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British cinemas are about to undergo an exciting transformation

Many of us enjoy going to the cinema to watch a film but find traditional cinema seats too cramped and uncomfortable. Some people find that there is not enough leg and elbow room especially if they are tall. Thankfully the row after row fold-down seats typical of many British cinemas are about to undergo an exciting transformation by incorporating comfy sofas!

So how did this idea come about? The idea of luxury cinema seating is gaining increasing popularity around the world. Lansdowne Sofa Cinema in Pennsylvania opened in 2007 and decided to offer a luxurious sofa seating experience for their viewers as well as the more traditional seating.

In Britain, The Exhibit Cinema in Balham, south London, includes fifty six two-seater leather sofas complete with soft scatter cushions. Other cinemas, including the national chain Vue, have also started to offer large leather seats, sofas and footstalls in parts of their cinemas to add to the comfort while you are enjoying the movie.
The idea of having a comfortable place to sit whilst you are watching the film is very appealing and certainly adds to the enjoyment of visiting the cinema. Most films last for around two hours and this is a considerable length of time to be sitting down without an interval. When we are watching a film in our own homes we have the advantage of comfortable seating and we are also likely to have short breaks when we might get up perhaps to get a drink. Furthermore, one of the issues for some cinemas-goers face is that they do not like to be seated between strangers. Paying extra for your own sofa solves this problem by giving you your own ‘personal space’.

Luxury seating cost more and the higher ticket price is not likely to be popular with many cinema-goers although some may consider it is worth a treat on occasions. Sofas also take up a lot more room than traditional seating and are intended more for couples so it is probably not a vital addition for most cinemas. However a few comfortable armchairs could be made available at all cinemas for disabled, elderly or pregnant customers who would certainly benefit from the added comfort.

Going to a ‘sofa cinema’ is a unique and enjoyable experience and would definitely impress your partner, especially on the first date. But don’t get too comfortable in case you fall asleep and miss the film!