Couch research is making me crazy, please help

[lazycouch]

I will be honest. I am a pretty timid person. I am having a hard time talking to salepeople on the phone regarding price quotes.

In terms of what we are seeking:

We are a family of two - my spouse is large (300lbs) and we also have a big dog who likes to dig into furniture as well as two cats. The dog can be kept off but the cats like to do their own thing. We are looking for a specific (and seemingly very uncommon) width of couch - between 70 and 75" inches. Our desired price range is under $3000.

We are looking for something durable, stain resistant, easy to clean and dependable. I guess that is everyones dream couch hah! We have decided we would like a fabric couch and the seat needs to be at least 20 inches high. Other than that we aren't super picky on style, mainly build quality and dimensions.

We have looked at Hancock and Moore, Flexsteel & Smith Brothers in person as well as some cheaper brands like Room & Board, Bassett and Article. We have read all the posts about the decline in the life of couches and have done a lot of research on what makes quality couches (hardwood frames, 8 ties, US made, etc). We read good things about Taylor King here but do not know if it is in our price range and have not seen one in person.

We are leaning towards a Smith Brothers 5000 series couch but are worried about the things we have read regarding their fabric which I cannot find a lot of information on (no rub count, no idea where it is made, grades aren't readily available online). The price we were quoted was around $2,400 for a 75" 5000 series in the lowest grade fabric they have. A Flexsteel 70" couch came out to be about $1350 w/ $200 delivery so quite a big price jump between the two. I do not remember the exact H&M price we were quoted but it was high and I am not sure how big of a difference there is between each of these brands.

If you were me, what brand would you lean towards/is better suited for our needs? Or is there another brand you recommend that I may have overlooked?

Any advice in general?


Sorry for the long post, couch shopping is stressful and we really just want to find something sturdy. I would be so eternally grateful to anyone who can provide some insight and help us make the leap here.