The 13 Best Places to Buy a Couch in 2021

The right retailers for your budget and needs

Written by
Theresa Holland
Theresa Holland is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance, home improvement, wellness, and travel. She is also the creator of the blog The Taboo Textbook, where she shares her favorite life hacks.
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Theresa Holland
Updated 04/08/21

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Best Places to Buy a Couch

The Spruce

Purchasing furniture for your home shouldn't be taken lightly. While some pieces can be purchased in the spur of the moment and switched as your tastes change, there are a few items that should be carefully selected—one being a couch. In the internet age, there are seemingly endless options to choose from, and it can be tough to know where to start.

Whether you have a full-sized sofa, loveseat, sectional, or settee in mind, you'll want to know you're ordering a high-quality piece of furniture from a trustworthy source. We also recommend looking at upholstery and configuration options, as well as delivery and assembly services. Some retailers offer white-glove delivery that will place your couch in the desired location, while others sell options that will require you to assemble them. There are tons of places to buy living room furniture, but a handful of online retailers stand out from the rest.

Here are the best places to buy a couch.

Wayfair

Wayfair couch
Courtesy of Wayfair.
Buy on Wayfair
What We Like

  • Excellent selection

  • Great filtering tools

  • Free shipping

  • Lots of reviews

What We Don't Like

  • Prices can change

  • Items often go out of stock

We're not exaggerating when we say Wayfair carries thousands of couches from hundreds of brands. This includes Hashtag Home, Red Barrel Studio, Everly Quinn, Birch Lane, and the retailer's own private label, Wayfair Custom Upholstery. While prices fluctuate, you can usually count on getting a high-quality piece at a reasonable cost.

We also appreciate the website's easy navigation and handy filtering tools, which helps you narrow down your search and find exactly what you're looking for. Wayfair products tend to have more reviews than most other furniture sites, giving you honest insight and peace of mind about your purchase—and many reviews include photos of the couch in people's homes. Additionally, most orders ship for free.

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Burrow

Burrow couch
Courtesy of Burrow.
Buy on Burrow
What We Like

  • Wallet-friendly prices

  • Customizable, modular designs

  • Easy to add to your collection over time

What We Don't Like

  • Limited selection

If you appreciate midcentury-modern design, Burrow might be right up your alley. The couch-in-a-box brand launched in 2017 and quickly gained a dedicated following. If budget-friendly prices make you apprehensive when ordering from a startup, we've got comforting news. By cutting out the middleman and condensing the packaging, Burrow boasts more than $600 in savings per furniture item.

The direct-to-consumer company doesn't have a huge range of styles to choose from, but the couches themselves are customizable and modular. You can choose from a range of upholstery colors, upgrade to leather if you're feeling fancy, select your arm style, and even pick the finish for the legs. Then later, if you'd like to add a chaise or make your sofa longer, it's as easy as buying an extra piece and quickly attaching it to your existing couch.

Article

Article couch
Courtesy of Article.
Buy on Article.com
What We Like

  • Versatile, mid-century aesthetic

  • Range of sizes, materials, and configurations

  • High-quality design

What We Don't Link

  • Fewer options than other retailers

Article is another relatively new furniture manufacturer that's been in the game since 2013. Known for gorgeous midcentury pieces with stunning upholstery, plush cushions, and dependable joinery, it's easy to find something you love on the site. While the majority of the pieces are midcentury, there are a few items that would look right at home in just about any space.

Article couches come in a range of sizes, configurations, and materials, including durable fabric and full-aniline leather. Shipping is a flat $49 for any furniture item or free for pieces over $999.

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Joybird

Joybird couch
Courtesy of Joybird.
Buy on Joybird.com
What We Like

  • Mid-range prices

  • Lots of upholstery options

What We Don't Like

  • Limited ready-to-ship options

Joybird is another direct-to-consumer furniture brand that carries couches in the mid-to-high price range. You can get anything from a statement tufted sofa to a standard sleeper to a modular sectional to a sleek two-seater. After picking your couch, you can choose from 40 upholstery options, including microfiber, velvet, and pet-friendly fabrics.

Joybird is a great place to start if you're not sure what you want, and you're looking to be inspired. Their pieces are stylish and trendy, but there's no one style or look that dominates the selection.

IKEA

IKEA couch
Courtesy of IKEA.
Buy on Ikea
What We Like

  • Affordable prices

  • Can add to your collection over time

  • Excellent selection

What We Don't Like

  • Shape and color options are more limited

IKEA is known for its affordable, build-it-yourself furnishings. And while many people associate it with starter furniture that doesn't stand the test of time, a lot of pieces hold up for a lot longer than expected—and since many have slipcovers, changing up your couch over the years is relatively affordable. The Swedish furniture company has an impressive selection of couches, most of which have a minimalist-modern vibe.

You can usually choose from a few upholstery colors, and some couches have washable slipcovers that are perfect for homes with kids or pets. Another bonus of buying a couch there is that IKEA often keeps the same furniture lines in stock for a decade or more. This means you can usually get a replacement cover or buy more pieces to complete your living room set—even years after you get your first couch.

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Amazon

Amazon couch
Courtesy of Amazon.
Buy on Amazon
What We Like

  • Excellent selection

  • Lots of reviews

  • Many couches ship for free

What We Don't Like

  • Can be tough to determine quality of some items

Amazon is a go-to for most ecommerce categories, so it shouldn't be a surprise to learn the monolithic retailer also has one of the largest selections of couches. From traditional sofas, recliners, and loveseats to settees, chaises, and daybeds, Amazon's got it all.

Like Wayfair, the site's reviews are a major plus, as it gives you insight about each product from verified buyers. Also, many products from Amazon ship for free, which can help shave down your total purchase price. And if you're a Prime member, you can often get quicker delivery.

West Elm

West Elm couch
Courtesy of West Elm.
Buy on West Elm
What We Like

  • High-end offerings

  • Midcentury-modern aesthetic

  • Dozens of upholstery options

What We Don't Like

  • Made-to-order items can take weeks to ship

West Elm is a high-end destination for luxury furniture and housewares. The retailer carries mostly its own brand, though you can sometimes find pieces from other makers.

When you browse the selection, you'll see contemporary hand-crafted couches in a range of styles, sizes, configurations. This includes small, standard, large, and oversized sofas, as well as sleepers, futons, and loveseats. West Elm makes it easy to find what you're looking for with user-friendly navigation and search filters, and you can usually choose from dozens of upholstery options.

Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn couch
Courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Buy on Pottery Barn
What We Like

  • Durable construction

  • Dozens of upholstery options

  • Trusted quality

What We Don't Like

  • Made-to-order items can take weeks to ship

  • Prices can be steep

Pottery Barn is a tried-and-true furniture brand with a broad selection of well-made couches. From plush, slipcovered sofas with deep seats to modern leather options with clean lines, there's something for everyone.

You can generally expect higher price tags when you buy furniture from Pottery Barn than some of the other options on this list. Having said that, it might be worth splurging on the retailer's dependable construction and customizable designs if you are interested in investing in a timeless, long-term piece.

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Ashley Furniture

Ashley Furniture couch
Courtesy of Ashley Furniture.
Buy on Ashleyfurniture.com
What We Like

  • Budget-friendly prices

  • Wide selection

  • High-quality options

What We Don't Like

  • Many items only available in-store

If you're looking for an affordable couch that won't fall apart after a year or two, check out the stock from Ashley Furniture. The furniture retailer carries lots of styles, including futons, recliners, sectionals, sleeper sofas, and loveseats.

Some pieces are available to order online, though others will indicate the closest brick-and-mortar location with a particular couch in stock if you'd like it immediately. If you do meander over to an Ashley Furniture store, you'll have the benefit of sitting on your sofa of choice before buying it, which online-only retailers cannot offer.

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Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters couch
Courtesy of Urban Outfitters.
Buy on Urban Outfitters
What We Like

  • Trendy styles

  • Great for apartments

What We Don't Like

  • Limited selection

Urban Outfitters might be known for its hip and trendy clothing, but the retailer is actually a secretly great resource for contemporary home furnishings too. Most of the couches on the site are UO Home, the brand's private label, though you'll see a few other manufacturers sprinkled in.

Prices vary from affordable to mid-range, and the styles generally fall somewhere between midcentury-inspired, boho, minimalist, and modern. If statement pieces are what you're looking for, you'll find them on this site.

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The Home Depot

The Home Depot couch
Courtesy of The Home Depot.
Buy on Home Depot
What We Like

  • Reasonable prices

  • Lots of reviews

  • Flexible return policy

What We Don't Like

  • Limited availability

Believe it or not, The Home Depot is much more than a home-improvement retailer. In addition to paint, hardware, building materials, and appliances, you'll find an impressive selection of wall decor, bedding, and furniture—including lots of couches.

Sofas from The Home Depot are reasonably priced. You'll find many budget-friendly pieces, as well as some mid-range and pricier options. Products on the website also have more reviews than average, which makes shopping for furniture online a lot easier.

Macy's

Macy's couch
Courtesy of Macy's.
Buy on Macy's
What We Like

  • Frequent sales

  • Multiple color options

  • Great selection

What We Don't Like

  • Few contemporary styles

The department store has a wide range of sofa styles, including traditional fabric upholstered, convertible futons, plush leather couches, soft suede pieces, modular sectionals, sleeper beds, and complete living room sets. Also, most couches come in multiple color options.

Macy's is an excellent place to buy furniture both in-stores and online, and you can bet the retailer carries lots of couch options. Prices vary from affordable to mid-range, and sales are common, so you can sometimes save if you don't need a couch right away.

Anthropologie

Anthropologie couch
Courtesy of Anthropologie.
Buy on Anthropologie
What We Like

  • Art-inspired designs

  • Unique pieces

  • Customizable offerings

What We Don't Like

  • Made-to-order items can take weeks to ship

  • Steep prices

If you want a couch that makes a statement, head on over to Anthropologie's home section. The boho, art-inspired retailer offers made-to-order sofas in a range of eye-catching styles. Prices are higher than average, but it might be worth springing for the perfect centerpiece for your home.

We're talking curved 1960s-esque silhouettes, rug-printed upholstery, high-pile crushed velvet, armless modular sets, eclectic prints, and comfy conversation pieces. Also, most couches from Anthropologie are customizable in terms of size, upholstery material, color, and even leg finish, so you don't have to compromise on your vision.

What to Consider When Looking for Places to Buy a Couch

Range of Offerings A few retailers offer a wide range of styles and items. Other specialize in certain design eras, like Mid-century Modern, and offer just a few carefully curated options. If you get overwhelmed easily with too many options, you might want to narrow down the selection to retailers that offer the style of couch that fits with your home decor. 

Upholstery and Configuration Options Some retailers offer a whole range of upholstery options for each couch design, and you may even be able to request sample swatches. Others will allow you to configure sectional couches to be larger, smaller, or add a chaise to either end. However, some furniture brands offer couches with many fewer choices to make. You’ll want to decide how important these different factors are in your room’s design. It’s also good to keep in mind that more custom options may take longer to manufacture and deliver.

Delivery and Assembly You’ll want to make sure the delivery and assembly services offered by whatever retailer you choose meet your expectations. Some retailers offer a full white-glove delivery, where the company will assemble furniture and place in your desired location, sometimes for an extra fee. Other companies may ship your couch in several sections, and you’ll need to assemble it yourself. Similarly, some companies allow you to schedule your delivery at a very specific time, while others don’t. Be sure to check which services you’ll be getting, so there’s no unpleasant surprises when your sofa arrives. 

Why Trust The Spruce?

This roundup was written by Theresa Holland, a professional writer specializing in home improvement, furniture, housewares, and design. You can find more of her work on MyDomaine. To make this list, she considered each retailer's selection, price, and reviews.

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