Question:
I need some help to find a sofa or sectional. I’m an engineer and super interested in the details.
My budget is $4,000-$10,000. I want to get a high-quality three seat sofa or a sectional (sofa with chaise) that is well-built and will stay comfortable for a very long time. I currently live in an apartment and don’t have a lot of space for huge sectionals.
I was considering the DWR Reid sofa or the Room & Board Cade. I like the feel of their webbing suspensions for some reason (tried them both.). I also learned about other brands like Stickley and Baker, but they might be too expensive for my budget.
What are your thoughts on Italian sofas like Minotti and Poliform? Any help would be appreciated!!
Answer:
In my opinion the DWR Reid is seriously overpriced from a construction perspective. The R&B Cade is a better value, but the seat cushions have an average 5 year lifespan before the foam cores will need replacement.
Baker and Stickley make outstanding furniture, but you are paying a substantial premium for the brand names (and the extremely high quality.).
I am not familiar with most European brands and cannot help you with Minotti or Poliform.
The main reason for using webbing in a sofa is more stylistic in nature than to improve comfort. Webbing enables seating to have a flat, streamlined profile.
This is especially useful for European modern styles and seating designed to ship in flat boxes. (The more common (and less expensive) sinuous wire seat supports have arched springs that take up more space than flat webbing.
The problem with webbing is that there are two different types: low-quality stretchable webbing and high-quality non-stretchable webbing. It is difficult to tell the difference between the two from product descriptions.
Salespeople usually won’t even be aware that there are different webbing types or qualities.(They can look very similar.)
Cheap webbing stretches. Better quality webbing does not.
Stretchable webbing can cause your seat cushions to sag within 5 years (or less if you weigh more than 200 lbs. or have kids who like to jump on the furniture.)
Nonstretchable webbing can last 20+ years with no change in seating comfort.
Non-stretchable webbing costs more than the stretchable type. The biggest cost difference is in the installation process.
Stretchable webbing can be installed very quickly by low-skilled workers.
Non-stretchable webbing installation takes more than twice as long and requires more highly skilled (higher paid) workers.
One major reason for the difference in lifespan is that the cheaper webbing is often stapled into cheaper solid softwood or engineered wood frames that do not hold staples well.
More expensive webbing is usually stapled into solid hardwood or hardwood plywood.
Some alternative sofas or sectionals you may want to consider:
DreamSofa sofas ($1800 – $2500) or sectionals ($3500 – $4500+)
DreamSofa is a high end custom manufacturer in Los Angeles. Kiln-dried solid hardwood frames and sinuous wire foundations are built to last 15+ years.
The top Plush cushion option has a coil spring central core surrounded with 2.5 density high resiliency Reflex foam and will also last 15+ years.
Mantle Jasper sofa ($2000 – $2600) or the sofa with chaise version ($3500 – $5000+).
Mantle is a Direct-to-Consumer casual contemporary brand featuring 8 way hand tied construction. The pieces are fully customizable, with e variety of cushions. (If you choose foam, get the upgraded 2.5 density, not the standard 2.05.)
This is furniture built to last 20+ years.You can see a more extensive review of Mantle on my blog at Where Can I Find a Reasonably Priced 8 way hand tied Sofa?
Medley Home is another custom Direct-to-Consumer brand, building extremely durable seating that will last for 20+ years. They make several different casual contemporary sofas and sectionals. sofa/chaise casual contemporary looks in the $4000 – $5000 price range.
(Medley Home offers InsidersGuide blog readers a 10% discount.)
Although Medley does not make 8 way hand tied foundations, it is very sturdy. The company is environmentally conscious and has many special eco-friendly options.
Maiden Home is another excellent brand for casual contemporary sofa/chaise looks. Although the brand markets itself as Direct-to-Consumer, it is actually a curated collection of styles made by several different small North Carolina factories.
The Crosby style, is similar in quality to the R&B Cade at a price about $1500 less. Maiden Home’s Carmen sofa/chaise upgrades you to 8 way hand tied at a $5000 price (about $500 less than the R&B Cade.
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I, too, am considering the DWR Reid Sectional with Chaise but have concerns about construction quality and durability. I like the Reid’s low profile, modern design and that DWR offers natural fiber upholstery options with zero chemical finishes (Maharam Beck fabric). Our household is two adults under 160 lbs, no kids or pets. We take good care of our belongings so wear and tear would be minimal. My husband and I have tested the Reid at a DWR store and found it comfortable. That we agree on this point, and we both like this design is not nothing! My husband, who is 6’1” also likes the 19” seat height with the 4” tubular legs.
However, reviews on the DWR site for the Reid are negative and largely revolved around cushions that do not hold their shape or increasing lack of comfort over time. Your review indicates the Reid cushion materials are not high quality and the webbing suspension may not be durable. It would be very useful to have your comments and analysis of the materials and construction techniques as described in their product description, which lists:
—Kiln-dried, corner-blocked, double-doweled composite hardwood frame [Can you explain how “composite hardwood” differs from hardwood plywood?]
—Pirelli webbing back and seat suspension [Is this the stretchable type of webbing you warn against in your review, or the non-stretchable type of webbing?]
—High-resiliency foam and memory foam seat cushions wrapped in Featherblend™ fill [Is the type of foam described here of good quality? What is Featherblend™ fill?]
—Featherblend™ fill back cushions [Is the lack of a foam core the likely reason for negative comments from DWR customers?)
The DWR Reid frame and seat support should last 15+ years. So should every other frame and seat support sold by DWR and Crate & Barrel.
“Composite hardwood” is a type of engineered wood that combines wood fibers with other materials. It’s made from wood fibers, such as sawdust, veneers, or scraps, mixed with a binding agent and other materials.
Examples of composite hardwood include plywood, fiberboard, particleboard, and oriented strand board (any wood product other than solid wood.)
At the DWR price level, the Pirelli webbing should be the good non-stretchable type and should be good for 20+ years.
“High resiliency foam” can mean anything from 1.8 density to 2.5 density. If you call DWR and ask, they should be able to tell you.
If there are complaints about the seat cushions, they are probably 1.8 density or they have too much of the feather blend filler. If the complaints are about the back cushions, it usually indicates there isn’t enough filling.
“Feather blend” is the same as “Blend down,” except instead of a filling with 50% polyester fiber, 47.5% feathers and 2.5% down, “feather blend” is 50% polyester fiber and 50% feathers. (The 2.5% down (about 0.5 oz. per cushion)isn’t enough to affect the comfort. Down is included exclusively for marketing reasons. (So are the feathers.)
Feather fillings are a nuisance. They are still being used currently because shoppers think that feathers are an indication of “high quality.”
Polyester fiber filling is less expensive than feathers and it works better in back cushions and as a topper for seat cushions. It doesn’t compress as easily, it creates fewer wrinkles in the fabric when it compresses, and you don’t get quills and feathers coming through the fabric.
Over the past 15 years, it has become very rare to see back cushions made exclusively with feathers and down. Most back cushions now are at least 50% polyester fiber. That’s what you have when any cushion filling is described with the word “blend.”
The only reason for using feathers (or down) in cushions at all currently is for marketing prestige. The cheaper polyester fiber works better.
DWR is outrageously overpriced for the quality of the seating, even at 20% off.
Dreamsofa’s website shows 60+ sectional styles with a chaise and they can do a lot of things that aren’t on their website, including modular sectionals.
My suggestion is that you send a link to the DWR Reid sectional with chaise that you like to Dreamsofa’s sales manager Ryan Giordano at ryan@dreamsofa.com.
Tell Ryan exactly what you like about the Reid and ask what he can do in a similar styling.
Most DWR styles are modular. Dreamsofa doesn’t show any modular styles on its website, but they do make them. Ask Ryan to send you photos of the Landon and Skye modular sectionals.
Dreamsofa can customize just about anything to your exact specifications. The quality will be superior to DWR and the price should be at least $1000 less.
Get the top grade Plush cushion option (coil spring cores surrounded by 2.5 density foam.) They will be firmer than the DWR cushions but extremely comfortable. (Several of my readers have described them as “firm but soft”.)