19 best sofas, according to House & Garden editors

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

Tilly Wheeler, commerce writer

Current sofa

Having lived, for several years, in various flatshares that came already furnished, I have not had very positive experiences with the sofas that came with each property. One especially low budget number from Argos that a landlord was required to provide was a particularly, and literally painful experience; it was so uncomfortable that visitors would comment on how bad it was. Not far off is the sofa in my current living room, a low, grey oblong piece with a hard seat and harder still brick-like arms. I don’t know where it was from originally, but it is certainly lightyears away from my dream sofa. We tend to drape blankets over the back and dress it up with cushions to improve the sofa’s comfort and aesthetics. However, underneath it all, there is no denying that it is a cheap sofa that’s seen better days.

Dream sofa

In the next place that I live, I’m planning to furnish it properly – I’m not sure I can live any longer surrounded by white walls and tatty furniture that I didn’t choose! Realistically, I’ll probably have to get a sofa bed or something with under-seat storage, to maximise the likely little space that I’ll have. But if we’re talking dream sofa, with no grounding in the boundaries of reality, then I love the intensely squishy, relaxed look of Knoll’s Pillo Sofa, which I would have upholstered in an olive green or paprika red corduroy, having been rather taken with the idea of a cord sofa after seeing the slouchy yellow one in Sergio Roger’s Barcelona apartment. Alternatively, if my living space called for a more traditional and formal style, I would go for the Rowen & Wren Abington Sofa, in a joyful striped fabric. This smart sofa’s silhouette is timelessly elegant, and I love the sweet little turned wooden feet at the front.

Abington Sofa, Two Seater, Heritage Red Stripe

Knoll Pillo Sofa, 4 Seater in Sahara

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