, and the stitches should be the same size. Thread loosening or breaking is not allowed.
• Upholstery quality. Regardless of what material is used, it should be tight and evenly stretched. Any sagging and creases not provided by the design are a sign of poor product quality.
• The elasticity of the filler. Do a little test - put your hand on the sofa and release. Practical models should immediately restore their shape. Depressions on the surface - a reason to immediately abandon the purchase.
• Ease of transformation. Even at the stage of selection, personally make sure that the sofa is easy to fold out and fold. A quality model minimizes any physical effort on the part of the user.
• Be sure to raise the seat - All internal surfaces should be even and smooth, without any roughness and splintering on the tree.
• Do not forget to pay attention to the back wall, in low-quality models, it is usually made of technical fabric.

See how to choose a sofa in the next video.