We’re looking for a sofa, here is what I’ve learned so far about sofa technology:

• Quality frames are made from kiln-dried hardwood to prevent warping due to humidity changes. Examples of hardwood are oak, maple or poplar. Examples of a cheap frame material are pine, green wood and knotted wood.
• If you get a plywood frame, there should be at least 11-13 layers of plywood
• Springs should run front to back. Sinuous springs are the best value right now (here’s a picture of what sinuous springs look like). You might also look for the traditional “eight way hand tied” but that is expensive.
• The material can be fake/faux leather (i.e., vinyl), bonded leather (I think also called leather match), or full grain leather.

Culled from the following reading material: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Posted by Kevin in Blogs Tags: homemaker, research, shopping