Simon Li Furniture – Sofa Review (Are They Good Quality?)

Simon Li Furniture is a China based furniture manufacturer and is a division of Trayton Furniture. Simon Li is sold through authorized furniture retailers, typically lower end brick and mortar furniture stores such as Jordan's Furniture and Macy's. It is also one of Costco's furniture partners.

Based on my research, Simon Li's furniture is fairly low quality, yet the price point is attractive for those with a very limited budget. Designs are a bit old school and not all that modern, but for some it good be a low cost option. However, don't expect the furniture to last for very long. 

In this piece, I dive deeper into the Simon Li Furniture company, providing more information on their leather furniture and whether consumers should consider it for purchase.

If you have any experience with Simon Li Furniture, please leave a comment below or feel free to email me personally at tom@bestleathercouches.com

What's The Background Of Simon Li Furniture?

In 1997, Simon Lichtenberg (hence the Simon Li) wanted to combine the beauty of Danish design with Chinese craftsmanship and started producing affordable furniture for other brands such as Ikea. In 2004, Lichtenberg developed the Simon Li brand with a goal to produce high quality leather upholstery at the best value for consumers. 

Today, the Trayton Group, which is the company that Lichtenberg founded owns and operates three furniture manufacturing plants in China. The bulk of the furniture from Trayton is sold under the Simon Li brand. 

Is Simon Li Furniture Legit?

Yes, Simon Li is a global furniture company that is owned by Trayton Group, a Shanghai based furniture manufacturer. The company, based on various reports, has revenues exceeding $100 Million. Simon Li's brands are sold in furniture stores throughout the US, including Costco. 

Where Does Simon Li Make Its Furniture?

Simon Li Furniture is manufactured in facilities based in Shanghai, China. 

What's The Quality Of Simon Li Leather Sofas?

Based on information from Simon Li's website, the company uses "the finest cowhide leather", noting that 'Top grain is used for all the important surfaces on the product". Note that this means that Simon Li is basically using the 'splits' for the non-seating or visible parts of the sofa. 

In terms of the sofa frame construction, Simon Li uses plywood's (inferior to others that use hardwoods), that are responsibly sourced.

As an example, here is the Cole Leather Sofa from Simon Li which based on the description, uses "top grain leather in all seating areas with matching split leather on outside arms and back".

There is also an inferior suspension used on Simon Li's sofas, with 'European styled basket woven webbing seating suspension', which is a much lower grade option compared to US based manufacturers that use 8-way hand tied suspension systems. 

Thus, generally speaking Simon Li's quality is not all that great, but the price point is what makes it attractive to many consumers. 

What Do Customers Say About Simon Li Furniture?

There aren't a lot of reviews online about Simon Li, the brand or company, but we can take a look at reviews on the Costco website to get an idea of what some of the flaws or features might be.  

The Aleena Leather Power Reclining Sofa has the most reviews on Costco's website with over 2000 reviews, good for a 4.5 star rating. I was actually quite surprised at the love for this sofa! This is just one of many glowing reviews, and I don't believe these are filtered by Costco. Most of the negatives are about shipping and delays, not about the actual sofa itself. 

This loveseat is just perfect. The cushions are firm enough to give us support without being hard. The reclining angle is excellent, goes down pretty far, almost to a flat bed size, and the headrest rises to support the neck! Most recliners don’t have a rising headrest, which makes the seats very comfortable. The pebbled leather is a beautiful chocolate brown.

What Sort Of Warranty Does Simon Li Offer?

Simon Li offers a one-year limited warranty on leather upholstery, with a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, with a 3-year limited warranty on the seat and suspension. The warranty is ok, but I would hope to see a longer warranty on the suspension system, given the lower quality of the craftsmanship on Simon Li's sofas. Buying through Costco would be recommended and not through other furniture retailers, given their more liberal return/warranty policy. 

Do you have any experience with Simon Li Furniture, good or bad?

Please let us know in the comments section below.