It’s important to get the right size sofa for your home. A small, two-seater can be perfect for making a small room feel spacious. However if you have a big house, a larger, sectional L-shaped couch may be what you want to fit the whole family.
We’ll cover everything you need to think about when purchasing a new sofa – from measuring the space in your living room to avoiding delivery headaches. Read on to discover how you can find a sofa with the perfect dimensions to fit your space.
If you are looking specifically for a small sofa for a room with limited space, check out our recent article on How to Find A Sofa for a Small Living Room With Limited Space!
How to Measure the Space for a Sofa
Step 1: Measure your room
Measure the length and width of your room. You could create a floor plan sketch with your measurements to map out the different ways to accommodate your new couch and see how it might fill the room.
Step 2: Find the type of sofa you like
Determine what type of sofa you are looking for (standard, sectional, modular, sofa bed). As examples: Decide how many seats are required? Who will be using the sofa and for what purpose? Which sofa styles do you like? Do you prefer the feel of fabric or leather? Also note the style of the other furniture in your room and ensure your new seating will compliment your existing furniture style.
Step 3: Check how much open space is needed
Before measuring the space for a sofa, make sure you have a an idea of what other pieces of furniture also need to fit in the living room, such as tables, chairs and sideboards. Calculate how much open space is needed between the sofa and any other pieces of furniture, such as dining table, coffee table and other chairs and seating in the room.
Step 4: Mark up the sofa on the floor
Mark up the sofa on the floor using a tape measure or masking tape. Consider if there will be enough space left for people to walk around comfortably without feeling cramped or uncomfortable. Allow more space between items if it’s a room people walk through often. You also don’t want to fill the space so much that doors are ever obstructed or people might risk bumping into furniture.
How to Measure Different Types of Sofa Dimensions
In this section, we’ll have a look at how to to measure different types of sofas. More specifically: standard sofas, sectional sofas, modular sofas and sofa beds. Let’s have a look at these different types in more detail.
Standard and loveseat sofa
When measuring sofa dimensions, you will need to measure the height, depth, and width. The seat depth and height, arm height and arm width, and legs height can also be important measurements to consider.
- Width: Measure from one arm to the other arm.
- Height: Measure from the floor to the top of the sofa.
- Depth: Measure from the front of the sofa to the back of the sofa.
- Seat depth: Measure from the front of the seat cushion to the back of the seat cushion.
- Seat height: Measure from the bottom of the seat cushion to the top of the seat cushion.
- Arm height: Measure from the floor to the top of the arm.
- Arm width: Measure from the beginning of the arm to the end of the arm.
- Legs height: Measure from the floor to the top of the leg.
Confusingly, terminology for sofa dimension tends to vary depending on who you ask. Not to worry, in the homefitter ‘Sofa Searcher’ database sofa dimensions are standardised.
Based on +2,000 sofas in our ‘Sofa Searcher’ database, the width of a standard sofa is usually between 190 cm, the height is usually around 85 cm and the depth is usually about 90 cm. The seat height is usually about 45 cm and the seat depth is around 60 cm. The arm height is about 60 cm and the arm width is usually around 20 cm while the legs height is usually about 15 cm. The dimensions of a couch will vary however depending on the number of seats and the style. Standard coaches are one of the most common types of furniture you’ll find in any real home.
Loveseat sofas are typically much smaller than standard sofa sizes, sitting somewhere between a large chair and a small sofa. A loveseat typically measures around 110 cm in width, while height, depth are similar to a standard sofa. The sofa seat depth, seat height, arm height, arm width and legs height are usually similar to those of a standard sofa. Loveseat sizes are perfect to fill small spaces and can easily fit into tight corners.
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Sectional and corner sofa
Similar to a standard sofa, when measuring for a sectional sofa (e.g. a corner sofa), you will need to take into account the typical sofa dimensions: width, height, depth, seat depth and height, arm height and width, and legs height. Corner sofas are a great choice if you need lots of seating area in your living room and you want plenty of space to sit.
According to our ‘Sofa Searcher’ database of +2,000 sofas, the width of sectional sofas are usually around 260 cm, the height is usually around 85 cm, the depth is usually about 175 cm. The seat depth and height, arm height and width, and legs height are similar to a standard sofa.
Sectional sofas also come L-shape and U-shape variations. Corner sofas and L-shape sofas are more common and similar in size at around 260 cm in width. U-shaped sofas tend to be larger and average around 340 cm in width.
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Modular sofas
Modular sofas are a great choice for those who want a flexible, stylish sofa that can be adapted to their needs. They come in a range of different shapes and sizes, so you can find the perfect one for your home. They’re also very easy to style, and you can choose from a range of different types of fabric, leather, and colours to suit your taste.
As with other types of sofas, modular sofas come in a variety of sizes. As the name implies, modular sofas can be small or large depending on how many modules are connected.
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Sofa beds
Sofa beds are typically similar in size to standard sofas and great space savers for visitors sleeping the night. A fold away sofa bed is a great alternative to storing bulky spare mattresses. Most sofa beds include a pull out mechanism that makes it easy for you to make your guests comfortable. When not in use, the bed easily folds back into the sofa, taking up minimal space. Consider going for a sofa bed with storage options to make sure you have space for spare bedding and cushions. Remember to measure the sofa dimensions of the sofa bed in its extended form to make sure it fits your living room.
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How to Know if a Sofa Will Fit
Consider how many doors, hallways, and stairwells your new sofa will need to go through before you start looking. If your new sofa will have to pass through tight spaces, consider purchasing a sofa that is delivered in parts rather than completely built. For this guide, we will focus on standard sofas, as sectional sofas such as corner and modular sofas typically come in parts. Note that the same measurement principles would apply for non-standard sofas.
Step 1: Measure your entryways
Measure the widths and lengths of your home’s entryways (front door, internal doors, staircase, etc.). Use a measuring tape to measure the heights (A) and length or widths (B) of any corridors and door access as well as the door entry clearance (C).
Step 2: Measure your sofa
Determine the width and diagonal depth of your sofa. If your doorways aren’t big enough to accommodate the regular depth of the sofa, you may either turn it on its side or twist it in. The sofa’s diagonal depth (without the pillows) may be found by starting with a straight edge from the top of the back frame to the front of the arm. Then, using your measuring tape, measure from the bottom rear corner of the sofa up to where it bisects the straight edge.
Step 3: Compare the measurements
Compare the measurements of your entryways and your sofa. The length or widths of any doorways (B) must be smaller than the diagonal depth of the sofa. The width of your sofa must be smaller than the height (A) or the entry clearance (C) of any entryways.
Step 4: Avoid unexpected headaches
Finally, allow some space for packaging, clear the floor of any rugs or debris and remove sensitive frame or paintings from the wall that might prohibit delivery access.
Conclusion
There are many different types of sofas and they come in all shapes and sizes! It is important to measure the space for your sofa before you buy it. This will ensure that there are no surprises when trying to get a new sofa home, or having a delivery guy turn away because he can’t fit a bulky piece of furniture through your front door and into your living room. Hopefully our article has provided helpful information on how to measure the dimensions for each kind and avoid headaches when it comes to delivery. Good luck on the quest for your next perfect sofa!
If you’re looking for a quick way to find sofas that fit in your living space, head over to the homefitter ‘Sofa Searcher’ database with +2,000 sofas where you can filter by width, depth, height, seat height and depth, arm width and height and legs height.