You need to understand the 10/100 rule. When a person buys an excellent product that truly pleases them they likely tell only people who also come in contact with the product. If your sofa ends up making you this happy, you will probably tell only those who visit you and see the sofa. When a person buys a product that displeases them they will tell everyone they meet at every opportunity. Ergo, the happy person tells 10 people and the unhappy person tells 100. My point is that reviews always include complaints. Are the complaints about workmanship or shipping problems? Is the person unhappy about the color or size they bought? Are the negative reviews relevant to your situation?

I like the dark Biltwell sofa best. As you said, your DH is a slob; spills don't usually show up on dark fabrics. Tweedy fabrics are better still at hiding stains.

Would it be feasible to get your sofa reupholstered in a microfiber fabric? It might be worth looking into.

I have no suggestions except that I know Flexsteel carries performance fabrics.

following

Please no micro fiber it shows stains like crazy and holds on to dog hair for sure I am wondering why you are not looking at leather it would stand up much better to your lifesyle get one made in Italy no springs to sag you can get removeable cushions but I suggest one with just 2 cushions check out Natuzzi for some affordable designs that will last for eons. food and wine spills just wipe off and dog hair never stays.

I highly recommend Interior Define. I just purchased from them and am blown away by their selection, customer service and gorgeous products that are well built. They have tons of fabrics to choose from (all the same price point), connect you with an interior design consultant, send up to 10 free fabric samples and are killer with follow through. They also have fabric choices that are specifically kid and pet friendly. Plus, delivery was white glove (assemble for you) and is free. After I purchased mine, they had a sale and I emailed them and they sent me the difference with no question or problem. Their return policy is killer too. Anyways, I obviously love them, haha. I bought the Caitlin by The Everygirl sofa chair with gold legs, which are also customizable. My entire family loves the piece. For context, we have two young kids and it has held up perfectly this past month from spills (which have happened) and dirty feet and the occasional jumping (which isn't allowed but happens).

Just some of the selection they have.

Thank you all for your comments!

mindshift, I kept telling myself what you mention, and I know that to be true. Pottery Barn is a very popular brand, so I expect to see more complaints here. But, the consistency of complaints regarding pilling of specifically named fabrics gives me pause. I am also leaning towards the dark Biltwell, so that was a nice affirmation:) pleballerina, the JCP couch is not a candidate for reupholstery, though yesterday I was toying with the idea of making/buying seat covers and waiting til the thing really falls apart. But it is a big hunking thing, and I want something with a different look. clt3, definitely looking for performnace fabrics on this couch:)

Patricia, I do not personally like microfiber, but thanks for the tip about the dog hair. I have a heavy shedder who likes to curl up on this couch:) I briefly considered leather, but have never had leather furniture (growing up or as an adult). My impression is that leather would be cold, but maybe I should check them out. It really would be nice to just sweep away the crumbs and not worry about spills.

Glo, those look nice, but there aren't any showrooms near me. I'm not up for buying a sofa without sitting on it-regardless of return possibilities :(

If you buy furniture that is leather everywhere including the back leather breathes and takes apprx. 5 seconds to warm to your body . We had 3 boys and dogs and cats and lots of parties and extra kids around all the time we bought a sofa and a chir in leather from Ital in 1969 it was expensive but it is now in ur sons basement ans still looks good he finally had the seat cushions refilled about 5 yrs ago. It was good quality leather but not the super soft kind that stretches like crazy. We have actually never had a fabric sofa in all that time and I never want one either we will probably always have dogs and now of course great grand children.

I really like the idea that you can wipe up a spill. We too will always have a dog. Hoping for grandchildren one day :)

Duane, that was very, very helpful. While I am still faced with the basic dilemma you describe at the start of your comment, your response helps me feel better about spending more on a sofa. We can afford a more expensive sofa. It just feels like a lot to spend on something that does not have an engine inside. I guess I am getting old. (So, one more couch should do it!)

I have a spindle back Ethan Allen couch in the living room that is over 30 years old. The cushions and suspension are like they were on day one. Quality holds up. Style, not so much. I am looking to replace that, as well (unless someone can tell me that it isn't as outdated as I think :) ).

Your comment should be pinned somewhere as a guide for others researching sofa construction.

Thank you.

Needs an engine? <G> How long do you keep your car? 5 years? 10 years? Then its worth 20% of what you paid for it when you trade it in with 60,000 miles on it, right? Well, you will probably go through two or three cars and STILL own a quality made sofa and enjoy it every day. My two daily use main sofas in my family room are now twenty years old and since I am in the furniture business, I can replace them pretty easily - but why would I? They are still fully functional and look great. I did have to re-core the seats two years ago as the internal cores finally lost their resilience, but that was it. They will go another ten years before I even consider replacing them. In that time period, a lot of cars have come and gone through my garage.

Try a good sofa. Buy a top grain leather from either Hancock & Moore*, Leathercraft or Century Signature* line (all solid maple frames, 8-way hand-tied). I think you will find its worth the expense. Good luck

Duane (* disclaimer - I am a dealer for these two lines)

Make sure back cushions are not the attached type. Flipping all cushions regularly helps keep the wear even

Leather cushions are not flippable as they require an air pocket which is sewn on the underside of the case or incorporating into the back panel.

The Keeping Room, I agree that buying quality is worth the extra money. But what about the ethan allen couch in the LR? Is a curved spindle couch a big EWWW? The couch is in perfect condition; it is the style that gives me pause. My husband wants to keep it. It is really comfy. BTW, I drive a 1996 Honda Civic (original owner). Runs great:)

idecor54, I agree with that for the fabric couches. That is why I chose the flexsteel model above. It was the only one that had flippable cushions (that I liked).

I can only speak to Flexsteel as I'm sitting here right now on the Digby sofa I bought 13 years ago that still looks exactly like it did the day I purchased it. The foam on the arms shows no sign of sagging, the seat cushion is perfect and the back is still tight. It has a lifetime warranty on the steel frame. It does have a slipcover I had made because it's been through 3 dogs, a cat and 3 kids, but the performance fabrics weren't an option then as they are now. I'll keep it as long as I possibly can.

Yes, katinparadise, I am actually leaning toward the flexsteel. Now on to the dilemma of picking the fabric. Hubby did not like the idea of leather. So, hopefully a performance fabric will be a match for him and the dog!

@kateinparadise suggested the Flexsteel Digby line which I got in a performance fabric and upgraded the cushion foam, and I am very happy with it. Clean lines that don’t overwhelm the room but very comfortable. No pets, occasional grandkids, daily use when we are home. I am impressed Kate’s is 13 years old! But we also had a Flexsteel sofa and chair in the early 90’s we passed on down to our kids as they went off to college and both pieces were still in fabulous condition despite having been in our family room for 15 years.

Glad to hear you're happy with it Mstein009! I'm no professional so I always hesitate to recommend anything as large as a sofa but I know how happy I've been with mine.

We have had our Natuzzi leather sofa, chair and ottoman for at least 20 years. The sofa is a little lopsided on the side I always sit on. It is very comfy still and still looks great. Our dog doesn't like it so he hops off after about 5 minutes. Had 2 fabric sofas before that. They both got stained and looked terrible. Did not get 10 years out of either. So if you are looking for value, I say go with leather.

I didn't read all the comments, but I will suggest that you not buy any sofa that you haven't tried out in person first, for comfort.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><md>No experience with the particular brands you mentioned...but I can absolutely relate to your concerns and your shopping paralysis! I spent a couple of years researching and testing out two large sofas for my family room. We replaced a sectional that still had nice fabric but lots of sagging after probably 7 years of normal family use. Anyway, after lengthy and agonizing research I chose two matching Bernhardt sofas. I considered them relatively pricey (custom ordered at $1800 each on a Black Friday sale from a well regarded local furniture store) but hoped that they would last me a good 10 years. I love the design, and the frame construction and pillows seem super solid. But after only one month, the fabric started pilling. It seems that many of the fabrics that are recommended to families for durability and stain resistance are prone to pilling! Also, many of the tweedy or woven textures that are so popular right now are also prone to pilling. And unfortunately pilling is not considered a defect even on the extended warranty I purchased. A technician from the furniture store came out to shave the sofas once...and it seems this will have to be at least a tri-annual task. To make matters worse, my son got some marker ink on one sofa. I submitted a claim to the warranty company, and I just found out today (3 weeks after submitting the claim and letting the stain set) that ink can be considered an exclusion due to the fact that it’s a “preventable” stain

Sorry my last response got cut off! Probably exceeded the character limit. To summarize, $8K on two sofas seemed unreasonable to me until I spent $3.8K on two sofas that have not held up to moderate use over 6 months. Be highly selective in your fabric choice in addition to frame and cushion selections. And be wary of extended warranty protection...if the warranty option is Guardsman, run away!

I also want to mention Interior Define. I'm looking at purchasing their Sloan sectional just trying to decode on the le n gth I should get. They have a lot of styles, fabrics, legs, and lengths you can pick from. You can even upgrade the cushions to down filled and then you'll be able to flip the back and seat cushions. They're currently having a 15% off everything sale until 09/23/19. I would caution to be careful with the rules on the buy now decide later option. You only have so long to finalize your length or your lose the discounted price. Not every employee knows to tell you this.

Meg, thank you for sharing your experience. From my reading, I am also getting the impression that the performance fabrics tend to pill. And the tweeds, as well (which is a look I really like). I kept going back and forth about Pottery Barn because there was a sofa that I liked. But, between all the posts about pilling, and my general impression that Pottery Barn is not as good quality, I have not followed through. I went there over the weekend and was being helped by a younger employee. I said I didn't want pilling. She intimated that, well, after 10 years or so, the fabric might pill. (?? pilling is something that is likely to happen early on). She suggested a couple of fabrics, and when I said I wanted info as to their performance, she asked an older employee who has been there a long time. Looking straight ahead, and with a perceptible smile, this woman said, "It will pill." She really only recommended two fabrics. I didn't like the look/feel of either. The irony here is that I didn't know anything about fabrics or construction on my two current couches, and they did fine. I do think there is a bit of a trade-off: the synthetic fibers are more stain-resistant, but more subject to pilling. I am not fond of the idea of slipcovers. So. in the end there will need to be some sort of compromise. I wanted a gray couch. Despite living in a part of the country that can go for months without sun, and having a small room, I am wondering if I should just go with a charcoal-colored couch and pretend all is well :)

Jumping in.....has anyone had any experience with a Flexsteel leather sofa and if you did, which one did you buy? I really would appreciate any feedback at all. Thanks.

@seamom I have not experienced any pilling of the performance fabric I selected for the Flexsteel Digby sofa and chaise I purchased 18 mo ago
@njmomma - I was also curious about leather and Flexsteel as have no experience, but would certainly consider it

I was a Flexsteel Dealer for appx a year and a half, then dropped the line due to what I saw as consistently sloppy workmanship and tailoring. When you work with fine upholstery, you get a critical eye pretty quickly. The line did not meet my standards.

@The KEEPING ROOM Thanks you for responding and I understand you work with Premium leather. Something that would be very overpriced for me. I was just wondering where their sofa falls among lower priced leather sofas.

@Mstein009 I am only seeing good reviews on Flexsteel Leather, but as The Keeping Room posted, it may not be the quality you are looking for.

Curious as to what the current price is on the Flexsteel you are looking at, and also if its genuine top grain leather?

I don't necessarily need to buy Flexsteel and I can't find those exact words "genuine top grain leather" in their description, but I do know I would love to have a leather sofa .

People mention how well built Flexsteel sofas are, so I started looking there.

I am curious, what is the best sofa I could buy in the $2,000.00 rage covered in genuine top grain leather? Can I get one in that price range?

There's a lot of bicast and bonded leather on the market, and and leather from the "splits". That is all garbage to be avoided - you want top grain or it won't last. If you want to learn about leather, then I have a lengthy post about it at this link:

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/showthread.php?1517-A-primer-in-selecting-leather-lt-BEST-LEATHER-THREAD-ON-THE-FORUM-lt-READ

I don't know of any well-made top-grain leather sofas at $ 2K that new, but here are pre-owned ones out there or you might can find a floor-model with some minor wear or damage on it for that price. But if you can go $ 3K, then you are in the range.

@The KEEPING ROOM

Thank you so much. Your discussion link is very informative.

I will start searching for a $3K Genuine Top Grain Leather sofa.

Hopefully, one day, I may be able to add more to my budget and make that purchase.

Thanks again.

@Seamom did you look at Flexsteel‘s Kashmira fabric? I’m thinking about getting the Flexsteel Vail couch, chair and ottoman. I couldn’t find a fabric I liked then I discovered their Kashmira. It did add almost $1,000 more for that fabric (it’s priced the same as leather) but it has a 5 year warranty. It looks like it can take a beating....I also read in a few reviews that for some reason pet hair didn’t stick to it. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but would be an added bonus. Here is a video on their Kashmira fabric.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHFb9GZFck

Thank you, wench3858, for the tip on the Kashmira fabric. I have actually decided to take a break from thinking about couches for a bit. But I know which flexsteel model I like, and will try for another round on fabrics when I feel more inclined (and the sales are on again :)

Seamom Hi! Did you ever get a sofa? And have you gotten it yet? If you like it, what did you get? I'm where you were when you created this post, analysis paralysis! I just want something that will be comfortable for 7 years. Cushions that won't go flat. Fabric that won't pill. Now I wish I hadn't thrown out my ancient sofa. 20 years old, and the cushions were still firm. Hideous and dirty, but intact foam. The only way to know is recommendations these days. Warranty's seem to be about the same, whether mid or high end; 5 years and not full coverage.