How to Identify Good Furniture

“An educated consumer is our best customer”® - Syms.com

Author Karawynn Long has written an excellent article for GetRichSlowly.org about judging the quality of furniture. Now there is nothing wrong with buying cheap. As a college student I used milk crates and other inexpensive items for furniture. Today my wife & I enjoy strolling through IKEA and sometimes find something we can use – like a large shelving unit for our library. But cheap has a hidden price. The item may warp if it becomes wet, it may warp from use, and it’s not likely to last long enough to be passed on to your children.

If you want quality furniture that your great-grandchild will someday have appraised on Antiques Roadshow, then you need to spend real money. And if you’re going to spend serious money, you don’t want to be ripped off with shoddy craftsmanship.

For upholstered furniture, like a couch, check out the article January 2008, “You can size up upholstered furniture like an expert” by Consumers Reports.

Here is a Basic Furniture Shopping Checklist created by Karawynn Long for her article Furniture Shopping Secrets: How to Tell Superior from Shoddy.

-- Wood --
good: solid wood or 9+ layer plywood
bad: thin plywood, particleboard, pressboard, fiberboard
bad: knots, cracks
bad: soft, easily-scratched surfaces

-- Joints --
great: dovetail, mortise & tenon
good: reinforcing corner blocks
good: dowels, screws
bad: staples, nails, visible glue

-- Drawers --
great: dust panels, floating bottoms
good: metal glide-rails, stops
bad: wood-on-wood sliding

-- Frame --
good: even, level with floor
bad: twists, creaks, wobbles

-- Springs --
great: hand-tied coil springs
good: close together, even resistance
bad: any springs more than a few inches apart

-- Cushions --
good: firm foam wrapped in padding
good: protective inner cover
good: reversible cushions
bad: bare foam
bad: loose fill without internal sectioning

-- Upholstery --
good: aligned patterns
good: skirts with lining or weights
bad: skimpy padding along arms and back

Bottom Line

"Caveat emptor" - Latin for let the buyer beware
“Won't Get Fooled Again” – The Who