What Sherborne Upholstery does

Sherborne Upholstery Ltd is a privately held, family-owned British upholstered furniture manufacturer based in Clayton, Bradford, England, with 96 years of operating history and a headcount in the 251-500 range. It designs and produces a broad catalogue of reclining and fixed seating products, including electric riser recliners (228 models across 20 designs, with four size options on 18 designs), manual and powered recliners, fireside chairs, high seat chairs, wing chairs, sofas and suites, and stools and accessories. Technical content includes Leggett & Platt recliner mechanisms, TiMotion motors, REFLEX foam cushions, an Aquaclean fabric treatment that allows stain removal with water, and proprietary comfort features such as the Cloud Comfort tri-motor action, Dual and Single Motor actions, optional Lumbar Adjustment and optional Head Tilt/Head Adjust. The customization surface covers over 200 fabrics and over 25 leathers, viewable through an online Product Customiser.

Name

Sherborne Upholstery

Legal name

Sherborne Upholstery Ltd

Website

https://sherborneupholstery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sherborne Upholstery is a family-owned British manufacturer of premium upholstered furniture, producing 228 electric riser recliner models plus chairs, sofas and suites, sold exclusively through UK retail stockists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Upholstered Furniture

NAICS

Upholstered Household Furniture Manufacturing (337121)

SIC

Household Furniture (2510)

akta.pro primary industry

Living Room Furniture Retail (Sofas, Sectionals, Recliners, Coffee/Side Tables, TV Consoles) (CRAIAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bed Frames, Foundations & Headboards Retail (CRAIABAE)

Keywords

• Upholstered furniture manufacturing
• Riser recliner chairs
• Fireside chairs
• Manual and powered recliners
• Sofas and suites

Headquarters

HQ city

Clayton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Furniture Product Sales: Sherborne Upholstery generates revenue through the sale of upholstered furniture including recliner chairs, fireside chairs, riser recliners, sofas, suites, and accessories. Products are sold through a network of furniture retail stockists in the UK. The company manufactures high-quality bespoke furniture with extensive customization options (200+ fabrics, 25+ leathers) and offers various mechanism options (manual, powered, electric riser).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sherborne Upholstery manufactures and supplies a comprehensive range of high-quality British-made upholstered furniture, including electric riser recliners (228 models across 20 designs with Cloud Comfort tri-motor, dual motor and single motor options), manual and powered recliners, fireside chairs, high seat chairs, wing chairs, fixed suite chairs, sofas and suites (2-seater and 3-seater in fixed and reclining variants), and stools and accessories. Products are offered in over 200 fabrics and 25 leathers and are sold exclusively through a network of UK furniture retail stockists, with no direct-to-consumer sales or on-site showroom.

Product overview

Sherborne Upholstery is a British furniture manufacturer with 96 years of heritage, producing high-quality upholstered furniture under three generations of family ownership. The core product portfolio centers on relaxation furniture including Electric Riser Recliners (228 models across 20 designs with Cloud Comfort tri-motor, dual motor, and single motor options), Manual/Powered Recliners, Fireside Chairs, High Seat Chairs, Wing Chairs, Sofas & Suites (2-seater and 3-seater in fixed and reclining variants), and Stools & Accessories. Notable product features include Lumbar Adjustment, Head Tilt/Head Adjust, and the Cloud Comfort tri-motor tilting mechanism. The company offers material technology through Aquaclean Fabrics (stain removal using water) and provides over 200 fabric options and 25 leather options across their ranges. A Product Customiser tool enables visual customization of products in different coverings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Riser Recliners Electric lifting and reclining chairs for people with difficulty getting in and out of conventional furniture, offered in 228 models across 20 designs with Cloud Comfort tri-motor, dual motor and single motor mechanism options. Sold to UK furniture retail stockists.
• Manual and Powered Recliners Super-smooth manual and powered reclining chairs and settees for home relaxation. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Fireside Chairs Classic traditional fireside chairs providing comfortable seating. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• High Seat Chairs Chairs with elevated seat height designed to make sitting down and standing up easier. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Wing Chairs Traditional wingback chairs with classic styling for home seating. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Fixed 'Suite' Chairs Fixed seating chairs designed to coordinate with Sherborne sofa and suite collections. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Sofas and Suites 2-seater and 3-seater sofas available in fixed and reclining options, plus fireside settees, offered across the Sherborne collection. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Stools and Accessories Complementary seating and accessory items including stools, storage stools and other accessories designed to match Sherborne upholstery ranges. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Dakota Range Contemporary Sherborne recliner and suite design with the Dakota Lounger, now offered with a Powered Cloud Recliner option. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Chester and Chester Knuckle Range Classically styled Sherborne riser recliner designs available in standard and Knuckle arm variants. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.
• Cartmel Range Extended Cartmel range from Sherborne covering Recliners, Suites, Fireside Chairs, and redesigned Riser Recliners intended for extra comfort. Sold through UK furniture retail stockists.

Quantifiable outcome

• 228 different models available across 20 designs
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• REFLEXcoreTechnology or IntegrationREFLEX foam is used in all Sherborne seat cushions. REFLEX is considered throughout the industry to be the leading foam interior available, providing comfort and durability.
• Futura LeatherscoreTechnology or IntegrationFull genuine hides are mainly supplied by Futura Leathers, one of Italy's leading tanneries. Futura provides premium leather materials for Sherborne's leather upholstery collection.
• Leggett & PlattcoreTechnology or IntegrationAll Sherborne Recliners and Reclining Settees use actions by Leggett & Platt, part of the leading recliner manufacturing corporation in the world. Sherborne considers them to be the smoothest and easiest-to-operate recliner actions available.
• TiMotioncoreTechnology or IntegrationAll Riser Recliners and all Powered Recliners and Settees use motors by TiMotion, the leading motor manufacturer in the world. Chosen for their strength and reliability, backed up by a maximum 48-hour response time for after-sales service.
• BFM (British Furniture Manufacturers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSherborne is a long-standing member of BFM and, as one of the leading manufacturers in the country, is also represented on their Board of Directors. This membership provides assurance of being a reliable company with an excellent reputation within the industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Collins & Hayes: Collins & Hayes is a UK-based upholstered furniture manufacturer with a long British heritage, offering sofas, chairs, and recliners through independent retailers. Closely comparable to Sherborne on geography, premium positioning, and retail-stockist distribution.
• Restful Chairs: Restful Chairs is a UK specialist in rise-and-recline and adjustable-rise chairs, also supplying through furniture retailers and mobility dealers. A direct niche peer to Sherborne in the care/mobility recliner category, with similar end-user demographics and BS 8474-equivalent safety positioning.
• G Plan: G Plan is an iconic British upholstered furniture brand, with deep heritage, sold through independent furniture retailers in the UK. It competes head-to-head with Sherborne in the premium recliner and sofa category and shares the same retail-stockist go-to-market model.
• Parker Knoll: Parker Knoll is a long-established British manufacturer of high-quality upholstered furniture, including recliners and sofas, sold through UK furniture retailers. It is one of the closest direct peers to Sherborne in terms of British heritage, premium positioning, retail-stockist distribution, and recliner/rise-and-recline product focus.
• Himolla: Himolla is a German manufacturer specializing in high-quality recliner chairs, sofas, and functional upholstered seating. It is a direct peer in the premium recliner/manual-and-powered-action category, often competing in the same European furniture retail stockist channels.
• Stressless (Ekornes): Ekornes, owner of the Stressless brand, is a leading European manufacturer of premium recliners and ergonomic seating. It is a direct peer to Sherborne in the premium recliner category with similar patented mechanism-based product differentiation, though it serves a broader European market.
• Natuzzi: Natuzzi is an Italian global manufacturer and retailer of upholstered leather sofas and reclining seating. Comparable to Sherborne on the manufacturing of upholstered/leather furniture, customization breadth, and multi-channel retail distribution, though at much greater scale and global footprint.
• Celebrity Motion Furniture: Celebrity Motion Furniture is a UK-based manufacturer of upholstered recliner sofas and chairs, sold through UK independent furniture retailers. A direct peer to Sherborne in the British recliner and motion sofa category, often stocked alongside Sherborne products by furniture stockists.

Emerging players

• Pride Mobility: Pride Mobility is a US-based manufacturer of lift chairs and mobility products including riser recliners. It overlaps with Sherborne in the powered riser recliner category and the elderly/mobility-impaired end user, but its primary focus and distribution are US-centric and more healthcare-channel driven.

Broad incumbents

• La-Z-Boy: La-Z-Boy is one of the world's largest manufacturers of upholstered furniture, including recliners and motion seating, sold through a large retail network. It is directly comparable to Sherborne on product category (upholstered recliners), though it operates at much greater scale and across multiple geographies including its own branded retail stores.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sherborne Upholstery