Research-Based Sofa Buying Tips
After lengthy research and investigation, I can finally share my sofa buying tips! I spent months researching sofas because I made some major mistakes with our first sofa that I didn’t want to make again. That’s how I was able to put together these important sofa buying tips! Shout out to Shannon and Carmen at Barnett Furniture for the insider info!
First of all, if you haven’t read the Sofa Scoop Part One, you should! I share my reader’s favorite sofas and there is some important information in there that you should know.
When I bought my first sofa, I thought down feather cushions would be the most comfortable. I thought the manufacturer would be trusted, because we were buying from a high quality, major brand. And, I thought we’d have our sofa for at least five years. I was wrong about it all!
My Sofa Mistakes
Down feathers are high maintenance, you have to fluff your cushions every day. In our sectional, we can feel the bars in between the sections. The feathers squish down over time, and there isn’t enough cushion to support the weight. There are no foam or springs in our cushions, just feathers! It’s terrible!
We’ve only had our sofa three years. It is SO UNCOMFORTABLE!
For as big of an investment as it is, you should not be this unhappy with your sofa. That’s why I put together these important sofa buying tips to keep you from making these mistakes.
Sofa Buying Tips
- SAY NO BENCH SEATS
Bench seat cushions are pretty, but they wrinkle over time. It starts to look too relaxed. The higher number of separate cushions, the better. You’ll be able to rotate them to keep one area of the sofa from sinking in. Rotate and flip all of your cushions once a month. - DON’T GO FOR DOWN
Choose a soft- or high-resilience foam cushion, not a down feather cushion. Down will require constant DAILY fluffing and will not wear well over time. Foam will hold its shape and keep your sofa looking tailored, crisp, and neat. I chose soft resilience foam. - 8-WAY HAND TIED
Be sure to look for an 8-way hand-tied sofa. This means that the inner springs of the sofa are tied, by hand, eight different ways to secure them. This keeps your sofa from sagging and will be the highest-quality, longest-lasting sofa available. The best sofas are 8-way hand tied and constructed in North Carolina, the epicenter of quality furniture. Huntington House Furniture is my favorite sofa brand that offers hand-constructed, custom sofas. Every detail is carefully curated, and even their fabric is locally sourced. Barnett Furniture in Trussville, Alabama, has the cutest inventory and best deals, and best of all: Huntington House Furniture! Be sure to look for Shannon or Carmen; they have all the knowledge and insider info on sofas! - LOOK FOR FABRIC CONTENT
Everyone always assumes performance fabric is the best way to go to prevent stains on your sofa. That’s not the case. Just choosing performance fabric isn’t all you need to know. You need to choose 100% polyester performance fabric. The blended fabrics don’t clean as well and aren’t as durable. Stay tuned for my next post on sofa care!
Preventing Pilling
PILLING IS NOT BASED ON FABRIC SELECTION. You should know that pilling can be an issue even with performance fabric. When fibers interact, you get pilling. If you have a lot of fuzzy, fibrous blankets, or hairy pets, that will create pills on your sofa over time! The only thing you can do to prevent pilling is nix the fibrous blankets and keep pets off the furniture.
More About Huntington House Furniture
Huntington House is a three-generation family-owned business. All of their products are hand-constructed in North Carolina. They are dedicated to superior craftsmanship and style, and they even locally source their 300+ fabrics and materials.
You can expect most basic sofas to last 3-5 years. Most big brands and online retailers use parts made overseas, and they just don’t have a long life. With a custom American-made sinuous spring sofa that gets lots of love, you can expect about 6-8 years of longevity. However, an 8-way hand tied sofa can last anywhere from 9-14 years!
Where to Buy
Huntington House has retail partners all over North America.
Check out Huntington House’s Where to Buy Map to find a retailer near you!
More Information On Sofas
To get more insider info and hear about my reader’s favorite sofas, check out the Sofa Scoop Part One!
Living Room Furniture I Love
