Really soft material, not quite a jewel-toned as on website (more of a muted purple than a deep eggplant). Definitely not a "squishy" couch one falls into, but it's easier for me to get up from than a softer one might be. Mechanism for lowering it into a sleeper works great...just need to make sure the cats aren't sleeping on the "shelf" behind that the backs lower on to :D