The Art of the Investment Sofa: What to Consider Before You Commit

The comfortable answer is that you can tell a good sofa by sitting on it. You partly can — but the things that determine how it feels in year eight are inside it, and you have to ask.

Inside the piece

• Frame — kiln-dried hardwood, jointed and glued rather than stapled.
• Suspension — hand-tied springs or a properly specified webbing system.
• Seat filling — foam core with feather wrap is the usual compromise between support and softness; all-feather looks relaxed and needs plumping daily.
• Fabric — check the rub count, and whether covers are removable.

Comfort is measurable

Seat depth, seat height and back angle are the numbers that decide whether a sofa suits you. Deep seats reward lounging and punish anyone who sits upright. Take the measurements of a seat you already like and compare.

A sofa is a proportion decision within a room, not an isolated purchase.

Measure the access route before you fall in love. Doorways, returns and stairwells end more sofa purchases than budgets do.

Buy once, well

Reupholstery is only worth doing on a frame worth keeping. That is the real case for an investment piece: it is the one item in the room that can be renewed rather than replaced.