In the past month, we’ve helped our readers become much more knowledgeable in the world of furniture. We’ve discussed recliners, living rooms, and even furniture fabric. As you scour through our many furniture guides, have you stopped and asked yourself, “What makes a great piece of furniture?” It’s an important question to ask and the answer might surprise you.

At Big Sandy, we label our furniture products on a specialized rating system with each product landing in one of four categories: bronze, silver, gold, or platinum. Each product is rated accordingly based on price, construction, support, material, and so on.

If your resolution is to enhance your home décor, then start the year off right and shop for furniture with us at Big Sandy. Follow our latest guide as we breakdown our rating system and what makes our top furniture pieces so special.

The Frame Story

Our furniture rating system begins with the frame story. It’s an experience that is unique to Big Sandy—you won’t find this anywhere else. When you’re shopping for furniture, what would you want to know if you were making a large purchase? The frame story will help you answer all those important questions.

Essentially, the frame story is a way to show the buyer the difference in furniture quality. We use this model to establish a rating system that spans from bronze to platinum. When you can physically see and feel the product, you’re more likely to have trust in the level of quality and craftsmanship.

Shoppers seek transparency, education, and confidence when making a large purchase, and our rating system will show that you always get what you pay for. If you want a piece of furniture that will suit your lifestyle, it starts with investing in a highly rated product.

Bronze and Silver

A picture is worth a thousand words, so it helps to see the product in action. The rating system starts with bronze and silver—these are our value-tier products. These products are nothing to scoff at—while they aren’t fully equipped with specialized features, they offer qualify comfort at an affordable price. Some of our bronze-level items come from brands such as Coaster, Affordable Furniture, Sauder Select, Benchcraft, and Signature Select by Ashley.

If you’re looking for a dining set, clean lines and simplistic design add character and warmth to fit into any home décor. You can find a polyester reclining loveseat with plenty of cushioning and space to fit the entire family. Maybe you need an entertainment center to accommodate your new TV or a new bedroom set to finish furnishing your new apartment.

Whatever your needs, you can find affordable furniture pieces in the bronze or silver range without forgoing quality. A typical bronze- or silver-level piece with standard construction will start around $300–$600. These products are commonly made with OSB particle board, non-stretch webbing, sinuous coils—all of which will last around 2–5 years.

If you’re hoping to find slightly stronger construction, greater support, material variety, and more finish or feature options, this is when you want to upgrade your search to the gold and platinum rating.

Gold

If you decide to take the leap to gold-rated furniture, you’ll quickly notice the difference in the material and construction. Other manufacturers and furniture stores are in a constant race to sell furniture that’s cheap because they know people will buy it. We prefer to separate ourselves from the competition and provide the highest quality products regardless of price point.

The biggest difference in the jump from silver to gold is how well the product will hold up and how long it will last. Whether you’re shopping for Sunny Designs, Liberty Furniture, Jackson Furniture, or HomeStretch, you’ll feel the difference. Size is also an important factor. For example, HomeStretech offers an Xtreme Seating collection for taller customers that require a larger seating platform with taller backs and extended layouts.

Gold products are designed to last longer because they feature a more solid frame, a softer cushion, a firmer type of wood, a stronger base—and these are all things that will help your product keep its shape and retain its comfort over time. More specifically, you might discover a steel-seat box, plywood frames, reinforced arm frames, a drop-in coil seat, or an all-steel foundation in the gold-rated section.

You can find a Jackson Catnapper starting at $499, a HomeStretch rocker recliner starting at $549, or a Jackson Furniture sofa at $799. These prices aren’t a tremendous jump up from the bronze level starting price, but the difference in comfort can be impactful especially if you’re prone to stiff muscles and achy joints.

Platinum

This brings us to our platinum rating. This is the pièce de résistance of the furniture category. Platinum does everything the gold category does, but it takes it up a notch with greater features. Some of the platinum-rated brands include Flexsteel, Craftmaster, Bernhardt, and Napa Furniture Design.

Shopping for furniture is an investment and buying a better product will pay dividends in the long run. This is made possible by the highest-rated features such as a 2.0 soy-based density cushion, solid oak material, stronger frames, and the Blue Steel Spring construction. You’ll pay a little extra for these high-end features, but that's what extends the lifespan of your furniture, improves your posture, and helps relieve aches and pains. Platinum-rated products separate themselves from any other brand or category, providing quality comfort that is built to last longer than anything in Bronze, Silver, or Gold.

The Blue Steel Spring construction is unique to Flexsteel. This provides comfort, strength, and visual appeal to every piece of furniture. You can count on Flexsteel to design a product with durable hardwood, quality fabric, and comfort to last the lifetime of your furniture. You can find a reclining sofa or loveseat with blue steel construction starting around $1,299.

Flexsteel products are also very accommodating for big and tall folks. These oversized recliners are made with extended leg rests and extra strong metal seat boxes, all featuring the blue steel construction for big time comfort. There are even varying levels of performance fabric that provide high-resiliency cushion for long-lasting relaxation.

Craftmaster is a flexible option as they produce everything from durable furniture for active children to luxurious leather sofas to dining room sets for family gatherings. If you’re searching for an attractive piece of furniture, you’ll be destined to find a product you trust with a style that fits your personality. You can purchase a quality Craftmaster sofa starting at $1,099.

A Quick Recap

Platinum brands provide the utmost quality and comfort with the highest-rated material, construction, and design. Gold-level brands offer a similar quality, with slightly fewer feature options. Bronze and silver items are your value purchases for affordable comfort. And if you’re wondering what features you should be on the lookout for when shopping for new furniture, here are a few to help get you started:

Construction
Material
Frame
Cushion
Upholstery
Joints
Drawers
Springs
Wood

See for Yourself

If you’re in the market for new furniture pieces, come by Big Sandy and shop our great selection of furniture. Our expert staff will personally walk you through the frame story so you can see the difference in our range of furniture products. If you have any questions regarding our furniture or our rating system, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

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Big Sandy Guide to Top Furniture: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum Ratings