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The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang
Mid-century modern sofas are simple, functional, and elegant—and some original pieces retain an impeccable value over time. However, shopping for these pieces can prove difficult, especially with so many retailers to choose from.
If you have your heart set on finding a mid-century modern sofa, shop strategically. Carlie Rice, social media manager at interior design company Havenly, says that understanding how you will use the room can give you a clearer picture of the type of sofa you’re looking for. “Is this a sofa that will be used almost 24/7? Will this be used for movie night every single week? Or is this a sofa in a formal living room that will only be used when you have company?” she asks. “Answering these questions will help you rule out fabrics, color options, and style choices almost immediately.”
Keeping Rice’s advice in mind, we researched the best places to shop for this popular piece, and ranked them based on quality, fabric choices, customization options, and overall value. Our favorite retailers include Article and Kardiel, both of which offer options that rival the originals.
Burrow
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Burrow
Lots of customization options
High-quality construction
Free shipping and easy assembly
Fewer fabric options
Limited in-store locations
Although Burrow is still a relative newbie in the furniture industry, the direct-to-consumer brand has gained a lot of notoriety in recent years thanks to its large furniture selection, wide array of customization options, and overall convenience. The brand is best known for its modular designs, which allow customers to easily configure sofas to suit their spaces. Burrow also offers add-ons to their sofas, including a moveable chaise, ottoman, sleep kit, and lumbar pillows.
We’ve reviewed the retailer’s popular Nomad Sofa in the past, which earned an impressive 4.9 out of 5 stars during our at-home tests. We love that every single Burrow order ships for free, which is a huge plus. Additionally, the sofa arrived at our tester’s door in four large boxes, making it easy to transport into her home. She noted that assembly was surprisingly easy, eliminating the need for additional hardware with its latch system.
Not only was the shipping and assembly hassle-free, but the couch was also well-constructed and looked elegant and sleek. So, while this brand may not carry the cheapest selection of mid-century modern sofas out there, it’s definitely worth it for those willing to splurge a bit more for a custom, modular, and high-quality sofa with a convenient delivery process.
Return Window: 30 days | Delivery Fees: Free shipping | Restocking Fee: 10 percent if shipped back with original boxes, 20 percent if not
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The Spruce / Katie Begley
Article
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Article
Classic designs
Wide range of prices
Lots of fabric options
Quality may vary
If you're seeking a classic, mid-century modern inspired sofa with a simple direct-ship experience, Article is worth checking out. Here, you’ll find sofas that come in performance fabrics, leather, and lovely velvets, along with other customizations available for specific designs. The retailer offers a wide selection of price points, with sofa options ranging from $999 to $4,549 at the time of publish. So, while every piece is generally well-made, the quality may vary a bit between different styles.
When we reviewed the company’s Sven Sofa, we were impressed by its simple and straightforward delivery and setup, which our tester called "almost too easy". We appreciated the flat-rate delivery and five-minute, no-tool assembly that made the entire process seamless. The sofa had a stylish and modern look and was constructed with comfortable down and foam-filled cushions that felt comfortable without being too slouchy.
Additionally, all sofas are included in Article’s free shipping, which covers any purchase over $999. You can also opt for in-room delivery and assembly for an additional cost. And should you run into any issues, the customer service is excellent.
Return Window: 30 days | Delivery Fees: Front door delivery ($49 or free with orders over $999), in-room delivery ($119), in-room delivery and assembly ($199) | Restocking Fee: $49, additional $50 without original packaging
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The Spruce / Deanna McCormack
Joybird
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Joybird
Wide range of prices
Easy-to-navigate website
Lots of fabric options
Limited in-store locations
Quality may vary
Direct-to-consumer furniture upstart Joybird makes online shopping for the perfect sofa simple with its easy-to-navigate website that allows you to find a piece that aligns perfectly with your preferences. The retailer stocks a wide range of couches, including sleepers, sectionals, modular sofas, and apartment sofas, and you can easily filter to look at all mid-century offerings. Sort by material, features such as deep-seated or modular, size, and cushion firmness. Note that since they have such a wide range of options, the quality can vary between the pieces. Although each sofa offers a range of different fabrics to choose from, there aren’t many other customization options available.
After trying out the Preston Sofa for ourselves, we were impressed with the wide variety of colors and fabrics to choose from, its comfortable and functional design, and high-quality workmanship. Additionally, our tester was surprised about the lack of setup the sofa required—all she had to do was screw on the legs. And although we noticed a slow turnaround time on our order, this tends to be standard when purchasing custom pieces.
The company also carries complementary furniture for the bedroom, dining room, and home office. Although the prices are a little high, sales are frequent; a recent end-of-summer promotion offered 30 percent off everything. If you have pets or kids (or other messy types living with you), you'll want to read Joybird’s guide to pet- and kid-friendly fabrics before making a final selection.
Return Window: 90 days | Delivery Fees: Varies by zip code | Restocking Fee: 10 percent
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The Spruce / Angelica Leicht
AllModern
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AllModern
Lots of fabric options
Range of prices
Excellent customer service
Quality may vary
Limited in-store locations
If you’re looking for a retailer that offers a huge selection of contemporary furniture with reliable service, consider AllModern. Because AllModern is a Wayfair sister site, you can depend on the quality of the furniture, speedy delivery, and top-notch customer service. At the time of publication, AllModern had about just around 200 sofas and nearly all of them could be considered mid-century modern style. The retailer has a ton of furniture options in general and new arrivals are added to the site regularly. Additionally, AllModern offers a wide range of price points, with some loveseats costing less than $500 while other full-sized sofas can even hit up to $7,000. No matter your budget, the site is worth looking into.
We love the plethora of unusual fabric options offered including tweed, twill, leather, and velvet (though they have fewer customization options than other retailers). Reviews are a big part of the shopping experience, and some couches may have thousands of write-ups to pore over. This is important since the quality may vary between different sofas from different brands. There's also a fairly large sale section that gets updated frequently, with markdowns on several popular brands.
Return Window: 30 days | Delivery Fees: Free | Restocking Fee: None
Castlery
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Castlery
Budget-friendly options
Excellent customer service
Easy-to-navigate website
Small catalog
Online only
At Castlery, many sofas cost less than $1,000, and shipping tends to be fairly fast compared to other options on this list. We also love that you can sort all search results based on your zip code. The mid-century selection isn't huge, but the options that do exist are attractive and well-priced, so you may just find the perfect sofa that won’t break the bank.
While we wish there were more customization and color choices, given the prices and the excellent customer service, Castlery is a good option if you're not set on a specific color and are trying to stick to a budget. There are also lots of sale items as well as an especially helpful ready-to-ship section that promises to arrive in as early as four weeks.
Although there's no showroom, Castlery has created an impressive virtual studio that allows shoppers to navigate through it in 3D mode, pull up product details, and even measure items. Each sofa is made with high-quality, durable materials and is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty to protect your purchase.
Return Window: 14 days | Delivery Fees: Varies based on shipment and location | Restocking Fee: 20 percent
Amazon Mid-Century Modern
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Amazon
Wide range of styles and prices
Lots of fabric options
Easy to search
Quality can vary
No way to try in person
Although you may not necessarily equate Amazon with mid-century modern home furnishings, the online powerhouse has some surprisingly good options if you're willing to spend some time browsing and filtering. To make things easier, the site even offers a landing page devoted to MCM style with other types of furniture to complement your sofa. Here, you'll find reputable brands like Novogratz and Zinus, as well as house brands such as Rivet.
At press time, a search for "mid-century sofa" brought up more than 1,000 results, though the list dropped to less than 400 when filtered by Prime sellers only. Depending on the brand, there are various fabric and customization options to choose from. Be sure to read reviews carefully and keep an eye out for potential pitfalls in quality, such as foam cushions that don't withstand the test of time or items that arrive in poor condition due to shipping issues with the seller. Also, return policies can vary, so check the specific seller's policy before you click "Buy Now."
Return Window: Varies by seller | Delivery Fees: Varies by seller | Restocking Fee: Varies by seller
Apt2B
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Apt2B
Many ready-to-ship items
Lots of customization options
High-quality construction
Higher prices
Online only
Whether you need a basic couch, scaled-down apartment sofa, sleeper, or reclining option, you'll likely find it at Apt2B. With numerous “quick ship” options as well as others that take anywhere from two to seven weeks to make, this Los Angeles-based retailer has a large selection of custom couches that’ll get to your door in a relatively short amount of time. As a bonus, they offer free standard shipping or white-glove delivery for an extra fee.
Many sofas on Apt2B have more than 50 fabrics to choose from, and you can often customize the wood for your leg color as well. You can also sort by American-made options, which some shoppers will appreciate. The company has a 100-day return policy, so you can really take your time getting to know your couch, though make sure to read the fine print as it's the shopper's responsibility to cover return shipping costs. While Apt2B has a higher price range than other retailers, the frame and workmanship on each sofa are covered by a lifetime guarantee. Unfortunately, they do not have a physical showroom, so you can only shop online.
Return Window: 100 days | Delivery Fees: Free standard delivery, $129 white-glove delivery | Restocking Fee: 15 percent
Inside Weather
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Inside Weather
All pieces are custom
Carbon-negative shipping practices
Lots of upholstery options
Small catalog
Online only
For those who are looking for a custom mid-century modern couch and value sustainability practices, Inside Weather is a great option. The California-based direct-to-consumer company has a small catalog, but tons of customization options are available so you can get the ideal couch for your space. After you choose the general style of couch, you can then modify its configuration, upholstery, frame finish, and cushion type. Inside Weather offers over 100 upholstery options including performance, pet-friendly, and even commercial-grade fabrics. You can also request free swatches to ensure the upholstery will mesh perfectly with the rest of your decor. Ideal for households with kids and pets, every upholstered element of each sofa is enclosed in a water-resistant nylon casing to protect against stains, spills, and accidents. For added convenience, every cushion and pillow features a concealed zipper for easy removal and cleaning.
In terms of design, Inside Weather is not exactly reinventing the wheel, but many of their styles are sleek, functional, and fit the MCM look. Besides typical three-seater sofas, Inside Weather also has sectionals, armchairs, and sofettes (similar to loveseats). One detail that stands out about Inside Weather is their commitment to eco-friendly practices: Not only are their shipping methods carbon-negative, but they also resell "lightly loved" returned furniture at deeply discounted prices in their sale section to reduce landfill waste. Each piece is made to be durable and long-lasting and is backed by a one-year warranty.
Return Window: 365 days | Delivery Fees: Varies based on subtotal | Restocking Fee: 15 percent within 14 days, 25 percent between 14 and 365 days
Kardiel
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Kardiel
Lots of fabric options
Transparency about sources
Mid-century focus
Higher prices
Online only
Offering a catalog with a heavy emphasis on modern and Scandinavian designs, Kardiel is a unique online-only retailer with tons of bold furniture pieces. They're known for their small-batch manufacturing, and use high-quality leather from Milan and wood sourced in Australia. Kardiel has a wide variety of sofa styles on its website, including modular sofas, sleepers and daybeds, sectionals, and two-seater sofas. While there aren't as many customization options as other retailers, each sofa has various fabric options to choose from. For added convenience, you can even order fabric samples to test in your home.
And while Kardiel’s prices may be on the pricier side, we appreciate their thoughtful manufacturing processes and high-quality craftsmanship. With a limited lifetime warranty and a 365-day return window, purchasing from the retailer may just be a worthy investment that can truly transform your living space. In general, Kardiel is ideal for the buyer who’s tuned into the history of mid-century decor, wants to make a serious statement, and doesn't mind splurging a bit to do so.
Return Window: 365 days | Delivery Fees: Varies by location | Restocking Fee: Waived within 15 days, 15 percent between 16 and 365 days
1stDibs
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1stdibs
One-of-a-kind pieces
Vetted sellers
Excellent customer service
Negotiation may be required
Returns and delivery speeds vary by seller
Offering mid-century modern sofas in their truest sense, auction site 1stDibs has a wide variety of sofas, including some vintage options that date back to the 1950s and 60s. However, their selection is so vast that you may have to do some digging to find the perfect piece. Luckily, the company does an excellent job vetting sellers, and customer service reviews are generally positive. The site also offers price matching, meaning if a specific seller lists the same item on another site for less, 1stDibs will match the lower price.
To find sofas quickly, simply go to the mid-century modern landing page and navigate to seating, then sofas. There are dozens of filters you can apply as well, such as new, vintage, "21st-century pre-owned," location, place of origin, and "in stock now." Since there are thousands of pieces available, it’s easy to find different fabric options. However, there aren’t any customization options. Some pieces can be purchased outright (and in some cases, you must negotiate an offer), others are up for auction, and some are a combination. If you’re serious about finding a piece, make sure you act fast on 1stDibs since the turnover can be quick.
Return Window: Varies depending on seller | Delivery Fees: Varies depending on seller | Restocking Fee: Varies depending on seller
Design Within Reach
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DWR
Easy to find in-store locations
Lots of fabric options
Classic and authentic designs
Higher prices
Some pieces may require some specific maintenance
Established to make authentic modern designs more accessible to the public, Design Within Reach has an extensive catalog of furniture by hard-to-source designers. While purchasing a sofa from the retailer will likely prove to be an investment, DWR is a great option for those who appreciate a classic and thoughtfully crafted piece of furniture. There are now more than 60 locations around the country, so you may have the option to see items in person—a must, given the steep prices.
Sofas start at about $2,200 and quickly increase, with many pieces hovering in the $4,000 to $7,000 range. The website is easy to explore, and the In Stock section can help people narrow down options that are ready to ship—at press time, there were nearly 50 sofas available immediately. Design history lovers can also nerd out in the Shop by Style section, where you can sort by different types of modern design, such as Postmodern, Nordic Minimalism, Modern Pastoral, and Bauhaus Industrial.
DWR allows you to customize the upholstery of each item, along with other minor design details, like wood paneling. Each sofa is designed with top-quality materials, and some have specific maintenance requirements. However, the brand offers care instructions for various materials on its website.
Return Window: 30 days | Delivery Fees: Varies by purchase and carrier | Restocking Fee: 10 percent
If you have a specific idea in mind and don't mind weeding through hundreds of options, try a clearinghouse like Amazon or the auction site 1stDibs. Want a statement piece that'll get guests talking? Invest in something from Kardiel or Design Within Reach. If you love the convenience of a direct-to-consumer company, you'll likely be able to find a practical, stylish sofa from Burrow, Article, or Joybird.
What to Look for When Buying a Mid-Century Modern Couch
Locations
While online shopping for sofas can be extremely convenient, it can also be risky to make a big furniture purchase without seeing it in person first. Being able to physically see the sofa can help you gain a more accurate sense of the look and finish of the upholstery as well as how the piece will look in a space. Some retailers listed in this roundup are exclusively online, have limited brick-and-mortar stores in specific regions of the country, or don’t offer an extensive range of items on their showroom floor. If you want to see the sofa before purchasing it, you might want to consider buying from a retailer with lots of showroom locations or a local furniture store retailer with high ratings and helpful staff.
Customization options
If you want a couch that’s perfectly tailored to your design style, then you may want to consider looking for retailers that offer customization options. You may be able to pick from a range of upholstery and fabric options for your sofa, and many retailers will send sample swatches upon request. Additionally, some retailers will allow you to determine the configuration of your couch or add a chaise to either end. While customization is a great way to ensure your sofa is suited to your space, it’s important to note that this will likely come with a higher price tag and longer delivery time.
Price
In general, couches may just be the largest investment you’ll make when it comes to furnishing your home, so it’s a great idea to have a price range in mind when you start shopping. And although it may be one of the pricier purchases you’ll make, there are plenty of ways to cut costs even when shopping for high-quality furniture. A great way to buy relatively cheaper sofas is to shop secondhand. Websites like eBay, Etsy, and Facebook Marketplace offer a wide range of vintage and used furniture for a lower cost. If you prefer to shop in person, then consider your local thrift stores, consignment shops, or garage sales.
If you would rather purchase your couch in new condition, online retailers like Wayfair, Amazon, and Overstock have a great selection of inexpensive furniture items. Additionally, HomeGoods, Ikea, Target, and Walmart have lots of locations nationwide so you can shop in person.
Depending on where you shop, you can also save a bit of money on delivery and assembly, so check if the retailer offers free in-store pickup. It’s also worth it to look into any sign-up perks, wait for sales, or consider financing options like Affirm, Klarna, or Afterpay.
Delivery and assembly services
If you order your sofa online, you’ll want to make sure your chosen retailer’s delivery and assembly services are up to your standards. Some may ship your couch in one or multiple packages and require you to assemble it yourself. Other high-end retailers may charge you an additional fee for a white-glove delivery, where the company will assemble the couch in your desired location. However, this may be a worthy investment for a purchase as large as a couch, especially if you live alone or need to get the furniture up some stairs. Consider your living situation and plan accordingly—you don’t necessarily have to spend a ton on delivery and assembly services, but you may want to recruit help for when it arrives.
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What makes a sofa mid-century modern?
Reminiscent of designs from the 20th century, mid-century modern balances vintage influences with more contemporary curves and trending fabrics like boucle or emerald velvet. “What really differentiates a mid-century modern sofa is its silhouette,” says Carlie Rice, social media manager at interior design company Havenly. “It’s defined by its clean lines, low-slung profile, soft curves, and thin legs.” Mid-century modern furniture tends to be understated and timeless, making them a staple in contemporary interior design.
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When should you opt for a vintage over a contemporary mid-century modern sofa?
According to Rice, a well-designed space should have a blend of both vintage and modern pieces. “If you have already spent most of your decor efforts on new, contemporary furniture and decor, it’s time to drag a friend with a truck to your favorite vintage stores to ensure that your home feels balanced,” she says.
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What styles do mid-century modern sofas go with?
Because of their subtle-yet-effective design elements, mid-century modern sofas can go with a wide range of aesthetics and design styles. “They’re modern and sleek enough to fit seamlessly in a minimalist’s tidy apartment but bold and colorful enough to fit under a sea of eclectic patterned pillows in a countryside estate,” Rice says. “When mixed together with the right furniture and decor, it can become the chameleon of sofas.” While mid-century modern sofas aren’t filed under traditional decor, they’re far from a passing trend and won’t go out of style as design fads come and go.
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What materials should I look for when shopping for a mid-century modern sofa?
Choosing a sofa with high-quality fabric and upholstery might mean a more expensive price tag, but doing so can help extend the lifespan of the piece. While the look and finish of the material are up to your personal design preference, opting for a sofa that promises easy care can be a lifesaver, especially for households with kids and pets. This includes sofas that have stain-resistant properties or feature removable and washable cushion covers. “Performance fabric is a must for homes with dogs or tiny children running around. Think olefin, polyester, and of course leather, because you can just wipe it down,” Rice says. “Other options like cotton and linen are still great choices for aesthetic reasons but are a little harder to clean.”
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was written by Lexi Dwyer, who has contributed to The Spruce since 2019 and spent many hours conducting an online search for her own sofa. To compile this list, she scoured the web for some of the top-rated and most beloved furniture retailers out there. Dwyer aimed to include a variety of retailers with different price points, a wide range of fabric and upholstery options, a large selection of mid-century modern sofas, and an abundance of five-star reviews. She also considered customization options, return policies, delivery times, and shipping costs.
Additional reporting was contributed by Bianca Pineda, a commerce writer specializing in bedding, bath, and home decor content for The Spruce. For expert insight, she spoke with Carlie Rice, social media manager at Havenly, for more information regarding the mid-century modern style and styling tips.