Corner sofa, couch or living area: this is how you recognize a good sofa

Do you want to buy a new sofa and don’t know exactly what to look for? Then you are right here. We’ll tell you a few tricks so that your next corner couch or living area lasts as long as possible.

These quality features are found in the sofa.

Did you know that we spend an average of four hours a day on the couch? Some studies even assume more than six hours. We spend most of our time there, half lying down. A comfortable corner couch that is worth the money is worth it. If you want to know whether small living room landscapes work in small living rooms, we have the magazine article “Finding the right sofa” for you. But now to the quality features of well-upholstered furniture. In this guide article, we clarify whether good couches are always expensive. Which material is the most resilient if you have pets or small jumpy kids at home? And which upholstered furniture is recommended for back pain.

1. Quality feature: a durable cover

Sofa covers are a dime a dozen, depending on the manufacturer. We have examined the most common covers and their resilience in more detail.

– Microfiber:

Microfiber sofas feel very soft and supple. Unlike wool or leather, this fibre is a synthetic substance.

It is particularly good if cats and dogs live with you. Especially with paws, the upholstered furniture covers have to be able to withstand a little more. However, this synthetic material gets static faster; Unfortunately, hair sticks well. Read this magazine article to find out how to remove pet hair from your sofa (and carpet). Nevertheless, resistant material such as microfiber is particularly suitable. This is because microfiber fabric’s wonderful threads are all the more densely connected. They are dimensionally stable and do not change, for example, due to stress, body heat or heating air. In addition, microfiber fabrics are water-repellent and can easily be wiped off if small hands with jam have landed on the upholstery. Stains are, therefore, quick and easy to remove if you have a family with children. And this fabric is even recommended for people with allergies, as house dust mites cannot find any food in the tightly woven synthetic fabric. 

Conclusion microfiber:

Extra durable and water-repellent – so great for pets, allergy sufferers and children.

Natural fibres:

Many sofas are upholstered in natural linen or cotton fabrics. These fabrics are more breathable than microfiber but also more prone to stains. If the quality is poor, fluff or knots will quickly form in the fabric. But there are also advantages of natural fibres: wool, for example, hardly absorbs odors from the environment. Removable cotton covers can also be washed if necessary if you have spilt them. It is always important that the fabric has high abrasion resistance. The technical language Martindale. For comparison: a fabric with only 5,000 Martindale tears faster than a fabric with 15,000 Martindale. The higher the value, the better.

Conclusion natural fibre:

natural origin, washable if necessary, breathable, warming, pay attention to a high Martindale value

– Leather:

There is a distinction between smooth leather, suede and synthetic leather covers. Real leather sofas recognized for their steep price and smell. Unlike, for example, cheaper imitation leather sofas, they smell like – leather, right?Suede leather sofas require a lot of care. This is because the soft leather surface is open-pored and therefore absorbs liquid very quickly. A sofa cover made of richly coloured smooth leather is less sensitive. But the same applies here: the quicker you remove a stain, the better. In addition, leather changes. As the saying goes, it lives with you. Wrinkles can appear in the cover over time, as real leather expands when it is warm. Speaking of warmth: unlike artificial leather, for example, real leather is always room temperature, so we perceive it as comfortably warm. Good to know: If you sit on imitation leather, you sweat more quickly – which is extremely uncomfortable, especially in summer. With imitation leather, you should also ensure that the fabric is at least 1 mm thick, so it does not tear quickly.

Conclusion leather:

Authenticity test: You can smell natural leather. It is somewhat sensitive but pleasantly warm; with imitation leather, you must pay attention to the thickness of the material.

2nd quality feature: this upholstery is durable

With couches, there are spring cores, industrial spring cores and belt coverings with foam as spring bases. The spring base is the support on which the actual upholstery is then placed. And these last for different lengths of time depending on their nature. For example, corner couches with upholstery made of rubber straps tend not to last as long (see picture above). The reason: the straps that hold the upholstery wear out faster. If you let yourself fall heavily onto the sofa, it can also happen that the stapled straps on the frame tear or tear off.

If foam on the straps is still not particularly dense, you will quickly sit through the sofa.This sofa base is also rather unsuitable for frequent overnight guests or in a family with small children who romp around in the living area. Instead, sofa beds with innerspring upholstery and a bed box are suitable, in which you can store your guest bed linen.

Better: Nosag springs and a dense spring core

Connected no-sag springs – also known as wave springs – made of steel hold up better. On top of this is the spring core consisting of box spring padding, cylinder spring core, Bonell spring core or pocket spring core. The number of springs per seat unit is important here.

Inexpensive variants work with gel padding or cold foam padding.

On top comes the cushion cover. This is usually foam, fleece or horsehair. Horsehair is exceptionally breathable and environmentally friendly. Be sure to pay attention to the so-called density of the foam, i.e. the density of the foam. Attention: This should be at least over 40 kg per m3.  

Conclusion upholstery:

Nosag springs with pocket spring cores last an exceptionally long time, and straps with foam padding are not for eternity. Pay attention to the foam density!

3. Quality feature: The frame should be made of this material

In principle, it can be said that the heavier a couch is, the higher the quality of the frame. A cheap pressboard is often used for the frame, which breaks more easily. That means nothing for families with small kids. The frame of your new couch should be made of solid wood, but this will, of course, be reflected in the price.

Now you are well prepared for your next sofa purchase. It is best to be clear beforehand what your sofa should be able to withstand: children, pets, allergies.

Finally, a tip for those suffering from back pain

Corner sofas are convenient because you can put your feet up in no time. This is especially beneficial for tired or swollen legs. Many couches have an upholstery extension – or a stool.If you have back problems or want to be even more comfortable, you can also pay attention to a variable headrest or adjustable back and armrests with some sofa frames. Some couch models even have variable seat depth settings. On selected sofa models with an electrical function, a footrest is easily moved up using a button. Or you can flatten the back part manually.