What is the ideal seat depth for a sofa?

55 to 60 cm for upright sitting and smaller rooms, 60 to 70 cm for lounging. Anyone under about 170 cm generally finds depths beyond 65 cm uncomfortable without cushions behind the back.

What Martindale rating do I need with children or pets?

50,000 cycles or more, with a pilling grade of 4 to 5. Tight flat weaves outperform loose bouclé for claws, because there are no loops to snag.

What if the seller will not give me these numbers?

Treat the silence as an answer. A workshop that buys its own frames, foam and fabric knows all three figures and can send them in a single message.

Checklist · Specification

Do not buy a sofa until you have checked these three parameters.

Not colour, not brand, not the photograph. Three numbers, all of which a seller should be able to give you in writing.

furni.io journal6 min read

Curved bouclé corner sofa in a warm living room.

Most sofa regret comes from three measurable things being wrong, and all three are printed on a specification sheet if you ask for one.

One, seat depth and seat height

Seat depth between 55 and 60 cm suits upright sitting and shorter frames. Between 60 and 70 cm you get a lounging sofa that most people under 170 cm will find swallows them. Seat height of 42 to 45 cm keeps standing up comfortable for older users. Measure the sofa you already own before you decide which way to move.

Two, foam density in kg/m³

This is the single strongest predictor of how the sofa will feel in year three. High resilience foam at 35 kg/m³ or above in the seat, 25 to 30 kg/m³ in the back. If the seller cannot produce this number, assume it is low.

Seat: HR foam, 35 kg/m³ or higher.
Back: 25 to 30 kg/m³, softer by design.
Wrap: a fibre layer over the core for a rounded silhouette.

Colour is a decision you make once. Foam density is a decision you feel every evening for a decade.

Three, fabric abrasion in Martindale

30,000 cycles is adequate for a guest room. For a main living room sofa, especially with children or pets, look for 50,000 and above, together with a pilling grade of 4 to 5. Cleaning code matters too: a water based cleaning code is far more forgiving in everyday life.

Questions answered

Common questions

What is the ideal seat depth for a sofa?: 55 to 60 cm for upright sitting and smaller rooms, 60 to 70 cm for lounging. Anyone under about 170 cm generally finds depths beyond 65 cm uncomfortable without cushions behind the back.
What Martindale rating do I need with children or pets?: 50,000 cycles or more, with a pilling grade of 4 to 5. Tight flat weaves outperform loose bouclé for claws, because there are no loops to snag.
What if the seller will not give me these numbers?: Treat the silence as an answer. A workshop that buys its own frames, foam and fabric knows all three figures and can send them in a single message.