BUT sofa review: our pointers before buying a corner sofa, a BZ or a recliner

According to the general terms of sale of BUT stores, the delivery date written on the order form is a deadline, and delivery does not include assembly unless stated otherwise. For a corner sofa, a BZ sofa bed or a power recliner, these terms and a few checks in store tell you what matters before you sign. We have not tested these sofas and this page does not describe any model: every piece of information about BUT comes from documents published by BUT, cited at the end of the page.

Judging the quality of a BUT sofa in store

We do not assess the quality of BUT sofas. In store, however, you can check for yourself what makes a sofa hold up:

• The frame: ask what it is made of and how it is assembled.
• The seat foam: ask for its density, in kg/m³. For a sofa used every day, we advise aiming for a density of around 30 kg/m³ or more.
• The suspension: zigzag springs, elastic webbing, or both.
• The fabric: its composition and its Martindale rating, which measures the fabric's resistance to wear by rubbing.
• The seat: stay seated for several minutes, in the position in which you read or watch a film.
• The display model: it has already been used; look at the tension of the fabric and how the seat holds, and listen to the frame when you stand up.
• The guarantee: ask whether the model has a guarantee beyond the legal guarantee.

Finally, ask for the model's technical sheet: it brings this information together and lets you read it again at home.

A specific model, with little information about it

Few online reviews of a model say nothing about its quality. Judge it on what can be checked:

• Its exact name and dimensions: the same range often comes in several sizes and versions.
• Its composition: frame, foam, suspension, fabric, as in the list above.
• The seller: on but.fr, BUT or a partner seller, whose own delivery and return conditions then apply.
• Availability: in stock or made to order, and the delivery date written on the order form.

If it is the Happy sofa you are interested in, we have a separate page on it: our pointers on the Happy sofa.

BUT corner sofas: what to check

A corner sofa is the bulkiest to get into your home. The clause that matters most is the one on access: according to the terms of sale of BUT stores, BUT is not liable if the furniture cannot get in because the premises or the access are too narrow, unless the difficulty was reported when ordering and noted on the order form, with a statement countersigned by the store.

• Dimensions: length of each side, depth, height, and the length of the chaise longue if there is one.
• Getting it in: measure doors, corridors, the stairwell and the lift, and have any difficult passage noted on the order form.
• Side of the corner: choose it according to the room, the door, the window and the passage to keep clear.
• Options: ask which orientations and colours exist outside stock, and the lead time that applies.
• Seams: look at the topstitching and the joins between the sections.
• A built-in recliner: try it as you would a recliner sofa, see below.
• Assembly: according to the terms of sale, delivery does not include assembly unless stated otherwise; ask what the delivery option chosen includes.

BZ, clic-clac, sofa bed: choosing a sofa bed at BUT

BZ or clic-clac: two ways of opening

The BZ and the clic-clac are two sofa bed mechanisms. The table below describes these mechanisms in general, not BUT models.

Occasional or regular sleeping

The first question is the number of nights: a few nights a year for guests, or several nights a week. For frequent sleeping, ask about:

• The mattress: its thickness and type (foam, springs), and its density if it is foam.
• The base: slatted or metal mesh.
• The size of the bed: width and length, for one or two people.
• The seat: its density, since you will also sit on it every day.

In store: open and close it yourself

Open and close the sofa bed several times, yourself, without the salesperson's help: that is what you will do at home. Note the effort required, the noise of the mechanism, and the space it takes up once open. Ask for the technical sheet of the exact model, which gives the dimensions of the bed and the composition of the mattress.

BUT power recliner sofas: the test that counts

A power recliner adds a motor and a mechanism to the sofa. The test in store is about them:

• The motor: run it with no one seated and listen to it; the movement should be continuous, without jolts.
• The footrest, extended: look at the seams and the fabric where they are stretched.
• The frame: ask how it carries the mechanism.
• Breakdowns: ask who repairs a motor or a remote control, and how long parts take.
• The guarantee: the 2-year legal guarantee of conformity applies; a 3-year extended guarantee is offered as an option.
• Safety: unplug the sofa during a thunderstorm, and do not leave a child on the extended footrest.

Modular sofas and small formats

A modular sofa is made of sections that are assembled and can be rearranged. Before choosing one, ask how the modules are fixed together, which parts bear the weight once the sofa has been taken apart and put back together, and whether extra modules or spare parts remain available after purchase. For a small format, in a studio or an office, note the seat depth and height as well as the overall size.

Upholstery: fabric, velvet, leather

• Fabric and velvet: ask for the composition (polyester, technical fabric) and the Martindale rating; check whether the seams are double-stitched.
• Leather: ask which parts of the sofa are leather and which leather the product page states.
• On unpacking: check the tension of the fabric, the staples and the finish of the seams.
• Light: the guarantee conditions of BUT stores exclude discolouration caused by the action of light; if the sofa is to face a window, take this into account when choosing the fabric and the spot.

Ordering, paying, delivery: what BUT's terms provide

Paying

According to the general terms of sale of BUT stores, BUT may require payment of the full price at the time of the order. Unless agreed otherwise, the balance is paid before delivery or collection. If you pay a sum when ordering, look at how the order form describes it: unless stipulated otherwise, sums paid in advance are a deposit known as “arrhes”. The consumer may then withdraw by forfeiting them, and the professional by returning twice the amount (Article L214-1 of the French Consumer Code).

Changing your mind

• Purchase signed in store: the 14-day legal withdrawal period covers contracts concluded at a distance or off premises (Article L221-18 of the French Consumer Code); a purchase signed in store is not covered. Read what the order form provides before signing.
• Distance order, on but.fr: the law provides 14 days of withdrawal, from receipt of the goods.
• Partner seller on but.fr: according to the terms of BUT's marketplace (August 2021 version), the seller's own return and delivery conditions apply.
• Before any return: the store terms state that “no goods may be returned without our prior consent and our instructions for return shipment”.

The delivery date and delays

According to the terms of sale of BUT stores, the delivery date written on the order form is the deadline for making the goods available or delivering them. With no date given, the period is 30 days from the order. If delivery is late, the buyer can ask the store in writing to deliver within a reasonable additional period; if delivery still does not take place, the buyer can terminate the contract by a further letter. If a date matters to you, have it written on the order form.

Collecting the sofa in store

The terms of sale provide that ownership and risks pass to the buyer as soon as the goods leave the store, when the buyer takes the furniture away personally or through their own carrier: check the packages before loading them. They also provide that, for goods not collected, BUT may dispose of them and keep the sums paid 15 days after a second formal notice by registered letter.

On delivery

• Your reservations: according to the terms of sale, no complaint relating to delivery is accepted unless it was noted at the time of delivery on the delivery note copy intended for the store, except for a hidden defect. Check the sofa before signing.
• Assembly: delivery does not include assembly unless stated otherwise; when it is provided, it means putting the piece together, without fixing it to the wall.
• Access: difficult access must have been reported when ordering and noted on the order form (see the part on corner sofas).

BUT guarantee and after-sales service

The terms of sale of BUT stores recall the legal guarantees:

• Conformity: 2 years from delivery of the goods; repair or replacement within 30 days of the request; 6 extra months of guarantee if the goods are repaired; a new 2-year guarantee if the seller imposes replacement.
• Hidden defects: 2 years from their discovery.
• Proof: the purchase invoice is required.

The same terms exclude from the guarantee, among other things: incorrect assembly, unless it was done by the seller; misuse or poor maintenance; discolouration caused by the action of light, humidity, excessive heating or an uneven floor; abnormal or intensive use; defects known to the customer at the time of purchase. Keep the assembly and care instructions, and if you are unsure whether you can assemble the sofa yourself, ask for assembly by the seller.

BUT also offers a “Meuble et siège” (furniture and seating) extended guarantee, an optional insurance contract that adds 3 years after the 2 years of the legal guarantee, for furniture bought new in a BUT store or on but.fr; its price depends on the type and value of the item. Also ask whether the model has a guarantee beyond the legal guarantee.

According to the terms of sale, the after-sales service can be reached on 09 78 97 97 97 (local call rate, from France), Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 7 pm. The mediator they name is AME CONSO, free of charge, for a complaint lodged in writing with customer service less than a year earlier and not satisfactorily resolved.

Prices and promotions: what you can check

• Total cost: delivery does not include assembly unless stated otherwise; add up the price of the sofa, delivery and assembly if you need both.
• A struck-through price: the reference price for a reduction is the lowest price charged by the seller during the 30 days before it (Article L112-1-1 of the French Consumer Code). Note the model's price a few weeks before a sale, then compare.
• A sofa on promotion or in the sales: the legal guarantee of conformity applies in the same way.

BUT or another option: depending on your project

Other brands to look at

Other brands also sell sofas in France. We have put together buying pointers on IKEA and on Conforama.