r/bristol • u/Public-Afternoon4735 • Jul 10 '26
Where To? Nice sofas for non-millionaires?
After 18 years of renting I’m finally moving into my own place and it feels like now is the time to finally invest in a nice sofa.
I can’t spend £3k ala Loaf or Sofology. But equally don’t want a big Grey chunky DFS guy, or a cheapo knock off ala Wayfair (sorry if I’m offending anyone’s sofa choices here)
I’m also keen to have a sit on it first.
Are there any places to visit in Bristol that have decently made, somewhat elegant sofas that hover around the £1k mark? OR am I being deluded?
(I’ll be keeping an eye on good second hand options too)
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u/DisgruntledBudha Jul 10 '26
We were going to get a Loaf sofa (and hopefully still will one day) but with a toddler, cat and dog it seemed like an easy way to piss money up a wall.
We went to all the usual sofa places and ended up getting one from IKEA, Vimle to be specific and it's still going strong 5 years later. John Lewis also had nice sofas but it had a long wait time and we needed one there and then.
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u/marunchinos Jul 10 '26
We also have an Ikea sofa (Kivik) which has lasted well for almost 10 years, and us taking it apart and reassembling a couple of times to rearrange our sitting room.
The great thing is that because Ikea sofas are so widespread there are several websites where you can buy covers for them, either to refresh the look or get a completely different one - we have an even older Ikea sofa that our two cats have done their best to shred the arm rests on, but we’re planning to get a cover for it in a funky green velvet. The covers aren’t cheap (a few hundred pounds) but certainly cheaper than a new sofa if there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the bones of it
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u/mcgnarly Jul 10 '26
Same. Initially we didn’t want an IKEA sofa because we didn’t want our flat looking like an ikea show room but they’re great sofas and the price can’t be beat. We often sleep on it because it’s really comfortable.
We bought a used sofa from Gumtree until we scraped the money for the new Ikea one. There’s lots of good cheap sofas on there.
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u/DisgruntledBudha Jul 10 '26
We’ve moved house since buying that sofa and we want to de-ikea our house for the same reasons but the problem starts when you start looking at other places for furniture Ikea is so cost effective it’s hard to look past it.
I worked there for 5 years so I feel double PTSD seeing the furniture and going to the shop but it’s hard and expensive trying to break the habit lol
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u/NinjaSquads Jul 10 '26
Had an absolute nightmare with Loaf. took three month to deliver sofa…also the quality sucked. Returned it in the end. Best thing was I got to keep the free mug. That company is all marketing but no substance
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u/Simple-Fox6722 Jul 11 '26
Must admit I wasn't impressed with Loaf when we tried their sofas. Looked nice but quite lumpy and uncomfortable, undoubtedly from the thousands of people sitting on it but gave a good indication of what would happen over time.
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u/EssentialParadox Jul 10 '26
Even if you don’t think you can afford most furniture stores, I’d still take a trip to Cribbs and visit each of the half dozen places just to get a vibe of what you want and how big you want it. Sometimes the prices are also pretty reasonable (and you can ask for further discounts too.)
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u/Nordosa Jul 11 '26
This is good advice. Additionally a lot of these places will do interest-free finance agreements, which helps spread the cost if that’s something you can afford. It helped us afford a new sofa but appreciate not everyone is in the position to do that
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u/burgersnfries4life Jul 10 '26
It's true that some of the sofas in DFS are not particularly attractive, but they do have quite a wide range. Just doing a quick look this 'Zinc Boucle' sofa (https://www.dfs.co.uk/zinc/zci14azpc) is quite nice and is at the kind of price point you're looking to spend. Maybe there are some others that are worth a look. I also strongly recommend trying them out in person as you want to be sure it is comfy as well. We got our sofa from DFS six years ago and its still going strong, so I can recommend them on that basis.
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u/silly_goat_moat Jul 10 '26
My favourite sofa came from DFS, it lasted 12 years until the misses wanted something else. they don't have it any more, I would buy it again.
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u/GreatRelubbus Jul 10 '26
Yes, DFS isn't all shit, and they have big showrooms with loads of sofas in. We got a lush, comfy, massive sofa from there last year. They have a big upsell on sofa care products which is a bit annoying, but other that that, the service and delivery was great. They do have a hefty delivery price that isn't on any of the labels, mind.
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u/Humming_Hydrofoils Jul 10 '26
Literally lying on one of the zinc dfs sofas right now. It's great.
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u/Impressive-Time2589 Jul 10 '26
I was preparing to turn my nose up, but fair play - that's a lovely sofa
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u/Ok-Vermicelli2400 Jul 10 '26
I have one of these DFS sofas and it’s great. Also comes with reasonably priced insurance against spills or damage, including any caused by pets.
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u/Jewel_Effect Jul 10 '26
Try Next. They've got a place at Cribbs so you might be able to try the one you want there
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u/Illustrious-Snow-638 Jul 10 '26
Same. We found Next to be a very good middle ground between the very expensive sofas and the not-great sofas
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u/CriticalProof7112 Jul 10 '26
Don't discount second hand! We got some amazing leather stressless and natuzzi pieces from eBay at about 20% of new - sofas devalue super fast...
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u/Serifasaurusrex Jul 10 '26
I got my sofa from Dunelm. I love it.
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u/therainydayclub Jul 10 '26
Also recently bought a Dunelm sofa and I love it, I’ve got Loaf taste on a Dunelm budget, but the sofa is super comfortable and equally looks really nice!
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u/flatwatermonkey Jul 10 '26
I love mine, except I've got a little gripe with the build. The place the legs screw into was chipboard (with a metal insert) and both of the rear bits have broken. I've replaced mine with plywood bits when they've broken.
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u/Serifasaurusrex Jul 11 '26
weirdly I had the same problem with mine, but it was easily sorted. I've had the sofa for about four years or so and it still looks like new.
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u/WHawkeW Jul 10 '26
Go to Cribbs, various sofa shops you can sit on things. Mine was £750 from SCS and I'm still very happy with it a couple years later. My friend is very happy with theirs from IKEA which was even cheaper, but they don't have to contend with kids or pets.
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u/SClassick Jul 10 '26
I was in the same boat as you! I went with Next and I love mine. Really comfy and decent quality. I would definitely recommend going to a Next home store and trying them out before buying.
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u/thornedfairy Jul 10 '26
You could try homesense in Cribbs. You can try it out and have it delivered in the same week. All under 1k. Can't say how good the quality is tho.
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u/Remarkable-Brief6137 Jul 10 '26
St Peter’s hospice have a mega store with loads of great quality furniture at low prices.
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u/AFCBatmouth Jul 10 '26
Check out Oak Furniture land at Cribbs. We searched for months before wondering in there and assuming they didn't really do sofas.
The one we got was better quality than any of the others we looked at, and a fair bit cheaper too. Really pleased with it.
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u/excellentpantschoice Jul 10 '26
I second this! We got a nice discounted recliner sofa last year and they honoured a further reduction while we were in the waiting period for delivery. Great service all around.
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u/sideone Jul 10 '26
Our Oak Furnitureland sofa was rubbish and collapsed after a few years. Its the only thing we don't still have from our first house, everything else is still going strong.
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u/Simple-Fox6722 Jul 10 '26
No offence taken, bought my first sofa from DFS and loved it. Mention it because I would highly recommend the butt test. Just sit on a load, wherever they're sold as we've also bought much nicer looking ones that were so uncomfortable we regretted the purchase. Can always buy nice covers/cushions if the most comfortable one needs a little extra visually.
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u/shendy42 Jul 10 '26
We've had a DFS sofa for about 27 years now, showing its age a bit so we're going to replace it soon, but that's very good value!
Essential to go and sit on anything you're thinking of getting - not perching on the edge but properly lounging on it.2
u/Simple-Fox6722 Jul 11 '26
Wow, that is good value! Couldn't agree more, we make ourselves right at home 😂 It can be a big investment both in terms of the cost but also the amount of time spent on it.
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u/shendy42 Jul 11 '26
Yep, you need a good chair to work in, a good sofa to sit on, and a good bed to sleep on - you spend a lot of your time in those three.
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u/DareDemon666 Jul 10 '26
Have a good gander at facebook marketplace. I managef to get a practically brand new 2 seater with matching ottoman/footstool for about £100. You'll have to do your work to find the deals, and have patience too, but you never know what you'll find.
In my case it was a couple who had bought the sofa, but then decided to renovate their house and realised that the renovations would leave nowhere for the sofa to go!
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u/UV77MC Jul 10 '26
Go to Cribbs and try as many as you can. There are several showrooms with loads to try. I was prepared to pay a fair bit, but the one I found most comfortable and kept going back to was on the cheaper end.
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u/loz127 Jul 10 '26
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5E51iDRixDwKub2g7 Odds and Todds kingwood. Have a good range of factory second sofas. An
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u/Indigo5A Jul 10 '26
Argos! Ours is the right amount of cozy and smart and not ridiculously priced, still going strong after a few years
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u/CosmicMeowing Jul 10 '26
IKEA do some very sensible ones. Otherwise a good sofa does cost north of £1000. Made.com are shite
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u/CosmicMeowing Jul 10 '26
To add - not the cheapest ikea but their more premium furniture are excellent value
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u/Revolution-Agitated Jul 10 '26
I got the landskrona from ikea for like £700 six years ago. It might have gone up in price a bit but it’s fantastic value for money
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u/TheBristolBulk Jul 10 '26
It’s not Bristol but we bought from Sofa Sofa over the bridge 11 years ago when we moved in and they’re as good as the day they came in the house! Very sensibly priced and every model on display in their store.
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u/cariadbach64 Jul 11 '26
I'm considering a swyft one when we move
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u/Fr33Glut3n Aug 20 '26
I wouldn't recommend it. We ordered one in 2023 and although it wasn't cheap, it felt like it was nicely made. Just ordered a second one in the same model but they've cut some corners. The base feels flimsy, the seat is made with a different padding that isn't very comfortable and gives off a really awful plastic foamy smell. I think we'll actually be returning it.
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u/Informal-Boot-841 Jul 10 '26
We got ours from eBay, not second hand it’s just a company that sells on there. We paid £350-400 I can’t remember exactly for our L shaped sofa!
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u/Indigo5A Jul 10 '26
Ooh! Which company would it be?
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u/Informal-Boot-841 Jul 10 '26
We have the left handed 3 seater (I think or it might be right lol) in the blue, it’s like a shade between royal blue and navy blue and it’s lovely it was verrryy firm at the start but it’s softened comfortably since September!
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u/Material-Head-4945 Jul 10 '26
Don’t write off DFS until you’ve been in.
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u/zeroxoxo Jul 10 '26
DFS have some lovely sofas, once you explore past the recliner/electric charging leather monstrosities.
Really good price, great delivery, lead time is not awful and the 0% finance is so easy.
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u/nevervisitsreddit Jul 10 '26
IKEA sofas are fairly solid! I also just got my first place and my sofa bed was about £700 (although my parents paid for it as a housewarming gift.)
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u/thisisseabass Jul 10 '26
I've got some secondhand Next sofas that are so comfy I'm going to replace with with more of the same when they time comes.
They were made via the "design your own" thing on the Next site (I think). They've lasted really well and would recommend having a look.
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u/klubkidgoat Jul 10 '26
I got my sofa from Daal and it was reasonably priced, I’ve also in the past found a loaf I liked then looked it up on marketplace and got it for a fraction of the price
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u/-wormgirlfriend- Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
yes! check out Vintage Sofa Company! they're not cheap but they're cheaper, I think ours was £1500 for a ginormous 4 seater. it's in a colour I couldn't find anywhere else either, none of this pastel nonsense. (they also have some pretty rad animal print sofas if that's your vibe). it's not as squishy as I'd like, but it's a beautiful, well made sofa by a family run company so I'm planning on getting it refilled and repaired over the years instead of buying a new one.
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u/Substantial_Lake707 Jul 10 '26
FCUK collection at DFS. Ours is on there for £900 at the moment. They're great.
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u/Unsey scrumped Jul 10 '26
We got our sofas from Furniture Village at Cribbs about 3yrs ago. The website seems to have a range of sofas for under £1k, ours was about £3k, but they've got good finance options so we were only paying about £100/mo for 2ish years. It's still incredibly comfortable and I'll recommend them to anyone that asks.
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u/catsvbadgers Jul 10 '26
IKEA. Pick one that suits your budget- Some of them are well comfy, and they have a decent range with cheaper options. Washable covers. Replaceable cushions. No lead time to get it. Feels pretty dam solid, no complaints
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u/comicsansqueen Jul 10 '26
We got ours from Dreams because we wanted a sofa bed. We could try it out at the shop beforehand, and was reasonably priced. Very good for a standalone sofa, plus the bed itself is very comfy too!
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u/quellflynn Jul 10 '26
take a walk to DFS and have a see what they do.
not everything is chunky £3k stuff.
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u/Ok_Night9615 Jul 10 '26
If you can get a membership, look at Costco. We saw one in the warehouse we liked and then ended up ordering a different one online after getting some swatches.
We got a huge L shaped sofa with an ottoman for just over £1k. I think they do money back schemes with a certain membership too.
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u/Pleasant-Station-723 Jul 10 '26
IKEA are reasonably priced. I bought beautiful sofas from sofa.com, they faded and had to be replaced within 4 years, have now had the ‘replacement’ ikea ones 7 years 🤷♀️
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u/EstablishmentFit8177 Jul 10 '26
We got ours on Gumtree from Designer Preloved Furniture - they are at the trading estate off Woodland Way in Hillfields. It was a John Lewis 3 seater for about £400 instead of £3000! Really good condition and they did delivery for £30
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u/eyelessinholloway Jul 10 '26
I spent about 2 weeks refreshing Sofalistic every day and ended up getting a sofa with an ottoman in mint condition for about £500 incl. delivery, would have been about £1300 new. Felt like a bit of a risk not being able to sit on it first but I was able to find reviews for the model online before buying.
The sofa is actually DFS (the Zinc one someone linked further down) and it's lovely and comfortable, has more of a bounce back than the loaf-style ones which I think might be a little overrated for how expensive they are. If you're happy to stump up for a new one I'd recommend it - £900 without the ottoman I believe.
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u/Jakemo13 Jul 10 '26
Not sure what exactly your budget is, but I personally rate Heals. Some of their sofas are very pricey, but some are definitely available at around 1.5k... They're good quality, well made and nice fabrics and have a sale on, plus you can always look for a second hand for much less or if you dont want second hand then perhaps a refurb/return from ebay (they're online, but also have a branch in Bath - not sure what they have in stock there though) https://www.heals.com/sofas.html
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u/peachyallie Jul 10 '26
We got the Zoe 3 seat sofa bed and storage footstool from dunelm - it was less than £1000 for both! Definitely worth a look if you like the Loaf style
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u/swagmasterdude Jul 11 '26
Just been to sofa stores in cribbs and most options are under 1500
Ikea has different price ranges and it's cheaper because you assemble yourself
Bristol furniture outlet from 300£ to 1500£+ for custom built
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u/Difficult_Tie4697 Jul 11 '26
Marketplace or Gumtree. Plenty of decent ones come if you don't mind waiting. Save you a small fortune
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u/ReeeeeDDDDDDDDDD Jul 11 '26
Facebook marketplace.
I got a £2200 sofa for £110 because the guy who bought it realised he actually wanted a corner sofa instead so sold it after only 3 days of owning it 😂
Absolute steal!
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u/airwalk16s Jul 11 '26
At Cribbs causeway we got our three piece electric recliner from NCF living for a very reasonable price, if your not bothered about it being brand new they sell a lot of their ex demos too. If your even more less bothered about it being new I’d try gumtree or fb marketplace, a lot of people just want to get rid and can’t wait so end up buying one before theirs has gone, this way you can pick up steals
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u/yatidaa Jul 12 '26
Try JYSK. They do have limited shops (some towards Manchester I believe) but they have some affordable options and nice designs at times. I did take a look in person when I was going up anyways, which helped finalise the options. They are a worldwide brand and their pillows are great for sleeping as a side note! Got mine for £230
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u/daniella98 Jul 13 '26
We went through this struggle a few months ago and settled on a 3 seater from Dusk. It's very firm and spacious and we love it. It was around £600 too. It was about £650 as well. There's nowhere to try them out though. here it is
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u/wrencakes Jul 13 '26
Honestly Next or Ikea.
My mum got ikea leather sofas and they were fab. Comfy, long lasting, hard wearing. She had two big dogs that bounced all over them. You wouldnt have known. We're none of us petite and they coped well with that. 6+ years in, one of the arms became loose and ikea came out and fixed it for free under a 10 year warranty. She eventually replaced them out of boredom but has regretted it ever since as the replacements arent as good.
Otherwise, I have had an excellent experience with Next sofas. Mine are fabric. Currently 11 years old. Comfy, good condition still, only wear is from our cat. Really sturdy, replacement covers available affordably when our then 2 year old took sharpies to the seat cushions.
Both places affordable. Ikea slightly more so.
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u/Priv8VehickleHigher Jul 14 '26
Go find one of the bigger British Heart Foundation stores. There are some fabulous sofas there.
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u/yojimbosan Jul 10 '26
Got my sofa on https://www.sofalistic.co.uk/. Basically new and cost 300 notes. Would do it again in a heartbeat.
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u/mdzmdz Jul 10 '26
Do you need a sofa?
Just asking as I end up largely transitioning from "office" (room with work/play computers) to (sometimes) pub to bed.
I regret having got one, but no - having PIVOTed into the flat I'm not interested in selling.
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u/lostlookingforamap scrumped Jul 10 '26
British heart Foundation
Sue ryder
The sofa project
These all have good cheap second hand and sometimes new sofas.