A high back sofa has a taller backrest than a standard sofa, so it supports your head and neck as well as your lower back. Where a low or mid-back sofa leaves your head unsupported, a high back lets you rest back fully — which is why they're a popular choice for relaxing, reading and watching television for long stretches. Every sofa in this range shares that high-back design, upholstered in easy-care fabric.
The range is deliberately broad, so the head-and-neck support isn't limited to one shape: you'll find it across armchairs, 2, 3 and 4 seaters, corner and U-shape sofas, matching sofa sets and even sofa beds. That means you can choose the support you want in the size and format that fits your room, rather than compromising on one to get the other.
High back sofas suit anyone who wants proper head and neck support while seated. They're a particularly good fit for taller people, who often find standard backrests stop short of the shoulders, and for anyone who likes to sink back and fully relax rather than perch. They also suit households where the sofa is used for long sessions — films, reading, or simply unwinding — where head support makes a real difference to comfort over time. Being able to rest your head back, rather than holding it forward or propping it on a separate cushion, is easier on the neck and shoulders across an evening, which is a large part of why high-back designs have become so popular for main living-room sofas.
If you tend to sit upright for short spells, a standard-back sofa may be all you need; but if you value being able to rest your head back, a high back is worth choosing. Our showroom team can help you judge the difference in person on 02476 705 600.
This is one of the broadest high-back ranges we stock. Individual pieces include armchairs and 2, 3 and 4 seater sofas. For more seating, there are matching sofa sets in a wide spread of combinations — 2+1, 3+1, 2+2, 3+2, 3+3, 2+1+1, 3+1+1 and 3+2+1. For corners and open-plan rooms, there are corner sofas and U-shape corner sofas, some supplied with a matching footstool. And if you need occasional guest sleeping, the range also includes corner sofa beds and 3 seater sofa beds.
Because everything shares the high-back design, you can mix pieces from the same range for a consistent look — for example a 3 seater with a matching armchair. Always check the individual product page for exact dimensions and, for corners, the orientation supplied.
The high-back sofas here come from four ranges, each with a slightly different focus. Verona is the broadest by far, covering armchairs, 2, 3 and 4 seaters, corner sofas, corner and 3-seater sofa beds, and the full spread of sofa sets, in grey, black and cream — so if you want to build a matching room from one range, Verona is the natural starting point. Carnaby focuses on U-shape corner sofas supplied with a matching footstool, in grey and silver, for larger, sociable spaces. Bishop offers U-shape corner sofas in a hard-wearing Alaska fabric, in coal and silver. Canterbury provides high-back corner sofas in grey and truffle. Choosing a range is really about the format and colour you need; all four share the high-back, head-and-neck support that defines the collection.
With so many sizes, formats and colours, it helps to take the decision in stages.
Match the piece to your room and household. An armchair or 2 seater suits smaller rooms or a second seating spot; a 3 or 4 seater works as the main sofa; a sofa set or corner gives generous seating for families and open-plan spaces; and a U-shape seats the most, along three sides. If you need a guest bed too, look at the corner and 3 seater sofa bed options. Measure your wall space and leave room to move around the sofa before deciding.
The range covers grey, black and cream (Verona), grey and silver (Carnaby), coal and silver (Bishop), and grey and truffle (Canterbury). Grey and the darker shades (black, coal) hide everyday marks well and suit busy households; cream and silver keep a room lighter but show marks more readily; truffle is a warm, neutral mid-tone. Choose the shade that suits your room and how much everyday cleaning you're happy to do.
A single sofa is the simplest choice for one seating area. A set spreads seating around the room and suits larger households. A corner or U-shape makes the most of a corner or open-plan space and seats the most people. Think about how many you seat day to day and how the room is laid out, rather than simply buying the largest option.
The difference is the height of the backrest and where the support reaches. A standard-back sofa supports your back up to around the shoulders; a high back continues up to support the head and neck, so you can rest back fully without a separate cushion or headrest. High backs tend to feel more enveloping and are better for long sitting sessions, while standard backs can feel more open and are sometimes preferred in smaller or more minimalist rooms. Neither is better outright — it comes down to how you like to sit.
If head support matters to you, or you're taller than average, a high back is usually the more comfortable long-term choice.
For corners and open-plan rooms, the range includes high-back corner sofas and U-shape corner sofas. The Carnaby U-shape models come with a matching footstool, and there are corner options from Bishop (in the durable "Alaska" fabric) and Canterbury alongside Verona. A high-back corner gives you the head-and-neck support of the range across a larger, sociable seating shape — useful where several people relax together. U-shapes seat the most but need the most floor space, so check the overall footprint and the corner orientation on the product page before ordering. The matching footstool on the Carnaby U-shapes adds a spot to put your feet up or extra perch seating, and the Alaska fabric on the Bishop models is chosen for hard-wearing everyday use — both worth weighing if the corner is the main family sofa.
If you need occasional guest sleeping as well as a supportive everyday sofa, the range includes high-back sofa beds — Verona corner sofa beds and 3 seater sofa beds, in colours including cream, grey and black. These give you the head-and-neck support of a high back day to day, and convert to a bed for guests. The exact conversion and bed size vary by model, so check the product page, and see our wider sofa beds range for more options.
Every sofa in this range is upholstered in fabric, which gives a soft, warm feel and is easy to pair with cushions and throws. Colours span grey, black, cream, silver, coal and truffle across the four ranges, and the Bishop models use a hard-wearing "Alaska" fabric. For the exact fabric specification and cleaning code on a given model, check its product page. If you'd like to see the wider fabric choice, browse our fabric sofas range.
Measure the wall space the sofa will occupy and leave room to move around it comfortably. High backs are taller than standard sofas, so also check the backrest height against windowsills, radiators or wall fixtures behind the sofa. For corners and U-shapes, note the overall footprint and the orientation. Always measure the access route — doorways, hallways, stairs and tight turns — against the dimensions on the product page, as larger sofas and corners arrive in sizeable sections.
Yes — a fabric high back sofa suits family life well, and the head support is welcome for everyone relaxing at the end of the day. For busy households, grey and the darker shades (black, coal) disguise everyday marks better than cream or silver. As with any fabric sofa, keep to a regular cleaning routine and deal with spills promptly. We don't make specific stain- or scratch-resistance claims unless a product's own specification states them.
Vacuum regularly with an upholstery attachment, paying attention to the head and neck area of the backrest where it gets most contact, and blot spills immediately with a clean, dry cloth rather than rubbing. Avoid harsh chemical cleaners and test any product on a hidden area first. Lighter shades such as cream and silver benefit from a little more frequent attention, while grey, black and coal are more forgiving of everyday marks between cleans. Fabric also holds warmth and feels soft underfoot, so a quick weekly going-over is usually all it takes to keep a high-back sofa looking its best. Check the product page for any model-specific cleaning code.
All the sofas in this range are in stock, and the product listings show delivery within 7 days, with free delivery to England and Wales by a two-person team who bring the sofa into your chosen ground-floor room, access permitting, and fit any feet or sections on arrival. Packaging is removed on request and old sofa removal is available. Larger sofas, corners and sets arrive in sections, so check your access route first. See our delivery information page for full details.
We bring one of the widest high-back fabric ranges together in one place — armchairs to 4 seaters, corners, U-shapes, sofa sets and sofa beds, across the Verona, Carnaby, Bishop and Canterbury ranges and six colours, all in stock. The range holds a 4.8★ Excellent rating from over 4,800 genuine Trustpilot reviews, so you can order with confidence. Spread the cost with PayPal Pay in 3, Klarna Pay in 3 or Pay in 30 (both interest-free), Clearpay, or DivideBuy for longer-term plans, subject to credit check — see our finance options for full terms. Order under our 14-day returns policy, and narrow the range by grey high back sofas, 3 seater high back sofas or 2 seater high back sofas, or explore our corner sofas and sofa sets ranges. You're also welcome to visit our Coventry showroom to try the high-back support in person.
