However good looking your furniture, whether it’s a traditional leather Chesterfield sofa or something more modern, its quality and durability depends largely on what you can't see - namely the frame around which the armchair, sofa or footstool is constructed. The frame has to stand up to all the strains and stresses of everyday use. We are committed to quality, our furniture is robustly built to take the knocks and last a lifetime. All our frames are hand assembled from selected hardwoods
We use European birch timber in all critical load-bearing members and all load-bearing joints are dowelled and glued or glued and screwed. All our frames and finished products are tested to BS 4875 and BS EN 1022 - the criteria for strength and stability for general domestic upholstery. Some of the tests that our furniture has to pass include: seat loads/impacts, back loads/impacts, arm impacts, drop tests and forward, backward and sideways overbalancing.
Examine our spring system for further proof of our uncompromising commitment to quality. Many manufacturers take the easy and cheaper way out. They either use elasticated webbing or a single bed of coiled springs. The problem with both of these methods is that each web and spring is dependent on each other, so if one loses its resilience the whole of the surrounding area is affected, giving you that unwelcome 'lumpy' feeling.
We use only superior serpentine high-tensile steel springing systems, where every individual spring is entirely self-supporting. Thus loads are borne more evenly. Springs retain their shape. Your furniture is much more comfortable. Unlike some manufacturers, we also spring the backs and arms of our traditional furniture. This is why you can count on your Thomas Lloyd furniture to keep its 'as new' appearance and last considerably longer than shop furniture which is often much higher priced.
All our fibres are sourced from the UK's leading suppliers. Our back cushions, which do not have to perform in the same manner as a seat cushion, are quality branded fibre products. Even though there are, as yet, no British Standard tests for fibre products, all Thomas Lloyd fibres are tested to perform to flammability regulations, pre and post test heights, periodic recovery gains and for weight and weight loss.
Safety is as important as comfort when it comes to upholstery and all foams used in our furniture are superior in both these areas to those you will find on the high street at similar prices. We only use the finest and fully fire safe CMHR (Combustion Modified High-Resilient) products meeting the appropriate British Fire Safety Standard (BS 5852). Our foams can withstand a burning cigarette or even a butane flame.
All our arm and back foams are 30-35 density and our seat foams are Cold Cured 35-40 density - both superior to similarly priced high street products. Our Cold Cured foam, unlike most foam which is cut to size, is injection moulded thereby ensuring each piece is identical in weight, shape, and size. This is the best foam you can buy and is widely used in car seating technology.
All our foams are tested, for flammability, uniform density, tear and tensile strength, compaction/height loss and durability.
Because leather works the best, we don't work with anything less. Find out how Thomas Lloyd pick the best quality leathers for your sofa.
