How to Measure a Sofa with Your iPhone
The four measurements every sofa needs: width, depth, height, and seat-to-arm clearance. Capture them in 90 seconds with your iPhone before you buy or move.
Sofas are the #1 returned furniture item. The reason is almost always measurement: either the sofa doesn't fit through the buyer's door, or it doesn't fit the space it was bought for. Your iPhone can capture both sets of dimensions in under two minutes, here's how.
Por que medir isto
- Confirm the sofa fits through doorways and corridors before delivery
- Check the sofa fits the wall space and leaves room for traffic
- Compare arm height with side tables
- Document for insurance or resale
O que você precisa
- iPhone (any model from Xs onwards)
- Ruler AR, Length mode for individual dimensions
- Optional: Touch Mode for sub-cm precision on the arm width
Passo a passo
- Width (arm to arm). Stand at the front of the sofa. Open Ruler AR → Length mode. Tap the outside of one armrest, then the outside of the other. This is the dimension that has to fit through your doorway.
- Depth (front to back). From the side. Tap the front edge of the seat cushion, then the back of the sofa. Note: cushions slightly compress over time, measure with normal in-use compression, not freshly puffed up.
- Height (floor to top). Stand back. Use Height mode. Tap the floor at the sofa's base, then the top of the backrest. Critical for shelves above or windowsill clearance.
- Seat depth (cushion only). Tap the front of the seat cushion, then where the cushion meets the backrest. Determines how deep you sit, matters for tall vs short users.
- Arm height & seat-to-arm. Tap the floor at the side, then the top of the armrest. Now do floor to seat. Subtracting gives you elbow-rest height, important for comfort.
Dicas
- For L-shaped sofas, measure each section separately and the overall diagonal
- Modular sofas ship in pieces, measure the largest single piece against your door
- Compress the cushion 1 cm before measuring depth to get the real "sit" depth
Erros comuns
- Measuring just the seat cushion width instead of the outside-of-arm width
- Forgetting the packed/shipping dimensions are 5-10 cm larger than the in-use dimensions
- Not measuring the tightest corner of the corridor, sofas turn diagonally through tight halls
Perguntas frequentes
How accurate does sofa measurement need to be?
Within 2 cm for doorway clearance, within 5 cm for room placement. AR camera measurement easily meets both.
Should I measure the sofa or the box?
The box. Sofas ship with protective wrapping that adds 5-10 cm on each dimension. The IKEA spec sheet always lists both.
Can I measure a sofa already in a showroom?
Yes, open Ruler AR and tap the outside of each side. Don't need to move furniture; AR works from a stand-back position.