Wondering which are the best sofa brands? When choosing where to buy a sofa we are spoilt for choice. However, spending precious hours checking out retailers who don’t offer the right styles, enough upholstery choices, or designs at the right price... who has the time? If your answer is ‘not me’, our guide is for you. This is the inside track on the best sofa brands, what the top sofa retailers offer, and what you’ll pay.
One important thing to note when you’re choosing where to shop is the policy on returns, as it might influence your choice. Our information is about sofas ordered online, where your legal rights are different from when you shop in-store.
Want a fast-track to the Real Homes team's tried and tested favourites? Check out our guide to the best sofas for our pick of the most stylish, comfortable, and affordable sofas to shop, or if you're looking for more multifunctional seating, our guide to the best sofa beds or where to buy a sofa bed will point you in the right direction.
Sofa prices key
£ Budget buys under £500
££ Between £501 and £1,500
£££ Over £1,500
1. John Lewis sofas: £, ££, £££
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Shop for John Lewis sofas online and you’ll find a brilliant choice at a wide range of prices from budget to blow the budget.
Number of sofas available: 533 online options.
Styles: John Lewis offers sofas to suit every taste be it contemporary, traditional, Mid-century…
Sizes: There are sizes for all rooms, too, from the more modest up to 174cm in width, to the spacious 211cm plus.
Fillings include foam, fibre wrap, and feather or fibre filled, so you can get the firmness, longevity, and cushion turning and plumping commitment level you’re happy with.
Upholstery choices: fabrics including chenille, velvet, linen and linen blends, wool blends and cottons, plus leather.
Delivery: if you’re in a hurry, John Lewis offers some sofa and sofa bed designs that are available in seven days or less. Design-your-own sofas offer delivery within time frames such as seven or eight weeks, depending on fabric choice and leg combination.
Returns: bear in mind that if a design is personalised, you can’t just return it, so there’s no sitting and deciding.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: styles for all tastes; some designs available speedily.
Cons: many are in our £££ price bracket.
2. Marks & Spencer sofas: £, ££, £££
Browse the selection of Marks & Spencer sofas and you’ll discover a good choice of styles that will stand the test of time.
Number of sofas available: 165 online options.
Styles: if you’re looking for a classic sofa shape, you’ll find plenty to please you in the Marks & Spencer range. There are retro-influenced designs and contemporary options here, too, but it’s the more traditional shapes that dominate.
Sizes: The collection caters for those with very little space for their seating, but, equally you could find something to please you if you want to size up to 207cm wide and above, and there are corner designs as well.
Fillings include foam, fibre, and feather, and there’s guidance on what sort of support each model offers be it relaxed or more supportive, for example.
Upholstery choices: you can narrow your search to 158 fabric upholstered designs, and 128 leather sofas.
Delivery: some 24 designs (which includes armchairs) offer delivery in seven days. Outside these designs, the time until the sofa is in your home varies and you’ll get an indication when you pick the fabric with quite wide differences in the number of weeks.
Returns: you’ll need to be sure when you buy. Once in your home, a refund is only given in accordance with your statutory rights – for example the quality isn’t satisfactory – so a trial is out.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: lots of classic designs; Aquaclean water-cleanable fabrics on offer.
Cons: online photos not very inspiring.
3. Habitat sofas: £, ££, £££
There are both ready to go and made-to-order options among the Habitat sofas, and while the range is smaller than some of its rivals, there’s still plenty to take a look at.
Number of sofas available: 65 online choices.
Styles: the Habitat sofa selection is definitely worth your browsing time if contemporary or retro good looks are what you’re after.
Sizes: the range caters for you if you’re after a compact two-seater with options from 142cm wide. More space? Check out the four-seaters that can be around 240cm wide, and corner and chaise sofas.
Fillings: you’ll find foam, feather and fibre fillings, usually in combination, and designed to give perhaps more support and cleaner lines, or sink-into relaxed looks, according to the overall requirements.
Upholstery choices: options include wool, leather, pure or blended cotton, linen, velvet and polyester.
Delivery: sitting on the floor and don’t want to be there for long? There are 16 ready-to-go models that promise delivery in 10 days. Otherwise, you’ll more likely be waiting between eight and 12 weeks, providing the design is in stock.
Returns: if your sofa’s made to order, it wouldn’t be refunded other than under statutory rights, so be sure about your choice.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: smart contemporary options; great fabrics and colours.
Cons: not for fans of very trad sofas; smaller range than some rivals.
4. Next sofas: £, ££, £££
Next sofas can be individualised with fabric choice, and also the foot style and colour, and you’ll find different-sized options in the style you like.
Number of sofas available: 40 online styles with different size options for many.
Styles: like the idea of choosing from a selection that offers classic shapes, retro-influenced models and some modern designs? You’ll find them in the Next sofa range.
Sizes: it’s easy to view the size options for each design on the grid, with how many it seats and dimensions plain to see, which helps you rule a particular design in or out speedily. The sofa beds are here, too.
Fillings: the fabric sofa seat cushions are made from foam and back cushions are made from fibre. Some leather sofas are pocket sprung with a foam and fibre topper.
Upholstery choices: 150 fabrics, faux leathers and leathers to pick from.
Delivery: delivery times vary from five days for select colours, with made-to-order items taking around eight weeks.
Returns: a refund is possible if you’re not happy with the sofa once it has been delivered. You have 14 days from delivery to change your mind, and there’s a £30 collection fee.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: easy to view the options; practical, family-friendly upholstery
Cons: less choice for fans of contemporary style; designs mostly sleek rather than plump.
5. Dunelm sofas: £, ££
There’s plenty of inspiration when you check out the range of Dunelm sofas, and both speedy delivery or made-to-order options could meet your brief.
Number of sofas available: around 250 options with corner sofas, and sofa beds included.
Styles: traditional, retro, and contemporary sofas are all there in the selection at Dunelm, so there’s something to please most people.
Sizes: you can filter by the number of seats with a good range of compact two-seaters to suit small living rooms, a generous choice of three-seaters, and a smaller selection of four-seaters and corner designs.
Fillings: the lines are likely to be clean rather than squashy with foam and fibre fillings.
Upholstery choices: fabrics include velvet, cotton, faux and real leather, and polyester.
Delivery: need a new sofa in a hurry? There’s no need to wait as lots of styles and colours can be yours in a week. Made-to-order designs allow you to choose the fabric and leg finish with delivery scheduled for seven to eight weeks.
Returns: unless it were faulty, there’s no returning your made-to-order sofa, so keep that in mind when you make a choice.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: fab small room models; on-trend sofas at good prices.
Cons: you won’t find ultra-modern style here.
6. Furniture Village sofas: £, ££, £££
Take a look at the selection of Furniture Village sofas and you’ll find renowned brands such as G Plan, Ercol and Parker Knoll, plus many more.
Number of sofas available: over 750 choices including corner sofas and sofa beds.
Styles: if you like the idea of comparing sofas from different brands in one place, you’ll enjoy the Furniture Village site, which offers classic, modern and traditional designs. Fans of reclining sofas will find searching here easy as you can narrow your hunt by the type of recliner.
Sizes: there’s a broad choice of two-seaters for small living rooms, although you’ll need to venture into our ££ price band if it’s a compact sofa you want rather than a sofa bed. There’s a wide range of three-seaters, too, as well as super-sized four-seaters, plus corner designs.
Filling: cushion fillings on offer include foam, feather and fibre – often in combination – so there’s something for you whether a firmer sofa or a squishier one is your preference.
Upholstery choices: the selection includes woven fabrics, microfibres, chenilles, velvets, faux suedes and leathers
Delivery: delivery times depend on what’s in stock and whether your sofa is being made to order. You can limit your choices to quick delivery items if speed’s of the essence with an expected time of two weeks, or four weeks. Otherwise, you could be looking at a wait of nine weeks, for example.
Returns: if there’s an element of custom making, your buy can’t be returned.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: designs from top brands; easy to find a reclining model.
Cons: better for higher budget shoppers.
7. DFS sofas: £, ££, £££
You can shop for both branded models and the store’s own in the range of DFS sofas, with shapes to please aficionados of contemporary, classic and traditional schemes.
Number of sofas available: we found around 250 sofas in fabric and leather to choose from on the site, and there are sofa beds, too.
Styles: if you’re after a value buy, you’ll find style-conscious design at bank balance-conscious prices at DFS. Many designs cost less than our highest £££ price bracket.
Sizes: small home? There are two-seaters to fit your living space, while sizes extend to four-seater plus versions with corner sofas an alternative for big or open-plan rooms. We like the So Simple range, which allows you to choose sofa shape first, then size, before you pick a fabric at a price that’s included or, for some upholstery, a little extra.
Fillings: the sofas are manufactured using firmer foam, more relaxed fibre, foam and fibre in combination, and some have memory foam cushions designed to shape to body contours.
Upholstery choices: fabrics include microfibre, cotton and manufactured fibre blends as well as pure cotton, chenille, velvet, and velour, plus leather upholstery
Delivery: if time’s ticking, clearance furniture and ex-display models offer immediate delivery. Aside from these, your sofa is made to order, and times vary depending on the range. You’re asked to contact the company’s personal shoppers to find out how long the sofa you like will take to arrive.
Returns: when a design’s custom made you’re only covered by your statutory rights, so be happy with your sofa before you order.
Sofa beds, too? Yes
Pros: smart branded sofas; handy three step shape, size and fabric choice sofa range.
Cons: you can’t search by fabric type.
8. Ikea sofas: £, ££, £££
Favour clean lines, or a touch of retro style? Ikea sofas include the clearly contemporary, mid-century influenced and more classic options.
Number of sofas available: between fabric sofas, leather and coated fabric options, and modular designs we found 350 to browse, with sofa beds in addition.
Styles: Ikea offers a wide choice of designs with price tags you’ll appreciate if you’re on a tight budget. Counting out the corner sofas, and the odd exception, you’ll find the vast majority of the store’s sofas in our £ and ££ price categories.
Sizes: if floor space is in short supply in your living room, there are models with neat dimensions and thoughtful design for compact homes. There’s a bigger selection of three-seaters, including those with widths greater than 210cm, plus settle-in-for-a-film corner designs and flexible modular models that can be arranged to suit.
Fillings: sofa fillings include fibre, foam and memory foam, creating lines that are cleaner rather than super-squishy.
Upholstery choices: you’ll find velvet, cotton and cotton blends, recycled fabrics, manmade fabrics, and leather.
Delivery: if what you choose is available for delivery, there’s no hanging about, making Ikea a top place to shop if you don’t want to wait several weeks.
Returns: if your sofa arrives, and you decide to return it within 14 days, and provided it’s re-saleable, you could get a refund for it and of the delivery charge.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: wide selection; brilliant range at lower price point.
Cons: you’re limited to the fabric selection for the particular sofa.
9. Argos sofas: £, ££
With classic shapes, traditional designs and sleek contemporary numbers, the range of Argos sofas has styles for everyone at value prices.
Number of sofas available: you can browse 501 sofas.
Styles: easy searching and great price points make the sofa range at Argos worth your attention if you want a large choice without a big spend.
Sizes: two-seaters include those with shapes as well as dimensions that mean you can accommodate comfy and good-looking seating even when your room is small. There are plenty of three-seaters as well, plus a smaller selection of four-seaters, including widths of 208cm and above. There are also corner models, if the shape and/or lounging potential appeals.
Fillings: expect the cleaner lines of foam and fibre fillings for the sofas here rather than cushions you sink really deeply into.
Upholstery choices: leather and faux versions are available but the majority of designs are fabric, including chenille, velvet and polyester
Delivery: there’s no long wait if what you’re after is in stock when you input your postcode – you can get delivery from the next day.
Returns: there’s a 30 day returns guarantee, but items sent back need to be unused in original packaging and be re-sellable.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: lots to look at for less than £500; on-trend and classic designs.
Cons: not for fans of super-plump seats.
10. Sofa.com: ££, £££
The selection of Sofa.com sofas lets you focus first on the shape you like, then the size, followed by the fabric. Classic, retro and contemporary designs are part of the selection, together with corner versions.
Number of sofas available: check out 56 styles, including chaise sofas and corner designs, plus seven sofa bed styles. Different sizes are available.
Styles: getting just what you want when it comes to style, feel, colour and size is made very easy at Sofa.com, and your selection is then handmade to order.
Sizes: searchers for small sofas will be delighted by the slider that lets you narrow down the width options for a two-seater, allowing you to see immediately what the options are for your size-challenged living room. We like the 2.5 seat designs, too, which have the good looks of bigger seats but are made for smaller rooms. There are also three and four-seater selections, in addition to designs with chaises, and corner sofas.
Fillings: you’ll be able to settle down nicely into the feather and foam cushions, which are designed to create comfort but reduce your plumping duties.
Upholstery choices: there’s a brilliant choice of plains and patterns, and you can select wool, velvet, tweed, cotton/linen, family friendly… plus leather.
Delivery: although your sofa is made to order the wait shouldn’t leave you impatient: delivery is promised in just four to six weeks.
Returns: if you’re not happy with your sofa once it’s home it can be returned provided that it’s in the same condition as when it was delivered. The exception to this is items with bespoke changes, including designer fabrics.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: easy to put together the right shape, size and fabric combo; a design for everyone.
Cons: Most are at our ££ and £££ price points.
11. Loaf sofas: ££, £££
If a step-by-step process of choosing shape, size and fabric floats your boat, it’s worth browsing Loaf sofas, although you could alternatively begin with size, seat depth, and other criteria.
Number of sofas available: we found 30 sofa designs to look at, plus a range of corner models, chaise sofas and sofa beds
Styles: Loaf sofas are an inviting bunch, with designs that look extremely sink-into-able that you can customise with fabrics that are subtle or standout.
Sizes: life is made easy for small homeowners as you can search with width and depth criteria to find the model that will fit and avoid browsing fatigue. Sizes go up to four-plus seaters and generously sized widths that would be right at home in large rooms and open-plan schemes.
Fillings include feather and foam to sit on, and back cushions may be feather filled, depending on the model.
Upholstery choices: a dazzling 158 fabrics are yours to choose from with leather available, as well as velvet, linen, cottons and cotton mix, wool and more.
Delivery: you can search for sofas that are ready for delivery if time isn’t on your side, and there are clearance bargains, too. If the sofa’s made to order, you’ll get an estimate of how long it will take when you make your choice.
Returns: if you’re not delighted with the sofa, it can be returned within 14 days of accepting delivery.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: ready-to-go designs available; excellent fabric choice.
Cons: not for devotees of very sleek shapes.
12. Made.com: £, ££, £££
Whether you want seating that looks bang on trend, or like the idea of classic, retro or Scandi-inspired design, Made.com sofas probably include what you have in mind.
Number of sofas available: you can take a while with 319 products to peruse.
Styles: Made.com's sofas often make our best sofa selections. What makes them top picks so often? Great designs, luscious fabrics, and affordable price points.
Sizes: if you’re looking for a sofa to suit a small room, you’ll find some great choices in the selection here, and you can use the neat sofasizer tool to narrow down the selection to designs of the right width and height. You can also browse a big range of three-seaters, or focus on the chaise sofas, corner and modular designs that fit four.
Fillings: firmer foam – and therefore more structured-looking sofas – and softer feather fillings are both on offer.
Upholstery choices: there are options in leather, velvet, cotton, linen, wool, desirable velvet, and practical polyester.
Delivery: some of the sofas promise express delivery in five working days, or you can restrict a search to those that take up to two weeks, up to four, up to six, and up to 10, depending on the urgency of your sofa need.
Returns: once your new sofa is with you and it turns out you made the wrong choice, you can return in within 14 days for a refund (minus costs). You will have to disassemble and repackage it.
Sofa beds, too? Yes.
Pros: keen pricing; fashion-forward designs.
Cons: you’ll have to stick with the options offered with each model.
How to find a great deal on a new sofa
There's no denying that investing in a new sofa can be an expensive undertaking, so although you don't want to be too seduced by swoon-worthy savings when shopping for an investment piece of furniture, if you can find a sofa you love with a discount, it's good news all round.
The Real Homes guides to the best sofa deals and best sofa bed deals can help you check whether there's a saving on the seating you love. After all, the more you save the more you can spend on cushions to style your sofa up to the max...