Make sure you've got the best seat in house

ARE you sitting comfortably? After a busy Easter holiday, it's common for households to send out a living room SOS.

Playing musical chairs because there isn't enough seating or having unwelcome close encounters as everyone tries to squeeze onto the same saggy sofa can leave you desperate for new furniture.

Luckily, the spring sales make this is a great time of year to bag a bargain. But don't just look at the price tag — sit on the sofa you want to buy and test it out in the same way you would a bed.

For instance, deep-seated sofas don't suit short people, while those who love snuggling into a squashy sofa will struggle to warm to a lean low-backed contemporary number, no matter how trendy it looks.

Get smart about seating by following our guide to some of the best sofa bargains around.

CLASSIC SEATING

Classic sofa styles, mimicking or inspired by vintage looks, can work well in any setting.

Generally, it's best to narrow your search by considering which sofas suit your room's design and scale. It's also wise to opt for loose covers, particularly if you have a family and pets.

A gently curved Reigate sofa, with polished wooden legs on castors, starts from £648, and the Hudson, from £913.50 in fabric upholstery, offers an update on a traditional Chesterfield with a deep button-back. Both from Laura Ashley online.

Add a splash of colour with a deliciously decadent Romance Love Seat, upholstered in Aqua Orsett velvet, £799 from Marks & Spencer, currently on offer online in certain fabrics from £454.

A Hayworth high-back buttoned sofa comes in a range of fabrics and couldn't fail to impress. From £1,800 from John Lewis.

SOFA SAVERS: There's a brilliant range at Sofa.com, which cuts its costs by only selling online but guarantee that if your sofa doesn't suit it can be returned free within two weeks. Bluebell sofa from £910.

Barker & Stonehouse's Catherina sofa, a fresh twist on the traditional parlour sofa, is currently reduced online from £1,469 to £999.

COOL & CONTEMPORARY

Sofas often make a statement by virtue of their size, but it's their design credentials that should draw the eye.

Matthew Hilton for Case Metropolis is a slimline range from John Lewis, from £1,200 for a medium sofa.

A Byron Loveseat in Westin Wool Ochre from Marks & Spencer is more chunky but still flies the flag for style. It's currently on special offer online at £599.

Pick up on the passion for pattern with Laura Ashley's Newman sofa, available in a funky retro print called Wallace Neutral, from £819 online for a two-seater.

SOFA SAVERS: Kenneth Cole's Bingham sofa range, from £399, and the Linea Harry sofa range, from £499, were recently slashed in price online. Both from House of Fraser.

CLEVER SEATS

We're all trying to find ways to use every available inch of space in our rooms, and seating which fits into corners or can be extended with a chaise (footstool/ seat) can be a brilliant solution.

If you like a sleek, contemporary look, Barker & Stonehouse's Kalina Set Two Corner Group, currently on special offer at £2,499, could appeal.

For sheer indulgence, it's hard to beat an Italian-designed velvet Chester sofa with chaise which can be placed at either end. It's currently on offer for £1,520 from Habitat.

Style aficionados could be wooed by the appropriately named Dinky Small Sofa, from £1,895 from Heal's, which is petite but bang-on retro trend.

SOFA SAVER: Concorde leather corner group with chaise is currently available online at £999 from Harveys Furniture Store. A sofa bed is always useful and the functional Acapulco is reduced from £700 to £280 at Debenhams.

BARGAIN NUMBERS

You're never going to sit comfortably if you've bust the budget by shelling out more than you can afford on a sofa.

Fortunately, you can sit back and relax because competition is keen and that means you can bag a well-designed piece at a comfortable price of under £600.

You wouldn't get it in your trolley but Sainsbury's has excelled itself with its plump, comfy Darcey regular sofa, now £299 online, available in a variety of colours.

Dunelm Mill is rarely caught napping when it comes to style and price, and it's just reduced its Lilly furniture collection, with a large two-seater sofa now from £479.20.