Are Australian Made Lounges better quality than imported Lounges?
Ouch!!! What do you say to that? Obviously we all want to support Australian made. It helps employ Australians, helps build a manufacturing base, keeps money in the country etc. But are Australian made lounges better quality than imported?
As with everything – it depends!! There are poorer quality Australian made couches, as there are poorer quality imported. Conversely, there are great quality imported lounges that are every bit as good as Australian made. Essentially, it comes down to comparing apples with apples, not oranges.
Firstly, if you want to support Australian made and budget is not an issue, then your decision is pretty simple. Find a great quality Australian made sofa that fits your needs. Ensure you follow the direction we have given your leather, fabric, cushions and frames to make sure you buy a good value lounge.
If, on the other hand, price is a factor, then the imported option comes into play. If, for instance, you are after a 100% leather suite and have a budget of $4,000, you may be able to buy a great quality imported suite. For the same budget you may have to compromise on quality, or the size of the sofa to work within that budget.
Materials
If you think about the components that are being used, most of them are being made in Asia anyway, so the quality could be similar. The timber being used could be where the big difference is, also the foam that is being used.
With Australian made lounges you would like to think there is more control in manufacture. If the sofa is being manufactured locally the recourse regarding warranty claims is easier. The materials are locally sourced for the manufacture of frames and there is an understanding about the local timbers used for manufacture. Also, fabrics sourced in Australia are more readily available and can be of a superior quality. That said, many fabrics are sourced overseas and sold by Australian suppliers.
In the end, as previously mentioned, the decision will come down to a couple of issues. If you want to support Australian made you may have to reduce your expectations regarding quality to spend the same amount on an imported product. The other factor is the exchange rate. If the dollar is lower the imported product becomes more expensive.
Contact
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at Devlin Lounges (07) 3376 1566.
