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Thread: Advice on sofa for tall guy

  1. #1
    Raider Guest

    Default Advice on sofa for tall guy

    Hi all,

    I’m in the market for a sofa, reading chair, and ottoman and was hoping to get some ideas of what models to short-list so that I can make my in-person testing that much more efficient.

    I’m buying my first place (1 bedroom loft-like apartment) and wanted a comfortable set for the living room, which flows into an open-plan kitchen. Comfort is key, as I’ll be doing a lot of academic-related reading for long stretches at a time (a book a day on average). At the same time, style is very important for me. I want something that is attractive to look at since I'll be spending most of my non-sleeping hours in the living room. Originally, I was thinking of minimalist, contemporary designs, but the more I look at the H&M site, the more I feel drawn to some of the designs that show off their workmanship and artistry. In terms of color, I like the idea of something bold – I really like some of the red sofas I’ve been seeing on-line.

    I’m a big guy – 6’1”, 250lbs – and after years of living with cheap, uncomfortable stuff, really want something that suits ME. I’m keen to get something with good upper body support. As I write these lines, my shoulders and neck are killing me after spending the last month in a "furnished" rental in Russia with a bed that's about 5 years too old!

    Browsing the H&M website and these forums, I’ve highlighted the sofa models below as potentially interesting (no particular order). Are these good models to focus on? Which ones should I knock off? Are there any suggestions of models I should add to my shortlist?

    What are the pros/cons of each model?

    Chancellor
    Chancellor Tufted (will I get good upper body support?)
    Sundance
    McNary
    Tower
    Tavern
    Ellie
    Bradington Young Muskegon 594-95

    I’ve heard good things about the Austin, but I’d really like something with better looks.

    Finally, I realize that nothing beats an in-person test. Unfortunately, I’m currently doing research in Russia and won’t be able to look at things in person until quite close to my move in date. As such, I was hoping to get as much of the research/planning done ahead of time and then look to test out a few models once I have a short-list of things to look at in Boston before most likely ordering through Duane.

    Any comments/ideas/advice on what models I should take a closer look at would be appreciated!
    Last edited by Raider; 07-02-2009 at 05:25 PM.

  2. #2
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    I'm jealous, would love to see Russia!

    I'm 5' 11" and 230, so we're going to pretty much like the same pieces, comfort-wise. I abhor sofas where you sink down into them, and my preferences are for comfortable yet firm, and supportive. I don't go much for the marshmellow stuff. Having said that, here's my opinions on your list of frames for long term comfy seating every day:

    Chancellor: Average. Reasonably Comfortable.
    Chancellor Tufted: Pass, Back too Short
    Sundance: Pass, back angle problematic
    McNary: Excellent
    Tower : Average: About like the Chancellor
    Tavern: Pass : Back too Short
    Ellie: Pass: Hard Edges
    BY Muskegon: Pass

    For supremely comfortable chairs, you simply cannot beat any of the tilt back category with an ottoman IMHO. They are the ultimate, as you can make small adjustments to your seating position and knock out a novel a day in that chair without every having pressure points. Choose any that have a seat back height of 38" and higher and you'll be in good stead.

    On sofas, keep the back height 37" or higher for a man your size, stick with rolled arms for comfort and interior seat depth 21" to 23" and you should be good to go. There are many that fit this bill.....
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
    Raider Guest

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    Thanks Duane! I’m going to take another look at the H&M website keeping in mind your advice on specs, and come back with a revised short list.

    On the tilt back chair, I like the sound of your idea, but wanted to get more clarity on how the mechanism works.

    I’ve had some very bad experiences with recliners that go into the half recline or fully reclined position when I lean back with a good book. I don’t know whether its my weight or a poor mechanism, but I really get annoyed by it. Most of the reading I’ll be doing will be for academic research (often with a laptop in my lap for notetaking), so I’ll rarely want to be more than slightly reclined. Do the tilt back chairs allow for this?

    Also, the pictures of the tilt back chairs I’ve seen on the H&M website don’t show the control mechanism. Are most of them of the sort where one basically pushes back to recline, or is there some sort of switch/lever on the outside?

    When the time comes, I’ll shift this to e-mail, but would it be possible to get leather samples sent to me in London, England (where I’ll be based before the move to Boston)? How much time does it usually take to get samples over? I don’t need them just yet, but wanted to plan things accordingly.

    Thanks again for your comments -- they've helped me be more focused in my search.
    Last edited by Raider; 07-03-2009 at 05:06 PM.

  4. #4
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    The tilt back chairs are entirely different than recliners. The base of the chair is solid for one thing (which makes it stronger than a recliner) and only the back moves. There is either an outside trip release, or inside 'hidden' lever between the cushion and arm that activate the back via internal cable. The back itself runs on a single pressurized gas strut and within the range of the strut (considerable) you can stop the back in any position. With a recliner, its all mechanical and you stop at the detents designed in the mechanism only. That's whats so appealing (to me ) about the tilt backs, you can stop them at any point from straight up to full recline. That means you can control the angles, and are not at the mercy of the designers on the detents of a recliner. The fact that the chair is stronger too, is appealing. Recliners (regardless of maker) are s series of parts all joined together to a metal frame. Its a wonder they maintain as much structure and rigidity that they do when you see how they are made.

    Samples can go worldwide. Easy enough to do.....
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  5. #5
    Raider Guest

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    Hi Duane (and anyone else who has any input!)

    First, thanks for the reassuring info on the tilt-back chairs. Certainly sounds like the thing for me.

    I went back and looked at the models on the website that fit the dimension criteria you mentioned for my size, and the following struck me as interesting in terms of appearance alone. Do you have any experience/comments you could share about the following, especially as regards comfort? Any to definitely throw off the list? Are any better than the McNary?

    1521 Renoir Tufted
    4192 Settlement Sofa
    5239 Phillips Café Sofa
    4434 Kingwood Tufted Sofa
    4539 Ada Sofa
    4619 Vincent Sofa
    4843 Envelop Sofa (or the larger one)
    1319 Rouleau Tufted Sofa
    4200 Marchant Sofa
    1876 Spencer Tufted Sofa
    1880 Spencer Sofa

    As you can see, I find the tufted chesterfield look attractive (my dream is to one day have a 19th-century style library where I can do all my reading).

    From a comfort/practicality perspective, is tufting advisable? Does the tufting help maintain cushioning, or does one’s inability to change out cores as one would with normal cushions become a drawback over time? Are tufted sofas harder to keep clean/maintain?

    Is there a big difference between having a tufted or non tufted seat in terms of comfort levels? Most of the chesterfields I remember sitting on had non-tufted cushions on the seats.

    Finally, the sofa will most likely not be back up against the wall, so if any of these sofas look more attractive from a 360 degree standpoint, that would be helpful to know as well.

    I realize a lot of this is subjective and I’ll have to test things out when back in London and the US, but any color you could give based on your experience would really help.

    Thanks!
    Last edited by Raider; 07-04-2009 at 06:03 PM.

  6. #6
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    Several of these I have no experience (NEx) with in a hands- on manner, but I'll render an opinion on them based on design and specs with COMFORT being the primary criteria over style:

    1521 Renoir Tufted (looks good, NEx)
    4192 Settlement Sofa (excellent, but very deep inside)
    5239 Phillips Café Sofa (pass, slope away back, swoop arm NEx)
    4434 Kingwood Tufted Sofa (great, will fit the bill)
    4539 Ada Sofa (NEx, but I like the form, can't imagine it not sitting well)
    4619 Vincent Sofa (NEx, same as above - this is a large scale piece)
    4843 Envelop Sofa (VERY comfortable, but this is a huge sofa)

    Makes sure you will have adequate door clearance if looking at pieces like Settlement, Vincent and Envelop. They are bulky and large, and don't bed easily!

    Tufting is terrific at H&M. They actually put a extra square of foam in each 'diamond' during the upholstery process, which means their tufts are deeper and more comfortable than the other guy's. I've never seen the 'cush' wear out on tufts, and they have the added benefit of staying attractive for a long time as the leather doesn't show a lot of creases and there is no cushion core to break down over time. The only downside to tufting is its more expensive to do, and requires the best craftspeople in the shop to do it right. The men that do the tufting at H&M are the highest paid workers in the plant, and that's a coveted job. They specialize in it, and sew each button on with a very large needle so it never pops off (cheap furniture uses a tagger gun to attach buttons, and they eventually pop off if not sewn on).

    Only the Settlement piece is going to be boring from the back, tis conventional and had few design elements. The rest will all have some flair to the sides and back edges to some degree.

    Colors? That's very subjective. My all time favorite leather is Capri Butternut, however.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    Raider Guest

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    Thanks for those very helpful comments, Duane. I’m looking into the door dimensions right now.

    Do you have any color on the Rouleau, Spencer, and Marchant sofas? Those three were also appealing to me on a looks basis.

    I’m also sending you an e-mail separately re: getting some leather samples.

    Thanks again.

  8. #8
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    Do you mean to ask "Do I know the leathers used on the web site photos of those models?"

    I'm going to be signing off for a few days, have an eye surgery in the morning and will not be in the store until late in the week (hopefully), and may not be able to answer email or forum q's for two or three days.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  9. #9
    Raider Guest

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    Hi Duane,

    Sorry -- I wasn't clear. I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the comfort level on the following:

    4200 Marchant Sofa
    1876 Spencer Tufted Sofa
    1880 Spencer Sofa

    I've looked at the pics and the dimensions on line and they looked interesting, but wanted to run them by you for comment.

    I've just sent you an e-mail with my address for the leather samples.

    Hope all goes well with the eye surgery, and thanks again for your help.
    Last edited by Raider; 07-06-2009 at 09:55 AM.

  10. #10
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    Back in the saddle again, still a bit wounded looking, but eyes are unswollen enough to type now. I'll be back in the store tomorrow.

    # 4200 Marchant should be very comfy. Seat height is a tad lower than some of the other sofas (not uncommon on tufted seats) which effectively makes the back higher than the spec for usable room and comfort.

    # 1876 Spencer : Another good one.

    # 1880 Spencer : Ditto

    Those should all be good!

    H&M is back from vakay so I'll order up those samples to come to you in England.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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