The definitive sofa buying guide

If so, consider the style and colour choice. Be sensitive to the lighting and the general ambience of the room, and when in doubt, keep it classic - trends come and go, but a timeless sofa will see you through many periods of redecoration.

Does it need to withstand excitable children, or be durable enough to live in a home full of pets? If yes, consider a very durable fabric and higher-density sofa cushions in order to get as much life out of your sofa as possible.

Foam-filled cushions are available in different densities and will offer a firm level of support for those who suffer from back aches. But if allergies are a problem, opt for leather finishes or tightly woven fabric upholstery that are easier to clean.

It’s important to know the space your sofa will be working with and the other elements you need to fit alongside it. Follow our measuring guidelines before you take the plunge to figure out which size and configuration works best for you.

Whatever the price it's not always easy to see at first glance, or even first sit, whether your desired sofa is a great deal or a one season wonder. This is especially true if you're shopping online.

A good way to draw up a budget for big ticket items like these is to do plenty of research, understand the descriptions and ask the right questions. And if you're buying online, always remember to check independent reviews, pay particular attention to delivery and customer service and trust your instinct.

Ensuring it can fit in your home

Once you've ensured your sofa will physically fit where you want it, it's important to consider these points:

• Will it fit through the door frames?
• Are there any obstacles like stair bannisters to consider?
• Is there enough room for the delivery men to manoeuvre the sofa?

To assess whether that'll be an issue, look out for the minimum access width on the product description of your sofa before purchasing. This will indicate how wide the hallways and entrances need to be - an element that needs extra consideration when anything bigger than a 2 seater sofa is involved.

Next, you need to assess the length of the item you're bringing into the home. If there’s any right angles or obstacles that need to be negotiated, ensure that the sofa can be carried on its end, vertically, while still having height clearance.

For flat complexes, the ideal solution would be if the building has a service area. Failing that, assess whether your lift can fit the furniture (both in size and weight) or measure the corridors and stairwells in the same way you would your home. If in doubt, contact the store’s customer support before purchasing.

Delivery logistics

When booking the delivery of your sofa, it's essential that you familiarise yourself with the process. Find out who will be delivering the sofa, and whether they'll carry it to your door, or if there are any restrictions that might make them falter. This could include only carrying the sofa for a certain distance or amount of time, and dealing with obstructions like stairs.

For information on Furniture Choice deliveries, please take a look here.

Width and depth

The depth of a sofa can vary anywhere between 75cm to over 1m (with deeper sofas understood as being more comfortable) and the length can be anything from under 2m to over 3m. Take note of the sizes to ensure the sofa fits where you want to, and compare the size to other sofa product descriptions too - this can help give you an idea of how the sofa fits into the rest of the market in terms of size, as well as ensuring that it is actually around the size that you want.

You should also ensure that the sofa depth is around the comfortable 40" mark. Many consider this as the optimum depth to allow sitting normally, or curling up with your feet under you.

In the case of armchairs, sofa beds, reclining chairs, and corner sofas, it's essential that you look at the individual product descriptions for accurate information. In cases where the item changes shape (recliners and sofa beds, for example) be sure to get measurements for the piece in both/all states.

Back support

For any kind of back support, you need to ensure that the sofa has a reasonably high back, and ideally, has cushions designed to support your muscles and spine in its natural seated position. Most sofa backs are between 75cm and 1m tall, which should provide enough height for most - but be sure to look at the style of the cushions if lumbar or upper back support is a main selling feature for you. Some manufacturers offer dedicated orthopaedic seating, but most users will find the supplied cushions more than enough for their comfort levels.

A seat with an angled back helps take some of the weight off of your upper body and back, whereas an angled seat that tips forward helps to reduce tension on your muscles when sitting and during the transition to standing.

Sofa frames

Typical sofas are constructed from various kinds of timber - unless you've opted for a metal-framed sofa bed. Kiln-dried hardwoods like maple, pine, oak and birch are frequently cited as the sturdiest of sofa frames, and are considered to be the best for sofa-making by many manufacturers - but unsurprisingly this comes at a cost.

Other options for frame materials include engineered woods like plywood. Plywood is made by combining thick pieces of wood, and subjected to large amounts of pressure. As this technique has developed over the years, many manufacturers now feel that high-quality plywood can be just as good as traditional kiln-dried hardwoods.

As with anything made from wood, always check to see if the wood used is from a sustainable source, and has been treated for insects and moisture.

Joinery

When it comes to the joinery within the sofa frame, there are a couple of things to keep an eye out for. Screws, glues, brackets and dowels are all signs that the frame itself has been constructed properly. If you're in doubt, the best thing to do is to quiz the retailer on the manufacturing process. Ensure the seller can tell you what's inside the sofa, and the levels of quality control the sofa will have gone through before arriving in store.

Upholstery

The upholstery of a sofa is what gives it a finished look. From built-in padding to the inclusion of fabrics or leathers, ensuring the upholstery of a sofa is up to scratch is of vital importance.

The first thing to examine is the stitching. Ensure that any joins are straight, the fabric is close fitting to the frame (but not drawn over it too tightly) and be wary if staples are used. While these can provide a strong finish, the use of staples in upholstery are more commonly used by people to reupholster sofas on their own.

Fabric sofas are brilliant for those that crave a little individuality in their living space thanks to the incredibly wide amount of patterns, colours and styles available in the market.

From chenille to wool or linen blends and trusty cotton, fabric sofas are definitely not a one-size-fits-all option. As such, it's vital that you don't get carried away in the cosmetic elements of a sofa, and instead think about the durability of the fabric, and what you need your sofa to be able to withstand. Take the possibility of wear and tear into account, and opt for colours that will likely wash better - paler tones are less noticeable as they fade.

In short, there are a vast amount of leather finishes available to choose from, but most are easily divided into three categories: aniline leather, pigmented leather and semi-aniline leather.

Aniline leather is the most natural-looking leather, but is more vulnerable to stains. It is the purest kind of leather, as no pigments are used in the tanning process - this means you'll be able to see the true character of the leather. As well as giving a more natural look, aniline leather is also hardwearing. Only the best hides are used to produce this leather, which is why this unprotected material can be costly.

Pigmented (or, protected) leather has a polymer coating which increases durability, but reduces the authentic leather appearance.

Semi-aniline lives in between those two categories.

It's worth nothing that all leathers come with their own distinctive texture. No two leathers are ever the same, and the best leather (which comes from the top of the animal) will typically be home to the most defects.

Environmental factors have an impact on the appearance of the material, taking elements like cleanliness, insect effects and habitat safety into account - these can all leave marks upon the leather. However, these are often removed during leather correction processes. Here, the leather can be pigmented, bleached, dyed, embossed or given colour additives to create the perfect tone. These complex processes are why leather sofas are more costly than their fabric counterparts, but the finished piece is far more durable.

A cost-effective way of bringing leather furniture into the home is by making the most of split leather sofas. Found more so on the back and sides of a sofa, split leather makes use of too-thick hides that are cut in half. The top half is called grain, and the bottom half becomes suede or split leather. In split leather sofas, the cheaper leather cut is embossed with a leather grain and used where wear and tear isn't most likely to occur.

Bonded leather could also provide that sought-after leather look for less money. Though you shouldn't think of bonded leather as artificial leather; it is still manufactured, while real leather is not. Bonded leather takes the scraps and literally bonds them together with a glue. The finished product is still very durable, but can cost a fraction of what a real leather equivalent would. Bonded leather is also environmentally friendly, as it makes use of materials that would otherwise go to waste.

A type of vinyl, PU sofas comprise of a plastic resin that's made to imitate leather. Though these fake leather (or match) sofas are easy to clean and more affordable than real leather, they aren't as durable. However, if you are looking to bring a leather-look into your home at a budget, a PU sofa could be a valid option.

Firmness

Each sofa’s product description should indicate the kind of filling used, and whether the feel is soft, medium or hard, so it’s a good point to learn the composition and the density of the cushion to understand the kind of comfort you'll be investing in. Most will be labelled soft, medium or hard, in a similar way to a mattress.

Fillings

Feather fillings are used less frequently these days, as new advances in sofa fillings are more cost effective and manageable. Feather-filled cushions require attention every day, and have a similar look to fibre-filled sofas. Traditionally, feathers, horse hair, coconut fibre and duck down have all been used, but these fillings are now rarely seen in the market.

Foam is frequently used by manufacturers as it is more supportive, and offers a tailored look when finished. High-resilience foam is ideal, as this will compact (and subsequently lose volume) much slower than standard foam. However, this can be prevented to a certain degree with frequent turns of the foam-filled cushions. Natural latex foam is another cushion filling - but due to its lack of fire-retardant properties, it has become less popular.

Fibre fillings are great if you want a sofa that looks altogether softer and cosier. With these kind of cushions, they easily adapt to your body shape, but can also be quickly plumped up whenever required.

Though more commonly found in mattresses - pocket sprung cushions are making a more frequent appearance on sofas. Individual springs within the cushion make it a viable option for larger sofas as well as smaller ones, and can be medium or firm depending on how tightly wound the springs are.

How to care for a fabric sofa

Some styles come with removable covers that allow for easier maintenance - this is ideal if you’ve children and pets to clean up after. You'll also be able to use some spot cleaners in the same way as you would a carpet, though be sure to check the instructions on the individual product before use.

If in doubt, baby wipes are an excellent way to remove spills or stains. These are gentle enough to not cause any damage, and can still help remove a stain or mark. White wine vinegar is also favoured, but there’s a risk of getting the fabric - and the filling - too wet, and will also need plenty of fresh air in order to allow the vinegar to dry completely.

How to care for a leather sofa

When it comes to cleaning leather sofas, it's important that you only use products that are specifically designed for that use. Using other household cleaning products could damage your leather over time, along with vigorous scrubbing that could leave marks across the upholstery.

Frequent cleans are important when it comes to leather. Leather wipes are perfect for cleaning up everyday messes, but be sure to check the instructions to ensure that your leather sofa is compatible with the wipes being used.

Another thing to note is to avoid using leather wipes on bonded leather. Leather care kits are also worth investing in for the times when you want to give the sofa a deeper clean - find more information about cleaning leather sofas on our dedicated guide.

Cleaning fake leather (often called PVC or PU) is slightly less particular than real leather, but the main principle is the same - you can't use any abrasive chemicals or you will permanently mark your sofa. Warm soapy water should be enough to remove most stains, and you should not use leather wipes on bonded leather. Be sure to thoroughly dry your sofa after cleaning to avoid water marks.

Like most fabric sofas, most cushion cases are removable. This means that, following the manufacturer's instructions, you can machine wash these and have them as good as new in no time.

If the cases aren't removable, gently rub at any stains with warm soapy water, taking care to not over-saturate the cushions, or approach with carpet cleaners and give it a good scrub.

Reupholstering

If your sofa fabric is worn out but the internal parts of the sofa are intact and still good for use, you could consider getting your sofa reupholstered. Many opt to pay a dedicated service to do this tricky job for them, but there are many methods and DIY tutorials if you're happy to give it a go yourself. Martha Stewart and Pinterest are both home to some great tips, written guides and videos. Along with the fabric, you could also try repairing springs and replacing cushions on your own.