SOFA AND SECTIONAL SHOPPING TIPS!

Sofas and sectionals are items that create a lot of buzz in our Instagram messages. We are a bit torn because sofas are a very personal purchase and we hate to be influential on such an expensive, long term buy. With that said, we’ve got 50k other people who have chimed in with their favorites, so we are rounding them up to share here! Included in this post, you can find our own sofa/sectional purchases and some additional thoughts and our process for selection. This post is much longer than our typical posts. If you want the links to shop around and don’t care for the commentary, scroll down to the image above and you can click through on each sofa image.

*If you are going to a furniture store in person, we’d recommend looking at the brands that they carry and searching catalogs online for your favorite brands. That way, you’ve narrowed down your options and won’t find the process too overwhelming. We did this for our sectional, and it was so easy and an almost fun experience.

For some popular brands online, it seems to us that these “retail only” brands DO actually offer some of their standard or lower end options online (like this Rowe option on Wayfair), but they aren’t marked by brand name. If they are marked, then its subtle and you may stumble across on accident, but it’s not searchable. This may be their system to protect their in-person retailers from pricing differences.

It’s our impression that typically, you get what you pay for when it comes to sofas and sectionals. If you are looking for a budget friendly option for a short term solution, then there are plenty of choices out there. The upside is that you could really pick a fun style that you may not feel as comfortable getting in a more “forever” piece. Personally, I used a very unstylish sofa for several years until I lived in my space a bit, renovations were complete, and decided what I really wanted and saved to purchase it.

Below we’ve highlighted reader favorites and included dimensions, performance fabric availability, price, lead time, and style. We hope this helps you narrow down your search. The ones marked with a * were mentioned multiple times with rave reviews.

Reader Favorites:

Links directly to the items above:

Westley Sofa // Pavo Sectional // Lounge II // Andes Sectional// Orson Sectional// Comfort Grande // Ektorp // Farlov // Axis II Sectional // Radley Sectional //Eton Sofa // Decker Sectional // Townsend Roll Arm Sectional // Lotus Sofa + Sectional// Reanna Sofa // Emma Chesterfield // Beckham Sectional // Harmony Sofa // Ava Sofa // Keely Sofa // Westin Sectional // Dune Sectional // Pearce // Shelter // Kipton Sofa 94 // Brooke Sofa

Here’s the rundown of sofas that we own:

Standford English Roll arm sofa - was made to order by width and fabric selection and several other options like cushion type and skirt type were options. I think it took around 6 weeks to arrive, and we “tried” it out in person at a local(ish) place, called Palmetto Furniture in Society Hill, SC. So far, A+ for comfort and durability.

Rowe Aberdeen Slipcovered Sectional - I wasn’t crazy about the non-slipcovered version, but love the slipcovered option’s lines. You can search Rowe retailers on their site to see if your local stores carry the brand. This was an investment piece, (to us) but is in our heavily used den. It is insanely comfortable. Same lead time and process as the Stanford above.

An Estate Sale EBTH score - Everything But the House is an online estate sale site. They used to have a warehouse in Charlotte, too. They featured a down filled English Roll Arm sofa with contrast piping and we snagged it for FIFTY DOLLARS.

One of us has purchased a sectional online and switched out the feet, which was an awesome upgrade. We haven’t really shared it before because it suits the space and is a great short term option, but it’s not something we’d recommend for the long run unless you expect to only use it for 5 or less years. It has held up for a few years very well so far.

Some helpful details when shopping:

Fabric and Fill

Performance fabrics are fairly common these days, and most stores seem to offer the option of it for sofas and sectionals. Especially if you are using this as your primary family hangout, this could be worth the extra price.

Slipcovers are another option if you know you’ll want frequent washes. This more casual look is perfect for dens and bonus areas that are heavy traffic. Most fit right into your standard washing machine!

This guide below from Wayfair is a good starting point. This article from Hunker provides more detail too.

Construction

The description should mention details on the frame of the sofa. Plywood and wood will be more substantial than a particleboard frame. When shopping around, be sure to check out these details in addition to the design and style that you like. Once you are more familiar with the lingo that retailers use, you’ll start to determine whether a higher price is based on quality of the item and if its worth it to you.

Warranty & Return Policy

Many companies have really great warranties on cushions and fabric. Some even offer lifetime warranties. I would look into this if you are between a few options and need a practical way to decide.

If you are ordering online, you should make sure you really understand the terms of returns and the shipping or restocking fees that you may be responsible for.