Two sofas can both be sold as a three-seater and differ by 50 cm in width. Seat depth varies by 15 cm, which is the difference between sitting upright and sliding forward all evening. These are the numbers to compare before you buy.
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Width by seating capacity
| Label | Overall width | Seats comfortably | Room width needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loveseat / 2-seater | 140–170 cm | 2 | 260 cm+ |
| Small 3-seater | 190–210 cm | 2 lounging, 3 upright | 310 cm+ |
| Standard 3-seater | 215–235 cm | 3 | 335–355 cm+ |
| Large 3-seater / 4-seater | 240–270 cm | 3 lounging, 4 upright | 360–390 cm+ |
| Corner / L-shape | 240–290 cm on the long side | 4–5 | Room at least 320 × 300 cm |
Rules of thumb that hold up: 60–65 cm of width per seated person, and the sofa should take up no more than two thirds of the wall it stands against. A 250 cm sofa on a 300 cm wall leaves 25 cm either side, which reads as cramped even when the room is large.
Seat depth decides how you sit
| Seat depth | How it feels | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 50–55 cm | Upright, back supported, feet on floor | Older users, formal living rooms, small rooms |
| 55–60 cm | The all-rounder; back supported with a cushion | Most homes |
| 60–70 cm | Relaxed; you need a cushion behind you or you perch forward | Family rooms, film evenings |
| 70 cm+ | Lounging; shorter users cannot reach the floor | Tall users, deep modular sofas |
Check depth at the seat cushion, not the frame. A 90 cm deep frame with a 20 cm back cushion gives 70 cm of usable seat. If anyone in the household is under 165 cm, anything beyond 62 cm needs a bolster cushion or their feet will not touch the floor.
Seat height should be 40–45 cm from floor to top of cushion. Lower than 38 cm and getting up becomes work; above 48 cm and shorter users' feet dangle.
Clearances around the sofa
- 40–45 cm between sofa front and coffee table — enough to walk through sideways with a cup.
- 60 cm minimum walkway behind or beside the sofa; 90 cm if it is the main route through the room.
- 100–120 cm between sofa and TV for a 55-inch screen (see the TV stand size guide for the full distance table).
- 5–10 cm gap to the wall behind, so curtains can hang and the radiator can breathe.
Will it come through the door?
This is where most large sofas are returned. Measure three things before ordering:
- Doorway clear width (with the door open, minus handles): a 250 cm sofa needs 80 cm clear and a diagonal route.
- Hallway width and turn: a sofa can pass a 90° corner only if the hallway is wider than the sofa's depth plus 20 cm.
- Lift depth and door: a 90 cm deep sofa will not stand up in a 110 cm lift.
The workarounds, in order of preference: choose a modular or compressed sofa that arrives in pieces, pick one with removable legs (saves 10–15 cm of height), or take a window route if the frame is fixed. A compressed sofa in a box passes any doorway a person can walk through, which is why they have replaced fixed-frame sofas in upper-floor flats.
Fabric, weight and the two-year test
A 230 cm three-seater in chenille weighs 70–95 kg; a corner sofa with a chaise can pass 120 kg. That matters for two reasons: floor loading in older buildings, and whether you can move it alone to vacuum. Chenille and bouclé hide wear well but hold pet hair; linen blends crease; corduroy shows sitting marks. For households with cats, tight-weave chenille outlasts bouclé by years.
Check the frame spec rather than the marketing: kiln-dried hardwood or plywood with corner blocks, pocket springs or high-resilience foam at 30 kg/m³ or more, and a seat cushion you can flip. A sofa with fixed cushions and a 25 kg/m³ foam core will show a dip within 18 months.
Keep reading
Measure the room before the sofa: the five numbers to write down cover door, stair and lift widths. Browse the living room collection for sofas, coffee tables and TV units that share the same dimensions.
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