I can only say that taller seating (floor to cushion height) is IMO more comfortable. Standard seat height is 17-18", and standard seat depth is 21-22". These heights fit average sized people better. Average height for a woman is 5'4", and for a man 5'9".

Room & Board says the Astaire is low, but it also has a deeper seat depth at 27". The seat height is good for short people, but the seat depth is likely to cause even a taller person to slump. This sectional is better suited to short people as long as they use thick throw pillows.

The Jasper has higher seating at 19" which is better for taller people. The seat depth is 21" and listed as medium. The Jasper has a video showing a 5'10" woman sitting, and the sofa fits her perfectly. This sectional is better suited to average sized men, though average sized women might find a throw pillow useful.

How tall are you? How tall is anyone else who lives with you? I am 5'4" and my husband is 6'1", so I would choose the Jasper.

IMO sectionals are the most expensive way to get the least comfortable seating and I never like a really low seat on any chair or sofa .Comfort comes from arm restas and a proper back height to support at least your shoulders and IMO buying seating on line is always a crap shoot. You need to go and test for comfort. Use a sofa and either one or 2 chairs depending on your space .

My husband and I went to Room and Board today. We tried both the Jasper and the Astaire. Both are very comfortable. If you would like to sit straighter and get up from the sofa or sectional more easily, the Jasper is better. it is higher off the ground and has a shorter seated depth. If you plan to lounge or curl your legs up on the sofa, the Astaire seems better. We plan to buy the U-shaped 100x164 Astaire sectional. We have a large sunroom and plan to use it for lounging. I love the rounded larger end piece that is a rounded version of a "cuddler" piece on other sofas. The 27 inch depth of the Astaire is nice, especially with a pillow behind my back. We particularly like this sofa because it has a medium firmness on both back and seated cushions. Even though it is only 16 inches off the ground, we didn't sink further down and didn't feel like we needed help getting out of the sectional. That being said, if it had the 19 inch height of the Jasper, I would like it even that much better. The standard fabric on it comes in several other colors than shown for the same price (the Sumner line). It just takes longer to get those made. We are probably going for the Sumner Flax color. I have to say, as intriguing as the photo of the sectional is in photos, it looks more sophisticated in person.

Update: We bought the 100x100x64 Astaire sectional in Tepic Gray and we absolutely love it. It fits our room perfectly. When we have large groups it can seat 10-12 people. It seats 6-7 people with plenty of elbow room. The seat cushion feels very firm.

We also recently bought the 100x100x37 Jasper sectional in Dawson Cement for our living room. It has a softer cushion than the Astaire (I would say it's medium), and is a much lighter sofa in weight than the Astaire. I would say it seats 3-4 comfortably although we can pack in 7 or so. The extra 3 inches of height over the Astaire is nice. It needs an ottoman for the center and I'm looking for a round one. One note about the Jasper: the salesperson warned us about the Dawson Cement fabric - she said that some stains are difficult to get out. We just ask people not to eat on the sofa. I love the look of the sofa and it goes perfectly with the rest of the room.

I've been very pleased with the quality of the Room and Board sofas.