Two seats or three? Working out which Ektorp you own
Most people know roughly what their sofa looks like. Far fewer can say for certain which version it is, how many cushions it has or whether the model on the receipt matches the one standing in the living room today. With a long-running series like the Ektorp, that uncertainty is common, and it matters the moment you start shopping for a replacement cover.
Getting the size right is mostly detective work. None of it is difficult, and all of it can be done in about fifteen minutes with a tape measure, a phone camera and a little patience.
It is worth doing properly because Ektorp covers are not one-size-fits-all. They are cut as a set of separate pieces, one for the frame and one for each cushion, so a cover made for a two-seat frame simply has the wrong number and size of pieces for a three-seat one. A few careful checks now decide whether the new cover slips on neatly or goes straight back into its box.
Start with the cushions, not the tape measure
The fastest clue sits right in front of you. Ektorp sofas have loose seat cushions and loose back cushions, and the number of each tells you a great deal before you measure anything. A two-seat Ektorp typically has two seat cushions and two back cushions. A three-seat version has three of each.
Count them carefully and note whether the seat cushions are all the same width. Corner sofas and chaise versions often mix cushion shapes, with a longer seat on the chaise or an angled piece in the corner. If one cushion looks noticeably different from the rest, photograph it and note where it sits, because that is likely where a special cover piece will be needed.
People sometimes describe a sofa by how many people it seats in practice rather than by its model, and that is where confusion creeps in. A generous two-seater can hold three friends watching a film, while a three-seater in a small room may feel like a two. The cushion count cuts through that. It is one of the most useful everyday clues to which size you have, and Ektorp covers for two- and three-seater sofas are organised around those different configurations, with separate pieces for the relevant cushions and frame.
Look for the paper trail
The next step is to find anything that names the sofa directly. An online order history, a receipt, an assembly booklet or even an old email confirmation can settle the question immediately. If the sofa was bought second-hand, the previous owner may still have details, and a short message is often all it takes.
If nothing written survives, the sofa itself usually carries some information. Labels are often stitched into the existing covers, along an inside seam, under a seat cushion zip or on the underside of the frame cover. There may also be a label or sticker on the frame beneath the covers. Photograph every label you find, even if it looks faded or irrelevant.
Each source of information has its strengths and weak spots, so it helps to know how far to trust each one.
| Where to look | What it can tell you | How reliable it is |
| Order history or receipt | Model name, size and configuration as bought | Very reliable, unless parts were added or removed later |
| Labels on the covers | Product name, cover type and sometimes a reference number | Reliable for the cover, less so if covers were swapped |
| Label on the frame | Frame model and version | Very useful, but often hidden or worn |
| Cushion count | Two seat, three seat, corner or chaise layout | Quick and dependable for everyday checks |
| Your own measurements | Overall size and proportions | Helpful for confirming, weaker on its own |
The best answer usually comes from combining two or three of these rather than relying on any single one.
Measuring to confirm what you found
Once you have a likely model and size, measurements act as a cross-check. Measure the overall width from the outside of one arm to the outside of the other, the overall depth from the front of the seat to the back of the frame, and the height from the floor to the top of the back. Then measure one seat cushion and one back cushion on their own.
Take each measurement twice and write it down immediately. Soft cushions compress, and it is easy to read a tape differently the second time. If your numbers match the dimensions listed for the version you think you own, you can be confident. If they are noticeably different, go back to the labels and cushions before ordering anything.
Measure with the cushions in place and the covers on, since that is how the sofa is usually described, and then check one cushion without its cover if you can do so easily. The difference between the two tells you how much the current covers have stretched or shrunk over the years, which is useful context when the old set no longer seems to fit as it did.
Spotting a sofa bed, a corner or a chaise
Some Ektorp versions look like a standard sofa at first glance but hide important differences. A sofa bed version contains a fold-out mechanism beneath the seat, which changes the shape and depth of the seat area and usually means a different cover set. Lift a seat cushion and look underneath. If you see a metal frame, fabric straps or a folded mattress rather than a solid base, you are almost certainly dealing with a sofa bed.
Corner sofas and chaise versions need one more detail, which side the corner or chaise is on. Stand facing the sofa and note whether the longer section is on your left or your right. Covers for these layouts are often made specifically for one side, and a mix-up here is one of the easiest ways to end up with a set that does not fit.
Armchairs and footstools belong to the family too
If your living room includes an Ektorp armchair or footstool, check them at the same time. They share the look of the sofa, but they need their own covers, and it is much easier to order everything together so colours and fabric batches match. Count the armchair cushions and check the footstool for a label, just as you did with the sofa.
Why product information may get easier to find
Identifying furniture has relied on receipts and hidden labels for decades, but that may slowly change. EU plans adopted in 2025 list furniture among the first priority product groups for new ecodesign rules, and product information under those rules is expected to be shared largely through a digital product passport. It will take years before anything like that reaches ordinary sofas in living rooms, and existing furniture will not be covered retroactively.
For now, the practical advice stays the same. Keep your receipts, photograph labels when you buy something new, and store those photos in a folder on your phone. The next time you need a cover, a spare part or even a buyer for the sofa, the information will be waiting.
Bringing the clues together
Before you order, gather everything in one place. Note the model name, the number of seat and back cushions, whether it is a sofa bed, which side any corner or chaise sits on and the main measurements. Add your photos of the labels and of the sofa from the front and the side.
With that short set of notes, choosing the right cover becomes a matter of matching facts rather than guessing from pictures. It takes a quarter of an hour, and it saves the far longer job of removing, packing and returning a cover that was never going to fit.