Is it worth paying more for a made-to-order sofa? Experts reveal the pros and cons

Last week, Habitat launched its brand new made-to-order sofa service with 21 new colourways available across 5 fabric finishes and 14 sofa styles, joining an ever expanding list of brands that offer this alternative to ready-made sofas to customers. But are made-to-order sofas worth it? And is this something you should be considering for your living room?

If you’ve recently looked for the best sofa for your home - or are still currently looking - you’ve likely come across the option of having your living room seating made to order, meaning it’s tailored to your preferences.

‘It allows you to choose the perfect match for you – be it shape, fabric, colour, style, or even leg type,’ says Georgina Dawson, Habitat head of buying on furniture. ‘This means you can have bespoke upholstery and a design to suit your interior style.’

But as with anything that’s made to measure or to order specifically for you, the resulting cost is always a concern. But are the prices really that much higher? And if so, is the price difference worth the final product? That’s what we’ll be finding out below.

What are the benefits of made-to-order sofas?

The already mentioned personalisation aspect of this living room sofa idea is the main benefit of made-to-order sofas. You can choose from a wide range of colours to complement your living room colour scheme, as well as pick the perfect finish, size and shape and lastly the sofa style that works best for you.

‘Made to order offers the perfect pairing to your individual style with exacting finishes that cater to your needs,’ says Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox, a homeware brand that also launched its made-to-order sofa service this year. ‘At Cox & Cox, we believe that comfort is achieved through craftsmanship, where every feature is meticulously planned. From the foot to the frame, every detail is carefully considered and in its proper place. Simply choose your shape, colour, and fabric to suit your lifestyle, and you're all set.’

Patricia Gibbons, head of design at Sofa.com, which also offers a range of made-to-order sofas, advises who could benefit from a tailor-made sofa the most, ‘Anybody looking to invest in a sofa that they intend to keep for the long term would benefit from selecting a made-to-order sofa. Enjoying a design that is bespoke to your taste is key as is choosing fabrics that best fit your lifestyle. Busy families looking for more durable fabrics that can withstand wear and tear often benefit from customised sofas as well as the design-conscious shoppers out there.’

What are the cons of made-to-order sofas?

As we’ve already alluded to, the main concern when going for a made-to-order sofa is that you’ll be paying more. And frankly, that is the case. But is the price difference really that dramatic? Let’s take Habitat as an example.

‘Our made-to-order range offers great value at competitive prices for a bespoke product that is unique to each customer’s order, with made to order sofas starting at £795 that come with a 15-year frame guarantee,’ says Georgina at Habitat.

The starting price of £795 is for the Habitat Flint 2 Seater and Habitat Ivor 2 Seater sofas. But if you were to look at the starting price of a ready-made sofa on the Habitat website that’s similar in design and size then that would most likely be the Habitat Evie Fabric 2 Seater Sofa in a Box, setting you back for only £270. However, if you were to look at Habitat’s bestselling ready-made two-seater sofa which is the Habitat Chesterfield Velvet 2 Seater Sofa, retailing for £610 then the price difference would be only £185 which is not as dramatic.

There is one more downside to made-to-order sofas – and that’s the fact they are not exactly quick-delivery sofas.

‘Lead times are generally slightly longer as your furniture is made to order. But we find this can be a positive in some scenarios, particularly when you’re renovating a space and need a few weeks of painting and DIY before you style with furniture and homeware,’ Georgina explains.

What is the difference between made-to-order sofas and made-to-measure sofas?

We’ve already explained what exactly made-to-order sofas are. But they should not be confused with made-to-measure sofas which offer an even more tailored look – but come with a higher price tag.

‘While made-to-order offers huge scope in terms of design, fabric, colour and size, made-to-measure furniture will be tailor made to your exact design and measurements – a much more expensive process, probably best reserved for forever homes,’ Danielle at Cox & Cox explains.

Where to buy made-to-order sofas

Overall, we recommend a made-to-order sofa to anyone that either has a clear vision of what they want and/or struggles to find what they’re after. And if you do decide to go down the made-to-order path, these are some of the places where to buy your sofa we’d recommend, along with a few top picks.

• Habitat: With this new move into the made-to-order sector, some of Habitat's most popular sofa designs will be available as made-to-order only.
• Sofa.com: All of Sofa.com's stylish and comfortable sofas are available for customisation, making the whole range made-to-order.
• Cox & Cox: Launching its made-to-order section earlier this year, the brand's offering includes both traditional and modern styles.
• John Lewis: The retailer boasts almost 30 different sofa styles in its made-to-order section
• Dunelm: The brand is known for its budget-friendly prices and the made-order-sofas are not different with prices starting at £849 for two-seater sofas

Now, enjoy the tailor-made comfort that you’ve yourself created!