29th July 2014
Choosing a leather sofa can be overwhelming, especially when you consider the plethora of styles, colours and materials which are available to you. Leather sofas are also a considerable investment, so it’s worth making the extra effort to ensure that you choose the one that’s most suited to your needs.
As well as being comfortable and easy to maintain, the sofa you choose should be built to last. The old adage of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ is certainly true when it comes to buying a leather sofa. In this article, we will highlight all the things that you should consider to ensure that the sofa you choose is a sound investment.
With such an emphasis placed on the quality of the leather, many people forget what holds a sofa together. The frame makes up the base of a sofa, similar to the way in which a chassis provides a solid base for a car. If the internal framework of a leather sofa is constructed to a high standard, you will be safe in the knowledge that it’s not going to collapse anytime soon.
Very often, manufacturers of ‘cheap’ leather sofas will use poor quality wood to construct the frame. Sometimes you have to ask yourself why some leather sofas are so significantly cheaper than others. A good quality frame will have been hand assembled using selected hardwoods and tested to BS4875 and BS EN 1022 – this is the criteria for strength and stability for domestic upholstery. Remember, the frame needs to be able to stand up to all the stresses of everyday usage.
If a manufacturer is willing to provide a lengthy guarantee, it demonstrates the confidence that they have in their sofas. As well as providing an unequivocal money back guarantee, the manufacturer should offer at least a two-year guarantee against manufacturing defects. Buying a leather sofa is a sizeable investment, so it’s worth ensuring that your investment is protected with a guarantee.
What type of foam is used in the seating and the backing of the sofa? If the foam isn’t high density, it’s likely that it will begin to sag within a year or two of purchase. Not only does the foam affect the life of a leather sofa, it also affects its comfort and appearance. As well as being comfortable and robust, it’s important that the foam is fire resistant. Enquire as to whether or not the manufacturer tests its foams for density, flammability and strength.
Many manufacturers opt for poor quality springs during the manufacturing process. Knowing what type of springs that a leather sofa contains will help you to justify its cost and predict how long it will last. A high-quality leather sofa should feel stable when sitting on it and the springs shouldn’t wiggle at all. Every individual spring should be self-supporting so that if one spring loses its resilience, the comfort level of the sofa will not be affected.
To determine the quality of the leather, you must first find out its grain. Full-grain is the most durable leather and comes from the outer layer of the hide. With full grain leather, the hides of the animal are not significantly treated. Although they have the hair of the animal removed, they are not actually sanded. Full grain leather gets more comfortable with age, also becoming softer and more attractive.
Top grain leather also comes from the outer layer of the hide, but its natural grains are sanded away during the tanning process when artificial grains are stamped on it. Top grain leather tends to cost more money. During the manufacturing process, if the natural grain is not aesthetic enough, it is corrected via buffing of the leather. Always ask the manufacturer what grain of leather is used, as many leather sofas consist of 60% leather and 40% plastic. When it comes to choosing a leather sofa, quality is everything!
At Thomas Lloyd we care just as much about the inside of our sofas as the outside. It’s all very well your sofa looking great, but if it breaks within a couple of years, it’s a very poor investment.
If you have any questions regarding what you have read in this article, or you would like to know more about our leather furniture, call us today on 01443 771 333.
