Will need a new couch / sofa soon

[Jem]

I just noticed that the material where I park my bottom is really starting to wear thin and I know it's just a matter of time that I'll be needing a new couch. The type I currently have is a microfiber/fake swede type material, dark brown and very puffy. IT IS A PAIN to clean, and has not been as durable as I thought it would be.
I can't afford leather, at least the high quality leather that would be though against cat claws, so that's out...I also don't like sticking to it when it's warm out.
I also would not be able to afford real swede either, not that I would want it knowing the pain of cleaning what I have now. And between my husband and cats, fabric tends to get dirty quick in my house and the maintenance of real swede just seems daunting...

So, I was wondering what type of couch, including type of material do you have that you feel is durable, and easy to keep clean.
Do you feel like removable cushions are good or do you prefer a couch where everything is attached?
What color of couch do you have that you feel masks the most amount of staining and fur? As I mentioned, mine is currently dark brown, which means the white and beige fluff from the cats are always visible, even right after a good vacuum, although the black fur doesn't show...
We have another couch downstairs that is a medium beige color that I find hides things well. It's almost a corduroy type material which I find is quite easy to vacuum, probably because the couch itself it is not all puffy but it is VERY attractive to the kitties who like to scratch. Although that could be because I don't discourage this new bunch from scratching at the ALREADY scratched parts from my old cat from over a decade ago...

Anyway, I like comfort and want something I can "sink into" but too plushy and it's a pain to clean, I also want a durable fabric that resists cat fur, or at least releases it decently when vacuuming.

Any advice?

 

[susanm9006]

Microfiber is about as durable as you can find with pets. You just need to find a thicker fabric, without any pattern that catches cats claws and if they sell matching arm covers, buy them. As far as cushions, I made a huge mistake with my last sofa and bought one with attached seat cushions. The problem is that over time they flatten when you usually sit and you aren’t able to flip them to even it out so you need to keep switching spots where you sit or the sofa looks lopsided. Also, choose one if you can without reclining seats. First of all, they ding up the wall when moved to the reclining position unless you don’t put the couch up against it and secondly they make the sofa crazy heavy to move. I swear will have to disassemble this one in the living room and maybe saw it apart to get it out.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We just ordered a new sofa and loveseat. Right now we have a microfiber couch in dark brown also. It's been fine for stains and things. I have an envirocloth from Norwex that took pen and highlighter off it. (I don't use norwex products regularly; but it did work for that!) One reason we bought this set is that it has big puffy pillow backs so the girls loved lounging on it. Noodles especially. Now I keep those inexpensive $3 fleece blankets from Walmart around where Mooch does lay (she has tummy issues sometimes). Neither of my two were big shedders so the fur wasn't an issue. The couch has a chaise and is our only seating in the living room. It's awkward when we have company and the cushions are showing some age after only something like 7 years of owning it (of course having 2 young kids could be part of the issue ). DH says it wasn't a very expensive couch anyway. The couch still has life. If we had a family/playroom I'd put it there.

Our previous couch was more of a tan color with a texture something like courderoy but bigger. I don't know how to describe it. My parents took the old set for their family room and it's still in use by them and all the grandkids. It had those removable layerable pillows and I grew to hate them. We lounged on that couch more than sat before we had kids. It was great for napping. But trying to sit against the layered pillows wasn't comfortable. Noodles put a big hole in the side of one piece but the rest held up well. My Mother has cats and I don't see that they've done any damage.

Our new set is a Lazyboy set in a medium brown color. Seamount Sable is the name I think. It was one of the "stock" colors the furniture store has. It has some texture/pattern to it; so I think it will hide crumbs and things to a certain degree. DH insisted on getting reclining furniture. SIL's set is similar and has lasted them more than twice as long as ours. So I'm praying we love it for many many years!

 

[EmersonandEvie]

We got our sofa and accent chair from Big Lots. We knew that the cats would more than likely ruin it in a few years so we went with it because it was cheap. I find it fairly easy to clean and it has had its share of stains and cat incidents.

 

[Jem]

The problem is that over time they flatten when you usually sit and you aren’t able to flip them to even it out so you need to keep switching spots where you sit or the sofa looks lopsided. Also, choose one if you can without reclining seats.

That's what I currently have...And yes, I think I do want removable cushions this time...sort of. But both my husband and I really love the reclining option. The issue, recliners don't have removable cushions...That's why I'm kinda leaning towards one that is less puffy, but still reclines, at least it won't be as noticeable when it squishes down....IDK.

Our new set is a Lazyboy set in a medium brown color

It has some texture/pattern to it;

What type of fabric is it? did they mention the durability of it when you bought it? Does cat fur stick to it?

 

[Jem]

Does anyone know, if I decide on a fabric upholstery, what is the minimum thread count I should be looking for, for durability?

 

[Jem]

You just need to find a thicker fabric

How do I know if it's a good quality microfiber? I honestly know NOTHING about fabric, I can't really tell if it's "thick" or not...they all felt the same in the store when we purchased the one we have now.

 

[susanm9006]

How do I know if it's a good quality microfiber? I honestly know NOTHING about fabric, I can't really tell if it's "thick" or not...they all felt the same in the store when we purchased the one we have now.

One option you usually have with a piece of furniture is to choose a different fabric . Ask to see the fabric choices and find out which one is on the store model (the furniture tag should say the fabric name). Then you can feel them on both sides, gets a sense of how thick they are and really examine the fabric. You can often also choose a higher quality fabric for an additional cost. Custom fabric doesn’t usually cost that much more, it’s just that you might wait 4 weeks or more for it to be completed.