7 Tips to Buy a Sofa Without Testing It

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to test out your sofa before buying it. But with so many options, not all of them are going to be in store, and that’s where the problem starts. You can’t really get a good idea of how comfortable something is until you sit on it for awhile. So what should we do? 

For some, buying a new sofa is a challenge. We want a model that is both comfortable, trendy, robust … and that looks good in our interior. An entire list!

More and more online stores offer affordable and trendy sofas, but sometimes there is a brake on the purchase: how to buy a sofa online without testing it?

How about 7 tips that will help us buy a sofa without testing it first!

7 tips to follow before buying a sofa online

With a few tips to keep in mind, ordering a sofa online is easier than you might think. This will notably save you from renting a truck to take it home and finding yourself in a somewhat complicated situation when passing it up the stairs (remember Ross in Friends and his sofa…).

We have grouped together for you 7 tips that will allow you to cross the course, and buy a sofa online without testing it.

1 – Take action

Before buying your sofa online, there are several things to measure. The first to measure, and not least: the width of your front door and that of the living room. It would be a shame not to succeed in bringing your sofa into your home!

Photo by Vecislavas Popa from Pexels

Also take the measurements of your living room, to see what size of the sofa might be suitable. To avoid ending up with a large corner sofa in a small living room or a 2-seater sofa in a large living room.

If you live in a building and have an elevator, take the measurements of it. This will let you know if you can mount the sofa using it, or going down the stairs.

2 – Think of comfort

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

In order to be comfortable, a sofa should be neither too soft nor too hard. Contrary to what one might imagine, firmness and solidity are not necessarily linked.

Choosing a comfortable sofa online is possible. Be particularly interested in its filling. The must in the field? The high resilience polyurethane foam (HR). They provide excellent support and last over time.

Also, take an interest in the density of the sofa. Avoid models not exceeding 30 kg / m3 if you want to keep your sofa for many years. The denser the padding foam, the less likely your sofa will become hollow over time.

3 – Choose the style of sofa that matches your decoration

Comfort is important. But the style too. A sofa that does not match the rest of your decoration, you notice it immediately. And unlike a coffee table or a rug, you can’t change the sofa that easily.

Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels

Take the time to think about the style of decoration you want. To help you visualize, you can create Pinterest boards to make the right choice.

• For an industrial style living room, choose a Chesterfield style leather sofa or a metal frame.
• A leather couch is not only comfortable to chill but also a luxury item that beautifies your room with elegance. But, the elegance can be at risk if the couch surface contains a rip on it. It even doesn’t let you chill comfortably because you are always in the thought of worsening the rip.
• The velvet sofas are very trendy, and suitable both to art deco inspired lounge that an atmosphere more folk or bohemian.
• If you are afraid of getting bored or of not making the right choice, prefer classic sofas (black, white, gray, navy blue) and use cushions or throws to bring it the trendy touch that is missing in your living room.

4 – Choose a quality upholstery

Cotton, linen, velvet, leather, imitation leather … You will spend time on your sofa, and it would be a shame to see it spoiled after only a few months!

It is good to be interested in the fabric or the covering that dresses your sofa. Each type of upholstery has maintenance and constraints which is good to know before making your choice.

If you have children, choose synthetic fabrics or use a sofa cover. They are more resistant and can be easily cleaned in the event of an accident. Some sofas with a fabric covering are removable, which makes it possible to clean them in the machine or in the laundry.

Finally, velvet is a magnificent material, but it does not tolerate dust or friction

5 – Choose a sofa that meets your needs

The sofa is a very useful piece of furniture in a living room, for chilling, spending time with friends or family or even reading. But your sofa can also have another use: to become a main or additional bed!

If you live in a studio, 2 seater convertible sofas allow you to have a bed in the blink of an eye. BZs generally have a better mattress than sofa beds and are therefore more suitable for daily sleeping.

The convertible sofas allow you to have an additional bed, in case you do not have a guest room. The convertible sofa is generally close to a wall, keep in mind that one of your guests will sleep against it.

Another utility of a sofa, which one does not necessarily think of: having additional storage.

Some sofas are indeed equipped with a chest under a chaise longue or drawers, which allow you to store objects that you do not need every day. This also allows you to store bed linen, which can be used when sleeping.

Photo by Vecislavas Popa from Pexels

6 – Take into account the return policy

Despite the time for reflection, your sofa purchased online is not for you. What to do in these cases?

So remember to consult the return policy of the website on which you order your sofa, before validating your cart. This will avoid disappointment in case of return.

Most sites offer a 14-day return and withdrawal policy. After this time, it becomes complicated, even impossible to make a request to take back your sofa.

So think about comparing the sites and their return policies if you ever hesitate between several models.

As the sofas are bulky furniture, there may be costs charged during the return procedure. These must be clearly indicated by the merchant site on which you place your order.

7 – Take a look at customer reviews

The opinions published online customers are increasingly taken into account in the decision to buy something. Indeed, you can find there positive comments which can comfort you in your decision to buy your sofa online, or on the contrary negative opinions with product reviews.

Similar negative comments about the same product can alert you. For example, if several buyers mention a rapid deformation of the seat cushions of the sofa or a delivery that takes a long time.

There are more and more brands selling exclusively online. They often have the advantage of offering attractive prices and original sofas, which cannot be found in stores.

Thanks to the 7 tips given in our article, ordering your sofa online without testing it is easier than you would imagine.