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You can teil that a sofa is made by Rolf Benz just by looking at it - but you can feel it even more. What's concealed within are dec­ades of experience as weil as the highest standards in quality and workmanship thanks to excellent professionals and innovative technologies. Together, these quality characteristics form the basis of the legendary Rolf Benz seating comfort. We divulge the secrets of good sitting below and help you find the right upholstery for you.

Construction of upholstery.

The upholstery structure determines the sitting quality. In the search for the perfect sitting comfort, Rolf Benz developed a method of building up a seat layer by layer, like a sandwich. You can feel the advantages of this technique today when you sit on any Rolf Benz sofa. Perfectly coordinated combinations of foam, put together by hand, are the secret of this layered seat construction. Cold foam, moulded foam, soft foam and block foam ensure the best possible sitting experience at every point, over the whole depth of the sofa. You could have a firm seat at the front and soft at the back – exactly how you want it. And Rolf Benz maintains the shape with the upholstery cover too – between the layers of the seat and the cover fabric. The carefully laminated nonwoven used allows it to stretch evenly. Even when it is used over a long period, the high-quality special foam maintains its original volume. With some of our sofa ranges, you can choose an even softer sitting experience thanks to an additional layer of patented foam rods which provide the squashy soft surface you are looking for. The result: perceptibly more comfortable sitting.

Casual or especially casual upholstery.

Rolf Benz likes to keep things casual, and with good reason. Contrary to firm upholstery, with this type you don’t sit on but in the sofa. High-quality craftsmanship means that your body weight is distributed evenly over the entire seat, ensuring that you sit in an ergonomically correct and healthy position. After all, we want the best for you and that’s optimal seating comfort. When choosing an upholstery type, it’s best to base this decision on how you feel when sitting. As a general rule, the softer the upholstery structure and the upholstery cover, the deeper you sit in the sofa. On the other hand, firmer upholstery makes sitting down and getting up easier since you “sink down” less deeply into the sofa. With the casual upholstery structure of Rolf Benz upholstered furniture – depending on the nature of the model – varying degrees of waviness in the cover and seat indentations are typical for the product and are not quality defects. Some of our products (please see the note under “Technical data” on the product detail page) have an “especially casual upholstery structure” – which tends to develop even more waviness compared with the “casual upholstery structure”– even when new. Our recommendation: let the specialist staff in our trading partners advise you and take your time trying out different seats.

Springing system.

Only a question of design: which variant of springing system is used in your sofa is a matter of minor importance in relation to the ultimate sitting comfort. It provides a pleasant “give” when you sit down and stand up. It’s only the shape of the sofa that influences the master upholsterer’s choice of springing system – pocket springs, sinuous steel springs or another type of springing system. It is the construction of the upholstery that is responsible for the quality of the sitting experience.

The best quality materials, first-class craftsmanship, and a marked quality awareness - there are plenty of reasons why Rolf Benz upholstery is so durable. Above all, it has to do with the especially high density of the foam. More density = langer lasting pleasure in your sofa. This simple formula puts it in a nutshell. Because it is above all the density and not the firmness of a foam that determines what the quality, durability and dimensional stability are. The German Furniture Quality Assurance Association (Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel, DGM) has introduced its own quality standards in this respect (= backrest upholstery gross density > 28 kg/m3, seat upholstery gross density > 35 kg/m3): these are not only complied with by Rolf Benz, they are offen exceeded. As far as you are concerned, this means a level of quality way above the average, and a top sitting comfort that will last for many years.

It’s best to base this decision on how you feel when sitting in the sofa. As a general rule, the softer the upholstery structure and the upholstery cover, the deeper you sit in the sofa. On the other hand, firmer upholstery makes sitting down and getting up easier since you “sink down” less deeply into the sofa. Based on the principle that one should sit in a sofa and not on it, with the casual upholstery from Rolf Benz furniture – depending on the model – the different waves and seat indentations that are formed are typical of the product and are not quality defects. Some of our products have an “especially casual upholstery structure” – which tends to develop even more waviness compared with the “casual upholstery structure”– even when new. Our recommendation: let the specialist staff in our trading partners advise you and take your time trying out different seats.

Our custom­ers' taste is just as varied as their homes. That's why Rolf Benz offers you around 200 fabric covers and 1 00 leather covers, so that you can cus­tomise your chosen furniture to match your personal style. Because only the right combi­nation of materials and colours help to show oft design and space to the best effect - which makes you happy. This section is designed to help you with the important decision of finding the right fabric or the right leather for your wishes.

Not every cover in your favourite colour will be the right one for you. There are external factors such as wear, use and environment to be taken into account when making your choice of cover. For instance where strong sunlight comes in through large windows, you will need to choose a cover that is colour-fast. Also, the halogen light from a reading lamp can cause colours to fade – and that may result in the need for additional maintenance. For families with children, tough cover materials that are easy to care for are more suitable than fine natural leathers in light colours. So before you buy, consider where your upholstered furniture will eventually be positioned, and what requirements it needs to fulfil.

You can only guarantee long­term pleasure in your cover if it has been subjected to regular stringent material tests. Light fastness, rub fastness, pilling characteristics and abrasion resistance are the four main test criteria a cover has to fulfil before it meets the Rolf Benz quality requirements. In some cases, these are weil above the standards of the German Association of Quality Furniture [Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel (DGM)] . Many of the fab­rics and leathers on the market seem at first sight to have excel­lent properties in terms of com­fort, yet they do not conform to the Rolf Benz standards test. Every cover material is therefore painstakingly examined in an exhaustive series of tests before it can be incorporated in the Rolf Benz cover collection.

You will find all the test results on the four test areas, together with further important information, as well as the typical and functional characteristics, on the back of the relevant sample in the Rolf Benz fabric trolley. Please do read through this information carefully before making your decision. We are keen to make sure that you decide on the right cover material, one that meets both your preferences and also your requirements - so that you will enjoy your sofa for years to come.

The Rolf Benz ComforLux system allows you to find the cover that suits your lifestyle – quickly and easily. ComforLux stands for top-class furniture leathers and fabrics and specially selected surface finishes. The colour labels show you which cover gives you the ComforLux quality you want. They will act as a helpful orientation in the fabric trolley when you are with the reseller. ComforLux optima offers an ideal synthesis of comfort and toughness. Ideal in the case of normal use. ComforLux supra can be relied on to have an extremely robust quality, very high abrasion resistance, and above-average light fastness. Ideal in the case of heavy use or bright sunlight. ComforLux élégance is suitable for connoisseurs and those who love sophisticated covers, and offers particularly fine qualities with unique comfort characteristics (raw materials, craftsmanship, touch etc.), similar to a cashmere pullover for the sofa. So here it is natural to expect a more limited durability and more frequent maintenance.

People have been working with leather for more than 40,000 years, yet few know so much about this unique natural product as the skilled staff at Rolf Benz. That’s why we use the top quality leathers. We only use leathers that are taken from the top, that is the most valuable, layer of the hide. Our high-quality ComforLux élégance leathers, for instance, come from cattle from South Germany or Europe. What distinguishes these leathers? A particularly wide usable area, extraordinarily good texture of the hide, and no branding. The advantages are fewer joining seams and a uniform appearance. First class hides require the best possible treatment during finishing. So it is only the best tanneries that are considered for Rolf Benz. Our passion for leather ensures premium quality for every single Rolf Benz sofa.

Rolf Benz uses only grain leather/full-grain leather. This exclusive quality of leather is the most prized and is particularly durable. It comes only from the top layer of the hide. The leather is characterised by natural marks on the hide, such as the grain on the surface as well as the even thickness – unlike split leather. This less high-quality leather comes from the lower layers of the hide, and is often artificially embossed to make it look like full leather. Rolf Benz premium covers are characterised by various different qualities of nappa leather:

Nappa leather, full-grain, natural.

Only a few cattle hides fulfil the quality requirements of these most fine leathers. No more than 20 per cent of hides present the kind of uniform appearance required to produce this leather. Natural leather (also known as aniline leather) is dyed in the drum. Water-soluble dyes are absorbed into every fibre of the hide, and dye the leather right through. The natural open-pored texture of the hide remains completely preserved, and so do all the natural features such as insect bites, thorn scratches etc. These characteristic marks show that this highest-quality leather is genuine. Natural leather possesses the best features in terms of comfort, soft to feel, almost like textiles, and with a particularly good breathability. However the variety and intensity of the colours is not especially extensive, since the leather can only be dyed in a few natural shades. Natural leather is classified under the Rolf Benz ComforLux élégance, and it should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
 

Nappa leather, full-grain, lightly pigmented.

This type of leather (also known as semi-aniline leather) is treated with a light coat of pigment in addition to the dyeing in the drum. lt is open-pored, and is distinguished by being some­what more evenly dyed. The natural characteristics are not as evident as in natural leath­er, but are nevertheless still visible, and are still accept-ed as evidence of exclusive quality. Compared with natural leather, the range of dyes is wider, though it is still limited to the classic leather colours. Advantages of the light coat of pigment are better light fast­ness and improved functional properties in comparison with purely natural leather. The lightly pigmented leather also belongs to the Comfor­Lux elegance category.
 

Nappa leather, full-grain, pigmented.

In this leather, colour pigmentation is applied to the surface of the hide. The natural characteristics remain visible, though partially covered. The leather is less soft and supple, yet has very good functional qualities. It is very durable, achieves excellent results in terms of light fastness, and is exceptionally easy to maintain. In addition, it is possible to use a very large variety of dyes in classic as well as bright modern colours. Because it is so easy to maintain, and because it is so light fast, this type of leather is classified as ComforLux supra.
 

Nappa leather, corrected grain, pigmented.

In this leather, the natural characteristics are as far as possible removed before the dye is applied. The surface of the hide is buffed off (lightly or strongly) so that grain and other characteristic features fade, leaving a uniform appearance. In addition, the surface can be embossed. In relative terms, this leather is the best value option, since full leathers can be processed that would never be suitable for the production of full-grain nappa leather because of the original natural characteristics on the hide. You will find this leather at Rolf Benz in the ComforLux optima category. It is particularly recommended for normal use.

Nubuk leather

Nubuck leather is a soft, through-dyed leather which is buffed on its outer surface (upper grain side). The grain is still visible, so that the leather remains completely natural, and it has a fine velvet-like feel that makes it specially supple. The rough buffing gives the leather its characteristic finger writing effect. The interesting ever-changing shading on the surface gives it a vibrant look. Only the best hides can be used for this fine attractive leather. Rolf Benz sometimes uses a so-called nubucked leather which has an additional coating which minimises the finger writing effect. Like the nubuck leather, this belongs to the ComforLux élégance category.

Rolf Benz can offer you the right leather for every requirement. It is best if you just make your decision on the basis of the comfort, appearance, ease of maintenance and light fastness you want. You will find that the leathers in the ComforLux élégance class in particular have outstanding comfort features such as touch, softness, suppleness and breathability. The natural and lightly-pigmented leathers belong to this group too. They are among the most exclusive and most expensive overall, since– because of the very stringent requirements in terms of quality and appearance of the hides – there are not very many of them available in global markets. On the other hand, pigmented leathers have better functional properties. The Rolf Benz ComforLux optima und ComforLux supra categories are more hard-wearing, easier to maintain, and more light fast. In addition, the natural characteristics of the surface of the hide are less visible, so the leathers have a more uniform appearance.

Just like our own skin, leather is a product of nature – with its own natural characteristics, and a size limited by growth. It is necessary for reasons of geometry and appearance always to divide a hide into smaller pieces, which then fulfil the relevant Rolf Benz quality requirements. This is why, unlike fabrics, several individual sections are always needed for a leather cover, each one of them different from the other. Additional joining seams, as well as deviations of colour and texture, are the result. These are small details you may not even be aware of, but which are always a clear indication of a high-quality leather product. It is these natural characteristics of the hide that demonstrate the value and the character of the leather.

Just like your own skin, leather needs care too, in order to stay soft and supple. So at least twice a year, give your Rolf Benz leather product a treatment, and maintain the first-class leather quality. Information about caring for leather can be found in the Rolf Benz product passport included with every sofa delivery. Rolf Benz recommends that you always use the care products of leather care specialists Leather Care Keller (LCK): these produced the best results in the continuous tests. It is easy to order the appropriate care product online at www.lck-rolfbenz.com. You will receive a free starter-set with every leather item. “First aid” for scratches and abrasions, and answers to questions about leather can be found in your Rolf Benz product passport, at www.lck-international.com, or direct from the Leather Care Keller service hotline +49 (0) 800 / 9 62 52 52 or +49 (0) 72 51/9 62 50.

No other covering can individually suit your requirements as well as fabric can. The possible variations of the many kinds of woven fabric, from fine to tough, are far more wide-ranging than in the case of leather. The number of ways in which various raw materials, yarns, colours, patterns and tactile properties can be combined is almost infinite. Different function-specific properties such as abrasion resistance, pilling behaviour, light fastness and rub fastness can be adapted to suit every requirement. You can find out in this section which fabric is best suited to your home.

What exactly is meant by the word fabric? Fabric is the generic term for all textile materials such as woven fabrics, knitwear and nonwoven textiles. Now let us have a closer look at the most important properties of woven fabrics, and how to distinguish between them.

Woven fabric.

A woven fabric is fabric that is constructed by interlacing at right angles at least two sets of threads (warp and weft). The way in which both sets of threads interlace is called the weave.

Flat woven fabrics such as pile fabrics are suitable for use in upholstery. Flat woven fabrics have a smooth surface whose volume can only be altered to a very limited extent because of the weave technology. Jacquard – to name but one flat woven fabric – is produced on special looms where each thread is individually controlled. This allows for very complex designs with a great many colours that are principally used in upholstery as ornamental fabrics for cushion covers.

Pile fabrics contain additional sets of threads that create tufts and loops which have a direct influence on the bulk and thickness of the woven fabric. One important sub-category of pile fabric is woven pile fabric. This owes its character to the cut or uncut loops of pile that are attached to the basic weave. Cut pile is also called velours. Uncut woven pile fabric with small loops on the upper side is known as epinglé.

Which materials does Rolf Benz use for its fabrics? It is primarily the function-specific properties that dictate the choice of materials. Whether natural or synthetic fibres are preferred depends initially on the demands made on the cover. The determining factor is the raw material or the proportion of components of the raw materials. The properties can be further altered by texturing – which means finishing the yarn. The aim is to develop the best possible yarn with the best quality for the functional properties required and for the effects of the subsequent fabric. You can find out in the following section which materials would be best for the kind of cover you want. 

It is not always the finest fabric that is the right one. The fabric that is perfect for you depends principally on the demands you are going to make on the cover. Rolf Benz is continuously working in collaboration with the best known German and international fabric manufacturers to develop new fabrics. But before they can be accepted into our cover collection, they have to be subjected to a long series of stringent tests. For you, the outcome is positive in every case: top quality and above all, years of enjoyment of your sofa.
 

Abrasion resistance.

The wear test examines how quickly fibres wear through in the case of flat woven fabrics, or how quickly bald spots appear with pile fabrics. A test fabric and a woven fabric are rubbed together until a maxi­mum of three threads of a flat woven fabric are destroyed, or there is a visible breakdown in the fibres of a pile fabric.

Friction resistance (colour abrasion).

Friction resistance refers to the resilience of the colour of upholstery fabric when it is rubbed against other textiles and the colour transfer that occurs. Generally speak­ing, dark and bright colours achieve lower friction resist­ance than light tones.
 

Pilling behaviour.

Certain fabrics are specially susceptible to developing little bobbles, known in technical jargon as
"pills", that develop on the surface during use, as a result of rubbing against other materials. The twisted fibres work themselves out of the cover fabric, but they do not adversely affect its durability, and they can be removed with a special razor.
 

Light fastness.

All woven textiles are susceptible to the effect of direct sunlight. Dark colours alter more quickly as a result of exposure to light than lighter colours. The test results of these 4 test criteria can also be found on the reverse of the fabric hangers in our Rolf Benz fabric trolleys. Please note that light fastness and friction resistance may also vary between the individual colours of a fabric - which is why these two results are listed on the reverse of each fabric sample.

Pure new wool.

Pure new wool is classified as wool that is sheared exclusively from healthy sheep and may not be mixed with lesser qualities. The advantages of pure new wool are that it is highly resilient and durable. Pressure marks hardly ever develop during use. One really special feature is its natural dirt-repellent protective layer of lanolin. In order to keep its beneficial effects in the lang term, wool fabrics must always be handled with great care, and must not be cleaned with harsh chemical detergents.
 

Cotton.

Cotton is a vegetable fibre that is obtained from the protective case around the seeds of the cotton plant. Cotton offers excellent moisture absorbency which makes it exceptionally kind to the skin and it also has excellent hygienic properties. The impact of intense heat is relatively low, although cotton may abrade if it is allowed to dry out excessively. Unlike wool, cotton covers should not be exposed to direct sunlight due to their low light fastness.

Viscose.

Viscose is a synthetic fibre based on cellulose that is produced from organic materials, and has good hygienic properties thanks to its capacity to swell. During the manufacture of viscose, raw fibre materials are dissolved into liquid form, then passed through fibre-shaped nozzles and then hardened. Like all synthetic fibres, viscose can be manufactured to a consistently high quality, and it stands out for its extraordinary brightness of colour. Viscose is also notable for its soft, supple feel, and its typically silky sheen.
 

Synthetic fibre fabric.

With synthetic fibres, the atoms and molecules of the raw materials are rearranged by humans. Forming long, artificial molecular chains creates fibres that have extraordinary properties. Polyamide and polyester are the two most important representatives of synthetic fibres. Polyamides are highly elastic and are also wear and abrasion resistant, they do not swell and are also quick drying. Polyester, which is very light and extremely light-resistant, offers great stability and low moisture absorption. Synthetic fabrics occasionally have a tendency towards static electricity at low humidity. This means that there can be an electrostatic charge which is discharged when a grounded object is touched. This electrostatic charge can be minimised by rubbing the sofa regularly with a clean, damp cloth (please use distilled water only) or by increasing the air humidity to over45%.

Upholstered furniture with fabric covers needs regular precautionary care and maintenance in order to keep it looking beautiful in the long term. Please note the information in the Rolf Benz product passport included with every delivery. For any other questions about the care and maintenance of fabric we recommend contacting LCK Vertriebs GmbH. LCK has an online shop (www.lck-rolfbenz.com) where you can find the appropriate care and maintenance products for your cover, as well as expert advice (tel +49 (0) 72 51/96 25-0), and on request we can put you in touch with an experienced specialist (throughout Germany).

Upholstered furniture bearing the Rolf Benz label fulfils stringent requirements as regards quality and healthy furnishing. On the basis of its own strict quality standards and in compliance with the testing and quality conditions of the German Association of Quality Furniture (DGM), RAL-GZ 430 (the latest version at the time of delivery), Rolf Benz grants its customers a 5 year guarantee on the entire padding structure to cover the construction, upholstery materials, functional hardware fittings and workmanship, each in accordance with the industrial standard. Within this period, any defect found to be due to a fault in the material or workmanship at the time of delivery will be repaired free of charge without user contribution, subject to correct utilization in private homes at normal levels of stress and with the customary degree of regular care and maintenance in line with the instructions provided on delivery. This five-year guarantee does not include the upholstery cover. Upholstery covers are subject to a special ruling on the basis of the statutory warranty. In case of a justified complaint within this five-year period, all the above-mentioned items of furniture will be repaired in accordance with the current state of the art or replaced at the discretion of the guarantor. This does not extend the guarantee period. Guarantee claims are reported to the dealer from which the furniture was purchased, presenting the invoice, control slip and guarantee certificate. The furniture must be made available for appraisal and repair. It is standard for examination and assessment to take place from a standing or seated position approx. 2–3 m from the furniture. No right exists to reimbursement of ancillary costs of any kind. The guarantee begins with the delivery to the end consumer by the dealer, and assumes normal domestic use. The legal warranty rights are not limited by this guarantee. The person who commissioned the furniture is the only one to have a right to claim under guarantee. Sale goods of any kind do not therefore fall under this regulation. Legal warranty regulations apply to exhibition goods and commercial use.

Healthy living is the most natural thing in the world for Rolf Benz. As voluntary members of the German Furniture Quality Assurance Association (Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel DGM) our duties range far beyond just fulfilling legal health regulations. We see it as our obligation to ensure that you have the top level of healthy living. So at Rolf Benz you will find limit values for harmful substances significantly below those proscribed by legislation; not only that, you will also find guidelines for harmful substances that do not fall within legal requirements. For you, this means a guarantee of more healthy living – something our suppliers also have to guarantee. In line with the purchasing conditions at Rolf Benz, suppliers are committed to comply with the legal regulations and requirements of the German Furniture Quality Assurance Association (Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel DGM). In addition to our principle of voluntary self-regulation, there are authorised independent institutes who regularly check that the standards laid down by the German Furniture Quality Assurance Association (Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel DGM) are complied with and continuously developed. That’s why we say: live healthily and live with Rolf Benz.

All upholstered items of furniture* from the ROLF BENZ and freistil ROLF BENZ brands have been awarded the “Blue Angel” certificate. This is jointly issued by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the German Environmental Agency (UBA), the Environmental Label Jury and RAL gGmbH. The prestigious eco-label certifies that all sofas, armchairs and chairs are low in emissions. It also certifies the environmentally-friendly manufacture of the upholstery materials (such as foams and mats) and cover materials* (leather and fabrics) that are used. The criteria for carrying the “Blue Angel” for “low-emission upholstered furniture” covers not only the aspect of the environmentally sound manufacture of the materials used, but also the possibility of replacing individual parts that are subject to wear as well as the serviceability, packaging, recycling and disposal of the seating furniture. You can therefore be certain that Rolf Benz attaches great importance to healthy living and using resources responsibly.

*Excludes covers to which an additional stain guard or a flame retardant coating has been applied, as well as covers that are currently being verified.