Guide
How to choose a sofa: Where to start
There’s so much choice to explore when you’re shopping for sofas these days. Recliners and models with built-in smart technology are increasingly popular, performance fabrics like microfibre are making everyday care easier, and the level of customisation on offer today means there are more possibilities than ever before. So, where do you start? Read our guide to help you find your dream sofa.
23rd July 2026
Who will be using your sofa?
Every household is different, and a sofa for a young family looks very different to one for a couple who love to entertain. A few questions worth asking yourself:
- How do you use your living room? Is it a busy family space, a calm retreat, or somewhere you love to have friends over?
- Who'll be using the sofa most? Young children, pets, elderly relatives – each changes what you should be looking for.
- How much space do you have? Not just in the room, but through the front door, hallway and up any stairs.
- How long do you want it to last? A sofa is a long-term investment – it's worth thinking about quality now rather than later.
Measuring your room
Before you start shopping, it helps to check how much space you have to work with. Use a tape measure to find out the length of the area your sofa will sit against, leaving approximately 90cm of space in front of it for comfortable movement.
Understanding seat depth and height
For the seat depth
Seat depth is the measurement from the front edge of the cushion to the back – anything between 55–65cm suits most people comfortably, while a deeper seat of 70cm or more is ideal if you love to curl up.
For the seat height
Seat height also affects the comfort factor as you sit, helping to keep your posture in a comfortable position. A lower seat feels more relaxed and lounge-like, while a higher seat can make it easier to sit down and get up from the sofa. Ultimately, it’s about trying out sofas and finding the one that feels best.
Choosing the right number of seats
Think about your busiest Sunday – not just a regular Tuesday evening. A two-seater might suit day-to-day life perfectly, but if friends and family regularly pile in, a three-seater or corner sofa could be the more practical long-term choice.
If you're short on space, adding a footstool can be a great option to allow that extra lounging space, with the option to move it around the room and free up walkways.
What shape of sofa is right for my room?
2, 3 and 4-seater sofas
A two-seater works beautifully in a smaller room or as a second sofa alongside a larger piece.
A three-seater is the most popular choice for a reason — it seats the family comfortably without dominating the room, and that extra width makes a real difference to how relaxed the whole sofa feels.
Step up to a four-seater sofa and you have something genuinely generous, ideal for larger spaces or households that love to gather.
Calabrina 3 Seater Sofa
Casaleto 2 Corner 1 Right Hand Facing Chaise Sofa
Corner sofas
A corner sofa turns a room into somewhere people can naturally face each other when seated. They offer clean, versatile lines that suit most rooms; U shapes are wonderfully generous and perfect for larger spaces.
Just remember to check the orientation before you buy — if the corner section faces left when you're sitting down, it's left-hand, and vice versa. You can find out more about how this works on our Corner Sofa Buying Guide.
Modular sofas
A modular sofa is made up of individual sections — corner pieces, armless seats, chaise units and consoles — that connect together to form a configuration built entirely around your space. Pair that with your choice from 250+ fabrics, leathers and colours and you really do have something unique to your home.
Choosing a modular sofa can also make delivery into smaller homes or through narrow doorways easier – individual sections are lighter and easier to navigate than one large fixed sofa.
Solara 2 Corner 2 Power Recliner with Double Storage Consoles
Sofa beds
At poltronesofà, the best sofa beds don't ask you to choose between a great sofa and a great night's sleep. Transforming your daytime couch into a comfortable sleeping space, they’re perfect for hosting guests and saving space in your home. It's worth checking the mattress size when you shop.
Many sofa beds include a small double mattress (around 120cm wide), but larger three or four-seater versions may come with a full double or kingsize, which is ideal if you're hosting more than one guest.
Leather or fabric sofa: which is right for you?
Upholstery, the covering on a sofa, can affect everything from how it feels day to day to how it wears over the years.
At poltronesofà, there’s a lot of freedom when it comes to choosing – with over 250 beautiful fabrics, leathers and colours to explore and really tailor the sofa to your home.
Leather
Leather has a long history in Italian craft – prized for the way it ages, taking on a richness and character that's entirely its own. It's practical too, resisting stains more effectively than some fabrics.
Fabric
Fabric brings warmth and texture into a room in a way leather can't – from the reassuring feel of chenille weave to the soft luxury of velvet, there's a feel to suit every home and every life.
For busy households, performance fabrics offer the same comfort with a little extra peace of mind, standing up to everyday spills and life with children or pets.
Colour
Colour is where your sofa stops being furniture and starts being part of how a room feels.
Think about what's already there in your home: the colour of the walls, the texture of the flooring, the light that moves through the room across the day.
Do you want to go for a light shade that brightens things up, or a darker colour to really set a statement? The best match is often one that feels like it's already part of the room.
Sofa cushion filling: what to look for
The cushions do more work than people realise, from the seating and back cushions all the way to the armrests and headrests. These are the materials to look out for when you start shopping for a quality, long-lasting sofa.
Foam
Foam gives your seat cushions a consistent, supportive feel that holds its shape well over time. Sitting down should feel the same on day 1,000 as it did on day one. That’s why we use foam seating as standard across all our sofas.
Pocket springs
Underneath the foam, pocket springs respond independently to your weight and movement, distributing it evenly and bouncing back after every sit. Paired with foam, they're what keeps a sofa feeling as good in year five as it did on delivery day.
Fibre
Fibre is made from loosely packed strands, giving back cushions a softer, more relaxed feel – exactly the casual, dressed-down look a back cushion is meant to have. It's light and easy to plump back into shape, so a quick shake is usually all it takes to keep cushions looking their best.
Feathers
Real feathers bring an extra layer of plumpness and softness, often combined with fibre for a fuller, more luxurious look and feel. They're often found in scatter cushions too, where that soft, sink-in feel makes the biggest difference.
Firm vs soft: finding your perfect feel
When you're in the showroom, don't only choose with your eyes – choose with how the sofa feels.
Sit down, close your eyes, and take a moment to notice how the cushions are supporting you. Do they feel like they're softly holding you in place? Or do you find yourself wanting a little more resistance, something that keeps you feeling upright and supported?
Try to relax as if you were at home and pop your feet up. Picture your favourite spot on a Sunday morning, or settling in after a long day at work. The sofa that feels right at that moment is usually the right one.
Our experts in store will be able to guide you to a firmer or softer sit if it doesn’t feel quite right.
Back cushion styles explained
Are you the type to plump and arrange before you sit? Or would you rather just sit back and relax without a second thought?
Whichever you’re leaning towards, there’s a back cushion style for you.
Scatter-back sofas
Scatter-back sofas come with a collection of loose cushions that you arrange against the back yourself. It's a more style-forward look that suits those who like to put their own stamp on a room. The beauty of scatter-back is its flexibility; you can adjust the cushions to suit how many people are sharing the sofa or pile them up for extra support. If you love an expressive sofa that can shift to suit the moment, scatter-back is worth exploring.
Standard back sofas
Standard back sofas have a neat, structured appearance – typically two or three cushions sitting in a clean, defined row. It’s a classic look that feels orderly and considered. Within standard-back sofas, you'll find a choice between fixed and loose cushions. Fixed cushions stay in place, meaning everything stays neat and tidy with no effort on your part. Loose cushions can be removed, allowing you to adjust and plump them up from either side.
High back or low back?
The height of a sofa's back has a way of shaping the look of the room and how comfortable you feel sitting in it. A high-back sofa offers more support for your head and neck, making it a brilliant choice if you love to sit upright, read or watch TV for long stretches. A low-back sofa has a sleeker profile that can make a room feel airier and less enclosed – particularly useful in smaller spaces.
Sofas that do more
Sofas now do more than just help you settle at the end of the day. Extra functionality like reclining seats, storage consoles, or even smart massage functions can really take relaxation to the next level.
- Recliners with head tilts and lumbar support are brilliant for those evenings when you really need to switch off.
- A chaise or footstool adds somewhere to properly stretch out without needing a separate piece of furniture.
- Storage consoles and compartments are a brilliant solution for remotes, blankets and everything else that tends to accumulate.
Smart tech features like massage functions, heated seats, USB ports and built-in speakers turn a sofa into somewhere you'll never want to leave.
Guarantees and warranties
At poltronesofà, every sofa comes with a 12-month labour and parts guarantee as standard, and a 20-year frame guarantee.
For extra peace of mind, our Elite Protect cover is available as an optional add-on, giving you protection against the kind of everyday accidents that life has a habit of throwing at your furniture. It’s well worth considering in a busy household or if you’d like additional support in caring for your sofa.
Buying a sofa on finance
Spreading the cost can make it easier to choose the sofa you really want, rather than settling for less.
If budget is a consideration, it's worth exploring finance options before you set a hard limit – you might find the sofa you really want is more within reach than you think.
What to expect on delivery day
Knowing what happens between ordering and your sofa arriving makes the whole experience that much smoother. Most of our sofas are delivered in sections where possible, and our delivery teams will let you know what to expect ahead of time.
It's worth clearing a path through your home on the day – hallways, doorways and staircases – so everything goes as smoothly as possible.
