Sofas are mass produced furniture which can be bought online or in any retail store. Either ways, there are certain important features you need to look for in your sofa, other than its design, before you make your purchase.
1: Frame Material:
The best sofas online or in any retail shop will have a well-made frame. The frame is very important for the sofa to maintain its shape. It needs to be strong and robust to be able to hold all the parts of the couch together without making it the least bit uncomfortable.
Traditionally, craftsmen choose hardwood timber for the frame and it has proven to be the best material for the purpose. Certain contemporary manufacturers also use wood composites or metal. But while metal can be strong, it can also get oxidised due to humidity and wood composites on the other hand though cheaper, are not sturdy enough.
Some of the best sofas are made with beech hardwood frame which due to its hard timber and straight grain can promise a long lasting frame for the sofa.
Certain manufacturers in recent years have also taken to mixing timbers for frames. This exercise helps neither the design nor the construction but is merely cost-saving.
2: Frame Joints:
The frame material helps make the sofa strong along its height, length and width. But how all the pieces are connected together is also extremely important to amplify the durability and strength of the sofa. Certain contemporary companies use metal staples in the joints which although a cost saving exercise is obviously not strong enough. When buying the furniture online or in retail, make sure that the timber is connected by special wood glue and wooden dowels.
The best sofas are always dowelled and glued and also supported by corner blocks screwed in vital areas to strengthen the sofa joints. The non-stress parts might have metal staples for attaching shaping pieces.
3: Cushion filling:
The cushions are there not only or you to relax but also to provide volume and form to your sofa and depending on the intended look and feel of the sofa, the cushion filling will be selected.
Most sofa companies use polyester fibre, foam or feather. Each with their different properties and characteristics add to the charm and comfort of the sofa.
Sometimes a mixture of any two or all three of these materials might even be used depending on the desired result.
4: Suspension:
The best sofas need top notch suspension to be both comfortable and resilient. This along with the cushion filling will define what your sofa will feel like. A good suspension system is necessary for the sofa to endure ceaseless impact of people sitting on the sofa.
Earlier craftsmen used coiled metal springs under feather cushions of horsehair. But that was before the invention of polyurethane foams and latex which provide more comfort and resilience to the sofa.
Three types of suspension used in the best sofa online or retail are:
- Coiled Spring Units, with fibre or feather filled cushions for a softer more comfortable seating experience.
- No-Sag Springs OR Serpentine attached inside the seating space, front to back, which creates a zigzag shape. This is a more widespread technique.
- Elastabelt Webbing used along with sturdy foam filler forms an even unit.
5: Upholstery:
Another more important characteristic of the sofa you need to look into is its upholstery. Mass produced sofa might have poor quality material for its upholstery which will not only feel uncomfortable, but will also fade and wear with time.
Premium sofa companies will use the very best fabrics and leathers. Whether you are buying the furniture online or in the retail shop, while choosing the fabric, you need to keep in mind comfort, durability, convenience (fabrics with embroidery and patterns can easily hide the dirt. Microfibers and other synthetic fibres are easier to clean) and also your home decor.
