It's funny that catherine had great results with leather and pets and rosarugosa had the opposite experience. Since good leather is expensive and the odds are 50/50, I'll stick to inexpensive fabric. I'm surprised that several of you said that your couches only last about 5 years. All of mine have lasted at least 15. I often lament that having one reupholstered would be more expensive than buying new. All this perfectly good stuff going to the dump. The frames on my couches are all perfectly fine and well-made. But finding someone who would be even willing to reupholster (one is a big sectional) would be tough where I live. There is so much highly paid work available here that labor is hard to find - min. wage is $15. Friends of ours had a small sofa and settee that they had done and it was $4,000 and it took them a while to find someone.
As a separate question - what about recliner couches, especially recliner sectionals? Anyone have experience with those? I've never owned a recliner either, but now in my later years I find that I really need more back support than my couches offer and Costco had some of these recliner sectionals on display and they were SO comfortable! I've always thought recliners were just too big and bulky for our small spaces, but I think I might be willing to make a sacrifice. Plus Costco has a smaller-sized sectional that would fit perfect in our space.