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What Directly Affects the Comfort of a Sofa?

Release time：

2024-07-18

From an intuitive perspective, the comfort of sitting on a sofa is primarily determined by the sponge or down cushions and backrests. However, this is not the case. As an integrated piece of furniture, the quality of the sofa frame lays the foundation for the overall comfort. The earliest sofa frames were made of wood and springs, but in today's era, sofa frames have incorporated a significant amount of industrial technology, especially in European sofas.

The most advanced frames currently are integrated aluminum alloy profiles, which are similar to the materials used in insulated aluminum windows and doors. The frame profiles are standard industrial products, on which various components, such as sofa legs, backrests, and armrests, can be easily integrated. The integration method does not involve welding but rather screw connections and direct insertion into slots.

Next in line are ordinary metal frames, which, while strong, lack industrialization and standardization, often requiring welding.

The cheapest frames are wooden, and since sofas and upholstered beds encase the frame, a variety of woods can be used as long as the strength is ensured. To save costs, some materials that are not environmentally friendly or safe may even be utilized.

The type of frame material directly determines the appearance of the sofa. If an aluminum alloy profile frame or metal frame is used, due to their sufficient strength, the sofa can be made quite slender. Modular sofas were invented by Italians; why can they be modular? It is primarily because they first used high-strength, narrow, and thin metal frames.

If a wooden frame is used, to ensure the support of the backrest and armrests, the frame must be quite thick. Under a thick frame, to ensure comfortable sitting and lying, the sofa must occupy a considerable amount of space. Otherwise, one can only compromise the sitting and lying space for people.

Compared to the bulky wooden frames, in the 1970s, Italy had already developed ultra-thin shaped cotton elastic panels. These elastic panels, which have elasticity, can be integrated onto the profile frames, offering thin support and elasticity, allowing people to lean back comfortably when sitting on the sofa.

Although three to four decades have passed, these elastic panels are still rarely used in the international sofa industry, and even in some mid-to-low-end Italian brands, wooden frames remain the main material, supplemented by metal components. This may be mainly due to cost considerations and the high requirements for the factory's equipment.

The comfort of sitting is a science, within the realm of ergonomics, where different body parts require different densities of sponge. For higher-end sofas, down (mainly goose and duck feathers) is used to enhance the wrapping sensation.

Sewing is not decisive for the cost of a sofa but tests the machine level of the factory and the craftsmanship of the workers. Moreover, some specially designed sofas require special sewing to achieve the effect, which can only be realized by special machines and craftsmanship.

The production process of a sofa is divided into: fabric, frame, cushion and backrest, and sewing. Among these, the fabric is decisive for the price because genuine leather is indeed expensive; the frame is decisive for the overall comfort; the components that can be DIY according to personal feeling are the sofa legs, armrests, and backrests. The style and height of the sofa legs can be changed according to personal preference; armrests can be equipped with attachments for holding small items and cups; the backrest can be changed to different colors of fabric or fillings.

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