Question:
Looking for feedback on a sofa sleeper we found at Value City Furniture. It is a triple power reclining sofa made by Jackson
It’s got all the bells and whistles but it is not real leather. What’s your take on this type of faux leather composition.
Will it peel or crack like other faux leathers I have read about?
Is the extended warranty worth it?
Srikanth
Sept. 8, 2020
Answer:
After 10 years and thousands of complaints about peeling, cracking bonded leather, faux leather technology has improved to the point where new composite faux leathers are being introduced.
- These new fabrics combine polyesters and polyurethanes (and sometimes vinyl and cotton as well.)
- They have not been around long enough to know how durable they will be over the long run, but they will almost certainly do better than the bonded leathers they are replacing.
- There are dozens of formulations for these new composite faux leathers. In general the higher percentage of polyester (and the lower the percentage of polyurethane) the lower the cost of the fabric.
In the example you have submitted the composite faux leather has an unusually high percentage of polyurethane (which is a good sign.)
- The added cotton probably improves the look and/or feel of the fabric.
- The cotton may reduce the long term durability of the fabric, but these fabrics have not been around long enough to know one way or the other.
Jackson is an American made reclining furniture brand based in Tennessee.
They are one of 15 brands I reviewed in my article Who are the best American reclining sofa and sectional manufacturers?
As with all popularly priced reclining furniture, the biggest problem that will limit the lifespan of your furniture are the non-removable seat cushions.
- The 1.8 density foam used to pad the seats generally wears out within 3 – 5 years and becomes noticeably less comfortable.
- There is no way to replace the foam when that happens at a reasonable cost.
The top 7 companies listed in my review article generally offer removable seat cushions.
- Many of the larger mass producers are beginning to offer some high leg (hybrid) reclining styles with removable seats.
- Generally these removable seat models cost a few hundred dollars more than their tight seat models.
Extended warranties are never a good idea for furniture. Here is an article that I have written on this topic.
Value City has a long reputation for poor customer service. (Most of their major competitors aren’t any better.)
Reclining furniture has by far the highest rate of customer complaints of any furniture category.
Don’t count on your warranties to save you. They are written by attorneys, paid by the retailers and manufacturers, to protect their clients.
- The best way to protect yourself is to inspect the furniture thoroughly and immediately contact the company if a problem does arise.
- If the furniture is delivered, make the delivery crew wait until you are satisfied it arrived in good shape. If there are any problems, note them on the delivery ticket and have the delivery people sign it.
- If you pick up the furniture yourself, have it taken out of the boxes and thoroughly inspected before you sign off on the document that confirms you have taken possession.
- If the problem occurs after delivery (or pick up) document it in writing so that you have a date you can point to later on when you need to prove when the matter was first brought to the retailer’s attention.
- If you speak with customer service (or management personnel) over the phone about a customer service issue, document the conversation immediately afterwards in writing (by email.) Make sure you have the name and title of everyone you spoke with.
- Fixing furniture problems is expensive for retailers. They will go to great lengths to avoid those costs. The most common method is to wear people down to the point where they don’t feel it is worth the time and effort to continue pursuing a remedy (or compensation) for the problem. By taking careful notes of every communication you have, you make it more difficult for them to do this.
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