I only buy leather. It has held up well. I have some pieces from lazboy that didn't wear as well as I felt they should. I just bought 2 new recliners to replace the ones I lost in the flood. I got them at a local Ashley and they are quite nice I was surprised at the quality. I have a couple I bought for the rv that I got at The Dump Furniture store holding up well but don't sit as comfortable as I would like. Just don't get any of that blended leather it is terrible.

Don't purchase bonded leather. I am happy with my Bernhardt leather sofa. It is very comfortable and the leather looks perfect after years of use.

Thank you both! We bought a very cheap couch of bonded leather and expected to replace it around now (we had very small kids at the time and I wanted something that I could wipe, but if it was punctured I wouldn't get upset ). It's flaking something awful now and I won't buy again even for short term. I would just go with fabric and slipcover.

I'm getting the idea that as long as it's real leather, it's going to be rather tough. Is it possible to get the names of the models you have? I have the impression that stores can source from various factories.

i have noticed that online reviews are usually posted after a week or so - rarely after a year or so. This is my attempt to get some longer term data. ;)

I think I have the Tucker leather sofa by Bernhardt. It won't be tough enough to hold up to puncture wounds.

Scroll about a 1/3 of the way down on this link and see a rating of manufacturers - http://www.leather-sofa.org/top-leather-sofa-brands/

Depending on where you live, you might look at Craigslist for a high quality brand like Hancock Moore or Bradington Young, such as this one in the Boston area -
Bradington Young genuine leather sofa - $295 (Revere)

My daughter and I both have the Milan leather sofas from Macys and have been very happy with them. It doesn't get the top ratings according to My3dogs list, but not the worst either.

We have bought two all-leather sofa sets from Macy's and been very happy with both! We are about to move one set to another room, and purchase another set from Macy's. I went the other day to look and really liked the Jessi power reclining sofas. It comes in many configurations. We've only bought during sale times and I feel like we've gotten our money's worth. Our oldest set is almost 7 years old and it still looks new. We have a dog and 3 kids, so that's saying something! :-)

Thank you everyone! I'm feeling better armed for this search! I've tried my Craigslist, but not with that exact search criteria- I will try again although I have run across some fraudulent ads there.

As my children are older now, not as much worried about them messing up the sofa although they may on occasion decide it's a pirate ship or a rock surrounded by lava..... :)

Macy's carries several Italsofa models(cheaper line of Natuzzi). While it's not as great as Natuzzi itself (which I also have-these are 17 years old:) but they need to be reupholstered, to tell you the truth. I'm just not so willing to do that at the moment), we have our pieces purchased there for seven years already, and they hold pretty well. Some slight sagging on the sectional(most heavily used). We bought them on a big sale, so it was comparatively a great deal

My sectional looks like Milano they carry now..I'm not sure whether it's Milano or not, but there is visual similarity. Mine is brick red.

I don't like bulky styles so was looking for something that can work in any setting, more or less..something not too heavy visually, yet comfortable and durable. And I liked the colors they had then. So I have red sectional in the library, aubergine sofa in the living, and sunflower-yellow armchair..(which now lives in a master bedroom and looks totally different-I covered it in this huge cozy throw, sort of oatmeal color..it was too bright and thus diverted attention from a new pendant..))

(now of course I dislike knowing I bought them kinda together, (even though they were of different colors intended for different spaces) because I prefer eclectic mix of furnishings. (And a bit tired of leather.. but yes, of course, life is much easier that way).

and I never repeated the same mistake again.. then we moved, new space, new arrangement, and it partially took care of the problem..love it more now)

Now, I realize I gave you a lot of totally not-needed info..:)in short, second looking into suggestion of Macy's. Probably not a bad combo of price vs quality.

(very useful link, my3dogs..thank you for sharing it

idea of using Craigslist to find the exact brands you love is a great idea, and now, when I'm more experienced in online shopping, I use it like that too)

If one has a really good custom upholstery shop nearby, having it made and the skins ordered for the sofa is a way to get a very high quality piece. It will be very costly, but the skins used will be outstanding and it will last for decades.

I have the Martino sectional from Macys in dark brown. It has held up well for us, me and 2 kids, no pets. I think this will be year 5. I would buy it again. I needed something affordable and NOT super deep or oversized. I purchased my sectional during one of Macy's lowest prices of the season sale :-). I didn't purchase the extra coverage. I had a leather sofa and matching chair previously. (Natuzzi) That also held up well.

Great information! I looked on Craigslist and a few things popped up, but not in my style. It's great to have though as I do need occasional chairs.....

I looked through the Macy's website and the styles mentioned are within my price range. I will call on Monday as they don't allow ordering over the internet (dinosaurs!)

If only I could go custom, but that is above what I want to spend. Maybe in a billion years during that gap between children and grandchildren.....hehe