A Comparison of Sofas

Type

• There are potentially dozens of different types of sofas to choose from. Aside from loveseats, there are standard sofas and couches, sectionals and recliner sofas. Consumers may also choose from futons to use as a sofa, sofa beds that feature a pull-out mattress or sleeper sofas, whose backs fold down to create a bed in a similar way that a futon would. Additional types of sofas include settees, which are high-backed upholstered seating options and apartment sofas, which are simply smaller versions of a standard length sofa.

Length

• The most common and standard length of a sofa is 88 inches. Smaller loveseats can range in size from a tiny 58 inches to a larger 71 inches. Three-seat sofas often have a standard length of 76 inches, while an apartment sofa can be classified as any sofa 84 inches or shorter. Sectionals, on the other hand, can be extremely large at 168 inches or smaller at 108 inches. Of course, custom-built sofas will vary greatly in size.

Style

• Here's where sofa shopping becomes difficult: There are hundreds, if not thousands of styles and substyles of different sofas. Today, consumers can find sofas that are contemporary, ultramodern or perfectly traditional. They can find overstuffed couches for recreation rooms, Victorian settees for formal sitting rooms and even cottage-style shabby chic sofas. Additional styles include French country, art deco, Italian, retro, Hollywood regency and Southwestern.

Fabrics

• Much like style, the choices of fabric for sofas are endless. Leather and microfiber are just two popular choices and both come in a plethora of colors and patterns. Other upholstery fabrics include nylon, polyester, cotton, cotton blends, linen, wool and vinyl. Lesser known options include cotton blends, silk, acetate, olefin and rayon. Like leather and microfiber, the color, pattern and texture choices for these fabrics are truly endless.