Sofa Buying Guide

Buying a new sofa couch is a difficult task with so many options available in the market. You will need to consider style, fabric, frame material, comfort and cost. Use our set of tips to help you choose the perfect sofa for your living room.

TYPES OF SOFAS

Traditional sofa

The average sofa is for seating three people comfortably and is the piece most often chosen for the living room.

Traditional Sofa

Convertible Sofa

Convertible sofa

This sofa can be converted into an extra bed that can be used for guests.

Loveseat

These sofas can seat two people and are perfect for smaller rooms.

Loveseat Sofa

Divan Sofa

Divan

These are sofas without a back, generally placed against a wall with pillows added for comfort.

Settee

This is a form of loveseat. It usually has a wood frame, open arms, and an upholstered seat.

Settee Sofa

Sectional Sofa

Sectional sofa

These are long sofas that can be separated into several sections and repositioned to fit the room. These are ideal for large rooms or for seating large number of people.

FEATURES

Style

Think about what the couch is for - will it be used by all the family, sit in the hallway or be a centrepiece in the ''good room''?

Keep the decor of your home in mind when deciding. Will it match the rest of the furniture?

Beware of trendy styles that are likely to go out of fashion in a couple of years. Achieve timelessness by choosing a traditional style.

Fabric

Once you've decided on the style you need to choose a fabric type.

Leather is good for families prone to spillages. Light-coloured fabrics look good but stain easily. It's worthwhile getting removable covers so you can clean them.

Multi-coloured fabrics hide stains well, while block colours show stains.

Ask to see a fabric swatch. You can then see what other fabrics look like and also feel them.

Comfort

Sit on the couch. Get other family members to test it with you as well.

Is it wide enough? Does it make you slouch? Or does it make you never want to leave it?

Frame

A sofa should last you 10 years or more, so good-quality construction is important.

Timber frames are best and they should be screwed together. As a general rule, the heavier the couch, the higher quality of frame. So try to lift it. If it's light then the quality won't be very high.

Cushions and upholstery

Sit on the couch to see how the cushions feel. Do the cushions stay in place or do they sink or slide forward at an uncomfortable angle?

A single seating panel allows as many people to sit on the couch as you like but you'll have to clean the whole thing when spillages occur.

Splitting the seating into two or three cushions usually means the seating is limited to that number. However, if there is a spillage you can just clean that cushion rather than the entire couch.

SOFA BUDGET AND PRICE

Sofas vary in price from as little as Rs. 5,000 all the way up to Rs. 8,00,000 or more.

Work out your budget and then stretch it as far as is comfortable - you don't want to be replacing your sofa in three years' time.

SOFA BRANDS

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