Cushion Firmness

Hello,
I want to say thankyou Duane for the wealth of information you've provided here! I'm yet to come across a site that offers so much help to consumers especially in leather.

I'm having alot of back problem this year so I'm on the hunt for new living room sofas that are extra firm. Not really sure of the firmness I should order & was wondering if it was possible to order samples of the cushions? Willing to pay for the samples if needed. What I have in mind is the firmness of an office chair or the seats of a car.

Thanks,
Marian

Marion,

A lot of factors play a role in causing pain in the lumbar (low back) region. To be honest, if the position you are placing your lumbar spine in is poor, it will not matter how firm or soft a cushion is. Consider how the length of your thigh is versus the depth of the seat cushion. A gap between your body and the back cushion is a problem. Also, do your feet touch the ground easily? If not, dangling feet can cause stressful forces to translate to the area of weakness or pain. Once you have found a piece of furniture that fits you well, then the cushion firmness is something that can make a difference. These factors cannot function separately, imo.


Dave

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Originally Posted by Prism

Hello,
I want to say thankyou Duane for the wealth of information you've provided here! I'm yet to come across a site that offers so much help to consumers especially in leather.

I'm having alot of back problem this year so I'm on the hunt for new living room sofas that are extra firm. Not really sure of the firmness I should order & was wondering if it was possible to order samples of the cushions? Willing to pay for the samples if needed. What I have in mind is the firmness of an office chair or the seats of a car.

Thanks,
Marian

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Hi Marion,

Its really more than the cushions cores, the springs rates and firmness of the webbing will come into play as well. Most sofas are designed for comfort, so you'll probably need to be shopping in the category of a tight seat and back to get one that is firm. They will not be as sofa as a sofa that rides on a cushion over springs. You won't find a lot of choices in this style, however. Here's an example:

http://www.hancockandmoore.com/produ...productid=1871

Its not practical to try out samples, even if you are willing to pay for them. The whole interaction between the cores / springs / webbing and even seat height come into play. You'll most likely just have to go to stores and try various models out, and then perhaps to request to make the cores + 1 or + 2 firmness. Good luck!

Thank you both for the quick replies. I totally agree with you Dave, my current couch isn't the right depth for me (25" depth & 19" height) & I'm 5'3". Been using extra cushions hoping for more lower back support, which helps, but the cushions we have sink in real low so there's still a lot of strain. Will take Duane's advise & actually try out the models.

I'll post an update here if I do get the right model & firmness.

Marian

At 5' 3" tall you're WAY too deep at 25", what would probably fit you well is 17" to 19" seat depth and seat height around 18". Then you'd be comfortable. Not too many sofas built that compact, but Leathercraft makes a few ladies recliners in those dimensions.

I'm 5'3" and agree with Duane. 25" is far too deep.

My favorite funky, wingback chairs are 21" deep. The seats are a little lower than my ancient knees like, but it's nice to be able to get my feet flat on the floor. The seats and backs are tight and very firm. My mother bought those 2 chairs in 1966. They were in perfect condition 20 years later when she gave them to me. The only people who liked to sit on them were an aunt who visited occasionally and me. We both liked to sit up straight.

Thanks for all the advise! I'm going to chew on this...need to figure out how to make place for a new chair.