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Lee Industries Sofa--worst ever furniture

17 years ago

I can use everyone's assistance in helping me solve my problem. We have had a Lee Industries sofa for one year, with Barbara Barry fabric on it. The whole thing was about $4K, I think. The ties have broken twice and it just seems like a very junky piece of furniture. I believe we have the receipt somewhere but maybe not. My kids are never on it, but the foam is ruined (it has down too) and it squeaks and twangs every time I get up from it. My husband and I do not sit next to each other while watching TV, because the middle seat is so uncomfortable. The store from where we purchased the sofa has gone out of business, but we did not buy it at a going out of business sale. Am I just out $4K, or how do I go about getting a refund, or partial at least? We are not wealthy and this is a big deal.

If I cannot do anything, I at least wanted to post my experience with their furniture so other are a bit cautious.

Thanks.

Comments (247)

  • 4 years ago

    They were shut down from March until the 2nd week of June. Customer service is back in, so I would call to see about the delays.

  • 4 years ago

    I had a horrible experience with a couch I bought from Lee also. Terrible couch and tee company to deal with. They lied also about lifetime warranty.

    debbie k.

  • 4 years ago

    I just sold a $5000 custom Lee Industries sectional sofa with the Cloud 9 cushions. It was the most uncomfortable piece of furniture! At first I thought it was just the new cushions and they would become more comfortable over time, but that wasn't the case. We bought an Arhaus Kipton sofa to replace it and couldn't be happier!

  • 4 years ago

    I am a designer that has been specifying LEE for clients for years. I have previously loved their product, but I will never order from them again. I placed an order in July, acknowledged beginning of August for a sectional and ottoman. They told me it'd be 14 weeks due to Covid, and that wasn't an issue as my clients weren't moving until Thanksgiving. I call in Oct for an update because the ship date was 10.10 and tell me it isn't even in production!!! They blame it on covid and assure me it will ship Dec 21st. Well that date came and went, now they're promising Jan 14th. My clients are furious, and I look unprofessional. I should've cancelled the order in October. The same day in July I ordered a sectional from Massoud and it came in 12 weeks, no issue. Lesson learned, no more LEE for me!


  • 4 years ago

    Too bad you can not cancel your order as the quality is so poor . I am so unhappy with my couches by Lee

  • 4 years ago

    I was very close to purchasing a sofa manufactured by Lee but decided to do a last minute search to see if I could find any customer reviews and I am so thankful I found all the information on this site! I plan to do additional research to get more info about what to look for both in workmanship and in a company that is responsive, makes a quality product and stands behind its workmanship.

  • 4 years ago

    I too was going to purchase a Lee sofa. I ended up getting a custom sofa from here and love it. It was pricey but I could get just want I wanted. I am not affiliated with them but wanted to give an option to anyone looking for a sofa. https://www.quatrine.com/


  • 4 years ago

    Try Palliser have nice sofas and good quality I believe . I have Lee sofas they are terrible and I would never buy them again . Wish I had of looked at reviews before hand

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Check out Kravet or Verellen; they both have a superior product and stand by their warranties. Lee is considered by the trade as being on the high side of low end furniture, but priced as if it's mid-range. It has never been a good buy for the money in my book and I do not recommend to clients. ALWAYS try the "sit" on any soft good item before buying, especially if it's one of your main pieces. That being said, no upholstery lasts very long. Sofas are like mattresses and the cushions should be replaced every 6 to 8 years. I always suggest using a local upholsterer to have them re-stuffed. Faster and much less expensive than going to a retailer!

  • 4 years ago

    anyone in this chain have opinions on Precedent furniture? It’s a Sherrill sister company but I can’t find any reviews. Thank you

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    I have two Lee pieces and both have stood the test of time. My sofa is 15 years old. I had it reupholstered when we redecorated, and got new seat cushions from Lee, and that made the sofa like new. Unless you're spending tens of thousands of dollars on a sofa, I don't think you can beat it.

  • 4 years ago

    These comments are eye opening! I’ve owned several slipcovered Lee pieces since 2006, with 3 different covers I alternate with the seasons. We sold our home in ‘19 and the buyers wanted all our furniture. For our new home, I never considered anything else but Lee. I chose 2 slipcovers, one being the same Boomer White I’ve had since 2006, it’s like a white denim. I had it on last Summer and took them off in September as I’ve ALWAYS done in the past. They were stored over the Winter and I just brought them out in April and they shrunk!!! The white covers on my swivel chairs are fine as are the grey covers I have. Only the white slips for the new couch. I contacted my retailer who contacted Lee and Lee told them that I voided my warranty by putting them in the dryer. I’ve ALWAYS put them in the dryer. They say I’m supposed to take them out damp and put them right back on the couch and stretch them. I’ve never done that, ever. They’ve always been stored after they’ve been laundered. I’m going to have to get in contact with Lee directly, I hope I’m not disappointed. As for the furniture, I’ve owned 10 pieces of their products. Until this one slipcover, I’ve been thoroughly happy. I’ve owned fabric and leather, poly fill and down. Fluffing the down cushions felt like lifting a body, definitely not for me. Overall I am very impressed with the quality and workmanship, I like to feel like I sink in to a couch.

  • 4 years ago

    I just love my new Lee sofa sectional and 2 swivel chairs my decorator ordered for us. So comfortable and looks amazing!

  • PRO
    4 years ago

    Lee furniture that you buy from a store could be manufactured at a cheaper pricepoint than lee furniture that you buy from a designer. Sometimes they value engineer a cheaper version

  • 4 years ago

    DEFECTIVE COUCH, VERY UNSATISFIED, DO NOT BUY LEE INDUSSTRIES COUCH WITHOUT FIRST READING THIS. My wife and I purchased a Lee sectional from Lillian August last year for just about $ 10,000.00, we noticed it had a large defect causing it to be slanted so while sitting you would feel as if you were being pushed forward, and while laying on the Chaise you you would lean to one side. We notified Lillian August and they sent their service people to inspect and repair the couch 2 times without success. On the 3rd visit the repairman cut open the bottom of one of the sections and told me the frame of the couch was assembled wrong and he would recommend a replacement. We were told and confirmed by email that Lee would be replacing the couch. It has been about 5 months and the retailer Lillian August has stopped communication since December 2020, and just recently I was told Lillian August seems to be going out of business , I contacted Lee Industries directly since there was no communication from the retailer. Oddly over the past 3 months I have had a few conversations with a few people at Lee and although they confirmed there is an order number they never call me back or update me. All I need is for Lee Industries to be a responsible furniture company and replace the defective couch they sold us, as for now they haven't acted in a responsible manor.

  • 3 years ago

    Omg, had the same experience with my English roll arm sofa from Lee. I love how it looks but it is an absolute nightmare to sit on…it rolls you forward. quite bizarre. Had it repaired twice and Lee made me pay an additional $300 to replace the cushions. Sadly, it is no better. Makes me sick to thinkI spent $2500 for a sofa that is so uncomfortable.

  • 3 years ago

    I was thinking if ordering a sofabed from Lee. Anyone have one?

  • 3 years ago

    Has anyone ever ordered, owned or even sat on the Lee extra firm couch cushions? Thinking of ordering them, since I like really firm seating, but the store does not have a sample.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I always order cloud 9 cushions. Never had a problem.

  • 3 years ago

    Wow. I purchased an older vintage Lee Industries arm chair from a neighbor, and it’s heavenly. I guess I’ll have to limit my picks to vintage items from before they were sold.

  • 3 years ago

    13 months old… $11,750 awful 😣

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Wow. What kind of cushions did you get?

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Also, did you send this to Lee?

  • 3 years ago

    tracysusie what brand sofa is that? So I can avoid it. Thanks!

  • 3 years ago

    OMGoodness, that is horrible.

  • 3 years ago

    It isn't just Lee's new owners. I have twice purchased Lee Industries sofas (well, one sofa and one sectional). The first purchase was in 1985; the second one in 2016, with a Calico Corners sofa in between. With both of the Lee sofas, the cushions just didn't hold up. The Lee sectional we have currently cost about $5000. It has foam-core / down-wrap cushions that I fluffed and rotated regularly from Day 1, yet within 2 years the seats had developed 4" deep slumps in the middle,, and the fronts of the cushions pooched forward, rather than springing back to a straight-sided shape. During the same period, the back cushions came to look as though they'd just sighed despondently and remained in their sad, hopeless sag. I had turned and fluffed them also, and swapped their positions regularly. Beyond the cushion issues, it seems that the coil supports may have given way, because I can fluff the cushions such that they don't LOOK as bad, but the minute one of us sits, we sink to below-knee level. Once we rise, a butt-shaped swale remains.

    We don't have young children, we don't jump on the furniture, and we aren't significantly overweight. (I'm just under 5' 8" and weigh 132.5 lbs; my husband is 6' 1" and weighs about 215.; our son is 5' 11" and weighs 160.) The Calico Corners sofa held up SO much better, and I've often rued the day I replaced it. (I only did so for purposes of getting a sectional that offered more seating options in a small room.) I came across this post while looking online to see if Lee offered refurbishment services after getting prices from Calico for refurbishment ($5,500) and a new sofa ($7,400). If I can find a company that makes high quality sectionals for smaller rooms, I'm probably better off buying new.

  • 3 years ago

    Will do! You let me know, too. Here are some avenues i plan to explore:

    https://sodafine.com/best-furniture-brands/

    https://chosenfurniture.com/resources/best-furniture-brands/

    https://www.thespruce.com/best-made-in-america-furniture-1391263

    https://www.mgbwhome.com/

    I think Calico Corners uses Century for their custom seating. You might also want to check out The Wirecutter's sofa selections. Wirecutter offers pretty reliable advice. Just got a bed they suggested, and like it very much.

    Good luck! Hope we'll have positive reasons for chatting again soon!

  • 3 years ago

    I just finished reading and taking notes from this article that you may find helpful. Google the title

    "Insider's Guide to Furniture & the Home Furnishings Industry"

    Jeff Frank is a 40 year veteran of the furniture industry who is happy to answer your questions about furniture!

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks! I note that it's sponsored by Simplicity Sofas, but Simplicity is one of the companies recommended in another guide to furniture as a manufacturer of quality sofas. Appreciate the info!

  • 3 years ago

    I found the article while I was researching the construction, longevity and warranties of sofa cushions. It provided me with information on what to look for in the density and materials used in cushion construction. With this knowledge I have researched a few brands of furniture whose sectionals were on my radar, a couple of the brands are now off my list. If you read the article you will notice there is no mention of Simplicity Sofas. I took the purpose of the article to help educate people on the pros/cons of certain materials used in the construction of sofa cushions. I have no idea where Simplicity Sofa's is located nor do I have a vested interest in anything to do with the writing of the article. I am just a person wanting to buy furniture that will last and the cushions won't fail.

  • 3 years ago

    I'll definitely read the article. Sounds like VERY helpful information to have before proceeding further in the "sofa hunt." Thanks again!

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    photocollector & 1998lee2015 any luck finding a good brand? Thanks for posting the links. I had actually already seen those articles. I looked into all of the brands mentioned. Quality seems to be an issue for them too. I've started calling stores and asking which brands have the best cushion core warranty. Because not every brand has warranty information online. I'm hearing 5 years is the best you can get for cushions, but it's limited. Settled foam is not warrantied. It's considered normal. Century warrants cushion cores for 5 years. The first 2 years they'll replace the cushion cores. The next 3 years you pay for it, but it's pro-rated. Smith Brothers has a lifetime warranty, but a friend has a problem after 9 months with excessive pilling and staining (Guardsman protected). Smith Bros isn't cooperating. Several sales people recommended Huntington House. But I've seen complaints about HH on Houzz. No mention of HH on google reviews or at the bbb, which is strange. Wondering if Vanguard would be durable & finished well? I tried springdown Vanguard sofas at a few showrooms, and didn't find them comfortable. I guess my expectations need to be lower. I'm thinking about Taylor King too.

  • 3 years ago

    So disappointing to hear about such widespread declines in quality.

  • 3 years ago

    Unlike Sam, apparently, I haven't made any headway, as I had to turn my thoughts and energies to other projects. If I come across a great solution, I'll post the info here. Hope y'all will do the same. Thanks, Sam, for the additional info you provided!

  • 3 years ago

    The KEEPING ROOM Hi. I see that you sell Highland House. Do they make comfortable, durable sofas? Durable foam? Or would you recommend one of your other brands? For fabric. I can't afford leather! Thanks!

  • 3 years ago

    @B Designed/BWID can you suggest a few manufacturers for leather sectionals? I was considering Lee until I found this thread.

  • 2 years ago

    I bought an English style Lee sofa through Calico (Corners) a few years ago with 8-way hts, kiln dried wood, bench made, etc. and have had nothing but problems. Though it was supposed to be a quality piece of furniture, the 3 seat cushions were too narrow so there’s gaps between them. Ties sprang the first year despite no excessively heavy weight or use so it‘s noisy. In trying to get it fixed within warranty timeframe, it became clear Lee lacked quality and Calico lacked service and integrity. A recent purchase from Carolina Chair Company resulted in similar problems with their workmanship and service. The only furniture I have found of any quality and with which I haven’t had any problems, are quality vintage pieces that I’ve had recovered

  • last year

    This is a good thread. I’m looking for a new sofa too, but I am considering a Lee. I have a sofa and two Lee chairs bought in the last 3 years (not all at the same time) and they sit like a dream. We love them. I got mine through a local designer - the chairs were samples off her floor so clearly they were inspected by her and sat in by her) so maybe that makes a difference (or maybe I lucked out?). She has other Lee pieces on the floor and I love them all as well (and they get sat on by customers). My sofa was manufactured during Covid and took 9 months to get and I would think, if there was a quality problem, that would have really shown up under those circumstances. Are there any other recent purchasers of Lee who can opine on how their sofa is holding up? I’m also considering a century sofa (the one I. The showroom is so comfortable…). I have a Henredon sofa and chaise and I hate them both- leaking feathers constantly. (For some of the pics above, if you get an all feather couch, it will never look good/you will be fluffing constantly to no avail…they always seem to have that “lived in” look that I don’t think a lot of people want)

  • PRO
    last year

    Lee has been around for years. Their furniture holds up very well. I recommend the springs/ down cushions. I believe they are called could 9. Why don’t you go back to the designer you purchased from before?

  • last year

    My lee designer is out of state for me/I’d have to arrange my own delivery. (I could probably find a lee rep closer to my home, but I‘m kinda loyal that way.) That is why i have been also considering a Century sofa. Honestly, there are LOTS of complaints in this thread, so it got me just a little concerned, and some of them were definitely about a similar problem which is what caught my attention (sofa pitching forward). that being said i do know more people will write a complaint than a compliment, so the satisfied lee customers (which i certainly am at this point) arent really represented here…

  • last year

    Bring your complaints to the manufacturer and to the BBB . i had the sane experience it was a long fight but they finally sent some NON down cushions.

  • last year

    Y'all, I'm looking now at the Lee sofa on which I spent more than $5,000 6 or 7 years ago for the higher quality level, only to watch the cushions become WEIRDLY misshapen within 18 months: "pitching forward" (a good term for something I hadn't known could happen before seeing it here), sinking in the middle, the back cushions developing permanent horizontal folds that couldn't be returned to its intended shape, and slanting to one side in a way that wouldn't fluff back to its original shape. The seat straps collapsed in less than 3 years, and I used the throw cushions under the main seat cushions to bring it back to height somewhat. TOTAL CRAP! What's left of it is still here, due to a combination of pandemic issues (including my getting long covid) and the difficulty of finding smaller-sized quality furniture in the configuration I want. Wish I'd stuck with the beautiful Calico Corners sofa that the Lee replaced only because a new room configuration required an L-shaped sectional for TV viewing. During the pandemic, a new Calico sectional -- a small one -- was going to cost in the upper $7,000s - low $8,000s, and I was already out the $5,000-something for the Lee, so... After re-reading this thread, I'll look into the Quatrine, Massoud, and Arhaus. But ple-e-ease SAVE YOURSELVES from the Lee Industries experience!

  • PRO
    last year

    I can honestly say that in 15 years I have never had a single complaint about a Lee sofa or chairs. I think the trick is to order the right cushions. I am not a fan of down without springs as it can flatten. Some of the Lee complaints could be about the value engineered version sold by stores like Crate and Barrel

  • last year

    I have had my Lee sectional for 8 years, it is still wonderful. We have had 3 dogs and lots of grandkids using the sectional every day. I have the spring wrapped seats and the standard back cushions, everything has held up great!

  • last year

    I have had my Lee sofas (2 extra large leather ones) for 16 years!
    Every time I mention maybe getting new ones, my four grown children start fighting over who gets them. So I just keep them when I think of why should I spend another 8k for two more sofas. Also important-these sofas have been through 4 teenagers and about 8 dogs. And yes we let the dogs on the furniture (the kids too lol)
    I also bought a chair & ottoman in 2007 that are now in my grandsons nursery

  • last year

    I bought my Lee "Coverall" sectional 23 years ago. We have lived on this couch daily. My Lee sectional has been the center of family get-togethers, raised two young boys and their circle of friends, and served as a temporary bed/napping station on many occasions. It once was featured on YouTube in a Harlem Shake video with 5 teenage boys dancing on it (yep, that old). When considering replacing it 12 years ago I decided to repurchase the cushions and slipcovers through Lee. Now for the past 3 years, I've searched high-end custom and big-box sources for replacing it and very likely will get it reupholstered and slipcovered again. It is my only Lee Industries piece and I have no regrets.

  • last year

    Wow -- I have a 2010 hand-me-down Lee three-cushion couch and love it. Cushions are firm but comfortable and have held up well. Slipcovers are very well made. I feel the pain of all of the folks on here, though. Couches are a huge investment.


  • 4 months ago

    I have had a Mitchell Gold sofa for 18 years. Its been perfect, comfortable, durable. I have a Lee recliner, swivel. I don’t use it because the cushions don’t stay put and its not comfortable. I will replace the sofa with another MG sofa, despite my designer/store selling Lee furniture.

  • 2 months ago

    Wost couch ive ever owned

  • 2 months ago

    Honestly the worst