Sagging foam: should we buy new furniture?

There comes a time in the life of every sofa, sectional and loveseat when it no longer feels as comfortable as it used to.

Depending on how it was manufactured it maybe be from a year to six or seven years before that sagging and lumpiness becomes pronounced.

Often the frame and material remain in excellent condition but you start feeling the springs, or start sliding off to one side of the cushion and you know something needs to be done about it.

The issue of the sagging foam is not just a question for comfort, when the foam is too compressed you are sitting too low for the backrest to properly support your back or slump over which is also problematic for your long term health, especially if you have prior physical injuries.

The question then is whether the furniture piece (or set) should be replaced with something brand new. We here at Just Right Furniture Repair argue that most often it is not the best solution and here is why.

We’ve had a lot of sofas and chairs come through our shop over the years so we can report on a few changes in how furniture is made in the last few decades. We did see a few more higher end brands use high quality foam  in the early 2000-2010s that lasted for years and we only now are getting calls because the foam is degrading.

This is unfortunately becoming more and more rare. In fact when you purchase anything with foam from a typical big box furniture store the life cycle of the foam may be as low as 12-16 months. Even buying higher end sets made out of beautiful Italian leather will also prove disappointing in a few years since we see manufacturers over and over provide low quality foam because it is virtually impossible to see during the buying process.

The cost of furniture that is ‘equivalent’ to your current set is also likely to be much higher than what you payed. Furniture with a sturdy hardwood frame or quality leather that lasts for decades that was considered mid range will now often sell for thousands more with long waiting lists. The mid range alternative today will likely be made out of MDF and either cheap leather or leather alternatives.

So for the cost of time, money (and dinged up hallway corners) of purchasing and delivering a new set may not provide the long lasting comfort that it should. It could be as little time as two years.

Foam replacement we provide

In the previous section we described why buying new furniture is a bad solution for degraded foam. If it isn’t broken don’t throw it away! Well made furniture can and does last decades with proper maintenance.

The solution we provide is to replace old degraded foam with a brand new product. We work with a Canadian supplier and use best in class foam that is made right here in Canada. The only place where you will find this foam (aside from our happy customers’ furniture) is high traffic restaurants that need the best of the best because of high volume demands.

Our skilled technicians will disassemble your sofa or chair to remove the old foam and take careful measurements. When the order arrives we shape new foam to size and reassemble your furniture. There is no damage to the outside material or the wooden frame. Due to shipping time the whole process is usually 7-10 days. We’ve been proudly installing this foam for years and speaking with many customers they report that it feels good as new year and year.

The overall investment will be a fraction of the cost of replacing the furniture set that you’ve grown to love and you don’t have to bother with cumbersome deliveries and recycling.

If your sofa, chair or sectional is sagging give us a call!