Cinema sofas are this year's breakout furniture trend, but are you a fan of this controversial sofa style?

DFS Cinesound Showcase reclining sofa in cream in a living room.

I love a film night in, and I'm not alone. So many of us love our movie nights at home, it has led to the rise of the cinema sofa. It might be this year's breakout furniture trend, but I'm less than convinced of its appeal in a living room.

Several sofa brands have launched a version of the 'cinema sofa' in the last year. These sofas are a level up from the recliner sofa trend, including Bluetooth, charging pads, mini fridges and even 4D vibrations.

'Comfort is increasingly more important to people, especially when it comes to their living rooms,' explains Sara Hesikova, Content Editor and sofa expert at Ideal Home. 'For many, the ultimate level of comfort is a cinema sofa - a multifunctional sofa that works harder than most, fitted with a reclining function and often even features like built-in speakers, USB ports, a mini fridge and more.'

This pretty velvet cinema sofa from DFS almost converted me to this trend (Image credit: DFS)

'The demand is there, so more and more brands have been coming out with their versions,' she adds. 'While I wasn't 100% convinced by this trend when it first came around, largely from an aesthetic point of view, I have since come across a couple of designs that I don't mind the look of and which successfully make a reclining sofa look rather stylish, namely the Sofology Flex and King Living Reo Recliner.'

As Sara points out, some of the new cinema sofas can look quite luxe, so it's not the look I object to with this trend, it's the idea that they're designed purely to watch TV.

I only have space for one sofa in my life (and home), and I need it to be so much more than a TV watching spot. It needs to encourage conversation and be a place to come together with my friends and family. It's a place where I chat with my partner after work or perch when playing board games, and I don't need Bluetooth audio or a reclining function to do that.

While I can see the value that one of these sofas can add to a dedicated cinema or TV room, I can't see their place in a living room.

That's my opinion, but I want to know what you think. Are you a fan of this sofa trend, or unconvinced by the extra add-ons?

Let me know your opinions in the comments below.