Buying a Couch Sucks

Why does it suck?  Because you start out thinking this will be easy – I like sitting, I know how to sit, I should be able to find something I enjoy sitting on.  WRONG.  There’s so much more that you have to consider.  Go hop into Macy’s Furniture gallery and pop your bum on a few different options.  You will quickly see what I mean…

Does The Sofa Fit Me?

Who knew this was even a thing?  It is.  Your Butt is more discerning than you think.  Think about how you sit on the couch.  Do you enjoy being more loungy on your couch, almost more horizontal, than seated upright?  Then a couch with a deep seat bed is best.  (Also great for naps!)  No?  You’d rather sit upright?  Then a shallow seat bed with a seat height equal to the back of your knees is best.

Now, think about how you sit on the couch – that is, the process of sitting.  Do you prefer  flopping into a couch and sinking in rather than sitting pretty?  Then something more plush and down-stuffed would be great.  Are you not a flopper?  For those pups that would rather sit pretty, then maybe a couch with more foam, or *fancy* memory foam is for your firm-seat-preferring derriere.

And did you know that the height of a couch makes a big difference too?  Both the height of the back, and the height of the seat bed make a big difference.  If the back of the couch isn’t tall enough and you like sitting upright more, it can make you feel like you’re leaning backwards – not restful.  Conversely, if the back of the couch is too tall, it can feel weirdly formal, like a throne.

If the height of the seat bed (the part your butt goes on) is too tall, when you sit your feet can dangle awkwardly like a short girl at the bar.   If the bed is too short, then your knees poke up high like you’re in your childhood beanbag chair waaay past your childhood’s end.  Ideally, you want the seat bed to hit right behind your knees.  Or at least that’s my preference.

Point is, you CAN NOT judge a couch by it’s photos and reviews.  It’s a more personal choice than that.

Does the Couch Cost Too Much?

Furniture is EXPENSIVE brand new.  There were more than a few couches we sat on during our quest that cost $5,000 easily – and they were sneakily placed next to the $900 models too.  But what’s the deal with such price disparity?  Trying to find a couch that was well-made, but didn’t cost the life of our yet-to-be-adopted Corgi was surprisingly difficult.  We checked places like Bob’s, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Target, thrift stores, and Ikea.  We found that, if you wanted an apartment sized couch you had to either give up a lot of quality to spend under $1000, accept that Microfiber butt prints were in your future for ‘better quality’ at $1500, or suck it up and hand $2500 to a chain decor store.  Where’s the ‘I need this couch to last us 5-7 years, not require a Kidney for deposit, and is NOT covered in Microfiber’ option?

And that’s how, after a lot of sitting on it, we ended up back at our old stand-by, Ikea.

We look forward to the day where dropping $5000 on a couch is NBD and we can have all the nice things, but for now, in a 3rd floor apartment with teeny tiny stairways, Ikea was the way to go.

…at least, until they halted things because they ‘over-sold’ one piece of our couch, leaving us with boxes.   But more on that next week!

Have you struggled to find just the right piece of furniture?  Where’s the middle-of-the-road furniture options?  Have you found any?

~ Beth