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Six editors on the best sofas for all budgets and styles
Choosing the best sofa to place in your home is not a decision that should be taken lightly. After all, it is such a central piece of furniture within the living space and should ideally be used for years to come. There are few things worse than an uncomfortable sofa - that rude shock of being repelled by the very cushions you were hoping to sink back into,' says House & Garden columnist and all round interiors expert, Rita Konig, in her guide on how to choose a sofa. Naturally, comfort is key when picking out the very best sofas for you, but making sure it nestles happily into its surroundings is half the battle.
What is the best sofa?
Before answering that question, it is important to consider the purpose your sofa will be serving. Of course, at a basic level all sofas do the same thing, but taking the time to figure out what your priorities are will result in a much better choice. If you are buying this piece of furniture for a formal living room, plush upholstery is key, and an upright backrest or high back will ensure your guests are supported. If you live in an open plan space and your new sofa is going to demarcate a different living area, then ensure it has the presence to do this well; a chesterfield sofa with large armrests or a corner sofa should do the trick nicely. Though if you're looking for the latter, we recommend jumping over to our dedicated guide on the best corner sofas. We also have a handy guide to the best sofa beds, if you're looking for a sofa with multipurpose benefits. For slumping in front of the TV or lounging around with a book, a type of sofa with comfy deep seats, or additional seat and back cushions will keep you in comfort; though do bear in mind these will need plumping frequently to stay looking sharp.
A sofa will ideally be with you for a long time and a good one will serve more than a few generations. Sprung, horsehair seats are a more expensive choice but will last longer than memory foam seats and cushions, so if you want to splash out, then try to keep an eye out for retailers who offer that composition. The most comfortable sofas do tend to be the former.
The best sofas to buy in 2025
Elizabeth Metcalfe, features editor
Current Sofa
We bought Sofa.com’s ‘Otto’ sofa bed about five years ago when we were living in a one-bed flat and wanted our sitting room to easily transition into a comfortable guest bedroom. While the ‘Otto’ might not be the most exciting looking sofa – it’s boxy and unfussy – it wins on all counts, managing to be a supremely comfortable spot to both watch television from, as well as sleep in, with a proper sprung mattress. We’ve had friends sleep on it for the best part of the week who profess it’s better than their beds at home. As a sofa, the seat is wonderfully deep and you can easily have two people lying down on the 2.5 seater even when it’s not in sofa-bed mode. Of course in a dream world, cushions are made from a down-feather mix, but the feather wrapped foam ones here prove a pretty good, cost effective alternative. We had ours upholstered in a fabric that I supplied – Howe’s ‘Ripstop’ – and I’d heartily recommend doing this if none of Sofa.com’s fabrics take your fancy. It costs fractionally more, but felt well worth it. Our only issue with it is that it’s a bit of a unit so make sure to measure your doorway and hallways – there was a terrible moment when I thought it would be going back on the lorry.
Dream sofa
In part because of our plight getting a big sofa through our hallway and in part because it’s outrageously beautiful, my dream sofa would be Howe’s ‘Travelling Greyhound’. It’s the same as their sleek 18th century-inspired ‘Greyhound Settee’, but easily transportable thanks to a series of loose tenon joints and bolts, which mean it packs down. Funnily enough, knowing that I have a sofa that is likely to suit any living situation we may find ourselves in feels rather reassuring. I love things that don’t look too fussy or formal, so this is the perfect sofa, with an exposed webbed back that gives it a relaxed feel. Howe’s traditional British-made upholstery is some of the best in the business, and this sofa is no exception, with a hand-made oak frame and hand-stitched horsehair or down cushion. I particularly love the single squab style seat cushion – it looks smart and gives you an easy opportunity to upholster it in a different fabric. I’d go for a stripe on the seat and a thick canvas or linen on the frame.
Charlotte McCaughan-Hawes, deputy digital editor
Current sofa
It's a real shame that IKEA has discontinued the Stocksund sofa because, despite having had mine for six years, it's still incredibly comfortable. Is it my dream sofa? Absolutely not in any possible way but I have been seriously impressed with how it has held up over the years. It is, however, the perfect sofa for my life at the moment with its washable covers (from Comfortly, rather than IKEA itself) able to withstand endless abuse from my toddler's jam-covered hands and toilet training accidents. The sofa is the MVP of our tiny flat and pretty much the centre of our universe; I work from it, we eat dinner on it far too often to admit and, of course, lounge on it watching bad TV. I like it because it's comfortable enough to sprawl on (just about) but not so deep and low that you struggle to get on and off it easily, which is something I hate. Is it beautiful? No. Was it very affordable and offered at a relatively quick delivery time? Yes. Six years on, I have no buyer's remorse but I do lust after a smarter sofa and something with a little more support for my poor back.
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Dream sofa
I do want a new sofa when we move house (because in my ideal new house the living room is a separate space where food will rarely be consumed so it won't have to tolerate endless stains) and the sofa I have lusted after the longest is the Holi from Caravane. It looks like it belongs in a Provençal house and while looking upright and hard, is one of the most comfortable sofas I have ever had the pleasure of sitting on. Bonus, it's a dream sofa but I could also realistically afford it. Downside? I went on the website for another look and it turns out I want all of the Caravane sofas so I'll have to do something about my hideously indecisive nature first. Another dream sofa in contention however, which I have yet to test, is the very well named Charlotte sofa from The House Upstairs. It looks nice and squashy but not like it would sag or be a nightmare to get up from. I do also quite fancy the idea of a skirted cover but in a modern way and the one in this category which I want and absolutely couldn't afford would be Nicola Harding's Curtain Call sofa.
Virginia Clark, digital director
Current sofa
My current sofa is a Loaf ‘Chatnap’ sofa bed, which is brilliant for several reasons. It is both a comfortable sofa and a (reasonably) comfortable bed – a rare bird. Designed for small spaces, it is compact, but it doesn't look mean, and I like the low arms which make it possible to lie down on it full length (if you're short like me). It's also satisfying that the arms are shaped so that it's just possible to rest a remote control or a book on them – I hate thin arms. Possibly my favourite feature is the 'Clever Velvet' upholstery – it's the perfect dark olive colour, for a start, and the 'clever' bit refers to some kind of amazing Scotchguarded finish which is completely impregnable. Thanks to my habit of eating on the sofa I have dropped wine, chocolate, pasta sauce and heaven knows what else onto it over the last five years and somehow it still looks as good as new. If I have one gripe it's that the seat is a bit too shallow – the compactness is one reason I bought it, but a few more inches of depth would allow me to put my feet up more comfortably.
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Dream sofa
When it comes to dream sofas I am in two minds. One would suit the person I actually am (if I had a bit more space). This is a person who eats, works, reads, watches TV and occasionally falls asleep on the sofa, and thus wants a squashy L-shaped behemoth in whose embrace one could lie full length either facing or not facing the TV. I like the OKA Pietro sofa – it's very smart with its long seat cushions and asymmetrical form, but it's so big I worry I'd end up flailing about on it. The Heal's Astrid chaise sofa is just as cloud-like but a bit more manageable, and it has a grass green 'smart velvet' option that might be just as tough as my current upholstery.
If I was a completely different person (or perhaps if I had a formal drawing room, a situation which currently seems improbable), I would go for the glorious 'Herbert' sofa from antiques dealer Will Green's first collection. What a dreamy piece of furniture this is – it comes in a skirted and non-skirted version but if we're in my dream formal drawing room I'll have the skirt – why not! – and I'd cover it in a classic chintz, perhaps 'Fuchsia' by by Colefax & Fowler. No eating chocolate on this one.
Arabella Bowes, commerce editor
Current sofa
I live in a tiny flat which is essentially the top floor of a mews house. Our sitting room is also our dining room is also our office, so we had to be clever with layout and careful with furniture proportions so nothing dominated the room. That, coupled with an L-shaped room, meant that our sofa options were very limited. After a long search, we landed on Arlo and Jacob's ‘Grace’ sofa. It's deeper than it is tall, so it's comfortable without overwhelming the space. The arms are high enough to use as a headrest–which is a must for me as I've never understood sitting on the sofa when there's the option to lie on it–and as it doesn't have a back cushion, it looks formal enough when we have guests over. Grace's seat cushion, however, requires some maintenance and does need plumping up at the end of the day. As it's just one long cushion, this can be a bit cumbersome but it's perfectly doable. We have it covered in a lovely pale blue linen which seems to be discontinued. I love ‘Grace’ in our current space, but my partner and I are looking to move and I do think the sofa will be relegated to the bedroom (provided there's even enough space for a bed wherever we move to) as it's only truly big enough for one person to sit on comfortably.
Dream sofa
In a selection that will surprise no one in the House & Garden office, my dream sofa is from Nicola Harding's Nix line. My top pick is the ‘Dolittle 4 Seater Sofa’ which is based on a vintage Art Deco style. It has just the right amount of joy–note the little bun feet–whilst being smart and timeless. Though I adore Nicola's upholstery options, I'd have get it covered in Claremont's ‘Leopard Bon Marché’, because it simply couldn't be my dream sofa otherwise. If, for some reason, I can't have the ‘Dolittle', then please may I have the Studio Atkinson ‘Weekender’ sofa?
Rémy Mishon, decoration editor
Current sofa
So I am currently sofaless due to being between permanent dwellings. Beforehand I had a pair of Howard style sofas as part of a larger set found on Facebook marketplace which unfortunately I had to flog in the move despite them being a dream-find. These were from an old company on the Kings Road called Recline & Sprawl. Though having a pair felt very grand, their function and style suited tea and cake with company, a more up-right life rather than watching TV horizontally in the sticks with a blanket, which was our reality. A lack of high arms meant a lack of shoving big cushions into the corners to sink into, so created a lot of huffing and puffing trying to get comfortable to settle down for a film. A lesson learnt in style over comfort. Maybe I'll try a Howard again one day when I have the sitting room and the snug to play with.
Dream sofa
A sofa that ticks both boxes for me is this striped number from John Lewis in collaboration with Sophie Conran. It's my dream sofa for real life. Something which is a fun, timeless statement and also works hard in a space that isn't always the easiest to furnish and decorate. I've sunk into this sofa in person, so can hand-on-heart vouch for its pure comfort and nap-ability. I could easily sit and natter on it with friends until the wee hours or doze off on a Sunday afternoon, plus it would look good whilst doing both jobs.
Tal Dekel-Daks, senior audience development manager
Current sofa
Ikea’s hard-working Holmsund sofa has come to be so useful for a teeny rented one-bedroom apartment that I’ve bought it twice – once when I lived in New York and now again in London. Living in a standard new-build flat that comes with its open-plan living room-kitchen, the L-shaped corner works well to zone the separate spaces. But more than that it seamlessly transforms into a roomy double bed which several guests have confirmed to be rather comfy. Most recently it was slept on by my brother and his friend – two tall twenty-something men. The bed pull-out feature is also low-effort enough to work just as well for quickly making lazy movie afternoons more cosy. The roomy storage space under the chaise longue houses all the guest bedding plus more, including two king-size duvets. All in all, a triple threat.
Dream sofa
My dream sofa would do all of these things but be of better quality and also be larger than the Holmsund. I'm currently eyeing up this Felix Chaise Corner Sofa Bed from Love Your Home which can seat three people comfortably.
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What type of material is the most durable?
The best material depends entirely on function. A leather sofa will be durable, a strong choice for a busy family home. As we know, accidents do happen in these environments so it's good to know that it's stain resistant and wipe clean. A velvet sofa will provide comfortable seats and is certainly more hardwearing than chenille and can often be found in a huge variety of colours. If you're buying a sofa to sit at the end of your bed, an extravagant, printed fabric will be lovely, as it won't see as much wear as a living room sofa.
The sofa is often the centrepiece and focal point of any living room, the anchor that ties down a scheme, and the silent witness to many happy memories. All this to say that it is likely one of the most important (and expensive) decisions you’ll make in your home. So, scroll on for our edit of the best sofas for all budgets, whether you’re looking on the high street, or going totally bespoke.
