How to Choose the Right Sofa

Choosing the right sofa starts with a simple question: how do you like to sit? For some people, the ideal sofa is neat, structured, and easy to maintain. For others, it is soft, sink-in, and made for long, relaxed evenings. Most people sit somewhere in between.

That is exactly why sofa design is never one-size-fits-all. Seat height, seat depth, arm shape, back construction, and cushion inners all change the feel of a sofa dramatically. The right choice depends not only on how you want it to look, but how you want it to support you day to day.

Start with how you sit

Before thinking about fabric or colour, think about posture and comfort.

• If you like to sit upright, read, chat, or feel well supported, a higher seat and a more upright back will usually suit you best.

• If you like to curl up, lounge, or sink in at the end of the day, a lower, softer shape with more rake may feel better.

• If you want a balance of support and softness, look for a design that feels structured without feeling formal.

A good sofa should work with the way you naturally live, rather than asking you to adapt to it.

Think about support

Support means different things to different people. Some want a sofa that feels upright and held, while others want comfort that feels more relaxed and enveloping.

This is where shape and cushion inners work together. Feather and down create a softer, squishier sit, but they need more regular plumping. Wool offers a more supportive feel and generally needs less maintenance. Feather-wrapped latex gives a balance of comfort and structure.

Consider maintenance too

The softest seat is not always the easiest to live with. If you want your sofa to look neat with minimal effort, fixed backs and more supportive cushion inners are often the easiest option.

If you love a softer, more lived-in look, loose cushions can feel wonderful, but they will need more regular plumping to keep them looking their best. Being honest about how much maintenance you want to do can make the decision much easier.

Choosing between our shapes

Each of our sofa designs has its own character, and each suits a slightly different way of sitting.

Fred.

Fred is a classic, instantly recognisable shape with a fixed back and loose seat cushions. It always looks neat, but still feels inviting. We usually recommend feather and down seat cushions for ultimate softness, though wool inners are a great option if you would like a little more support and less frequent plumping.

It sits at a comfortable mid height, so it works well for a wide range of people. Its lower arms also make it particularly useful in smaller spaces, where a sofa needs to feel generous without looking too bulky. With a gentle rake, Fred has that easy, sink-in comfort while still holding its shape well.

Betty

Betty is the shape to choose if you prefer a more supportive, upright sit. It sits higher off the ground and has a higher back, which gives it a more structured feel while still allowing plenty of comfort through its seat and back cushions.

Its neat silhouette means you get a generous amount of seating space within the overall footprint. Compared with softer, more reclined shapes, Betty is better suited to people who want to sit more upright rather than fully slouch.

Sid

Sid is a lower sofa with chunky arms and a relaxed feel. It sits lower than Betty, but still offers support in a softer, cosier way.

We would recommend feather-wrapped latex seat cushions with feather back cushions, which creates a comfortable balance of softness and support. It will need regular plumping, but it rewards that effort with a super cosy, inviting sit.

Nancy

Nancy is a versatile sofa with a daintier silhouette and a fixed back. It has loose seat cushions, which means you can tailor the feel depending on your choice of cushion inner.

Its seat height is higher, more like Betty, so it offers good support. If you want it to stay looking neat with less effort, wool inners are a strong choice. If you prefer a softer sit, you can choose a softer filling, knowing it will need a little more plumping to keep it looking beautiful.

Toby

Toby is a low, generously cushioned design made for lounging. With swooping arms and side cushions at just the right height, it creates a cocooning, enveloping feel.

Its large pillow-style seat, back, and side cushions give it wonderful comfort, though they do mean it needs more regular plumping. We would usually recommend wool seat cushions for a little more support, paired with feather-filled backs and sides for that softer, cosier finish. Toby has a larger overall footprint and slightly less efficient seating space than some of our neater designs, but it makes a real statement.

Daisy

Daisy has a fixed back, soft curves, and a surprisingly generous amount of seat space. Its deeper rake and large seat cushions give it an inviting, relaxed sit.

It is relatively easy to keep looking neat, although the final feel depends on your cushion inners. Feather works beautifully here if comfort is the priority, though it will need plumping. Daisy sits low, but not quite as low as Sid.

Ella

Ella is our modular system, designed with family life in mind. It has oversized seat cushions, a low sprung fixed back, and a relaxed, generous feel that invites you to stretch out, sit cross-legged, or pile on the scatter cushions.

We would recommend wool or feather-wrapped latex seat cushions here, depending on how supportive you would like it to feel. The arms sit at a comfortable, useful height, and the modular design means you can expand it with corners and footstools to suit your space.

A quick comparison

Use this guide to compare the overall feel of each shape at a glance.

Model	Sit style	Seat height	Seat depth	Support	Back style	Mainte-nance	Best for
Fred	Relaxed	Mid	Standard	Balanced	Fixed back + seat cushions	Medium	Everyday use, smaller spaces
Betty	Upright	High	Standard	Supportive	Back and seat cushions	Medium	Upright sitting, maximising seating space
Sid	Lounge	Low	Deep	Soft-balanced	Back and seat cushions	High	Cosy, relaxed living
Nancy	Relaxed-upright	High	Standard	Balanced-supportive	Fixed back + seat cushions	Low-Medium	Easy living, neat look
Toby	Lounge	Low	Deep	Soft	Fully cushioned	High	Lounging, statement rooms
Daisy	Relaxed	Low-Mid	Deep	Soft-balanced	Fixed back + seat cushions	Medium	Relaxed sitting with shape
Ella	Lounge	Low	Deep	Balanced-soft	Fixed back + large seat cushions	Medium	Families, flexible layouts

Final thoughts

The best sofa is the one that feels right for the way you live. Start with how you like to sit, then think about the level of support, the amount of maintenance you are happy with, and how the shape will sit within your space.

When those things come together, choosing a sofa becomes much more intuitive.

And we are always here to help!