New Sofa.... with a newborn and 2 year old?

catkins

I'd look in charity shops or on ebay. One of my friends has just bought 2 leather settees on ebay. The 3 seater was brand new and cost £90 and the 2 seater was only a couple of months old and cost £70

heuchera

I bought a cheap IKEA sofa about 6 years ago and it's still going strong! I would look for something that's easily cleanable, as the children won't have grown out of drinking squash or having mucky fingers for a good few years yet

DigForVictory

+1 for leather, or machine washable loose covers (two sets).
Small folk are not natural neatniks (although they do vary!) and if you want to enjoy but not worry about a sofa, then something easy to wipe/wash is a bonus.

foolofbeans

We had the same issue five years ago and decided on an Ikea sofa as they were the only ones that had fully removable covers at a reasonable cost.
I usually fully wash the covers in summer so I can get it dry and I iron it while damp and it goes back on a treat. The kids have dirtied the arms so many times but it washes up quite well. We are looking forward to buying a new sofa but I'm still reluctant to spend a fortune on something that may get ruined very quickly.
My mum bought a white (faux) leather sofa and DD was about 4 at the time and drew over it and it didn't ever come off :eek:
I would say it only takes a moment for young children to spill something, touch with sticky fingers or draw over a sofa and you would be devastated if you spent a fortune on something that was then ruined.
Mind you, it then becomes hard to judge at what age do you get a more expensive sofa?

Gigervamp

Our sofa is from Ikea. It cost £350 about ten years ago and it's still going strong.

The covers are removable and although it says dry clean only, I've washed them many times and they're fine.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I had a £200 sofa throughout the kids' infancy and childhood. Meant I wasn't too fussed by the inevitable spills, scratches and accidents, along with the necessity of using it to avoid the floor being made of lava .

The only reason it went was because I moved to a bigger place where I could have a bigger sofa - the old one went to somebody who needed one via a local church and, as far as I know, is still in use about 18 years after it was purchased.


A £600 sofa would be more expensive than I need, never mind your usual budget. So I wouldn't worry too much about longevity if I were you.

waterbaby

We bought a nice new fabric one in 2009, with 2 matching armchairs, when DS1 was 15 months old. He's now 7, and has 3 younger siblings, and the sofa is doing great. Food and drink is strictly confined to the dining room or kitchen so no issues there, and we are strict also about hands/face/clothes being checked and wiped after meals. Somehow the kids adhere to the food rules very obediently, while being unable to grasp that the sofa is not a gymnastics centre. But it has not suffered from this, due to its good quality.

We went for dark charcoal grey covers, and have jazzed it up with brightly coloured cushions. It will probably have its first professional clean once I've potty trained the toddlers (not before :eek:). I could wash the covers myself, but am wary of removing fire retardant coatings, and the labels provide no guidance, and the shop no longer exists to ask.

Personally I don't like leather; either I slide about on it with trousers on, or stick to it with shorts on. But I see that it would be good for cleaning.

waterbaby

Just thought - before the 2009 sofa, we had a £200 one for over 6 years; about the same length of time as we've had the much better one. The first sofa looked visibly grubby, faded and worn, but with very little use from children. The second sofa is as good as new, and gets daily use from 4 young children. It's a pleasure to use, and so comfy.

Caleb11

I got a normal sofa and dfs insurance - £5 a month for 3 years. It covers stains and rips for 5 years. I've used them twice in the 3.5 years I've had my fabric sofa and the service was great. My sofa is still in good condition and I've got a 4 year old. I bought it when he was 6 months old he's weed it, been sick on it and ripped it and it's all been restored to the original condition - excellent.

pigpen

Leather.. 11 children, 6 cats and a mucky male.. there is no way on earth I would even contemplate anything else!!