Are you looking for a quality sofa that you can use for many years and its comfort will not diminish? Choosing the right sofa is much easier than you think!
We have compiled tips, tricks and advice for you to make the right choice. What factors distinguish a quality sofa? Let's look at them together!
1. decide what you want to use your sofa for
2. choose a suitable size for your room
3. make sure you choose the right fabric
4. choose the right seat cushion - hard or soft?
6. select the correct spring system
7. understand what the costs result from
8. find out where to buy their sofa
1. decide where and how you will use your sofa
First of all, think about the purpose of your sofa. The desired characteristics will later help you choose the size, shape and fabric.
For example, if you want to relax and spend quality time at home, you can choose a comfortable corner sofa. Here, rounded and soft lines of the armrests fit perfectly into the concept.
Consider whether you want to use your future piece of furniture more for cozy game nights or for guests, where you need more seating space. In this case, a model with slim armrests might be suitable. A customizable sofa set instead of a corner sofa is more suitable for this purpose. With slim armrests, you not only save space, but also have more seating area available.
2. choose the sizes suitable for your room
Most showrooms are comparatively large and spacious, so the desired object may look different from the subsequent place of use. For this reason, it is advisable to be guided by the dimensions of your premises.
The sofa should be the right size for your rooms and give a spacious feeling without constricting it. When measuring, you should take into account both the dimensions of the door and the internal dimensions of the room. The width of the door is important if the seat passes through sideways, or the length if it passes through vertically. Also, do not ignore the width of the outer door and the internal dimensions of the apartment. After all, your sofa should fit perfectly into the room and not be a foreign body!
Our Normod-Sofas are individually packedwhich means that the modules fit easily through any door and entrance, even with a large reclining corner sofa!
3. make sure to choose the right fabric for you
When choosing a fabric for your sofa, which you will use for many years, you should carefully consider your taste and use. Each fabric has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you should determine your needs and proceed accordingly. Naturalness, durability, and possibly pet-friendliness should go without saying. The fabric you choose should fit your lifestyle. What are your priorities and needs?
Type of substance:
Basically, fabrics can be divided into two categories: those made of synthetic fabric and those made of natural fabric. Velvet, for example, is a synthetic product. It is easy to clean and easy to maintain due to its dense structure. Fabrics made of natural materials can be used in summer houses, for example. With their high cotton content, they provide a fresh feeling even on hot days. Note that synthetic fabrics with polyester content can encourage sweating. Natural fabrics, on the other hand, are sometimes less robust and may not be stain-resistant due to their more sensitive ingredients.
Fabric weight:
The weight of a high-quality fabric should be at least 350 g/m². Fabrics that weigh less wear out faster and thus lose quality.
Durability:
The so-called Martindale method is a friction test that determines the durability of a fabric and its resistance to pilling (wear). The result is graded in five degrees. A friction of 15,000 and above indicates high durability.
The type of fabric and fabric weight are the factors that determine the quality of the fabric.
Normod-fabric have a weight of 370 g/m² - 712 g/m² and a friction of 25.000 - 70.000. This is a very high quality standard. If you are not sure which fabric to choose, you can sit on all types of fabrics in our showrooms. If you order your sofa online, on our website you can request free fabric samplesto touch the fabrics in person and decide at your leisure.
Tip! Inform yourself and test the eligible fabrics for your sofa. After all, you want to feel really comfortable and completely satisfied.
4. a good seat cushion - prefer hard or soft?
A quality seat cushion is the key to your comfort. But how do you recognize durability and comfort? After all, it should remain comfortable and keep its shape for years.
So let's take a look at some of the different types of seat cushions:
Foam seat cushion:
The most commonly used interior material is foam. Being an elastic material, it does not disintegrate, keeps its shape and supports the body evenly. The quality of the foam is determined by the density of the raw material and its thickness.
Density of foam:
Compression hardness (density) refers to the amount of material in kilograms per cubic meter. Materials with high density last longer. Therefore, you should make sure to choose foam with high density. Low density products collapse over time and lose their shape, resulting in poor comfort and appearance.
The main characteristics of the most commonly used foams:
Conventional foams:
Foams with density between 15 and 32 DNS are classified as soft foams. They are used in furniture and mattresses and provide additional comfort and convenience. They are suitable for upholstering seats and backrests.
HR Foam:
It is a foam with a density of 30-35 DNS, called "High Resilience", which has a very high level of elasticity, comfort and durability. This foam adjusts its resilience depending on the load applied. While it tends to conform to the shape of the body where pressure is applied while sitting, it shows high resilience to return to its original shape when the load is removed. It is used in premium products as it offers a high quality solution in terms of comfort, elasticity and durability.
Soft foam:
This foam is the softest of all foams and is generally used in mattresses and in furniture where a high degree of softness is desired. If soft foam is not used the necessary support equipment, it can cause discomfort after a certain period of use and deform during long-term use.
Finally, the foam is covered with fibers to protect the fabric, give it a beautiful appearance and improve comfort.
For the Normod-cushions we use high resilience premium seat foams with a thickness of 15 cm and a density of 35 DNS HR. Around the foam is a 300 g/m² fiber cover to increase comfort. We manufacture our foam for our seat cushions using a 3-step process that creates air channels and a spring effect in the foam. This way we guarantee high seating comfort and long life!
We provide 5 years warranty on our fibers and the seat cushions, so you can enjoy our products for a long time and comfortably!
Goose down pillow:
Goose down are embedded in a thick lining to prevent loss of down. They are usually wrapped around the foam and must be beaten out by hand. Since it is a natural material, its use requires dexterity. Due to the material, they belong to a more expensive product group than regular foams.
Tip. Find out the material specifications of your pillow. A quality pillow should be made of a foam with a density of 32 to 35 DNS HR and encased in a fiber.
5. invest in a durable frame
The frame is crucial for the stability and durability of your sofa. Even the highest quality and most comfortable seat cushion cannot prove its quality if it is not supported by a sturdy frame. The most common frames are solid wood, plywood and metal frames.
Plywood frame:
Plywood skeletons are an excellent choice for seating frames. They are made of industrially produced plywood and dry wood and are lightweight and durable when properly assembled. The plywood parts are standardized and manufactured to the millimeter by CNC machining, and the woods used must be specially dried and have little moisture. The frame can be reinforced with metal parts. If all these points are observed, plywood skeletons are longer lasting and of higher quality than other frames.
We use Normod high quality frames, which are made of plywood skeleton with metal spring and profile support.
Solid wood frames:
Solid wood frames are a common choice for sofas and armchairs. It is important that a frame is made of durable woods such as beech or hornbeam to ensure longevity. However, durability can vary due to non-industrial structure or poorly dried wood. Faulty joints can also cause damage and creaking over time.
Metal frame:
Metal frames are usually lighter than solid wood frames and offer greater stability when properly manufactured. They are also less prone to warping or cracking. However, they can also be noisier than wooden frames and may not be as comfortable as a wooden suspension.
6. select the correct spring system
The spring system should have a sufficient number of springs, carefully placed and fixed to ensure a comfortable seating experience. There are different types of spring systems, such as wave springs or coil springs. When buying a sofa, make sure that the spring system is made of high-quality materials and is durable to ensure long-lasting comfort. At Normod we use Nosag springs, which are made of specially treated spring steel to ensure optimal durability and elasticity.
A suspension system can basically work in two ways:
Zigzag steel springs:
The zigzag spring system is made of high-carbon wires that have good stiffness and flexibility. The springs are fixed in the frame with the help of special spring clips. This type of suspension is used in a wide range of furniture, including sofas, and offers a longer service life due to its durability. The zigzag spring system is one of the main factors behind the high seating comfort of Normod sofas.
We at Normod use zigzag springs manufactured according to European standards. They not only increase the comfort of the seat, but also can be used for many years without signs of wear or fatigue.
Rubbers:
The suspension, i.e. the vertical stretching, is provided by rubber bands. The lines on the rubber bands indicate the strength of the column and the speed of stretching. The most important criteria for rubber columns are extensibility and mobility. Our specialists professionally calculate the correct stretching of these rubber bands. Columns that are not properly stretched, otherwise do not have a homogeneous effect on the seat in terms of flexibility and cause uncomfortable sitting. Low quality columns with low elasticity can easily become unusable after a certain period of use.
7. understand what the costs are derived from
When deciding on a product, you should not only consider the price-performance ratio, but also the long-term use and the investment in a high-quality product. Comprehensive research and information gathering on the subject is therefore important.
At the same time, you should get away from the assumption that a higher price automatically means higher quality. Rather, the materials used and the amount of work should be taken into account when looking for the most suitable product for you.
8. find out where to buy their sofa
Material and labor are not the only factors that determine the price of the product. The distribution model is one of the important factors that determine the price.
Online stores:
When you shop online, you should focus on quality brands. Stores that combine different brands may be cheap, but may not have a good quality standard.
When buying a product online, you should make sure that there is a personal contact that you can easily reach. In addition, you should read the reviews of the brand on various websites. In this regard, real user reviews about the product are helpful, as they will give you answers to questions such as the way the brand treats its customers and what support and solution systems are available. At the same time, thanks to the photo reviews, you will learn how the product you see on the Internet actually looks like. If the brand has a showroom, you can also visit it.
Brands with a dealer system:
When purchasing products, the merchant system can quickly generate trust among customers. However, in addition to the product price, there are also costs such as merchant commission, logistics and advertising (30% on average). When purchasing products from merchants, remember that you are communicating with the merchant, not the brand itself!
Buy directly from the manufacturer:
You can purchase the product you are looking for directly from the manufacturer at a lower price and with the same quality. However, since manufacturers do not operate a retail model, problems can arise here as well, such as delays in ordering, failure to keep promises, or inability to reach the manufacturer by phone. For this reason, we recommend that you find a manufacturer with whom you can build trust.
Normod sells directly to you, so you only have to pay for the product itself. We use durable materials and do quality work, which is why we offer you a warranty period of 5 years, instead of the usual 2-year warranty on our furniture! Of course, if you are not satisfied with the delivered goods, we also offer a 30-day return policy.
All the points we have addressed should help you in your search for a quality sofa. If you still have questionswe will be happy to answer them all. Alternatively you are welcome to visit us in our showroom. Our sales team of experienced interior designers is always ready to help and advise you!
