Dining Furniture Buying Guide
Sofa measuring guide / will it fitSofa measuring guide / will it fit

Whether you want to know if you can squeeze an extra seat in your sitting room, or you’re rejigging the entire lounge for new furniture - you first need to grab the measuring tape and determine the dimensions of your home.

Read on for our sofa measuring guide, to find out everything you need to know.

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Why do I need to measure for a new sofa?

While comfort and style are of course very important factors, you can only make the perfect purchase when you know the sofa dimensions that your space can accommodate. After all, you don’t want to end up with a sofa that overwhelms a room, nor do you want to be stuck with a smaller sofa in a lounge that offers the chance at a larger upgrade. In this sofa measuring guide, we will cover useful tips for measuring your home efficiently, as well as how to best prepare for delivery day to ensure your new sofa can be installed as smoothly as possible.

Standard sofa dimensions

From cosy loveseats to oversized L-shaped sofas, choosing the right sofa shape and size can make or break the comfort and functionality of your living space. To understand these different options, as well as know which is best suited to your home, take a look at the following standard sofa dimensions:

Key: Width x Height x Depth

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Sofa measuring guide armchair dimensions
Sofa measuring guide 2 seater dimensions
Sofa measuring guide 3 seater dimensions
Sofa measuring guide corner dimensions

It’s important to remember that these sofa dimensions are only a rough guide, with measurements varying depending on style and brand. That’s why you should always check specific product measurements (or ask a member of our team in-store) for accurate dimensions before adding any sofas to your shopping basket.

You should also bear in mind that recliner, sofa bed, and corner sofa dimensions are slightly different to the standard silhouette of a sofa, so make sure you factor their extendable shapes into your measurements.

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velvet twist

How to measure for your sofa

So, you’ve got your eye on a stunning sofa that’s just perfect for your living room, offering that sink-in satisfaction while also elevating your current décor. But, before you make your decision, you need to whip out the measuring tape to answer the following questions about the sofa’s dimensions:

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The first step is to look at the room where you plan to put your sofa and pick the perfect position for your purchase. You want to ensure this spot will not get in the way of any doors or radiators, or encroach on the space of other furniture in your living room. Once you’re happy with the potential position, it’s time to see what will fit into that space. Start with the two length measurements – for both the front and back of the sofa’s dimensions – then measure the maximum depth. If you need to accommodate corner sofa or sofa bed dimensions, then you’ll also need to take extra measurements for the L-shape and bed frame, respectively. Job done!

  • Top tip: Fit a sofa in your room by measuring the front and back of the sofa’s dimensions and the maximum depth.

While clearing space in the living room is all well and good, you need to ensure your new sofa can actually fit through the doorways leading to its chosen destination - so get measuring! Sometimes, solving this can be as simple as buying a sofa with dimensions that fit seamlessly through doors. However, larger sofas and corner sofas, in particular, might need a little more shimmying to squeeze through. In these scenarios, our delivery teams will remove as many of the attachments as possible – cushions, furniture legs, arms; anything removable that will bulk out the sofa’s silhouette. Then they’ll rotate the furniture onto its back, as height is typically the smallest sofa dimension, making it easier to slip through.

  • Top tip: Fit a sofa through a door by removing sofa attachments and rotate so it’s lying on its back.

Doorways are not the only obstacles on delivery day – you’ll also have to check whether your new sofa can fit through hallways and corridors in your home. Armed with your trusty measuring tape, see what kind of dimensions you have to work with, paying special attention to the width of hallways (this is where your sofa is most likely to get stuck). Then, check these measurements against the sofa dimensions in your shopping basket to see if you can accommodate its shape and size.

  • Top tip: Fit a sofa through a hallway by measuring the hallway width at its narrowest point against the widest point of your sofa.

If you’re planning to put a chair or sofa upstairs – or you live on the upper floors of an apartment building – you’ll need to figure out if the new furniture will get stuck halfway up. The most important measurement to take here is the narrowest point on the stairs. On L-shaped or ‘right angle’ stairs, this is typically at the inner corner, halfway up the steps. You should also think about how the potential length of the sofa will fit around this corner on the stairs – is there enough room for the furniture to pivot freely around this point? (Certainly, Ross Geller will be able to warn you of getting your sofa stuck at this point!)

  • Top tip: Fit a sofa upstairs by identifying the narrowest point of the stairs and measuring its width and length.

If the thought of lugging a sofa up five flights of stairs is making you sweat, then it might be worth checking whether your building’s lift can do it for you. Of course, that means taking measurements of the lift interior to see if your sofa’s dimensions will fit inside, as well as the entrance around the lift doors. You should also make note of the maximum weight of the lift, checking its capacity against the product description. If the sofa looks like it will be a tight squeeze, even with furniture legs and cushions removed, don’t try and force it, as you could damage the sofa or the lift itself.

  • Top tip: Fit a sofa in a lift by measuring the lift’s height and width (interior and exterior) and checking weight limitations.

How to measure for other furniture

Don’t put away your measuring tape just yet! Measuring your home for delivery day is not just essential for sofa dimensions, but for all types of large, bulky furniture.

Read on to find out where you need to focus on for different DFS furniture:

Sofa measuring guide beds and mattresses

Beds and mattresses

Start with the bedroom – can you fit a king-size bed, or do you only have the square footage for a double? You should also measure the hallways and staircases to ensure your bed frame can get to your bedroom without issue.

Sofa measuring guide dining

Dining tables

Of course, you need to check whether your chosen table can fit in your dining room or kitchen, but you must also ensure your guests have enough space to sit comfortably. We recommend leaving 70-90cm of space between the edge of the table and any walls, furniture, or other obstacles, to ensure chairs can be pulled out comfortably.

Sofa measuring guide storage

Storage

While most wardrobes or bookshelves are delivered disassembled, which makes it that much easier to transport through your home, you still need to measure the intended destination of your storage furniture. If your piece stands over 60cm tall, we recommend attaching it to the wall behind the furniture for added safety and security.

DFS recommendations

As furniture experts, we know that sofas are certainly not a one-size-fits-all piece of furniture. There are tonnes of different styles - including some which are heroically designed to make fitting into awkward spaces that much simpler. Take a look at our top sofa styles for tight squeezes, below:

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modular-sofas

Modular sofas

These sofas are made up of many individual pieces, which can be arranged into different shapes and sizes. This makes it much easier to manoeuvre modular sofas through your home, as you don’t have to squeeze one bulky piece of furniture through doorways and up staircases.

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removeable-arms-sofas

Sofas with removable arms or sides

To make moving your sofa a much easier process, consider buying a sofa with removable arms or sides. These models let you slim the silhouette of your new sofa, which could be the difference between installing your sofa in seconds and getting stuck in the doorway.

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split-sofas

Split sofas

Similar to modular sofas, split sofas will arrive in two smaller pieces, rather than in one big bulky package. That means you don’t need to worry about fitting the full sofa’s dimensions through the front door.

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Measuring tips for new furniture

Now you’re all clued up on where you need to measure and why let’s finish this sofa measuring guide with some helpful tips to ensure delivery day goes smoothly.

Sofa measuring guide mark out the sofa

Mark out the sofa dimensions in your living room

Sometimes it can be difficult to envisage how much room your new sofa’s dimensions will take up, even after you’ve measured the space carefully. That’s why we recommend you mark out the shape of your sofa on the floor with newspapers or sticky tape. This outline makes it much easier to see how the sofa dimensions will fit into your living room.

Sofa measuring guide remove obstacles

Remove as many obstacles as possible

Our delivery teams are experts at manoeuvring sofas, but they aren’t magicians! Make life easier for them by removing any obstacles from the route to your sofa’s new resting place, especially anything breakable that could be nudged or knocked in the process.

Sofa measuring guide remove obstacles

Take the doors off their hinges

When you’re trying to squeeze a bulky sofa through a hallway or doorway, every inch makes a difference. By taking any doors along your route off their hinges, you give our delivery team more space to pivot and rotate the sofa dimensions through the opening.

If you have any questions about this sofa measuring guide, please get in touch with our friendly customer service team. They will answer any queries you may have and provide expert advice on your purchase. Alternatively, if you’re ready to start shopping, browse our collection of sofas and armchairs.

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