Why Is It Better for Sofas to have Legs?

Sofas are staples of furniture throughout history on a wide international scale, although there are some cultures that did not employ them until last century. In some iterations sofas were merely futons or cushions placed on a floor to provide comforted padding against hard surfaces. Eventually, however, sofas were designed with legs that allowed them to be raised higher than the floor.

This arose due to cultural associations that considered the ground as ‘dirty’. But beyond the cultural and historical reasons, there are a number of advantages to sofas with legs. If you’re ever wondering if it’s worthwhile to invest in sofas with legs, or if it even has any practical purpose at all, beyond the aesthetic and the cultural, you are in luck – here are some reasons why it is better for sofas to have legs:

• Stability – a sofa with legs is decidedly more stable than sofas or cushions without legs. While the latter will have a tendency to move ever so slightly during use, sofas with legs are more ‘rooted’ per-se, and will remain fixed in wherever area they have been placed.

• Ease of access – one of the downsides of sofas or cushions that don’t have legs is that you have to stoop low, sometimes down to floor-height, in order to sit in them. While this may be preferable for some people, most adults find it much easier to sit in sofas with legs that are not so low to the ground.

Basically, sofas with legs allow people the advantage to stoop down less, making the act of sitting less strenuous, especially for individuals with leg, hip, or back injuries, or for the elderly.

• Added durability and superior cleanliness – sofas with no legs and floor cushions often have their upholstery fray faster at the base because of friction caused by direct contact with flooring. Also, they are exposed more to dust and will easily collect debris and dirt.

This is not the case with sofas with legs, as these are raised well above the floor and are spare the friction of a hard surface, thus making them last longer. And, sofas with legs will not collect as much dust and dirt, and will require less cleaning and overall maintenance than sofas without legs.

These are the reasons why it is better for sofas to have legs – stability, ease of access, added durability and superior cleanliness.