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Why are most sofas so bad?

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Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#291

Post by doubled112 »

Gigachad wrote: post #281
ajsnigrutin wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Quality ain't cheap, and cheap ain't quality. The problem here is, that expensive doesn't mean quality. Buying a cheap ikea piece and replacing it in a few years might still be a better choice than overpaying for an expensive piece, that's the same quality as ikea, but with a different tag on it (both 'brand tag' and 'price tag').

The ikea stuff also seems to be perfectly fine. Almost my entire apartment I ikea stuff and I’m yet to have anything fail. With some of the oldest bits being the Malm draws which are about 15 years old now and still perfectly fine. Sure, if you move them around a lot or leave them in the sun they will degrade, but just using them as normal they seem to last way longer than you’d think.

All my Ikea stuff has been perfectly fine as well.

A photo fell off the wall and put a rather large hole in a Lack coffee table one time. We were pretty amazed that the photo frame won. It was a $25 table. I could buy many for the price of something nice.

Having small kids around, and seeing how they play, learn to use a fork, etc, I feel like we made the right choice buying cheaper. Plus what kid doesn't want to play at the table mom and dad let them sticker bomb?

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#292

Post by tengbretson »

SauciestGNU wrote: post #88
bluedino wrote: post #22

In the Midwest, the "better" option is to buy furniture from "The Amish". Parents bought a living room set, it was double what a similar set would be at the local furniture superstore, but the fabric/cushions were a new level of terrible. Basically fell apart in two years. It's a great place to find wooden tables, beds, dressers, but it's all heavy (as you'd expect) and hard to move. If I was buying a sofa today I wo…

Although the furniture quality is excellent, I worry about supporting child labor when doing business with the Amish. They pull their kids out of school after grade 8 to put them to work. I've also heard various things regarding the commonality of abusive practices within their religion. Trade-offs for everything!

> They pull their kids out of school after grade 8

This is inaccurate. Their schooling is complete after grade 8.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#294

Post by cherrycherry98 »

hammock wrote: post #221
btbuildem wrote: post #181

Twenty some years ago I used to work at a business that made and delivered sofas. They've got showrooms in key large cities in North America, fancy schmancy top end stuff. The factory was a real place; the frames were made of solid wood and plywood, there was a sewing floor and even one (incredibly kooky) person whose sole job was to stuff the pillows. This guy was in a little room full of feathers all day, and they'…

You can still get made in the USA sofas with real hardwood, not rubber wood, which is fine, or worse, soft pine or particleboard or OSB) North Carolina was and is the center of solid wood furniture), and they still cost several to many thousands of dollars, and they will still last 100+ years with a couple reupholsterings or so, but most furniture comes from Asia now and is sold for 10x less, and is not worth reuphol…

Bought our sectional from a Bassett showroom almost 10 years ago. Extremely comfortable and the thing still looks brand new. Checked a few items on their website and found that they're still made in North Carolina.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#295

Post by caseyohara »

nostromo wrote: post #242
hammock wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can still get made in the USA sofas with real hardwood, not rubber wood, which is fine, or worse, soft pine or particleboard or OSB) North Carolina was and is the center of solid wood furniture), and they still cost several to many thousands of dollars, and they will still last 100+ years with a couple reupholsterings or so, but most furniture comes from Asia now and is sold for 10x less, and is not worth reuphol…

Room and Board sells great sofas that are made in the US. We've been very happy with ours. It's made from solid wood and stuffed with real feather down. It's several years old now and has shown no signs of aging.

Room and Board makes very good furniture. When my wife and I moved into our new home a few years ago, we decided to invest in high quality furniture that would last decades. Originally we ordered a sofa from Interior Define that never arrived. Something wonky was going on with that company, many people never received their orders and they wouldn’t issue a refund. Thankfully we were still within the window to do a chargeback.

We have a sofa, coffee table, bed, nightstands, and some wall sconces from Room and Board. I am very impressed with the materials and build quality; I can tell everything will wear well and age nicely. Worth the investment, highly recommended.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#296

Post by VHRanger »

Gigachad wrote: post #281
ajsnigrutin wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Quality ain't cheap, and cheap ain't quality. The problem here is, that expensive doesn't mean quality. Buying a cheap ikea piece and replacing it in a few years might still be a better choice than overpaying for an expensive piece, that's the same quality as ikea, but with a different tag on it (both 'brand tag' and 'price tag').

The ikea stuff also seems to be perfectly fine. Almost my entire apartment I ikea stuff and I’m yet to have anything fail. With some of the oldest bits being the Malm draws which are about 15 years old now and still perfectly fine. Sure, if you move them around a lot or leave them in the sun they will degrade, but just using them as normal they seem to last way longer than you’d think.

The problem with Ikea is once you have to move them around. Or if you have kids/dogs jumping up and down the sofa, etc.

The particleboard connections aren't very sturdy.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#297

Post by StressedDev »

quartesixte wrote: post #171
baby wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason people hate IKEA in the US. Was trying to sell a standing desk I bought there for 750$ and nobody wanted it. Ended up selling it for 150$. I also had a Jarvis and it was gone in an instant, even though the IKEA one was much much better. I Often hear people saying that IKEA furnitures don’t travel well or don’t last long. It’s like we’re not going to the same IKEA.

Same here — I have an Ikea bedframe that’s nearly a 2 decades old at this point and has moved four times. An office chair lasted me 7 years. Bookcases over a decade old. I grew up in a nearly all Ikea household, and it’s only later in life I have discovered their reputation. Am I missing something?

No - Some of Ikea’s furniture really lasts. I have a 25 year old Ikea couch. It needs to be reupholstered but it is still comfortable.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#298

Post by ipqk »

nostromo wrote: post #242
hammock wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can still get made in the USA sofas with real hardwood, not rubber wood, which is fine, or worse, soft pine or particleboard or OSB) North Carolina was and is the center of solid wood furniture), and they still cost several to many thousands of dollars, and they will still last 100+ years with a couple reupholsterings or so, but most furniture comes from Asia now and is sold for 10x less, and is not worth reuphol…

Room and Board sells great sofas that are made in the US. We've been very happy with ours. It's made from solid wood and stuffed with real feather down. It's several years old now and has shown no signs of aging.

I just wish their designs weren’t so staid.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#299

Post by VHRanger »

brianwawok wrote: post #250
decafninja wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some brands like Hermes, Rolex, etc. also require you to establish a “relationship” with them to acquire their most popular items (Birkin or Kelly bags, stainless steel watches). This entails a lengthy purchase history, and some schmoozing of your assigned sales associate doesn’t hurt either. Unless you’re some well known figure, just waltzing into a boutique with a suitcase full of cash won’t get you what you want t…

And what’s funny is a budget model 3 you order online totally smokes the Porsche. It’s really just trying to sell a badge not a product.

Typical American thinking.

Your model 3 can't handle a corner. The reason car enthusiasts like Porsches is that they handle particularly well.

Re: Why are most sofas so bad?

#300

Post by rlonstein »

btbuildem wrote: post #181

Twenty some years ago I used to work at a business that made and delivered sofas. They've got showrooms in key large cities in North America, fancy schmancy top end stuff. The factory was a real place; the frames were made of solid wood and plywood, there was a sewing floor and even one (incredibly kooky) person whose sole job was to stuff the pillows. This guy was in a little room full of feathers all day, and they'…

When I was in grad school I accidentally wandered into the workshop for Montauk (https://montauksofa.com/collections/sofa/montauk/) with my girlfriend. They were very polite and I took their card. A few years later when I had some money, and my girlfriend was my wife, I still had the card and we bought one. More than twenty years since we still have it and it's just starting to get to where some of the cushions need the down stuffing refreshed. Quality.
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