The Best 13 Places to Buy Couches of 2024, According to Testing

West Elm

After shopping at West Elm, we concluded it was one of the best places to buy couches due to its large selection of couches in different sizes, fabrics, colors, and styles. Overall, we found it an easy place to shop, especially since we were able to go to a store and try the couch out before purchasing. 

Part of what sets West Elm apart from the rest is its selection of customizable options. With quite a few couch options, you’re able to choose from different materials and configurations, ensuring you get the best fit for your home. If you’re not sure which fabric to go with, West Elm offers up to 15 swatches for free, a service we took advantage of while shopping. Just keep in mind that while our ready-to-ship picks arrived within a few weeks, custom orders took months to arrive. 

When it came to delivery, the white glove delivery service was greatly appreciated. We were able to easily schedule our desired delivery date, and the couch was placed where we wanted it without any issues. Though there were some hiccups regarding the couch’s quality and other issues, the retailer was able to help remedy them. Delivery issues aside, the couches have also held up after at least a few months of use.

Pottery Barn

If you’re not sure what style you’re looking for, Pottery Barn is one of the best places to buy couches. We rated the retailer highly for its range of couch styles, which made it easy to pick out and purchase our picks. 

You can shop the Pottery Barn site by sofa collection, which makes it easy to compare each set by price, material, and other factors. Overall, we felt that the website offered enough information about each couch to make an informed purchase. Whether you purchase a couch online or in-store, Pottery Barn also offers up to 15 free fabric swatches, so you can try them out at home before you choose one. 

Pottery Barn also offers a white glove delivery service, which we used while shopping. We were able to easily schedule a delivery, and we appreciated that the couch be placed where we wanted it in our home. Although it took a few months for some of our couches to arrive, even the non-custom orders, we felt the quality was worth the wait. For the most part, we’ve had our couches for at least a year and they’ve continued to hold up well.

Article

Though many retailers offer a variety of styles, Article hones in on mid-century modern furniture and does it well. We appreciated the curated selection that was easy to sort through and were satisfied with the overall quality of the couches we purchased as well. 

Article is a direct-to-consumer brand, which means there’s no showroom to test out the couch before you purchase it. You can order free fabric swatches, however, and there are also several resources online to help you shop, including a free virtual interior design service. 

Overall, we found that the site had all the information necessary to make a purchase. We also liked how the site was organized, noting that if a couch was offered in two sizes you could shop them on the same link. We didn’t experience any issues upon delivery, but it’s worth noting that if you want the couch to be brought inside and assembled, it’s an additional fee. Otherwise, it’ll arrive in a box and require assembly.

Room & Board

Room & Board has a large selection of couches, including sleepers, loveseats, and options with chaises. We purchased couches without seeing them at a store first and felt that the product pages offered more than enough information to make a decision. 

Delivering the couch was an easy process. Since we didn’t order custom options, we were able to order a couch and receive it within a week, so it’s one of the best places to buy couches if you’re on a time crunch. We didn’t make any returns, but Room & Board allows you to return items free of charge. Just keep in mind that you won’t be refunded any original delivery costs. 

Overall, we felt that the prices of the couches were lower than we expected, especially given the quality of the couches and the service we received.

Joybird

Joybird is one of the best places to buy couches if you’re looking for a pick that’s sure to make a statement in your space. Unlike some other retailers, Joybird offers couches in over 70 vibrant colors and various fabrics, so you’ll be able to find one that matches your style. 

We found it was easy to order a couch online, but if you prefer an in-store shopping experience, you’ll appreciate that Joybird has six storefronts as well. When we stopped by the Manhattan location, we were impressed with the large selection of couches to choose from, including sectionals, sleepers, and couches for small spaces. We were also able to evaluate the fabric offerings, though they offer a free online design service if you’re not sure which to choose. 

It took a few weeks for the couch to arrive, and we were impressed with the delivery service we received. The delivery team carried the couch up three flights of stairs and assembled it in our living room without incident. 

Although we didn’t return our couch, Joybird will allow you to return your order for up to 90 days after it was delivered. There will be a 15% restocking fee, however, and you won’t be refunded for any original shipping charges.

Apt2B

In comparison to some other retailers, Apt2B has quite a large selection of couches (and other furniture) to choose from. Luckily, its site is easy to shop as the styles are organized into types and collections. 

Part of what makes Apt2B one of the best places to buy couches is the option to create your ideal sectional. After choosing a collection, you’ll be able to build a custom couch by choosing which pieces you want to include, the color, and even the leg finish. We went with a custom option, and while it took several weeks to arrive, the quality and durability made it worth the wait. In fact, the sectional has held up to cat claws, baby spit-up, and other wear and tear.

Albany Park

If you find yourself overwhelmed sorting through couch offerings, consider Albany Park. The retailer offers a selection of couches in three different collections, which you can compare on the site for an easier shopping experience. 

We went with the Kova L-Shape + Ottoman, which took only a few weeks to arrive. The couch arrived in several boxes, and the delivery team brought them to our garage. We had to assemble the couch ourselves, however, so keep that in mind if you don’t consider yourself very handy. 

After using the couch for a few months, we were happy with the quality and felt that the price was lower than we would have expected for the style we got. We also appreciated that there were nine fabrics to choose from, and you could decide whether or not you wanted the ottoman to have storage.

Ashley Furniture

Ashley Furniture offers a variety of home goods but according to four of our shoppers, it’s one of the best places to buy couches. The retailer offers a large selection of choices that are less expensive than other options, and we found it fairly easy to sort through the options. 

When purchasing a couch, you can either opt to shop online or visit one of the Ashley Furniture showrooms. We had good experiences shopping both ways, noting that the showroom we visited was clean and organized and had helpful salespeople. 

To further help with your decision, Ashley Furniture also offers an online design service to help plan out your space. If you’re unhappy with your couch, or any other furniture, once you receive it, just note that there’s a 30-day return window, which is shorter than some other retailers.

Amazon

You may not think of Amazon as a go-to place for furniture, but the site actually has a large selection of couches to choose from. Although Amazon’s couches weren’t the most high-quality picks we tried, it’s one of the best places to buy couches if you’re furnishing a temporary space or need one that’ll arrive quickly. 

We noted that Amazon has a large selection of sofas, which may be overwhelming to sort through. Luckily, you can filter by ratings, brands, price, type, style, material, size, and more to further narrow down the selection. You can also filter by delivery, which is ideal for those who need a couch quickly. 

While some retailers have delivery windows that are several weeks or months long, we received our couches within a week of ordering them. They arrived in several boxes, and we had to assemble them ourselves, however, so keep that in mind depending on your preferences.

Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel is a go-to for stylish, high-quality furniture, so it’s no surprise the retailer made our list of the best places to buy couches. We appreciated its selection of sofas and found it very easy to purchase a couch from the brand. 

While most retailers are online-only, Crate & Barrel has several locations, so you can check out the styles in person as well. We stopped by the Manhattan location and appreciated that there were 28 different sofas to try out, three of which were outdoor styles. We also liked that there was product information clearly displayed with each couch, so you could easily review the options for configurations and materials. If you’re looking for a specific style, you can check the store’s website to see if it’s on display in-store. 

When it came to delivery, we were able to either schedule a white glove delivery option or pick up the couch in person to save the 10% shipping fee. We tried both options and didn’t experience any issues.

Walmart

Walmart is one of the best places to buy couches if you’re looking for an option on a budget. Although we found the selection of couches overwhelming at first, the site makes it easy to filter by price, delivery speed, and ratings, so you can find the best fit for your home. 

We appreciated that the product pages online had enough information to make a purchase. We purchased a small sectional online, which arrived in a box and required some assembly. Although we needed an extra set of hands, we found the overall assembly process easy. 

After over a year of using the sectional, we have been impressed with the comfort and quality. It’s received praise from guests who have sat on it, and it’s held up well during a move as well.

Rooms To Go

Rooms to Go made our list of the best places to buy couches for its selection of couches, which includes a variety of styles that are less expensive than other options. Although the brand has many couches to choose from, the site makes it easy to filter by color, size, movement, and materials. 

We purchased couches after viewing them in person, which was a positive experience. We were able to schedule a delivery date, and the delivery team set the couch up in the room where we wanted it as well. Overall, we were pleased with the quality of the couches, as well as the service we received. 

If we could change one thing about Rooms to Go, it would be its return policy. Whether you purchase a couch online or in person, you cannot receive a refund once a couch has been delivered, assuming it arrived in good condition. If you change your mind, you can cancel an order within 48 hours of placing it, though you’ll only get an 80% refund.