- Fabric
-- Consider the manufacturer's fabric choices carefully. Do you like the weight of the fabric?
Is it appropriate for your family? You wouldn't want to choose a relatively delicate lightweight fabric for your family couch if you have young children who
will subject the sofa to heavy wear, for instance.
- Leather
-- Leather is more expensive than many fabrics, but it is more durable than even the heaviest upholstery
fabric. You should look for full grain or top grain leather - these are most attractive and durable types of leather.
- Durability
-- Sit down. Then, get up again and look behind you. Can you still see where you were sitting?
A quality sofa or chair should spring right back to its original shape. Cheap furniture often doesn't.
- Cushions
-- If the furniture has any removable seat cushions, find out what kind of stuffing has been used in them.
The very highest-quality seat cushions are made with an inner core of springs inside a plain fabric cover, wrapped in a layer of polyester
batting, all wrapped in a layer of poly-urethane foam, enclosed in another plain fabric cover, and zipped into a decorative seat cushion cover.
Whew! Naturally, all of this work is expensive - but well worth it. The cushions will probably outlive you.
Next best are seat cushions are made with a solid piece of polyurethane foam wrapped in a layer of polyester batting, sewn inside a plain
fabric covering, and then zipped into the decorative seat cushion cover. This is a very common way of making seat cushions, and furniture made this
way is usually very durable. The cushions should last for many years.
Manufacturers of lesser-quality seat cushions usually use only the solid piece of foam and omit the zipper. Avoid purchasing furniture with seat
cushions that have been made this way. Without polyester batting and a fabric cover, the inner foam core of the cushion will tend to shift around
inside the decorative fabric cover - with very unattractive results. Without a zipper, you can't remove the stuffing to have the cushion dry-cleaned.
The very lowest-quality seat cushions are filled with shredded poly-urethane foam and have no zippers. Avoid buying furniture that has this type of
cushion. It is a poor investment.
Any removable cushions that are designed to support your back are likely to be made with shredded polyurethane foam and button-tufted. This is fine.
Back cushions don't shift and mat down nearly as badly as seat cushions.
Avoid buying furniture that has down-filled seat or back cushions. It does feel very rich and very plush (it ought to for what it costs), but the
cushions aren't as durable as those that use synthetic stuffing materials. Those wonderful fluffy down cushions will start to flatten and mat down
before you know it. Unless you don't mind fluffing the cushions every time you stand up, don't buy down.
- Frame
-- Make sure the frame is built from a strong hardwood such as birch, ash, gum, or maple. Avoid weak woods
such as poplar, fir, and especially particle board.
- Springs
-- Eight-way hand-tied springs are best. Lesser-quality furniture may have springs that are only tied
four ways.
- Continuity
-- Look at the pattern of the fabric. High-quality upholstered furniture should have all fabric patterns
lined up nicely, like an expensive plaid shirt or suit.
If the fabric pattern looks as though it was applied haphazardly with no thought as to how the finished piece would look, find a different
manufacturer. This is a sure sign of sloppy workmanship.
