The 19 Best Sofas and Couches For Every Budget and Style
Mid-century modern, contemporary and plenty of the classics, this list is your personal lookbook to the most important piece of furniture that’s not your bed.
Chandler Bondurant
The couch is the centerpiece of a home. It’s a place you, guests and roommates are naturally drawn. Thus, a good couch pulls double duty: not only does it have to be comfortable, but it also has to look good. There are so many options when it comes to sofas whether it's the fabric, style and size. Luckily, shopping for a new sofa is easier than ever. Instead of having to go to stores to buy a sofa, you can easily shop online for one that meets all of your needs. So whether you’re balling on a budget or not, these are the best sofas and couches to squeeze through the front door.
Sofa 101
Materials
One of the most important factors for considering which sofa is best for you is by looking at what it's made up — in particular, its upholstery. Your lifestyle and budget will likely dictate which sofa you'll want, so here's a quick rundown of some common sofa upholstery materials.
Leather: Quite possibly the most popular upholstery fabric, leather is durable and easy to maintain while adding a luxurious touch to your home. A good-quality leather should break in beautifully over time, developing a patina that's unique to how you live and it's suitable for heavy usage. On the downside, leather is quite expensive, can easily be punctured by sharp objects and may require a break-in period to soften up the leather. If interested, we've also covered the best leather couches on a budget.
Faux Leather: Imagine all of the goods of real leather sofas but for a cheaper price, and that's the benefit of a faux leather sofa. However, it won't last as long as real leather, so that initial lower price may not be worthwhile.
Polyester: Sofas upholstered in polyester are cheaper than their leather counterparts while being breathable, soft and easy to clean. The material, however, may stretch over time and create a sagging effect over the cushions.
Velvet: Velvet has a luxurious feel to it because of its super-soft texture and the way it reflects light, making it look like it's glowing. Sofas available in velvet usually come in exceptionally beautiful colors you wouldn't find in other upholstery materials, though some downsides to the material include its price and difficulty to clean.
Chenille: While not a type of material but rather a type of weave that can be made up of any combination of fabrics, chenille is a soft, fuzzy-like material that comes from the French word for "caterpillar" (because of its texture). The weave has a tendency to trap debris, the material can stretch over time and it's hard to clean.
Olefin: Made from melted plastics that are fashioned into yarn, olefin is an incredibly strong material that's resistant to staining. It's typically reserved for outdoor furniture because of its resistance to natural elements.
Linen: A natural fiber you'd often find as a clothing material, linen is a smooth and strong upholstery material that has a highly desirable slubby texture. Cleaning linen is quite difficult, and the material is notorious for wrinkling.
Cotton: Cotton, in general, is a very popular material, and it's a great fabric for upholstery. It comes in a wide variety of colors while being breathable and soft. On the other hand, it stains easily and absorbs liquids, which can cause bad odors over time.
Types
First off, "sofas" and "couches" are interchangeable terms. But there are different types of sofas (or couches) that you may need some help distinguishing. Here are some common sofa styles to know.
Traditional Sofa: A traditional, or standard sofa, can come in anywhere between six feet to eight wide, with either one, two or three seat cushions.
Loveseats: These two-seater sofas are good for those who live in small spaces or who want a traditional sofa at a cheaper price (with a little less sitting room). They can range between four feet and six feet wide.
Sectional: Sectionals are modular sofas that can be configured into an L or U shape to give you more seating space in your home. This is ideal for those with open floor plans or generally large living rooms.
Sleeper Sofa: A sleeper sofa is exactly what it sounds like: a sofa that you can sleep on. The sofa will recline or sit fully flat to double as a bed.
Futon: A futon is a type of sleeper sofa, but more specifically, it's like a folded-up mattress that can be laid flat atop the sofa frame.
Styles
Sofas come in a bunch of shapes and sizes, but they can usually be broken down into one of the following design styles.
Mid-Century Modern: Defined by clean lines, a low profile and straight, tapered legs.
Modern: Encompasses mid-century modern — so includes a lot of the same ideas like clean lines and simple profiles — but also includes minimalist and Scandinavian design styles.
Lawson: A boxy style of sofa in which the back cushions are separate from the sofa back.
Chesterfield: Features rolled arms that are the same height as the back of the sofa.
Bridgewater: Has a low profile with low arms and detachable cushions.
Tuxedo: Typically a boxy shape with a non-detachable back cushion.
Camelback: Features a hump in the back, with the middle of the back of the sofa curving to its highest point before sloping downward to the arms.
Sizing
Determining how large or small you want your sofa to be depends on a lot of factors, and there's no right answer for everyone. You will, of course, want to consider how many people will be sitting on it regularly. For example, a family of four might prefer a sectional, while someone who lives alone might go for a loveseat. You should also consider the space you have available and what style of sofa might better suit your needs. Someone living in a smaller space could go for a multifunctional sofa that can also serve as a bed for guests or has hidden storage. Purchasing a modular sofa is always a safe bet because you can configure it to fit your space and even add segments if you need to. Our biggest piece of advice is to be sure to check the dimensions before purchasing — because furniture can often seem bigger or smaller than it really is when purchased online.
