Family & Pet Friendly Sofas
I’ve received this post request multiple times and thought it was finally time to roundup some great family & pet-friendly sofas! We’ve been talking a lot about upholstered furniture lately, so it felt fitting. I also wanted to chat about what exactly is considered “pet friendly”, and things to look for when choosing upholstered furniture that is capable of withstanding kids, pets, or even accident prone adults. Click through for a few good sofa roundups (of all colors and styles), to see some pretty cute dogs sitting on sofas, and of course to talk furniture selection & durability with me. I hope it’s helpful!
I’ll begin by saying, we don’t have kids, but we do have two dogs and they are allowed on all of our furniture. They’re apart of our family, they live in this home with us, and they lounge on the furniture however they please. With that said, they don’t destroy our furniture. They’re house trained, so they don’t chew, scratch, or bite / eat our furniture or decor. Performance fabrics and quality construction can only do so much if your dog (or child) isn’t trained to respect your home. You have to choose furniture that best fits your family, home, and lifestyle… and the rules you have in place!
First, what should you look for in a family or pet friendly sofa? Durability and longevity should be at the top of your list when hunting for furniture that is considered family friendly. Here are a five excellent materials and features to keep an eye out for…
- Performance Fabric // Sofas upholstered in performance fabrics are capable of repelling stains & spills, are UV resistant, and are as durable as it gets.
- Slipcovers // Most removable slipcovers are machine washable, making them very easy to clean on a regular basis.
- Floor Protectors // In addition to protecting the sofa itself, you’ll also want to consider the floor beneath it. Look for solid hardwood legs with adjustable floor protectors, or caster wheels that provide mobility, while protecting your floors from being scratched or marred.
- Quality Craftsmanship // Quality built sofas often start with the frame or construction… look for a kiln-dried hardwood frame or something equally as durable.
- Cushion Construction // Have you ever seen cushions that flatten with use over time, and look like pancakes after only a few years? If you like cushions that retain their shape, look for down filled or down wrapped cushions! You can continually fluff them for long lasting (years!) comfort and support. They’ll hold their shape better than foam that crushes over time.
You can also read my 10 tips for identifying quality furniture here! If you’re taking the custom route, check out my favorite custom furniture resources here… as well as an in-depth post into the custom furniture ordering process (what that looks like from start to finish). If you’re curious about how to choose the right fabric for your home, revisit this post! I’ve shared so many resources over the years that should provide additional insight.
The following are all pet and family friendly options! I’ve selected them because they meet the standards I previously mentioned. Ready to see what I found?
Click directly on the items to be redirected to the source- or use the numbered links below the collage to shop…
01: macy sofa // 02: merritt sofa // 03: dune sofa // 04: fabienne sofa
From the above roundup, I’m particularly attracted to the comfortable, classic, and casual look of number one and number three! Then again, you know I love a timeless white sofa.
01: brooke sofa // 02: anza sofa // 03: gage settee // 04: sullivan sofa
I adore a colored, jewel toned sofa! You really can’t go wrong with any of these options, but the shape of number one is my personal favorite. I’ll always love a traditional rolled arm!
01: jesper sofa // 02: maxwell sofa // 03: ames sofa // 04: miramar sofa
Now we’re into the dark and moody options, and LEATHER options. I like leather for its durability, high-end look, and because it will last forever when taken care of. There is a reason we opted for a leather upholstered bed. It’s timeless and durable!
So what exactly are performance fabrics? They’re textiles that have been engineered to be more durable than traditional upholstery fabrics (wool, linen, cotton, poly, etc). They’re designed to resist stains, mold, mildew, UV radiation, liquid, are antimicrobial, and they have a higher rub count (for added durability).
For example, Crypton, an eco friendly, high-performance fabric is well known for repelling stains and spills altogether (it won’t absorb), making it ideal for families with pets or children. There are a variety of popular performance fabric brands. I wanted to make a list so you could easily identify and research, and compare them individually…
- Crypton
- Sunbrella
- Revolution
- Sustain
- InsideOut
- Nuvella
- Kashmira
- Bella-Dura
- Europel
- Ultrasuede
- WearProof
- CovingtonHP
- Perennials
Lots of brands will also carry their own line of performance fabrics that are made with the same technology! You can usually find their specs and compare to some of the more common brands (like Cyrpton).
We love our dogs so much and I like seeing them snuggled up, looking happy on our furniture. That may not be the popular opinion, but that’s how we operate in our house. I also like not having to worry that they’re going to ruin our furniture. Was this post helpful? I’d love to hear your favorite sofas from the roundups! Do you have any questions about pet or family friendly sofas for me? How about performance fabrics? Maybe it would be fun (or ultra boring, ha!) to breakdown and compare the different performance fabric brands. Let me know. That might be a snooze. Happy Tuesday!
