How Couches, Though?
April 25, 2020 10:29 PM Subscribe
We need to purchase a new couch and I have no idea how to make it not terrible.
We need to buy a new couch. Our current couch is at too embarrassing to allow guests in our home levels. Any couch I could purchase would be better than the couch we have now, but we think we should aim a little higher than that.
I have no idea how to choose a good couch. I have purchased a couple of new couches over the years (one from Urban Home and the other from some similarly large national furniture chain) and both of them fell apart far too soon after I bought them. I remember the couches at my home growing up; they lasted for decades through far rougher use than my partner and I inflict on any of our current couches. I think of this FPP and get hives.
Where can I find a couch that is sturdy, relatively easy to clean and not entirely hideous? And how will I know when I've found it?
Yes, I recognize the ridiculousness of a 40 year old not having figured this out already. It's been a fucking week; please don't be a shit in my cut about it.
We need to buy a new couch. Our current couch is at too embarrassing to allow guests in our home levels. Any couch I could purchase would be better than the couch we have now, but we think we should aim a little higher than that.
I have no idea how to choose a good couch. I have purchased a couple of new couches over the years (one from Urban Home and the other from some similarly large national furniture chain) and both of them fell apart far too soon after I bought them. I remember the couches at my home growing up; they lasted for decades through far rougher use than my partner and I inflict on any of our current couches. I think of this FPP and get hives.
Where can I find a couch that is sturdy, relatively easy to clean and not entirely hideous? And how will I know when I've found it?
Yes, I recognize the ridiculousness of a 40 year old not having figured this out already. It's been a fucking week; please don't be a shit in my cut about it.
My advice would be to ask an upholsterer what they think.
My grandparents bought a lounge suite probably in the sixties, maybe late fifties. It was re-covered in a horrible (but you know I have fond memories) golden velvet at some point in the 70s. My mum inherited it in the 90s . It's a very comfortable lounge suite (couch + 2 arm chairs) but- that gold. Then we had some money come in and were able to update the house- past it's 1978 build date. Got rid of the brown "good for renters" carpet. Painted. The couch definitely did not match the nice new decor, but being comfy still and for sentimental reasons, we decided to see if it could stay. They called an upholsterer to come and see whether it would be worth recovering the couch again. He was very complimentary and pointed out things like a sprung front panel? (Sorry this was years ago, I don't remember the specifics.) It was re-covered, fresh foam etc, and probably one of us siblings will inherit it one day.
Basically the older style of couch and higher end stuff puts effort into stuff you can't see, which makes it longer lasting. The newer, cheaper stuff just wraps some foam over wood (or MDF!) and coats it in fabric, calling it done. It's not worth re-covering these when they get worn, because you pretty much have to make a new couch, and it's easier to get a new one.
So yeah: what brands to upholsterers recommend getting that are worth holding on to for the long haul?
posted by freethefeet at 11:58 PM on April 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
My grandparents bought a lounge suite probably in the sixties, maybe late fifties. It was re-covered in a horrible (but you know I have fond memories) golden velvet at some point in the 70s. My mum inherited it in the 90s . It's a very comfortable lounge suite (couch + 2 arm chairs) but- that gold. Then we had some money come in and were able to update the house- past it's 1978 build date. Got rid of the brown "good for renters" carpet. Painted. The couch definitely did not match the nice new decor, but being comfy still and for sentimental reasons, we decided to see if it could stay. They called an upholsterer to come and see whether it would be worth recovering the couch again. He was very complimentary and pointed out things like a sprung front panel? (Sorry this was years ago, I don't remember the specifics.) It was re-covered, fresh foam etc, and probably one of us siblings will inherit it one day.
Basically the older style of couch and higher end stuff puts effort into stuff you can't see, which makes it longer lasting. The newer, cheaper stuff just wraps some foam over wood (or MDF!) and coats it in fabric, calling it done. It's not worth re-covering these when they get worn, because you pretty much have to make a new couch, and it's easier to get a new one.
So yeah: what brands to upholsterers recommend getting that are worth holding on to for the long haul?
posted by freethefeet at 11:58 PM on April 25, 2020 [5 favorites]
Many years ago I paid up, way up, for a leather couch from Restoration Hardware. Years? Decades? later I still have that sucker and it is still the best sitting and napping couch I have ever used. It also does not show the marks, scratches, accidental pen lines (thanks kids), etc.
I think you need to look at the material out of which the couch is made. What type of wood is used? My couch is heavy as can be. The legs are solid wood (not sure what kind, but not pressed particle board covered by fabric). Many many springs in the sitting part below the cushions.
Unfortunately, I think you need to try the couch in person. I would go to a furniture store and get educated. Ask what the difference in the couches at various price points. Why is that couch so much more expensive? The salesperson should explain about the makings of a couch. In my mind, buying a couch is one place where you cannot be impulsive or just decide that the price is right and the look is right. Quality over looks. You can buy a $750 couch every 5 years or a $5000+ couch every 30 years. What you cannot expect is a cheap couch to last long long time.
You're in a big city with many large furniture stores. I would go to many of them and learn as much as you can and then pay the top of your budget for the best one you can afford. YMMV.
My grandfather used to say to me, "Augie, sometimes I cannot afford a bargain."
posted by AugustWest at 11:59 PM on April 25, 2020 [12 favorites]
I think you need to look at the material out of which the couch is made. What type of wood is used? My couch is heavy as can be. The legs are solid wood (not sure what kind, but not pressed particle board covered by fabric). Many many springs in the sitting part below the cushions.
Unfortunately, I think you need to try the couch in person. I would go to a furniture store and get educated. Ask what the difference in the couches at various price points. Why is that couch so much more expensive? The salesperson should explain about the makings of a couch. In my mind, buying a couch is one place where you cannot be impulsive or just decide that the price is right and the look is right. Quality over looks. You can buy a $750 couch every 5 years or a $5000+ couch every 30 years. What you cannot expect is a cheap couch to last long long time.
You're in a big city with many large furniture stores. I would go to many of them and learn as much as you can and then pay the top of your budget for the best one you can afford. YMMV.
My grandfather used to say to me, "Augie, sometimes I cannot afford a bargain."
posted by AugustWest at 11:59 PM on April 25, 2020 [12 favorites]
Ethan Allen and Lazy Boy price range are kind of a sweet spot for long lasting, like decades, couches imho. Good foam is really expensive and is what makes a couch hold up over time. Be ware of the stain treatment and fire retardent on fabric though, some of them are really toxic especially to cats.
posted by fshgrl at 12:24 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 12:24 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
I once bought a fancy custom LaZBoy couch and the foam collapsed and the microfiber that 'lasts forever and you can clean with a damp rag!' fabric pilled within year. So just...no.
I bought a $500 new-ish generic couch off Facebook marketplace. Its actually amazing and super firm after many years. I am not proud. I am also 40 and don't know how to do this. I may be too jaded to buy new furniture.
posted by ananci at 1:01 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
I bought a $500 new-ish generic couch off Facebook marketplace. Its actually amazing and super firm after many years. I am not proud. I am also 40 and don't know how to do this. I may be too jaded to buy new furniture.
posted by ananci at 1:01 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
I recently moved and got rid of my secondhand Ikea couch; I decided that I would buy a new couch for the first time. I started searching for couches starting in late August and bought one on Black Friday due to the sale; it then had to be made, so it arrived in early February. It's too early to comment on its longevity but I can comment on the purchasing process.
The first thing I think is helpful is deciding what features you care about - what's non-negotiable, what's preferred. Do you want it to recline? If so, do you have electric vs. manual preferences? How many seats should it have? Do you want it to have a chaise? Do you want fabric or leather? If fabric, what type? Does it need to be able to have a slipcover? Should it have integrated storage and/or cupholders? Do you have strong color opinions? Do you have strong aesthetic opinions? What general size and shape are you looking for? How long are you willing to wait? Are you willing to buy used?
Then I think you want to set a reasonable budget. I say that second, because the features you want will probably partially set your budget for you. I naively thought going in that I'd end up with a sub-$1000 sofa, ideally maybe ~$800, and started looking and saw many sofas at all price points. When I finally figured out what it was I was looking for, however, it turns out that my sofa desires come with a minimum $1200+ all-in price tag so I began to look at the $1200-1500 range.
Knowing what you want and what is a reasonable budget for you for it will really help guide you in that it will narrow your options. (A lot of recommended online retailers were out of my price range, full stop.) Given the pandemic, if you're shopping online I would heavily weight options that have a lot of reviews and I would also research the overall brand and manufacturer's reputation and production location. For myself, I wanted to be able to sit in the sofa I was buying; if that's you too you might just want to wait until you can go in person.
I found less than fifteen couches that met my list of particulars and budget (because I am apparently not in sync with the rest of couch consumers, or at least couch producers) and I did a pretty exhaustive search including visiting something like twenty furniture stores in person; of those, the majority were online only and I didn't want to spend what to me is a lot of money on something I hadn't seen and tested out in person. That left three. One was just straight up uncomfortable when I tried it out in Nebraska Furniture Mart. That left two. Of those, one was a two-seater reclining La-Z-Boy sofa and the other was a three-seater reclining Southern Motion option. The number of seats wasn't a deal-breaker for me which is why they both ended up as contenders, but I liked the function and aesthetics of three seats more and also the Southern Motion looked like its cushions might age better though I have no proof that'd be true. I researched Southern Motion and found that they're pretty well regarded aside from terrible bonded leather problems (I wanted fabric). So I bought the Southern Motion sofa. All-in, it was right around $1500. Time will tell if it was a good call. Currently I have no complaints but it's only been with me for a couple months.
Things I remember reading about in the process: If you want a cheap couch and you like what they offer, almost everyone thinks Ikea pieces are worth about 3x their cost compared to the rest of the marketplace. If you want a pricey couch, people on the whole seem to like Room & Board, Pottery Barn, Article, Dania, Ethan Allen, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, sometimes Macy's, and there are others I've probably forgotten in the intervening months. Each have horror stories you can find online, but those all seem to have enough admirers to outweigh that. If you want to sit on the couch first, you are limited to the couches that are in whatever stores are in your willing-to-drive-to vicinity.
posted by vegartanipla at 1:04 AM on April 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
The first thing I think is helpful is deciding what features you care about - what's non-negotiable, what's preferred. Do you want it to recline? If so, do you have electric vs. manual preferences? How many seats should it have? Do you want it to have a chaise? Do you want fabric or leather? If fabric, what type? Does it need to be able to have a slipcover? Should it have integrated storage and/or cupholders? Do you have strong color opinions? Do you have strong aesthetic opinions? What general size and shape are you looking for? How long are you willing to wait? Are you willing to buy used?
Then I think you want to set a reasonable budget. I say that second, because the features you want will probably partially set your budget for you. I naively thought going in that I'd end up with a sub-$1000 sofa, ideally maybe ~$800, and started looking and saw many sofas at all price points. When I finally figured out what it was I was looking for, however, it turns out that my sofa desires come with a minimum $1200+ all-in price tag so I began to look at the $1200-1500 range.
Knowing what you want and what is a reasonable budget for you for it will really help guide you in that it will narrow your options. (A lot of recommended online retailers were out of my price range, full stop.) Given the pandemic, if you're shopping online I would heavily weight options that have a lot of reviews and I would also research the overall brand and manufacturer's reputation and production location. For myself, I wanted to be able to sit in the sofa I was buying; if that's you too you might just want to wait until you can go in person.
I found less than fifteen couches that met my list of particulars and budget (because I am apparently not in sync with the rest of couch consumers, or at least couch producers) and I did a pretty exhaustive search including visiting something like twenty furniture stores in person; of those, the majority were online only and I didn't want to spend what to me is a lot of money on something I hadn't seen and tested out in person. That left three. One was just straight up uncomfortable when I tried it out in Nebraska Furniture Mart. That left two. Of those, one was a two-seater reclining La-Z-Boy sofa and the other was a three-seater reclining Southern Motion option. The number of seats wasn't a deal-breaker for me which is why they both ended up as contenders, but I liked the function and aesthetics of three seats more and also the Southern Motion looked like its cushions might age better though I have no proof that'd be true. I researched Southern Motion and found that they're pretty well regarded aside from terrible bonded leather problems (I wanted fabric). So I bought the Southern Motion sofa. All-in, it was right around $1500. Time will tell if it was a good call. Currently I have no complaints but it's only been with me for a couple months.
Things I remember reading about in the process: If you want a cheap couch and you like what they offer, almost everyone thinks Ikea pieces are worth about 3x their cost compared to the rest of the marketplace. If you want a pricey couch, people on the whole seem to like Room & Board, Pottery Barn, Article, Dania, Ethan Allen, Crate and Barrel, Restoration Hardware, sometimes Macy's, and there are others I've probably forgotten in the intervening months. Each have horror stories you can find online, but those all seem to have enough admirers to outweigh that. If you want to sit on the couch first, you are limited to the couches that are in whatever stores are in your willing-to-drive-to vicinity.
posted by vegartanipla at 1:04 AM on April 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
That West Elm article pretty much sums up an entire generation's challenges with dealing with couches. The struggle is real.
If you're buying new, I also recommend spending good money. At least aim for the higher-end Ikea stuff, which is actually pretty good in terms of durability (so long as it's not bonded leather, but that's another story). Don't buy a couch without sitting on it AND reading a wealth of customer reviews. This also means that it's probably a bad idea to buy a newly-introduced model with no reviews, especially if it's at the lower end of a retailer's price range; I learned this the hard way and I am now the not-so-proud owner of a three-year-old couch I rarely want to sit on.
I'd also add Gus*, Rove Concepts, and EQ3 to the list of step-up-from-Ikea couch brands worth checking out, if they fit your aesthetic. Not cheap, but everyone I know who has one of their couches loves it. Gus* and EQ3 are both Canadian brands but I believe they have showrooms somewhere in California.
posted by blerghamot at 4:16 AM on April 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
If you're buying new, I also recommend spending good money. At least aim for the higher-end Ikea stuff, which is actually pretty good in terms of durability (so long as it's not bonded leather, but that's another story). Don't buy a couch without sitting on it AND reading a wealth of customer reviews. This also means that it's probably a bad idea to buy a newly-introduced model with no reviews, especially if it's at the lower end of a retailer's price range; I learned this the hard way and I am now the not-so-proud owner of a three-year-old couch I rarely want to sit on.
I'd also add Gus*, Rove Concepts, and EQ3 to the list of step-up-from-Ikea couch brands worth checking out, if they fit your aesthetic. Not cheap, but everyone I know who has one of their couches loves it. Gus* and EQ3 are both Canadian brands but I believe they have showrooms somewhere in California.
posted by blerghamot at 4:16 AM on April 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
The couch I'm currently vegging on ... smelled real bad when we got it home, new from Ikea. I think Ikea has changed its rules about VOC but be careful or your living room may be unusable for a few days, without strong ventilation.
https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/questions/why-is-my-new-piece-of-furniture-emitting-a-nasty-odor
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:23 AM on April 26, 2020
https://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/questions/why-is-my-new-piece-of-furniture-emitting-a-nasty-odor
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:23 AM on April 26, 2020
I had a brief career as an upholsterer in a low-end furniture factory. Bad structural design can cause catastrophic failure in furniture, but you can't assess that, because of the stuff they staple across the bottom of pieces. I second the advice to buy used, or to consult reupholsterers about what are good brands. When I shop for couches and chairs, I grab the arms and see if I can get them to move at all. If I can, I assume that they will break easily.
Some things I would avoid:
- Mechanical complications. Recliners, especially powered ones, have a finite life. Ditto massagers and the like.
- Big, wide, rolled-over arms. They don't actually add a lot of comfort to a piece, but they do add a lot to the size of its footprint. Unless you have a very large living room, you need to keep that in mind. They are also hard to find slipcovers for.
- Fragile upholstery. Thin fabric can get ruined by a moment's carelessness or a destructive pet.
- Removable seat cushions. I'm sitting on a couch that has them, and the cushions continuously migrate away from the back. I've tried a number of things to stop them, without much luck. This behavior was not apparent in the store.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:56 AM on April 26, 2020 [6 favorites]
Some things I would avoid:
- Mechanical complications. Recliners, especially powered ones, have a finite life. Ditto massagers and the like.
- Big, wide, rolled-over arms. They don't actually add a lot of comfort to a piece, but they do add a lot to the size of its footprint. Unless you have a very large living room, you need to keep that in mind. They are also hard to find slipcovers for.
- Fragile upholstery. Thin fabric can get ruined by a moment's carelessness or a destructive pet.
- Removable seat cushions. I'm sitting on a couch that has them, and the cushions continuously migrate away from the back. I've tried a number of things to stop them, without much luck. This behavior was not apparent in the store.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 4:56 AM on April 26, 2020 [6 favorites]
Removable seat cushions
Came here to say that too. My partner had a weirdly excellent couch when I met them (weirdly because they don't care about furniture at all; I can only assume their mom bought it) but if we ever get rid of it for anything besides, like, fire damage, it'll be because I found something comparable except with cushions that actually stay in place.
posted by teremala at 5:13 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Came here to say that too. My partner had a weirdly excellent couch when I met them (weirdly because they don't care about furniture at all; I can only assume their mom bought it) but if we ever get rid of it for anything besides, like, fire damage, it'll be because I found something comparable except with cushions that actually stay in place.
posted by teremala at 5:13 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Avoid low-end retailers like Ashley or Rooms To Go like the plague. Higher-end IKEA stuff is actually pretty good quality. If you wanna spend big $$ look at places like Crate & Barrel.
posted by gnutron at 5:17 AM on April 26, 2020
posted by gnutron at 5:17 AM on April 26, 2020
We just bought a leather couch for long term use from Article and it is great thus far.
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:36 AM on April 26, 2020
posted by RolandOfEld at 5:36 AM on April 26, 2020
Just did this, but with a slightly higher budget ($3-4k). We needed/wanted a couch that wasn't super low to the ground, nor a super deep one. (We're tall and getting up off a low couch is murder in your knees)
Counter point: our couch had removable cushions, but they clip into the back of the couch so they don't migrate. It's awesome, and allows for both cleaning and flipping.
We got a custom sectional from Knoll for less than an equivalent sized couch from Crate ave Barrel. Don't discount high end places, sometimes you can find way better value there. (And it's American made, fabric that is designed to last, and incredibly comfortable). My parents have 2 knoll couches and they are still comfortable 30+ years down the line, so we used that as a marker of longevity.
We were impressed with EQ3, which just opened a location in our city- we ended up getting our rug there.
posted by larthegreat at 6:39 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
Counter point: our couch had removable cushions, but they clip into the back of the couch so they don't migrate. It's awesome, and allows for both cleaning and flipping.
We got a custom sectional from Knoll for less than an equivalent sized couch from Crate ave Barrel. Don't discount high end places, sometimes you can find way better value there. (And it's American made, fabric that is designed to last, and incredibly comfortable). My parents have 2 knoll couches and they are still comfortable 30+ years down the line, so we used that as a marker of longevity.
We were impressed with EQ3, which just opened a location in our city- we ended up getting our rug there.
posted by larthegreat at 6:39 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
Here's one way get an idea of the quality of wood and joints. Squat down by a front corner of the sofa. Grab the leg, then lift - carefully, don't hurt your back - that corner off the ground. The better the wood and the joints, the sooner the back leg on that end of the sofa will come off the ground.
posted by Homer42 at 7:57 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Homer42 at 7:57 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
LA has tons of custom sofa stores, so you have lots of options. I have two sofas from The Joneses and they look basically brand new after 15 months. I don't think these will last 30 years, but for the price point I think they're better than say West Elm or CB2. Including tax and delivery they were $1900 and $2300 (96 inch sectional and sofa). But that's far from your only option. I've also heard good things about Huerta Furniture in SGV but I'm not sure about the comfort/quality (they are popular with design-minded people for custom work/recreating couches from photographs).
posted by acidic at 8:17 AM on April 26, 2020
posted by acidic at 8:17 AM on April 26, 2020
It's so stressful!!! In 2013 my mom offered to buy us a couch as a wedding gift. We were so stressed and horrified after a few furniture store visits that we gave up for five full years and just stayed with our old couch that was literally falling to pieces.
Finally a couple years ago we decided that we were going to go to one store (Crate and Barrel, because my sister has a good couch from them, it was in the right price range, and it was easy to get to) and pick a couch. Going to multiple stores was what overwhelmed us the first time. If you go to one store there will probably only be a few couches that meet your needs, and it's way easier to pick between 5 couches than 50.
We made a list of features we wanted (pullout bed, comfy for short people, washable slipcover, fits in our small apartment). We sat on every couch at Crate and Barrel that met those criteria. We took notes. We looked at (a LOT of) reviews online of our top 3 couches to get an idea of how they'd hold up over time. We went back a couple weeks later and picked the final couch. (It's this one.)
Now it's been, idk 18 months or so, and I'm glad we went through all those steps. This couch is SUPER comfy, we can indeed wash the slipcovers, and it seems to be holding up well.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 8:59 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Finally a couple years ago we decided that we were going to go to one store (Crate and Barrel, because my sister has a good couch from them, it was in the right price range, and it was easy to get to) and pick a couch. Going to multiple stores was what overwhelmed us the first time. If you go to one store there will probably only be a few couches that meet your needs, and it's way easier to pick between 5 couches than 50.
We made a list of features we wanted (pullout bed, comfy for short people, washable slipcover, fits in our small apartment). We sat on every couch at Crate and Barrel that met those criteria. We took notes. We looked at (a LOT of) reviews online of our top 3 couches to get an idea of how they'd hold up over time. We went back a couple weeks later and picked the final couch. (It's this one.)
Now it's been, idk 18 months or so, and I'm glad we went through all those steps. This couch is SUPER comfy, we can indeed wash the slipcovers, and it seems to be holding up well.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 8:59 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
We did this a few months ago and wound up with a couple of couches from Joybird. We're happy so far, although it's only been ~3-4 months. But! We found these two articles from the Wirecutter(1, 2) extremely helpful in figuring out what to look for in a sofa.
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 9:10 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 9:10 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
We have a Flexsteel love seat that we got from my in laws that's still around. We used it for a number of years but now it lives in the cat room. They're nearly indestructible and can be found on sale. The comfort of the various couches depends on their construction more than anything else in their case.
We also have a Rowe sofa and chair that are very high quality. We got them at a discount because the original buyers didn't like something about them and the store had a 100% satisfaction guarantee even on custom furniture. The couch has a mix of foam and down which has really extended the life span of the cushions.
These people probably want to sell you furniture but their buying guide is useful. My in-laws owned a furniture store (which is where the love seat came from in the 80s) and it matches their advice.
I'm a big fan of buying appliances and furniture on clearance. I think 80% of our furniture was bought on some sort of year end clearance sale, even the floor speakers. I'm sure there are a lot of sales going on now.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:33 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
We also have a Rowe sofa and chair that are very high quality. We got them at a discount because the original buyers didn't like something about them and the store had a 100% satisfaction guarantee even on custom furniture. The couch has a mix of foam and down which has really extended the life span of the cushions.
These people probably want to sell you furniture but their buying guide is useful. My in-laws owned a furniture store (which is where the love seat came from in the 80s) and it matches their advice.
I'm a big fan of buying appliances and furniture on clearance. I think 80% of our furniture was bought on some sort of year end clearance sale, even the floor speakers. I'm sure there are a lot of sales going on now.
posted by fiercekitten at 9:33 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
I meant to explain why I think buying used is such a good idea, but forgot to. If the couch has a built-in weakness, it's probably going to break before it gets to the used market. Things for sale used have already been tested by the previous owners. When I started at the factory, my first jobs were fixing pieces that never made it to a home. Usually, the frame broke, because of the way it was assembled, with the load from one element applied too close to the edge of another one. This caused the second element to split. Unfortunately, that's not necessarily the kind of thing that will be detected by Homer42's test, which is nevertheless worth doing.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:40 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:40 AM on April 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
Flexsteel. I have one that is more than 40 years old and it looks new.
posted by metasunday at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2020
posted by metasunday at 10:07 AM on April 26, 2020
I, too, made it well into adulthood without ever having bought, nor knowing how to buy, a proper couch for the home. So when I was finally ready to buy said couch, I did what I usually do in these situations, which is hit up Ask MeFi hard in order to absorb the collective wisdom. So I did a Google search for "couch" and then also "furniture" using the site search operator on ask.metafilter.com . In other words, I typed the following into a Google search:
couch site:ask.metafilter.com
So I read all those posts, and I came away with the idea I should go to Room and Board and check out their couches. Fortunately there is a showroom in Culver City so that was easy enough. My partner and I sat on all the couches, but we didn't especially enjoy any of them. So then I sought some more general couch buying advice on the web and learned I should test the couches as I would actually use them. That meant, take my shoes off, and really lounge on each couch instead of sitting like I'm on a waiting room couch. That made a big difference in my next, and thankfully final, showroom testing experience.
I also had to figure out my particular use-case and what was most important to me, and that helped to narrow down which couches were even worth considering. I wanted to be able to sleep on it, so that meant it had to be a minimum seat length in order for an adult to lay down comfortably. Three seat cushions became a necessity compared to two seat cushions: otherwise the person laying down would forever feel the bulk of their weight line up with the gap between the two seat cushions whereas three seat cushions would provide much better support. The couch had to be small enough to fit in the doorway during initial delivery as well as fit reasonably within the floorplan of its intended room. And so on and so forth, your couch needs and priorities will differ from mine.
So with this information in hand, I went to Room and Board's website and narrowed down all the couches that fit my pre-determined criteria. I also carefully read all the reviews for each of those couches in order to familiarize myself with them and could then further whittle down my list if any of the reviews contained a pattern that ran counter to what I was looking for. I also was wary of any couches that didn't have many reviews, but felt more confident about couches that had many positive reviews and saw it was a design the company had been selling for multiple years.
Then I felt ready to go back to Room and Board's showroom. This time I specifically sought out the specific floor models that matched my shortlist of couches to try, and my partner and I found a couch we both really liked! Once we settled on the couch model and fabric type we wanted, I went home to order fabric samples in order to see how each color looked in our actual living environment. Based on that, we made our purchase online and the couch was delivered a few weeks later.
Speaking of which, fabric type is another reason why trying a couch in person matters. Initially, when I was limited to browsing couches online, I was set on going with one fabric type. Once I was in the store, it became clear a different fabric type was a far better fit for our intended couch experience. If you're not sure about materials, I felt the Room and Board website did a good job of listing the relative durability of each fabric, as well as how easy thy are to clean and how they hold up to pets and so forth.
The couch we bought cost about $2,000 with tax. This is a lot of money to me, but felt appropriate considering the collective experience of R&B furniture as described here on Ask MeFi, how long I intended to keep this couch for, and how central the couch would be to our home. I wanted a nice and comfortable couch that would last a long time. I wanted to be able try the couch in person. I appreciated R&B's commitment to quality and making things in the USA. I am not someone who wants to worry about VOCs and off-gassing in my home. I also didn't have the energy to shop around 20 different stores every weekend for months to try out different couches.
So, in the end, the price felt justified to me in terms of overall shopping experience and quality of the end product. Room and Board in Culver City is in a kind of furniture district so we did go visit a couple of other showrooms in that area, but preferred R&B for the reasons stated above. I've had the couch for not quite 2 years, and while it's not quite as fluffy as when I first bought it, I still think it's a great and comfortable couch and have zero regrets buying it.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 10:12 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
couch site:ask.metafilter.com
So I read all those posts, and I came away with the idea I should go to Room and Board and check out their couches. Fortunately there is a showroom in Culver City so that was easy enough. My partner and I sat on all the couches, but we didn't especially enjoy any of them. So then I sought some more general couch buying advice on the web and learned I should test the couches as I would actually use them. That meant, take my shoes off, and really lounge on each couch instead of sitting like I'm on a waiting room couch. That made a big difference in my next, and thankfully final, showroom testing experience.
I also had to figure out my particular use-case and what was most important to me, and that helped to narrow down which couches were even worth considering. I wanted to be able to sleep on it, so that meant it had to be a minimum seat length in order for an adult to lay down comfortably. Three seat cushions became a necessity compared to two seat cushions: otherwise the person laying down would forever feel the bulk of their weight line up with the gap between the two seat cushions whereas three seat cushions would provide much better support. The couch had to be small enough to fit in the doorway during initial delivery as well as fit reasonably within the floorplan of its intended room. And so on and so forth, your couch needs and priorities will differ from mine.
So with this information in hand, I went to Room and Board's website and narrowed down all the couches that fit my pre-determined criteria. I also carefully read all the reviews for each of those couches in order to familiarize myself with them and could then further whittle down my list if any of the reviews contained a pattern that ran counter to what I was looking for. I also was wary of any couches that didn't have many reviews, but felt more confident about couches that had many positive reviews and saw it was a design the company had been selling for multiple years.
Then I felt ready to go back to Room and Board's showroom. This time I specifically sought out the specific floor models that matched my shortlist of couches to try, and my partner and I found a couch we both really liked! Once we settled on the couch model and fabric type we wanted, I went home to order fabric samples in order to see how each color looked in our actual living environment. Based on that, we made our purchase online and the couch was delivered a few weeks later.
Speaking of which, fabric type is another reason why trying a couch in person matters. Initially, when I was limited to browsing couches online, I was set on going with one fabric type. Once I was in the store, it became clear a different fabric type was a far better fit for our intended couch experience. If you're not sure about materials, I felt the Room and Board website did a good job of listing the relative durability of each fabric, as well as how easy thy are to clean and how they hold up to pets and so forth.
The couch we bought cost about $2,000 with tax. This is a lot of money to me, but felt appropriate considering the collective experience of R&B furniture as described here on Ask MeFi, how long I intended to keep this couch for, and how central the couch would be to our home. I wanted a nice and comfortable couch that would last a long time. I wanted to be able try the couch in person. I appreciated R&B's commitment to quality and making things in the USA. I am not someone who wants to worry about VOCs and off-gassing in my home. I also didn't have the energy to shop around 20 different stores every weekend for months to try out different couches.
So, in the end, the price felt justified to me in terms of overall shopping experience and quality of the end product. Room and Board in Culver City is in a kind of furniture district so we did go visit a couple of other showrooms in that area, but preferred R&B for the reasons stated above. I've had the couch for not quite 2 years, and while it's not quite as fluffy as when I first bought it, I still think it's a great and comfortable couch and have zero regrets buying it.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 10:12 AM on April 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
Room & Board is great quality, so are Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. I don't know as much about the quality of West Elm and Crate & Barrel/CB2. If you want to save money, you can definitely get a decent couch on Wayfair, Hayneedle, or Overstock - just read the reviews. Once in-person shopping opens up again, I would also search for "furniture outlet stores", which tend to be BIG warehouses full of new, marked-down couches that you can try out. They are usually just actual overstock. (Overstock.com is no longer true overstock, as far as I can tell.)
posted by amaire at 10:49 AM on April 26, 2020
posted by amaire at 10:49 AM on April 26, 2020
We've been really happy with our couch from the Comfortable Couch Company, which is still in really good shape 4 years later. They only sell online so they are very forthcoming about construction and were also super responsive to emailed questions.
We also bought a Flexsteel sectional from a consignment store for our basement rumpus room 5 years ago which remains essentially pristine despite being turned into a couch fort by my 9 and 6 year old kids at least twice a month.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 1:43 PM on April 26, 2020
We also bought a Flexsteel sectional from a consignment store for our basement rumpus room 5 years ago which remains essentially pristine despite being turned into a couch fort by my 9 and 6 year old kids at least twice a month.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 1:43 PM on April 26, 2020
I've had a Pottery Barn PB Comfort sectional for 9 years (a Very Large Purchase for me financially) and it's been worth every penny. Washable slipcovers are your friend - mine's cotton canvas and although the cat has had her way with one of the arms, they have held strong through many washings. Be aware that some manufacturers do not ship immediately - ours had a 2-week lead time.
posted by Otter_Handler at 5:35 AM on April 27, 2020
posted by Otter_Handler at 5:35 AM on April 27, 2020
Heywood-Wakefield might be a good choice for U.S.-made couches, if a mid-century modern style piece fits in with your home decor.
posted by JDC8 at 2:06 PM on April 27, 2020
posted by JDC8 at 2:06 PM on April 27, 2020
Late to the party, but you should check out Home Reserve. We bought a sectional a few years back from them and loved everything about it. And their prices are remarkably lower, probably because you assemble the couch yourself. Much easier than it sounds.
posted by vrakatar at 6:08 PM on April 29, 2020
posted by vrakatar at 6:08 PM on April 29, 2020
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- Entry level IKEA couch (a Klippan). This was, surprisingly, one of the better couches I've owned, though I managed to break an armrest by...putting my arm on it.
- Entry level name brand couch (La-z-boy). Overpriced, plus a structural failure in the first year. Hard pass.
- No name furniture store for a cheap electric reclining couch (before foot surgery). Two years of reasonable use, followed by various...issues.
For me, the most successful couch purchases I've made over the years have been secondhand purchases via Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You'd be shocked at how little gently used sturdy leather furniture shows up for, if you make a point of looking on a regular basis and know what to avoid (anything Ashley, for starters). Of course, this being a pandemic, "buy used" is perhaps not the most practical advice. Were I to buy new again, I'd be giving Dania furniture a hard look; the Dania couch I've inherited was over a decade old when it came to me, but you'd never know it, and it's very very comfortable.posted by Vervain at 11:26 PM on April 25, 2020