Key takeaways
- Most of an upholstered piece is hidden. An inspection that does not open cushions and dust covers on some samples cannot find the expensive defects.
- Foam or fabric that differs from the bill of materials is the defect with the widest effect: comfort, wear and the fire test reports behind the labels.
- Missing or wrong flammability labels for the US or UK are critical. The goods cannot legally be sold.
- Set pattern-matching, pile-direction and shade rules in writing. They are the most argued cosmetic defects.
Why upholstered furniture needs its own defect list
A wooden table shows almost every defect on its surface. A sofa hides most of them under fabric: the frame, the springs, the foam and the fill. Each layer usually comes from a different supplier, so a defect can enter at any stage. A useful defect list therefore follows the layers, and the inspector opens some pieces to see inside.
Our six published sample reports are of wooden, metal and stone furniture; none covers upholstery. The classes below are the ones buyers commonly use. Your own defect list decides the final class. For what an inspection of upholstered goods covers step by step, see upholstered furniture inspection.
Frame and suspension defects
| Defect | Usual class | How it is found |
|---|---|---|
| Split or broken frame member that could give way | Critical | Rock and load test; dust cover opened on agreed pieces |
| Spring end, staple or nail through the cover or dust cover | Critical | Hand run over the seat, back, arms and underside |
| Loose joint, missing corner block, frame racks | Major | Push at the arm and back; look under the dust cover |
| Sinuous spring unclipped or clip missing | Major | Sit test; inspection under the dust cover |
| Webbing slack, torn or poorly stapled | Major | Seat feels hollow; webbing seen through the dust cover opening |
| Creak or spring noise when sat on | Major | Sit test on every sampled seat position |
| Seat uneven between positions | Major | Seat height measured at each position |
Frames are often solid wood or plywood. Plywood frames for the US fall under TSCA Title VI, so check that the panels' compliance documents match the board used.
Foam and fill defects
| Defect | Usual class | How it is found |
|---|---|---|
| Foam grade, density or type not as in the bill of materials | Major; critical where the fire test reports depend on it | Cushion unzipped; foam label, colour and converter's delivery note checked; density by weighing a cut block where agreed |
| Barrier or interliner specified for fire performance missing | Critical | Cushion and arm opened on agreed pieces |
| Foam built from glued offcuts where one block was ordered | Major | Cushion unzipped |
| Thin or lumpy fibre wrap; uneven fill in back cushions | Major | Hand check; cushions compared side by side |
| Cushion does not recover after compression packing | Major | Packed sample opened and left to recover for the agreed time |
| Strong chemical odour | Major | Smell check on opening the carton |
Foam density is measured formally to ISO 845 in a lab. Hardness, durability and flammability are also lab tests, done on sealed samples; see lab testing coordination.
Cover, sewing and leather defects
| Defect | Usual class | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong fabric article or colour | Major; critical if fire reports depend on it | Against the approved swatch in daylight |
| Shade difference between panels of one piece | Major | Panels cut from different rolls or dye lots |
| Pattern not matched or centred as specified | Major | Stripes, checks and large prints across back, seat and arms |
| Pile running in two directions on velvet or chenille | Major | Looks like a shade difference under light |
| Open seam, skipped stitches, seam slippage | Major | Gentle pull at stress points: arm fronts, cushion corners |
| Hole, tear or snag in the cover | Major; small pull minor | Inspected at arm's length in daylight |
| Broken or stiff zip | Major | Every sampled cushion zip operated |
| Wavy piping, puckered seams, loose cover fit | Minor to major | By the viewing rule in the checklist |
| Leather: colour variation between hides, scars beyond the agreed limit | Major | Natural marks accepted only as defined |
| PU or bonded leather: cracking or peeling finish | Major | Often a material problem; lab tests for flex and adhesion |
| Loose threads, chalk lines, glue marks, small soiling | Minor | Usually cleaned on site |
| Mould spots | Major | From damp fabric or foam packed in polybags |
Fabric for upholstery can be inspected before it is cut, roll by roll, with the four-point system. This finds shade and weaving faults before they reach a finished sofa.
Legs, mechanisms and labels
| Defect | Usual class | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Recliner or sofa-bed mechanism with a finger trap or sharp metal edge | Critical | Mechanism cycled and inspected open and closed |
| Mechanism that does not lock, or runs rough | Major | Operated several times on each sampled piece |
| Legs of uneven length; piece rocks; glides missing | Major | On a flat floor |
| Leg fittings or bolts missing from the bag | Major | Against the bill of materials; trial assembly |
| Missing US federal flammability label (16 CFR 1640) or California law label where required | Critical | See TB 117-2013 and 16 CFR 1640 |
| Missing UK permanent fire label | Critical | See UK furniture fire safety |
| Label content that does not match the materials used | Critical | Fibre content and filling details against the bill of materials |
| Missing fibre content label on textile covers for the EU | Major | See EU textile labelling |
A label proves nothing by itself. It must match test reports for the exact cover, foam and barrier in the piece. That is why a component swap is so serious in upholstery.
How to keep these defects out of your order
- Give a bill of materials for each model: frame, suspension, foam grade with density, fibre wrap, fabric article, barrier.
- Require written approval for any component change, and list the test reports each label relies on.
- Write pattern-matching, pile-direction and shade rules, and seal a golden sample.
- Agree how many pieces the inspector may open: cushions, dust covers, one arm.
- Book a during-production inspection when frames are built and covers cut, before the defects are hidden.
- Set packing rules for compression, corner protection and wrapping; see furniture packaging and drop testing.
Clear To Load inspects sofas, chairs and other upholstered furniture at factories anywhere in India. See sofa inspection or book an inspection.