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Dont over look the quality of UK manufactured sofas

Many sofas you find today will have been manufactured abroad. Sofas from abroad are generally cheaper due to labour costs in the countries where they have been produced. While this can be attractive in terms of saving money, there are many disadvantages that come with buying a sofa from abroad which can put people off. It is useful to be well informed about the advantages (namely the cheaper price) and the disadvantages.

Evidence has recently emerged that suggests some sofas being imported from abroad pose a health risk to those who use them. Argos is an importer of sofas to sell in the UK and there have been cases of people buying sofas from Argos and later experiencing skin problems. These may include severe blistering, rashes and constantly itchy skin. Clearly this isn’t what you want when you buy a new sofa! Most of these defective sofas have been recalled but there is no guarantee that things won’t go array again, especially if sofas are continued to be imported from outside the UK.

Obviously, for most of us, when buying a sofa, price is an issue. This does tend to make sofas from abroad seem more attractive. However, often the sofa may be on inferior quality to one manufactured in the UK. Standards are not as high in some countries as they are in the UK. A good sofa should last for many years and it may well be cheaper to find one you think will last, rather than going for a less expensive sofa. Some sofas made in the UK are made by hand which can really ensure their quality throughout their life. Mass produced sofas such as those found in the Argos catalogue often suffer from design faults and quality issues.

Another issue, which is of particular importance these days, is the impact your sofa may have on the environment. This may sound strange, but remember than any sofa which has been manufactured outside of the UK, has had to be shipped here. This is environmentally unfriendly and raises what is known as, your ‘carbon footprint’. This matters more to some people than others, but it is always worth taking into account when choosing a sofa, or any other manufactured good for that matter!

Additionally, it is worth considering the conditions under which the sofa has been manufactured. Often child labour is employed in the Far East and Africa and children are made to work long hours. This can bring down the cost of your sofa, but it has a big impact on the lives of workers abroad. This is not the case in the UK where sofas are manufactured under strict conditions and there are laws in place to protect workers from being exploited.

Clearly there are many things to take into consideration when choosing which sofa to buy and where to buy it from. Buying a sofa from abroad can sometimes be a great idea if you do a little research; hopefully this article has raised certain issues that aren’t always considered by those looking for a new sofa!