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Thread: England Furniture

  1. #1
    SeaBabe Guest

    Default England Furniture

    OK..how bad is it???
    I have been on the hunt for a sofa...looked at Flexsteel, and some of the other manufacturers recommended here.
    Came across a sofa style that was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I haven't seen anything else like it as far as style goes.
    The problem?? It's inexpensive.

    I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for. I was scared to purchase this sofa/loveseat without doing some investigation. I came across a web site with numerous complaints about furniture from this manufacturer. The complaints were addressed by the manufacturer however...and the warranty that comes with the furniture is pretty darn good.
    I'm still looking for more feedback.
    Anyone here have any experienced knowledge of furniture from the brand, ENGLAND?
    (I know it is a company that is now owned by Lazy-Boy, but that's about as much as I know)

  2. #2
    Riddle Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    I have no personal knowledge of the brand, but a quick glance at their web site shows that they use sinuous springs and plywood. Sinuous springs can't compete with 8-way hand-tied. Plywood is better than particle-board, but weaker than a hardwood frame. There are numerous complaints on the web about cushion deterioration, finishing details like cording, and problems with motion mechanisms.

  3. #3
    SeaBabe Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    Quote Originally Posted by Riddle View Post
    I have no personal knowledge of the brand, but a quick glance at their web site shows that they use sinuous springs and plywood. Sinuous springs can't compete with 8-way hand-tied. Plywood is better than particle-board, but weaker than a hardwood frame. There are numerous complaints on the web about cushion deterioration, finishing details like cording, and problems with motion mechanisms.
    Plywood???
    This is what I was told, and what I found on their web site:


    Our American-made custom upholstered furniture offers features you won’t find anywhere else, manufactured hardwood frames, self-repairing zippers, custom-comfort cushions, and the best warranties in the industry.

    8 Gauge steel springs are placed closer together for added durability and longevity.
    All back cushions feature quality polyester fibers or custom cut, virgin foam.
    Polypropylene plastic spring clips help eliminate spring squeaks.
    Durable manufactured hardwood frames are 20% stronger.
    Unbeatable Features
    Cushion vents allow for foam “recovery”, prolonging cushion life.
    Seat cushion zippers are “self-healing” and repair themselves with a simple backward pull.
    Hidden back cushion zippers allow access to most fiber backs so they can be adjusted to each individual’s comfort level.


    From price alone, I know they are likely not built like something from H&M...I have to admit that because the warranty is good, I am willing to take the chance.
    I guess I'll let you all know if I am making a huge mistake or not. I will come back in the near future with reposrts on how it is holding up.
    If I had found the style I loved as much as this in a more pricey piece of furniture, I wouldn't have had this dilema....this line had not just this one style that I really liked, but several. As for comfort, obviously it was comfortable on the showroom floor...I am hoping it remains as comfortable after I have had it a while and as I stated, I don't want a piece that lasts forever...I don't wat chairs and sofas (or carpeting) that long, EVER. The only thing I think I would like to keep forever is my dinign room furniture (which is Pennsylvania House and is obviously going to last longer than me ).

    Even my bedroom furniture, which is really good furniture, started to bore me so I moved it into our guest room. (Does anyone else find their taste changes as time goes by? Mine certainly does. I had my first home at age 21, and decorated in contemporary style. My second home was purchased in my early 30's and I went totally country. I still have a country feel to my current, 3rd home now, but it looks more traditional as time goes on)
    I get bored with family room seating after 5 years...I keep it an additional 2, maybe 3 years on top of that and then I give it away. If this lasts me 7 years, I will be happy. The warranty on the cushions is for 10 years. The cushion fabric is removeable (there is a zipper) so replacing them, if need be, will be easy. I had a Broyhill sofa that I kept for 11 years (and gave away looking brand new) that reminds me of this furniture...Broyhill is (and always was) only a mid-line product...If that made it through 11 years with young kids in the house, I am sure these pieces will be fine.

    ...at least I hope so
    Time will tell.
    Last edited by SeaBabe; 08-07-2010 at 08:03 AM.

  4. #4
    SeaBabe Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    Oh...and I wanted to add that I did see the site with all the complaints. It did scare me for a while...then I remembered how scared I was when searching for a new mattress 2 years ago. I researched every type of mattress out there and found complaints about every one. I went with a Kingsdown. Despite the horror stories I found on the web, it has been wonderful.
    Tempur-pedic, Sleep Number...all those lines had tons of complaints written against them. The problem is that people seldom post anything when they are satisfied, but when they are unhappy they find places to vent immediately.

    Even if this furniture does have any issues (and I am hoping it won't) the warranty is very good and giving me the confidence to purchase the product despite the comments on the 'complaint' site.
    Last edited by SeaBabe; 08-07-2010 at 08:20 AM.

  5. #5
    harland Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    Quote Originally Posted by SeaBabe
    Durable manufactured hardwood frames are 20% stronger.
    I think the operative word here is 'manufactured' - this, to me, implies plywood. They would've used the phrase 'solid hardwood' to indicate that they were using solid wood planks in the frame, not wood sheets or chips glued together.

    In any case, so long as you're happy with it, you'll probably be fine. My parents have a no-name sofa and loveseat set from the 70's that they still use - original cushions and all. I can't say that they still look and feel new, but it's not like they're in tatters and wobbly either.

  6. #6
    Mahogany Bob Guest

    Wink Re: England Furniture

    I don't think you can compare a sofa from the 70's of any price category with one made today. That pretty much goes for anything durable. If you still have your original Kenmore washer dryer or hope to get one handed down in your family I would NEVER get rid of it. My newer refrigerator is much more energy efficient than old ones, but because they use an underpowered starter/ballst you'll be calling the service guy out in a few years.

    Do a search on the word warranty in this forum. Most manufacturers warranties are written to get them out of actually having to repair, replace, or otherwise cover their goods. So I'd be very wary of that.

    Lots of big box stores have crazy cheap leather sofas from China. If you want to see what they look like in a few years just look for leather furniture on craigslist. There are some pretty scary pictures on there. If you were lucky you could do a nationwide search on craigslist for furniture from England and see how it might hold up. There are sites that will let you do this. I don't remember them you'll just have to find them on a search engine. My favorite engine is almost spelled like giggle.

    Good luck and keep us posted!

  7. #7
    organic_smallhome Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    England furniture is, quite frankly, sub-standard crap. "Plastic spring clips" is laughable, and I don't know what the heck "virgin foam" means.

    Seriously, if I were you, I wouldn't even consider this furniture.

  8. #8
    SeaBabe Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    Well, sub standard crap it just may be....BUT I will find out first hand if this is so. I ordered it yesterday, will have it in 4 weeks.
    You all may be right, but I will test it myself.....I lose very little if it doesn't work out, to be honest and if it is total crap and starts to look and/or feel shabby in a year or two, I will move it to the basement (AKA man-cave ) where it will spend the duration of it's life.
    I will keep you all up to date, good or bad. I thank you all for your input.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Alexandria VA
    Posts
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    Default Re: England Furniture

    One of my favorite sayings is "Everything looks good when its new". And by and large, it does! Its "Performance over Time" - that's the key. Higher quality goods tend to keep their performance over time, whereas lower priced ones don't. As you say, time will tell....I doubt you will see any degrading of the pieces in the first year of use, but you (might) in the second. That's when its good to report back to the forum, after some time has passed.

    There is no secret formula in the furniture industry. Everyone knows how to build a piece correctly, but to do so requires quality components and skilled labor. To reduce the selling price a manufacturer has only two choices: 1) Reduce the quality of the components, or 2) Use cheaper Labor. Both have repercussions in longevity and comfort / time. You have to mind the 'buzzwords' in the ads and promos. Any time you see the term "Manufactured Hardwood" that's plywood. And plywood when used in a frame makes it rack. Its not always a bad thing, but it means the frame is not as torsionally stiff as a solid hardwood frame. And stiff frames = performance over time. That sort of thing. And all foam MUST be 'Virgin', because state Health Departments won't let makers use anything else by law. So that's kind of a 'trick' to put that in there.

    Don't rely too much on warranties. Customers confuse warranties with performance. A warranty covers a manufacturer's defect and nothing else. If its not defective, then there is no claim.

    Good luck with your purchase, and please let us know how it goes!
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  10. #10
    SeaBabe Guest

    Default Re: England Furniture

    Quote Originally Posted by drcollie View Post
    Good luck with your purchase, and please let us know how it goes!
    Thank you. I definitely will.

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