How to choose a sofa that lasts a decade

Start with the frame

Kiln-dried hardwood frames resist warping and hold joinery tight. Avoid particleboard and stapled corners — look for dowelled or bolted joints, which flex without loosening over years of use.

Then test the seat

High-resilience foam wrapped in feather or fibre keeps its shape and bounces back. Press hard into the seat: it should recover quickly and evenly, with no hollow or hard spots.

Most sofas fail in the same few places: the frame, the suspension, and the foam. Learn to inspect those three and you can tell a ten-year sofa from a two-year one before you ever sit down.

Start with the frame

Kiln-dried hardwood frames resist warping and hold joinery tight. Avoid particleboard and stapled corners — look for dowelled or bolted joints, which flex without loosening over years of use.

Then test the seat

High-resilience foam wrapped in feather or fibre keeps its shape and bounces back. Press hard into the seat: it should recover quickly and evenly, with no hollow or hard spots.

Most sofas fail in the same few places: the frame, the suspension, and the foam. Learn to inspect those three and you can tell a ten-year sofa from a two-year one before you ever sit down.

Start with the frame

Kiln-dried hardwood frames resist warping and hold joinery tight. Avoid particleboard and stapled corners — look for dowelled or bolted joints, which flex without loosening over years of use.

Then test the seat

High-resilience foam wrapped in feather or fibre keeps its shape and bounces back. Press hard into the seat: it should recover quickly and evenly, with no hollow or hard spots.

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