Sofa Dimension & Size Buying Guide
When shopping for a sofa, especially for the first time, it’s easy to get drawn in by the appearance and forget about the things that matter. Sure an elegant sofa will do wonders for your interior decor and vibe but if you get the size and dimensions wrong then it’s bye-bye personal comfort whether sitting on the piece of furniture itself or navigating about the room.
The wonderful news is there’s no calculus-level math to worry about here. There are only a few dimensions to worry about and all you need is a tape measure and you’ll be good to go. Here, we explain what each sofa dimension means and how to get them just right for maximum comfort and convenience. Here we go:
Seat Height
Seat height is the measurement from the floor to the top of your seat cushion. The average seating height is 15-20 inches on any particular frame but the ideal measurement depends on your height. You want to be able to sit with your feet planted on the floor when you maintain an upright posture and eye level.
Therefore, consider a sofa with a lower seat height, like 18 inches high for shorter individuals. That way, your legs won’t be dangling in the air like a little child when you are seated with your peers. For people with longer legs, a sofa with a 20 inches high seat could be a better choice.
That said, it also depends on the purpose of the sofa, the above recommendations are best used for conversational pieces where you want to sit upright and maintain eye level.
However, if you want something for lounging around and spending some movie nights with kids, then consider a lower seat height to get y'all in the lounge mode. But keep in mind that a lower seat won’t be easy to get out of. So, if you have an issue with struggling to get up, get a higher seat.
Seat Depth
Seat depth is the measurement from the front of the seat cushion to the back. The standard seat depth measures anywhere from 20 to 30 inches. This depth will give you more of an upright support. On the other hand, deeper sofas are about 20 inches deep for a slouchy appeal, these are the best for people who like to recline.
You can plant your feet flat on the ground and lean back to rest your neck on top of the backrest for support. However, it’s important to ensure there’s no space between your knee and the cushion.
For shorter individuals on deeper seats, you can lean back, support your neck and head on the backrest and prop up your legs on an ottoman or something like that.
However, you can always shorten seat depth using toss pillows if you need to seat upright.
Seat Back Height
Seat back height is the measurement from the top of the seat cushion to the top of the backrest cushion. The average seat back height measures anywhere from 15 to 20 inches with the ideal measurement depending on your height and the way you want to use the sofa. Tall people should consider sofas with higher backrests for maximum support. Additionally, a higher seat back height offers crucial head and neck support for lounging and watching TV.
On the other hand, if you are short, avoid sofas with higher backrests lest you disappear into them and feel little. Shorter pillow heights also make the best conversational pieces because you can rest your arm along the top of the cushion and seat really comfortably and confidently.
Sofa Size
Apart from seat height, depth and seat back height, it’s crucial to ensure that the sofa itself is not too big or small for the available space. Sofas, especially if meant to be the focal point of a space, should be of just the right size to ensure free movement around. If you want to get the size right, measure the available space, taking in mind any adjacent ventilations, shelves, cupboards, radiators and other objects.
For example, if you are placing the sofa near a window and door then ensure it leaves ample space to move around and operate these ventilations.
On the other hand, if you are setting up the sofa under a shelf or radiator then get the seat height right so tall people won’t keep bumping against these objects. Above all, it’s important to measure the height and width of any stairway or lift and get a sofa that passes through hassle-free.
Alright ladies and gentlemen, when buying a sofa, it’s important to get past appearance and consider whether the sofa dimensions and size fit the use you have in mind and the available entryway and floorspace. Use the above guide to get the right sofa size when shopping from Grado. We have sofas in various sizes and designs at competitive prices to help you get your living room ready for relaxing, conversations and entertainment.
The wonderful news is there’s no calculus-level math to worry about here. There are only a few dimensions to worry about and all you need is a tape measure and you’ll be good to go. Here, we explain what each sofa dimension means and how to get them just right for maximum comfort and convenience. Here we go:
Seat Height
Seat height is the measurement from the floor to the top of your seat cushion. The average seating height is 15-20 inches on any particular frame but the ideal measurement depends on your height. You want to be able to sit with your feet planted on the floor when you maintain an upright posture and eye level.
Therefore, consider a sofa with a lower seat height, like 18 inches high for shorter individuals. That way, your legs won’t be dangling in the air like a little child when you are seated with your peers. For people with longer legs, a sofa with a 20 inches high seat could be a better choice.
That said, it also depends on the purpose of the sofa, the above recommendations are best used for conversational pieces where you want to sit upright and maintain eye level.
However, if you want something for lounging around and spending some movie nights with kids, then consider a lower seat height to get y'all in the lounge mode. But keep in mind that a lower seat won’t be easy to get out of. So, if you have an issue with struggling to get up, get a higher seat.
Seat Depth
Seat depth is the measurement from the front of the seat cushion to the back. The standard seat depth measures anywhere from 20 to 30 inches. This depth will give you more of an upright support. On the other hand, deeper sofas are about 20 inches deep for a slouchy appeal, these are the best for people who like to recline.
You can plant your feet flat on the ground and lean back to rest your neck on top of the backrest for support. However, it’s important to ensure there’s no space between your knee and the cushion.
For shorter individuals on deeper seats, you can lean back, support your neck and head on the backrest and prop up your legs on an ottoman or something like that.
However, you can always shorten seat depth using toss pillows if you need to seat upright.
Seat Back Height
Seat back height is the measurement from the top of the seat cushion to the top of the backrest cushion. The average seat back height measures anywhere from 15 to 20 inches with the ideal measurement depending on your height and the way you want to use the sofa. Tall people should consider sofas with higher backrests for maximum support. Additionally, a higher seat back height offers crucial head and neck support for lounging and watching TV.
On the other hand, if you are short, avoid sofas with higher backrests lest you disappear into them and feel little. Shorter pillow heights also make the best conversational pieces because you can rest your arm along the top of the cushion and seat really comfortably and confidently.
Sofa Size
Apart from seat height, depth and seat back height, it’s crucial to ensure that the sofa itself is not too big or small for the available space. Sofas, especially if meant to be the focal point of a space, should be of just the right size to ensure free movement around. If you want to get the size right, measure the available space, taking in mind any adjacent ventilations, shelves, cupboards, radiators and other objects.
For example, if you are placing the sofa near a window and door then ensure it leaves ample space to move around and operate these ventilations.
On the other hand, if you are setting up the sofa under a shelf or radiator then get the seat height right so tall people won’t keep bumping against these objects. Above all, it’s important to measure the height and width of any stairway or lift and get a sofa that passes through hassle-free.
Alright ladies and gentlemen, when buying a sofa, it’s important to get past appearance and consider whether the sofa dimensions and size fit the use you have in mind and the available entryway and floorspace. Use the above guide to get the right sofa size when shopping from Grado. We have sofas in various sizes and designs at competitive prices to help you get your living room ready for relaxing, conversations and entertainment.
