In the market for a new sofa/sectional

I am trying to make a wise decision and I'm going into this knowing very little about furniture. Less than two years ago I bought a reclining sofa and loveseat made by Ashley and the sofa that gets used daily is pretty much junk now. This time around I am being very cautious and want to get something that will last more than 2 years. I am looking to spend less than $3500 and one of my main requirements is either a sofa or sectional with a chaise.

I have gone to many stores and sat in a lot of couches and comfort is a high priority. Today I went to a higher end store that carried brands that I have read very good things about but they just weren't that comfortable. So far, the most comfortable couches have been the cheaper ones.

As of now, I have been debating over a sectional I found at Thomasville that is made by Seven Seas. Reading in this forum I see that Seven Seas is made is China but it is within my target price and I just can't find much more information on their quality. I know that something made in the US will be of higher quality but if I simply don't like sitting on it, is it worth it? Has anyone heard anything else about the Seven Seas furniture to aid in my decision? This is the exact couch I am considering: http://www.sevenseasseating.com/inde.../SS606-LC-089/

I have also had my eye on a private party sale of a floor model Natuzzi leather sectional but I haven't read great things about Natuzzi either and the particular sectional being sold is no longer on the website. Any thoughts on Natuzzi as well? I'm trying to do my research and make a wise decision so any help would be appreciated.

One of the things you say you're looking for is durability and longevity. In order to achieve that you'll want to learn and buy based on construction techniques and materials used, then narrow your choices down from that point. You may have to give some either on price (up your budget) or settle for less longevity at your price point.

Ashley brand furniture has a reputation for being some of the poorest quality furniture you can buy. You already learned that! Hopefully the next purchase will be better. Remember there is no specific correlation between price and comfort.....

Now, if you want longevity in the frame the key elements to look for:

* Solid wood frame (Not 'Engineered Hardwood Laminates", which is fancy word for plywood)

* Double doweled, screwed and glued frame construction

* Solid, drum-tight webbing. If the webbing is no good, the sofa will fail

* 8-way hand-tied spring system.

* Dupont Qualux cushion cores or similar

Those are the key elements, and you can choose to trade off some of those features for price if you like, but a piece made with those design parameters will usually last for several decades of use. Go to the Hancock and Moore website and click on the little video they have on the home page and they will walk you through their factory showing you all of the above. H&M will be outside your budget, but at least you will see how to build a piece the right way.

Seven Seas collection is from Bradington - Young, its their 'made in China' line and has no affiliation with Thomasville unless the store is simply selling that alongside their own brand. It's plywood-based, finished leather, and very average for what's in the marketplace. Not especially good, and not particularly bad. I don't care for it myself, but I am used to working with premium lines day in and out.

Natuzzi....take a pass. There are lots and lots of people not happy with their Natuzzi purchases. You can probably do an internet search and find lots of comments on it.

Good luck!

Hi drcollie, thank you for the reply and information. I have one last question for you! What is your opinion on buying furniture online? I'm worried about scams and potential problems with warranties. I'm particularly curious about www.leatherfurnitureshoppe.com. They say they are an authorized dealer of the brands that they sell and that the warranties are valid when buying through them but how can one verify this? Is there anything in particular to watch out for? Thanks again.

If you do a search here on the forum, you will find lengthy posts on both those topics.

Hi,

Just a couple quick pieces of advice for sectional buying:

- Think long term. Oftentimes, the better quality pieces will not feel as 'comfortable' when they are brand new because they are firmer. But all sofas will become more soft as they are broken in. But like drcollie said, you want to purchase something for the long term, so it's best to buy something that is firmer up front. If you buy a cheaper piece that feels cushy now, in a year it will likely be lumpy and too soft. I know it's sort of a gamble to buy something that does feel exactly right at first, but if you find a quality brand then you are safe.
- Go with fewer cushions. My personal preference are sectionals with long cushions as opposed to 3 or 5 individual cushions. They seem to last longer - and you don't lose as much change between the cushions. So they save you money too!

Hope these ideas help.

Will

I'd advise you to get as good a quality as you possibly can. Our living room sofa is a Rowe--a very mid-line brand. The cushions had to be replaced after 3 years because they had become too soft. The new cushions are firmer, but when compared to the firm cushions on my Kindel (a much higher quality) love seat, there is no comparison. And it's not just a question of firmness. In fact the cushions on both pieces are now about equal in terms of firmness. But the cushions on the Kindel are much more comfortable. it's a mystery to me, but there you have it.