# What do you call a one-person sofa? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778 "2016-09-12T19:58:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/1 "2016-09-12T19:58:00Z")
If it fits three people, it’s a sofa. If it fits two people, it’s a love seat. If it fits one person, it’s what? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/2 "2016-09-12T19:58:27Z")
A chair. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/3 "2016-09-12T20:00:05Z")
How do you distinguish that from every other kind of chair? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/4 "2016-09-12T20:04:43Z")
Why would you? There are many chairs which are heavily padded, with or without arms. They’re still chairs. What distinguishes a “one-person sofa” from a chair? I suppose if you’re thinking of something you could lie on, you might be thinking of a [chaise longue](https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=chaise+longue) which is a sort of one-person sofa. But for sitting? It’s a chair. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/5 "2016-09-12T20:04:44Z")
It’s a _comfy_ chair. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/6 "2016-09-12T20:05:21Z")
Yeah, I feel like to be a sofa or a loveseat, it has to obviously seat more than one person. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/7 "2016-09-12T20:05:33Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > How do you distinguish that from every other kind of chair? What kind of chair are you defining as a one-person sofa? Are you thinking about an upholstered chair? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/8 "2016-09-12T20:08:16Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s a _comfy_ chair. Thank you, Cardinal Fang. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/9 "2016-09-12T20:26:52Z")
Well, there’s a recliner, although I think they make those for two people as well. I have a padded, upholstered seat in the living room with an ottoman next to a floor lamp for my use. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/10 "2016-09-12T20:32:20Z")
Armchair, perhaps? Matches the couch/ottoman, but seats one. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/11 "2016-09-12T20:35:49Z")
Definitely comfy armchair! ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/12 "2016-09-12T20:39:37Z")
Another option that hasn’t been mentioned: the wingback chair. Armchair is the term I’d use as the most generic, though. A wingback chair has a particular style of back/sides/arms that wouldn’t apply to all “one person sofas.” ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/13 "2016-09-12T20:42:56Z")
**Fatass** the chair. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/14 "2016-09-12T20:47:13Z")
[Chaise longue.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaise_longue) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/15 "2016-09-12T20:48:33Z")
There’s also the odd thing called a “chair and a half” which is sort of halfway between a chair (seating one comfortably) and a loveseat (seating two comfortably). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/16 "2016-09-12T20:57:24Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > It’s a _comfy_ chair. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/17 "2016-09-12T21:00:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Definitely comfy armchair! [But is it _too_ comfy](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ah7GxKHGHPg/hqdefault.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/18 "2016-09-12T21:11:30Z")
I think this fits a bit better in IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/19 "2016-09-12T21:25:02Z")
I always called them an easy chair or a living room chair. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778/20 "2016-09-12T21:26:20Z")
Probably a recliner. A sofa, by definition, affords the opportunity to lie flat and/or put your feet up, which you can’t do in just any old chair. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-one-person-sofa/765778.md?page=2)