The Most Popular Sofa Brands, According to An Editor Who Tested a Bunch of Them
Sofas are everywhere, and leave as much of an impression on people as people leave on them when they stand up. The average person can recall the texture and feeling of their childhood sofa more accurately than they can remember the names of all their extended family relatives. (That’s not a fact, but go with […]
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Sofas are everywhere, and leave as much of an impression on people as people leave on them when they stand up. The average person can recall the texture and feeling of their childhood sofa more accurately than they can remember the names of all their extended family relatives. (That’s not a fact, but go with me here.) Thus, people tend to go above and beyond when researching the perfect one for the home. Some people want a big plush number that can double as a bouclé-covered cloud to nap in, while others prefer something rigid and modernist that looks better for Instagram photos.
Rather than scouring the internet merely looking at pictures of what looks nice but may not actually be up to snuff when it lands on the doorstep, I visited several of New York’s big-box brands’ showrooms to sit on the IRL items and see what the actual deal is with each. Call it corporate retail real estate game theory, call it city planning at its finest, call it a little bit of laziness and some hurt feet schlepping around the city doing this, but several of the top names in modern design all have showrooms located in the West 20s just off 6th Avenue.
The Testing Process
To conduct my highly scientific experiment, I walked the thirty blocks from my apartment to the store. I passed other people — naysayers, if you will — who do their furniture shopping the futuristic way, online. Not this guy. Luckily, when I got to each store, I found my fellow luddites. We all smiled and nodded at each other, saying nothing but surely sharing the same telepathic thought: “We’re just testing here — we’ll probably go home and buy it online anyway.”
To keep the testing balanced and accurate, I made sure I sat on every sofa for a minimum of 10 minutes, or until someone from the staff approached me to ask if I needed help with anything (at which point I turned and ran away). I sat, layed down, flailed, ate, and balanced a coffee mug on the armrest of each of these things. Was the staff at each showroom confused by someone living on these things as people actually do? Yes. Do you think I’m just one of the sheeple? Absolutely not.
I kept a diligent captain’s log of my thoughts on each of these sofas. You may be surprised to realize that some of these may run a little close to each other. That’s expected. At the end of the day, they’re all sofas, after all. It’s not like I was going to lay down on one of these, only to bolt up and realize that it was actually a pile of mannequins from the J.Crew next door.
Below are the findings from this foray into an antiquated form of consumer research.
Safavieh Aria Moss Velour Seat Sofa
When I arrived at Safavieh, some of the first pieces I noticed reminded me of either a members’ club fainting couch or the therapist’s sofa in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Eventually, though, I found the Aria seat. It seems a bit like the kind of sofa a maitre ‘d at a chic London hotel bar would ask me to wait on until the rest of my party arrived. For those with lots of room in their apartment, it’s better suited as a very chic auxiliary sofa, rather than the primary “let’s eat Indian food and watch Broadcast News again” sofa. The seat cushion has some give, but for only a limited time, making it the perfect sofa to have company sit on so they’ll be comfy for now, and still want to leave later.
Room and Board Rayo Sofa
The Rayo at Room and Board immediately stands out. It’s big, it’s colorful, it’s loud, and it stands out from the rest of these sofa-looking sofas. Sitting on this is nice! It’s plush. It’s soft. Yes, it’s meant to be an outdoor sofa, but this feels like one of those rules that are meant to be broken in the name of better style. The patterned base is interesting, but not so much my personal style. (It almost looks like Marni, which is cool!) I think maybe an artist friend could paint over it and make it into a personalized piece.
West Elm Harmony Sofa
Ah, West Elm, the grad school of post-college furniture shopping. As a thirtysomething who has no intention of becoming a DJ or starting a podcast, West Elm feels familiar. I’ve often flirted with the famed Harmony sofa, too. I find the model —one I’ve sat in before — and immediately go back to what could have been. It’s plush and pale but not white-white. It’s angular and modern without being so mid-century that it’s uncomfortable to sit on. It’s like seeing an ex. The flame lingers and you almost flirt with buying it. I could get rid of the red one in my apartment that I bought on Amazon, right? I could be happy! This could be us! In that moment, though, I remembered the hard truth: This thing comes in one big piece, and I live in a walk-up apartment with narrow stairways that it would never be able to fit through even with the most trained of movers. Maybe when I have a wider door in my brownstone we can be together.
France & Son Habitat Sofa
The Habitat Sofa is pretty great. It’s charcoal, resistant to stains, soft, plush in the seats, and has a structured arm on which to balance a mug. Immediately, I’m feeling this one. It’s also pretty affordable, at least within design-y sofa ranges. Its boxy frame also means that it can be measured accurately to fit into tighter spaces, without worrying about it spreading out after it’s broken in. I even went fully prone on this, forgetting that I’m in a city showroom with the seats of so, so many pairs of pants already having been where my face now is. I rubbed myself down with Purell and continued on my search, happy to have spotted this one.
The Homenature Pond Lane Sofa
Many of the pieces in Homenature’s showroom were a striking level of white. That might be great for furnishing a Sagaponack cabin, but for me, a 30-year-old clumsy writer who loves red wine, an all-white sofa is asking for trouble. The Pond Lane platform sofa looks great, though. A sturdy base platform helps prevent divots from forming after long-term use and can also act as a layer to put a drink down on. Then again, ole’ butterfingers here is bound to spill merlot on this bad boy sooner than later. This is a great sofa for anyone who only drinks water and is one of those “I shower before bed” types.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sofa Brands
Are popular direct-to-consumer sofa brands worth it?
Maybe! It depends. Shopping IRL from big box brands can save some heartache if things aren’t to your liking upon arrival. While not impossible, returning sofas is a burdensome task. That said, DTC brands offer a much wider range of options.
When is the best time to buy a sofa?
Sofas are expensive even when they’re cheap. Look for big sales at furniture stores: Black Friday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, President’s Day. Also, and I hate to advise this, but sign up for newsletters from DTC brands. They don’t advertise on tv commercials and just send out newsletters.
What is the best material for a sofa?
That really depends on lifestyle choices. Do you have a pet? Do you plan to sleep on the sofa a lot? All of those things should come into play when considering what material makes the most sense for you.
What is the difference between a sofa and a couch?
No. That’s it. They’re the same. Choose whichever you like. Supposedly couch comes from the french, “couche,” meaning a piece of furniture with no arms to lay down on.
Did you learn anything from this experience?
Yes. I learned that buying small decor objects from these brands are better to do in person if you can to save on shipping, or, in rarer cases, to scoop up slightly dented or damaged options for cheap and just face the scratch to the wall.
What is the best material for a sofa?
That really depends on lifestyle choices. Do you have a pet? Do you plan to sleep on the sofa a lot? All of those things should come into play when considering what material makes the most sense for you.
What is the difference between a sofa and a couch?
No. That’s it. They’re the same. Choose whichever you like. Supposedly couch comes from the french, “couche,” meaning a piece of furniture with no arms to lay down on.
Did you learn anything from this experience?
Yes. I learned that buying small decor objects from these brands are better to do in person if you can to save on shipping, or, in rarer cases, to scoop up slightly dented or damaged options for cheap and just face the scratch to the wall.