Where To Buy a Couch

Where To Buy a Couch

Aside from your mattress, your couch might be the second most used piece of furniture in your home. Since we often spend time relaxing at home on the couch, it’s important to find the right sofa that’s not only comfortable but also fits correctly in your space and stays within your ideal budget.

To help make the best choice when it comes to buying a couch, we recommend keeping a few things in mind. Like buying any other home appliance, you’ll want to ensure you’re buying from a reputable retailer as well as fully understand the delivery timing and cost, what will need to be assembled once it arrives, and warranty information. It’s also worth diving into what the couch upholstery is made of and if it’s stain-resistant.

You’re likely to spend a lot of time on your new couch so it’s wise to carefully consider which style will best suit your needs and how many people it would ideally accommodate. The best couches combine comfort with durability and style.

Here are some of the places to buy a couch:

  • Costco
  • Ikea
  • Amazon
  • Wayfair
  • West Elm 
  • Urban Outfitters
  • BenchMade Modern
  • Macy’s
  • Burrow
  • Home Depot

What To Look for When Buying a Couch

As with all pieces of home furnishing, it’s a good idea to have an initial concept of what you’re looking for. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when you’re looking for the best place to buy a couch.

Range of Offerings

When it comes to buying a couch, this will include things like the size couch your space can accommodate, how many people you’d like to seat, what couch arrangement you’re looking for, and your budget. Direct-to-consumer companies can be a great option if you like to shop online but if you’re not thrilled about buying furniture before seeing it, look for a brick-and-mortar store. If you’re furnishing your entire living room, it could be best to find a company that sells a range of matching sets.

Customization

Your couch will be the main focus of the living room area and should reflect your style and desires when it comes to comfortable seating. Many companies offer customization options to help you achieve exactly what you’re looking for. This can include the size, shape, design, and color of upholstery or leather. Some sectionals also come with the option to move a longer section from the right to the left or vice versa. If you’re looking for something uniquely yours, consider buying from a brand that lets you customize several options.

Delivery and Assembly

It’s always a good idea to check on how your new couch will be delivered and when it’s likely to arrive. Some couches are already assembled and ready to be delivered while others are made-to-order and could take several months to make it to your living room. Not thrilled about assembling furniture at home? Opt for a company that offers white-glove delivery which will set up your new furniture for you and haul away any packaging.

Where To Buy a Couch

BenchMade Modern

BenchMade Modern offers upscale living room furniture with a collection of modern designs and countless sofa customization options. Most couches are available in at least 67 sizes and your choice of over 100 fabrics and leathers, some of which are stain-resistant.

If you’re uncertain of what size couch is the best fit, BenchMade Modern will mail you a free true-to-size printout so you can test it out at home. They also ship fabric and leather swatches for free. Since most BenchMade Modern sofas are made-to-order thanks to the countless customization options, most couches take about six weeks to be manufactured after ordering and seven to 15 business days for delivery after that.

Standard curbside shipping is $99 and white-glove delivery runs $295. BenchMade Modern accepts returns within 14 days of delivery that receive a full refund with no return shipping fees. Returns between 14 and 100 days incur a 10{7e5ff73c23cd1cd7ac587f9048f78b3ced175b09520fe5fee10055eb3132dce7} processing fee.

Pros:

  • Free swatches and true-to-size printout

  • Customizable sizes in a wide range of designs, fabrics, and leg colors

Cons:

  • Customized orders take about six or more weeks to deliver

  • More expensive than some retailers

Costco

One of the most popular warehouse stores, Costco stocks a range of couches, loveseats, sectionals, sleeper sofas, living room sets, and outdoor sofas all online. Some items may be available in-store, but the online selection offers a wider range of options. If you’re furnishing an entire living room, Costco’s variety of furniture sets could make the process much easier.

One of the largest benefits of buying a couch from Costco is the company’s exceptional return policy which has no time restraints. Another bonus is the free white-glove delivery with most couches bought online which includes in-home set-up and removal of packaging materials. One drawback, however, is that delivery could take up to five weeks.

Pros:

  • Large selection of sets 

  • Free shipping and white-glove delivery on many couches

Cons:

  • Membership required or incur a 5{7e5ff73c23cd1cd7ac587f9048f78b3ced175b09520fe5fee10055eb3132dce7} non-member fee

Ikea

Always a budget-friendly home furnishings option, Ikea has a large selection of modular sofas, sofa beds, and even outdoor couches. The brick-and-mortar stores throughout the U.S. offer the benefit of trying out couches in person if you’d rather not buy furniture online. A new loveseat from Ikea sells for as low as $150.

Most Ikea couches come with a 10-year limited warranty. If you don’t live near an Ikea or prefer to shop online, shipping costs will be determined based on the product’s size and weight. Like almost all Ikea products, most couches will require some at-home assembly.

Pros:


  • Wide range of budget-friendly options

  • Many matching items to pair with living room decor

  • Some available to see in-store

Cons:

Wayfair

With a huge selection of couches, Wayfair offers sofa styles that include sectionals, loveseats, and sleeper sofas. The site offers great filters to narrow down which of their thousands of offerings will work best for your desired style, design, and budget. Wayfair carries brands like Lark Manor, AllModern, and Mercury Row, as well as their own brand, Wayfair Custom Upholstery. Each product page includes detailed information about dimensions, materials, weight capacity, and seat depth and height. Customer photos can also help give you additional views of how the couch would look in your home. Most couches on Wayfair ship for free and are eligible for returns within 30 days, but unless the item arrives damaged, you’ll have to foot the shipping bill to return the couch.

Pros:

  • Great selection in all budgets

  • Detailed descriptions, specs, and customer photos

Cons:

  • Customers responsible for the cost of shipping with returns

Macy’s

Macy’s has over 500 locations and sells couches both in-store and online. The selection is plentiful with many couches created exclusively for Macy’s. Whether you’re looking for a loveseat, couch, sectional, or sleeper sofa, Macy’s has hundreds of options to choose from. The department store also sells a few unique couches like an oversized sectional that has several seats with power recliners.

Delivery fees vary depending on the number of pieces and if you’d like the furniture to be dropped off inside your home, in your room of choice with white-glove delivery services. Fees start at $50 and max out at $261.

Macy’s accepts returns on couches within 30 days if you decide it’s not the right furniture for you, but you’ll pay a 15{7e5ff73c23cd1cd7ac587f9048f78b3ced175b09520fe5fee10055eb3132dce7} fee.

Pros:

  • Possible to see some couches in-store

  • Detailed dimensions are readily available

Cons:

  • White-glove delivery can cost up to $261

Burrow

Burrow sells a lineup of simple and refined couches with mid-century modern inspiration. Customizable options include choosing leg color, arm style, and color of leather, velvet, or upholstery. Burrow’s sofa options can seat up to eight people. The company also sells sleep kits for each of its couches which include a memory foam topper, fitted and flat sheet, blanket, pillow, and an eye mask to turn any Burrow couch into a comfortable bed. The direct-to-consumer company offers free shipping on every order but you’ll need to assemble it yourself which requires no tools. All Burrow couches come with a one-year warranty.

Pros:

  • Mid-century modern designs

  • Plentiful customization options

Cons:

The Home Depot

While it may seem like the place to go for lumber supplies or a weekend home renovation project, The Home Depot carries a relatively large range of sofas. You’ll find sectionals, loveseats, and sleeper sofas starting as low as $200 – including some from the well-known mattress brand Serta. You can also find living room sets at The Home Depot that include a couch, loveseat, and accent chair. The company also sells a selection of couches designed for outdoor use as well as full patio sets.

Many couches sold at The Home Depot are available for free home delivery or you can choose to pick your order up at your local warehouse for free. Warranties default to manufacturer warranties which can range from one year to a lifetime.

Pros:

  • Outdoor-specific couches available

Cons:

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters carries a small but unique selection of living room furniture. Choose from a sleeper sofa, sectional, or loveseat from the UO collection. Color options are limited with each sofa but you’ll find statement pieces here from a hanging sofa to a turquoise velvet sectional. Many are modern low-profile designs as well.

Couches from Urban Outfitters take two to four weeks to be delivered. It’s worth noting that most couches come with a $149 delivery fee which is a flat fee for unlimited furniture. So, if you see several furniture pieces you like from Urban Outfitters, it’s possible to order them in one delivery.

Amazon

Looking for thousands of options with free shipping? Amazon sells a vast number of options including mid-century modern, farmhouse, and retro styles. Amazon’s numerous filters make finding your ideal couch simple and you can even sort by how many people each sofa seats or filter to only see couches that come with free shipping. Amazon has a few in-house brands that make affordable couches with matching living room chairs and ottomans for outfitting an entire living room.

While some couches on Amazon will arrive within a few days, others could take over four months to arrive depending on availability.

Pros:

  • Free shipping on many couches

Cons:

  • Difficult to decipher quality

West Elm

West Elm sells a range of high-end living room furniture with an emphasis on mid-century modern designs. Owned by Williams-Sonoma, West Elm couches are hand-crafted and come in a variety of sizes and shapes like sectionals, loveseats, three-seater sofas, and sleeper sofas. Most of the couches sold here are West Elm’s own brand and the company offers several upholstery options or a selection of leather colors in addition to several couches that feature down-filled cushions. West Elm also offers customization of couch depth and some are designed to be used with or without legs depending on what look you prefer.

Pros:

  • Good selection including mid-century modern

Cons:

  • Not many options under $1,000

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