Need sofa recommendations for kids/pets

11 years ago

Hi! I am starting to look around for a new soda as ours look horrendous from four kids and a dog. Our sofa/love seat are khaki canvas material which I will never do again. I don't have a big budget, and I need recommendations of something that will be comfy and durable for our active and sometimes messy household! What kinds of fabrics/brands are best. I would like to spend around $1000. I'm just going to get a sofa, not a love seat. I'm also thinking of a sectional and trying to decide if I'd like that. Thanks for any advice!

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Comments (4)

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iCustomSofa
11 years ago
honeybasil, I image that the khaki part of the canvas fabric indicates the color. Of course a solid lighter color will show soiling and being a cotton/natural fiber its difficult to clean and even more so after the first cleaning. Because of the protective finish that resists absorption into the fibers has been removed. I always recommend for this type of material is darker colors for a growing family and after any cleaning a soil and stain repellant finish should be applied.
For price / performance its hard to beat a microfiber fabric. Its easy to clean and the better heavier weight microfibers are very durable. A second choice would be a nylon or nylon blend textured fabric. Just be sure the weave is close to the same going weft and warp. But this fabric can be more expensive, but you can find discounted at some fabric outlets. A step up is a commercial grade of corrected top grain leather. Its extremely durable and easy to clean. Yet quite comfortable too.
All in all, most is to get a solid hardwood frame no less than 1" thick that is double doweled and glued joinery. Not a plywood frame that has notched out joints and stapled together. Thats so commonly miss-represented as a mortise and tenon hardwood frame. At this price point the 8 gauge sinuous no-sag spring seats and backs is the best and will last the entire life of the hardwood frame. This type of spring puts a lot of pressure on the frame, so it requires a solid hardwood frame. This is where these sinuous springs have a bad reputation, because they are inexpensive to make they are often used in thin plywood frames. These frames are not strong enough and the springs will break loose where they are attached to the frame or they will actually cause the frame to break.
Seat cushions of a high density foam of at least 2.0 density cores and the wrap/toppers should be a softer foam wrap of the same density. A polyester fiber wrap will quickly break down and is not recommended.
Knowing who the actual manufacturer is and they have they name and information about them on the sofa. It the retailer cant supply this; then walk away.
I hope this helps.

Here is a link that might be useful: quality sofas for less than $1000
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honeybasil
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you for your very detailed answer! I'm just starting this process, so this info is very helpful!
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I know this isnt what you asked but I'll get to that :) IMO, you need to look at it realistically going in. It's a mistake to get any pet *for your kids* but getting a *family pet* is a better way to look at it. Im only saying this because I dont know what experience you have of pet ownership and it's a mistake a lot of people make that often ends badly. Kids can't be expected to take on the responsibility of pet ownership. You will be the one feeding the pets, walking the pets, cleaning up after the pets and training the pets and it can be a bit like having extra children in the house so you have to be prepared for the time and commitment it is going to take from you. To kids pet ownership isnt about any of those things, it's about playing with them and that's about it. I'm not saying they might not help out, but dont expect them to raise and look after these pets, that will be your job. Also look ahead 10 or 15 years when these pets will still be alive, what will the kids be doing? most likely they'll be busy with other things or may not be living at home. I would recommend you read up on different breeds and make your choice carefully. These are the types of books that might be useful for you and your kids to read before you decide what type of dog or cat will suit you best. As handymac said, different breeds have different personality traits, energy levels, exercise needs, companionship needs etc, so finding out what breeds suit your family and lifestyle is really important. Dont let your kids make that decision because they will go for the "cutest" pet. what you could do though is narrow down the choices to a few breeds that would suit you and let the kids be involved in the final choice that way so perhaps a book on "choosing the right dog" would be my suggestion and it will show the kids that it's an important decision. I am so glad to hear you arent buying them a pet for christmas, that is such a huge mistake many people make and imo it tells the kids "this is a toy" and by february often the kids have lost interest and then the pets are being passed off elsewhere because the parents only got them *for the kids* Good luck with it, and i hope you go in to it with your eyes wide open and realistic expectations and then it will all work out for you but I it's important to know these things ahead of time and not after you already have the pets.
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User
11 years ago
Consider looking on Craigslist for a good, clean sofa. You can get a lot of bang for your buck if you're patient. Older sofas were made much better than they are now. Find a HEAVY (solid wood) frame, and you can always put the money into recovering it.
numbersjunkie
11 years ago
Leather. Treated. Not bonded leather. Great for kids and dogs. But it might be hard to find under $1,000. Otherwise I would look for microfiber. They clean up really well.
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Need sofa recommendations for kids/pets

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honeybasil
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Need sofa recommendations for kids/pets

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iCustomSofa

honeybasilOriginal Author

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numbersjunkie

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honeybasil
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