I was thinking about just buying one online from Target, but I guess if I'm going to spend that much money, I should be absolutely sure of what I'm getting. There's a nice furniture store nearby that's having a good sale with free delivery, but I don't know that much about sofas, and I'm not sure if I should listen to what the salespeople say or not.
Isn't microfiber the material that you can wash with soap and water? Or am I thinking of something else? How do I decide what makes a good sofa? This will be my first real, non-futon-like sofa purchase, so I want it to be something that will last a while. Are there certain brands I should look for?
-pH
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
I'd recommend actually sitting in the sofa you intend to get. For me, a comfortable couch is more important than a nice looking couch, and so many couches look comfortable but aren't.
I have a microfiber reading chair that is really comfy, but I've had yet to try cleaning it, so I have no advice for you there.
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
I personally can't stand microfiber furniture. It feels cheap and weird to me.
On the other hand, I like microfiber jackets (but not the suede-y kind).
The main thing, imo, that makes a good sofa is a) how it feels when you sit in it and b) how well the cushions/springs hold their shape.
And don't ever get a sofa bed.
Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :
Microfiber is all well and good, and I don't think there's really any reasonable cause to object in it. There is absolutely no reliable evidence to make me believe in Macrofiber, however.
--Enigmatic
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
@ Enig
I have a marvelous microfiber (the suede-like kind) sofa. I have owned it for almost two years. It is comfortable (very!) and the sofa bed is not bad.
And because it is microfiber, even though it is a fairly light blue, it has NO STAINS on it. And I have three children.
I got it from Sears. Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
I love and swear by my microfiber couch so much that I'm planning on reupholstering my car in it.
Posted by Squish (Member # 9191) on :
I work for a furniture company and I love the idea of microfiber. Depending on the make, microfiber is actually very easy to clean. After wiping up the excess of the spill, use a mild detergent (Shout or Woolite) and a damp cloth with warm water and rub it right out. Let it dry and you're good to go! It's pretreated so you don't have to even think about 'ScotchGuard'-ing it. It really does depend on how comfortable it feels for you though. I've had people swear by it and others who hate to even touch microfiber.
Frame-wise, you want to look for kiln-dried hard woods. A lot of times, you can take a look at the frames from the underside of the furniture. If the store will let you flip them, of course. The dust cover might have a zipper where they normally hide the legs of the sofa and from there you can see the frame construction.
I sell a lot of Rowe, Actona, HTL, Schillig, Montebello and Lind. Most of these are great companies but some of them do cost a lot. The difference is mostly going to be in the upholstery and not the frame support though. I know Rowe is currently going through some company problems. I haven't seen it effect the merchandise but it does increase the wait time for the items.
I'll stop spewing out babble now. Hope some of that helps.
Posted by mistaben (Member # 8721) on :
I'll cast in another good word for µ-fiber (yes, I'm a physics geek ).
We've had our couch and chair for almost 2.5 years. Despite their best efforts, my two daughters have not been able to get a stain on it!
Anyone know whether this next factoid is true?
Besides the easy clean up, the woman at the furniture place told us she'd watched a training video in which someone stabbed a microfiber-clad piece with a ball-point pen. Apparently rubbing or something somehow coaxes the material back into place (I'm assuming the pen didn't actually *break* any fibers, but displaced them???).
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We have an IKEA couch (actually sofa-bed) with a removable, replacable, washable cover. And waterproof material underneath on the actual cushions.
We're quite fond of it.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
quote:Originally posted by Squish:
Frame-wise, you want to look for kiln-dried hard woods. A lot of times, you can take a look at the frames from the underside of the furniture. If the store will let you flip them, of course. The dust cover might have a zipper where they normally hide the legs of the sofa and from there you can see the frame construction.
I sell a lot of Rowe, Actona, HTL, Schillig, Montebello and Lind. Most of these are great companies but some of them do cost a lot. The difference is mostly going to be in the upholstery and not the frame support though. I know Rowe is currently going through some company problems. I haven't seen it effect the merchandise but it does increase the wait time for the items.
I'll stop spewing out babble now. Hope some of that helps.
What if the feet are hard wood? Is it safe to assume the rest of the sofa is, too?
Do you know of a brand called Jackson? I think one of the sofas I liked was that brand...
Choosing furniture is hard! Especially when one has a habit of compulsively redecorating and repainting to cope with stress. Fortunately, I think I've finally settled on a paint for the living room. For now...
-pH
Posted by Squish (Member # 9191) on :
You can just ask the salesperson whether or not it's a hardwood frame since flipping sofas over is kind of tough. ^_^ Most times the legs are just screwed on and aren't actually a part of the frame support.
I don't know a brand named Jackson but I have found out over the years that manufacturers will agree to go with a different name for certain retailers if select models are only available at that retail location. So Jackson could be a branch of something I sell but don't actually know it.
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
@ Enig![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
). ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Especially when one has a habit of compulsively redecorating and repainting to cope with stress. Fortunately, I think I've finally settled on a paint for the living room. For now...