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Our 10 year old leather couch now has 3 tears in it and is looking thrashed although the cushions have held up very well. Repairing the tears will cost around $250 and I’m thinking I should just put that towards a new sofa.
I’ve found a few similar looking brown leather sofas in the $700 range (overstock, Macy’s) but reviews indicate that the cushions are collapsing after only a year (ours look virtually the same as they did 10 years ago with just some very minor stretching of the leather where people’s butts sit). Does anyone love their sofa – easy to clean, wears nicely, comfortable enough so that guests comment favorably?
Is there any reason other than the tears to replace it? Because to me it makes more sense to keep a good sofa and repair it for $250 than to spend $1000 on an unknown.
I got a used Natuzzi sofa for $500 about 10 years ago. It looks great except for scratches from dog claws. So checking the Craigslist ads might be worth it. I also got a new small leather recliner at World Market for $800 around the same time and it has not held up well. Moral of the story might be spend more now.
Costco seasonally has leather couches in that price range but it’s not the season right now.
Sarah, one of the cushions has a weird texture after I put it in storage for a year. It was an inexpensive sofa to begin with ($1000-ish) so it feels misguided to be putting more money into it after having it for 10 yrs. Honestly, if that one cushion didn’t look weird, I’d have the tears repaired just to avoid the hassle of purchasing a new one.
k9 – you’re so lucky, I just looked up Natuzzi and the sofas look amazing. You’re correct in predicting that Craigslist would have a ton of used leather sofas Anyone have experience with these brands – Bassett, Hancock and Moore, CB2, Ashley?
@chicagohost Ikea ‘leather’ sofas hold up pretty well. We just bought a sectional from Wayfair, not sure how long it will last but price was right. If you find anything on Wayfair, send me a message and I can order for you with my discount.
CB2 is Crate and Barrel’s contemporary line. Bassett and Ashley are mid tier makers.
Any thoughts on this one – I’m very surprised to not see any negative reviews although I don’t know if Wayfair allows people to review after a year, or to update reviews. Does anyone know Wayfair review policies? It looks like it would get squishy and too soft over time but I can’t believe how cheap this is…
Sorry, link not working. It’s the Wellhead Gloucester Leather Sofa.
Save your money and don’t buy cheap brands . Bonded leather is not real leather , its a split hide that has been rubberized and stamped . Your best option is to find a well known brand on Craigslist . You want a solid hardwood frame and a lifetime warranty or at least 10-20 years . Also its great if you find one that is slip covered , so if the slip covers get dirty , you can wash them and the sofa will still be upholstered . It may be a bit hard to find but its worth the wait .
@designconsortium2003 you know I don’t disagree with you often…BUT for a high volume ABB I see nothing wrong with Bonded Leather. I made the choice to buy a cheaper bonded leather sofa, knowing that pretty much whatever sofa I was going to put in would not last more than 2 years. We are also in a high volume area, with kids, concert goers, etc and anything really has a 2 year life span.
Well I have a few problems with it . Its great if its from a Company like Natuzzi , However other companies that do it , just do a really bad job and it will crack and tear very quickly . So if you get a Natuzzi one great , but I would stay away from other brands . Not everyone wants to drop 800-1000 every two years unless you can cover it from your rental income . The other option I forgot to mention is to get one from a Hotel supplier . They have much better fabrics and coverings that were made for high traffic guests . So sometimes you can find a warehouse sale from either a Supplier or a Hotel that is remodeling if they are in the area . Sometimes big second hand furniture stores will have these items .
Oh, online shopping for a sofa is really a trip down the rabbit hole. You might not surface again for a month. I went around and around and around. In the end I bought a sofa from a slightly odd NJ retailer called - no lie - ComfyCo! It was $500. I am not kidding. And I LOVE it. The same sofa was retailed online at Wayfiar and Hayneedle and a few others for more. It is cheap, I won’t lie, but so far it is wearing like iron and I have had it a year. And I allow pets!
OK – I’m interested. The biggest lure of buying new is not having to deal with finding someone with a truck to pick up and deliver.
Do you expect at least 5 yrs of use out of it? You have pretty busy occupancy, IIRC, and so I’m impressed that you feel it still looks serviceable after a year when it was only $500. Do you happen to remember which one it was (there’s a ****load of cheap leather sofas on that site, lol!)
@chicagohost -
If your sofa is structurally in good shape except for the tears, you might try repairing and restoring it yourself. I’ve had really good luck with a repair kit from LeatherTouchUpDye. I did not have tears, but the leather was cracking. This stuff works like advertised. You can also change the color of your sofa.
No, I do not work for the company. I’m just a really satisfied user.
There is a definite difference between the leather on my Natuzzi and the leather on my World Market chair. I don’t know what exactly and trying to describe what is wrong with the chair might be similar to what you were saying about your one cushion that was in storage. Notice I didn’t say don’t get bonded leather, I said read up on it. Honestly, I wouldn’t put an expensive sofa in my space due to the dogs and the other decor. Also what I would buy for my use and what I’d buy for a rental space might not be the same.
As for transport around here you can rent a uhaul pickup truck for $30 a day. Definitely worth it if you are saving hundreds.
Also, if you have time to shop you can find great prices on markdowns.
