How Do Couch Brands Differ in Terms of Quality and Craftsmanship?
Couches are the best part of the living room. You sit on them while entertaining your friends, talking with your family, wooing your significant other, watching TV, getting your office work done, surfing the web on your laptop, reading your favorite book, and so much more.
Finding one with the right size, quality, price, style, and comfort is a big task. You need to research the different types of couches and then try them out before buying them. You want a sofa to be long-lasting, so you have to be thorough in your search.
So, let’s make this sofa search easier for you with this article, where you will learn about the couch brands that differ in terms of quality and craftsmanship.
Differing Through Brands: Couches and Their Components
As mentioned in the introduction, everybody considers things like size, price, quality, comfort, and style when buying a sofa. You sit on the sofas in the store and see which one checks off all the boxes for you. Let’s read up on how different the sofas can be for different brands.
The Frame
A frame is an important factor in the couch’s longevity. A well-made and good frame will allow the sofa to keep its shape and integrity. The frame must be sturdy so that the sofa can withstand you and others sitting or napping on it without compromise. Metal or wood composites are used to make the frame. Metal frames are sturdy, but they are prone to oxidation with changes in humidity due to the seasons. Wood composite frames are cheaper to make, but they are not as strong as metal or hardwood. Softwood bends and breaks too easily, while knotted wood is susceptible to cracks. Greenwood shrinks or cracks when it dries. The best frames are made out of hardwood.
Frame Joints
The frame keeps the sofa sturdy, but the frame joints keep everything together. Strong frame joints boost the strength and durability of the couch. The joints have to be glued, dowelled, and screwed properly. Sometimes, reinforcing blocks are also used for support and strength. Metal staples are generally used for the mass production of frames. The traditional method is using wooden dowels and special wood glues.
Cushion Fillings
The couch cushion provides support to your body and gives the couch volume and form. The most common cushion fillings are feather, foam, and polyester fiber, depending on couch brands. Polyester fiber is a filament made from oil-based chemicals and a large number of combined as padding with air being trapped in between them. These fibers do not recover their shape after somebody has sitten on them and the air needs to be replaced. Feathers are a little more soft and less firm than foam. Feathers also need pumping since they can clump. Sometimes, other fillings are used alongside feathers.
Foam is made using various chemicals. Foam has a soft feel and is pliable, which gives the cushion the ability to bounce back after someone has sat on it. The feel of the materials used and the number of air bubbles formed in the curing process affect the overall density and feel of the foam. If more material and less air are used in making the foam, the density is greater. If the density is higher, then the foam will be of better quality and more expensive.
Suspension
The suspension is the inner part of the seating section on the couch, along with the cushion fillings. The suspension must be robust since it has to withstand people sitting on the sofa continuously. You may get the coiled spring units that are attached to metal laths to make a single unit.
The serpentine or no-sag springs are individual metal wires made into a zigzag shape. They are attached in the frame’s seating section front to back and then are linked together. This is the most common method. The Elastabelt webbing is a combination of polyester fibers and elasticized threads. It is strung side to side and front to back in the frame’s seating area. The manufacturers have to make sure that the suspension matches the cushion filling.
Upholstery
Once all the inside components are assembled, it is time for the upholstery. The upholstery also affects the sofa’s feel, comfort, and look. Premium brands use high-quality upholstery so that you are satisfied with your sofa. Upholstery is prone to wear and tear if the quality is not right. No one likes a sofa with aged and faded upholstery. All sorts of fabric and leather are used as upholstery, and it comes in various colors, designs, and textures.
Final Thoughts
A couch is a perfect place to relax and unwind. The sofa is the centerpiece of your living room. The sofa you pick shows a lot of your personality and tastes. Just like the interior design of your home, the furniture also tells a story. There are so many factors to look out for when purchasing a sofa, but finding your perfect sofa is just a godsend. Thankfully, this article shows how craftsmanship and quality differ for various brands. Now, you will have an easier time buying sofas.
Please write in the comments below which couch you own, what brand your couch is, why you picked that particular sofa, which other sofas were the contenders, what qualities you looked for in a couch, and other questions you had when you were buying your couch.