AllModern: Ultimate Brand Review And Rating

AllModern Mid-Century Modern 2pc Sectional Chaise Sofa in Yellow Fabric
AllModern is a curious company. It helped revolutionize the online furniture market when it launched in 2006. But that trailblazing, visionary version of the website doesn’t seem to exist anymore… or does it? In this total brand breakdown, I take a look at AllModern and reveal their PotatoMeter rating.

Overall Potatometer Rating:

0 %

AllModern seems to have two clashing identities. On the surface, AllModern appears to be a place to shop for inexpensive but trendy couches that are relatively well-priced (AllModern is owned by Wayfair, after all). But beneath that is a company that custom builds couches in the USA. These are surprisingly high quality considering the low price tag.

Yet you might never know the second option exists due to the way AllModern hides it on their site. If I were only rating their made in the USA couches, they’d probably be closer to a 92%. But when you factor in the abundance of imported, lower-quality couches that are actually on display, an 85% feels more appropriate.

89%

Online Shopping Experience

96%

Shipping & Lead Time

78%

Customer Focus

84%

Durability & Quality

80%

Vibe Check

Our Own Rating System

The PotatoMeter is Couch.com’s very own rating system that grades furniture retailers on a variety of – what we consider to be – essential criteria. While we aim to be fair and objective in our assessment, subjectivity based on our expertise and personal biases is unavoidable.

89%

Online Shopping Experience

AllModern: Online Shopping Experience

AllModern has a nice though somewhat sterile website. It performs its function adequately, but shopping here isn’t a very interesting or exciting experience. It’s not bad by any means, though there are some quality control issues.

The biggest issue is that there’s another version of the website that has higher quality, built-to-order, made in the USA couches with amazing lead times that’s nearly completely hidden away in favor of cheaper, imported, 3rd party couches. It’s a bizarre choice that makes me wonder if they’re slowly trying to kill off the custom furniture part of their brand – a part I suspect might have been the core of the company before it was bought by Wayfair.


Ease of Navigation

  • AllModern has a perfectly nice home page with lots of fun methods of displaying photos. A shifting parade of products through a grid was particularly cool and eye-catching.
  • Every time I visit the site there’s a big sale banner on top of a picture. The picture looks nice, but you can never see any of the furniture. Then below this top image there’s just white boxes with category names in them. You have to keep scrolling before you see any furniture.
  • They have a LOT of categories to shop, but the menu does a good job of creating a clean and logical way to navigate all of them.
  • Category pages have some good, genuinely useful filters and ways to sort products. The “size” filter in particular is robust.
  • Clicking “Order Free Samples” on product pages brings in a side-menu that gives you access to fabric information and the ability to order swatches without being forced to leave the page. This is elegant and convenient.
  • Product pages are clean and easy to read. All the important ordering information is at the top and is clearly detailed. It’s nicely done, though a bit uninspired.
  • AllModern seems to do everything in its power to hide the fact that it has custom, built-to-order, made in the USA couches. None of these couches are listed on page 1 of the Sofas category. The excellently-designed Custom Upholstery page is buried at the very bottom of the “Living Room” menu and named “Quick-Ship Custom Upholstery.” Clicking on it is like discovering an entirely different website, one that has much nicer couches. It’s very bizarre.


Information Available “At-A-Glance”

  • On category pages you get the couch name, the couch width in inches, the number of fabrics available, the price, star rating, whether it has free white glove delivery, whether it’s on sale, and whether it’s a limited time offer. Overall a great amount of info.
  • If you hover over a product on a category page, a “Quick View” option becomes available. This has lots of good info and allows you to quickly compare options without having to open every single product page. Love this feature.
  • If you keep scrolling, some listings are a mess. Several products had no sofa name and just the width listed. One was just a diagram of a sectional with no photo. The quality control is lacking.


Product Images

  • The product images are generally the couch on a gray concrete floor with a gray wall behind it. They’re a bit dark, which makes it hard to judge the color accurately.
  • Every couch product has different types of product images. Most have the couch on a white background shown from every angle and a useful diagram. Maybe a close-up or two of specific features. Maybe a lifestyle image. Overall it’s OK, though not tremendous.
  • The entire carousel of product photos changes according to your fabric choice. This is always better than just having the main photo change while the rest of the images stay the original color as many competitors do.


Quality of Product Information

  • They list a LOT of product information under the “Dimensions + Details” tab on product pages, but the actual information is very vague and non-specific in most cases.
  • Some products list double rub counts, some list fabric information, some list cushion construction, etc. Others neglect these things. It’s very hit or miss. But there’s at least an attempt to list as much information as possible. Though in this case there’s so much information and it’s so vague that it borders on useless and overwhelming.


Extra Bells & Whistles

  • Essentially non-existent. It’s nice that you can “heart” a couch to add it to your favorites.

96%

Shipping & Lead Time

AllModern: Shipping & Lead Times

AllModern has a large selection of in-stock couches, which means that they have quick lead times. Their USA made couches also have fast lead times compared to competitors. Here’s a breakdown of the timelines.


Made to Order Products:

  • Their USA made couches take about 3-5 weeks to construct.


In Stock Items:

  • These ship out in as little as 2-3 days.


Shipping Time:

  • On average the shipping time is very fast. One estimate for an in-stock couch was 4-12 days to the midwest. Another was 9-17 days.
  • For made to order couches the shipping timeline is roughly 2-3 weeks.

78%

Customer Focus

AllModern: Customer Focus

Our goal at Couch.com is to provide customers with the information they need to find the best couch for their home. We take customer satisfaction very seriously. So how does AllModern stack up to the competition when it comes to customer friendly resources and offerings?

Warranty:

  • Since AllModern offers different couches from different vendors, as well as their own USA made couches, each one will have a different warranty. Here are several that I noted:


Return Options:

  • There’s a 30 day return window, but there are several important caveats. Unless there’s a manufacturer’s defect, the couch cannot be returned once it’s been assembled. You also need the original packaging and the couch must be in original condition.
  • If your couch qualifies for a return based on the above criteria, you can either receive a refund or store credit minus the cost of return shipping.


Delivery Options & Costs:

  • Many couches come with FREE white glove delivery. They show this info clearly on the category page and the product page. It includes room-of-choice placement, assembly, and removal of packaging.
  • Couches that ship without complimentary white glove delivery have several delivery options you can choose from:
    • Outside your door: Free
    • Inside your entryway: Free
    • Your room-of-choice: $49.99
    • White glove delivery: $149.99


Financing Options:

  • AllModern has partnered with Affirm and Bread Pay to offer financing and installment-based payment plans.
  • AllModern also has a credit card offer that provides 0% interest if your order is fully paid off within 24 months.


Is Assembly Required?

  • Most couches simply require legs to be attached. If available, assembly instruction PDFs can be found in the “Dimensions + Details” tab under the “Additional Documents” header.
  • Many couches come with FREE white glove delivery, which does include assembly, room-of-choice placement, and removal of packing materials.
  • White glove delivery may also be available for purchase at checkout for $149.99 depending on the couch.


Customization Options:

  • Their USA made couches have roughly 34 fabric options to choose from, though there are no leg stain options.
  • Their 3rd party couches usually have a handful of fabric options available to choose from. 18 appears to be the most on any given option.


Does AllModern Offer Free Fabric Swatches?

  • Yes, they offer free swatches for their USA made couches. There appears to be no limit to the number you can order.
  • It’s sometimes possible to order swatches for their 3rd party couch offerings, but in many cases the swatches won’t actually be available once you click on them.

84%

Durability & Quality

AllModern: Durability & Quality

Durability is a major factor when it comes to purchasing a couch, especially when you’re ordering online. So do AllModern couches hold up over time? NOTE: AllModern offers both USA made “custom upholstery” as well as couches from 3rd party vendors. I will split the information between these two categories for clarity.


Quality of Materials:

  • USA made custom upholstery:
    • Fabrics are generally 100% polyester or a polyester blend. This fabric is decent, though not extraordinary. These options should hold up for general household use even though they do not specifically list the double rub count.
    • Seat cushions are generally a combination of foam and down feathers. The foam density and down ratio are not listed, but having any down at this price range is quite good.
    • They describe their leather as “genuine leather” in the product name, but in the details it says “top-grain leather.” I’m pretty sure it’s actually top-grain leather, which would be great at this price. “Genuine” is the lowest tier of real leather, so I’m surprised they even use this word given the associations.
    • Sleeper sofas come with a memory foam mattress, which is great.
  • 3rd party couches (generally):
    • Fabrics have a wide variance of quality. Some list a double rub count of 30,000+, which is promising (anything over 40,000 is considered commercial grade). Other fabrics don’t list any rub count, which is worrisome.
    • If in doubt, pick a fabric with a cleaning code listed as S, W, or W/S (or S/W). These will at least be cleanable. Avoid any non-leather fabric that has an X cleaning code.
    • Most seat cushions have a foam core wrapped in fiber. One foam was listed as 1.8 density, which is lower than you want to see. 2.0 is a good starting point. But 1.8 is OK for the price.


Cleanability:

  • The USA made couches have a nice collection of fabrics that are generally cleanable. Most have either an S or W cleaning code, which means you can only use either solvents (S) or water-based cleaners (W). They list this info on the fabric pop-ups, though it could be made much clearer.
  • Their 3rd party couches run the full range of cleaning codes from W/S (can use water-based OR solvent cleaners) down to X (can’t use any type of liquid cleaner – vacuum only). Avoid X cleaning codes on non-leather fabrics.


Quality of Construction & Manufacturing Origin:

  • USA made customer upholstery:
    • Frames are listed as “solid + manufactured wood.” Presumably the frame is solid wood and the arms and back are plywood. I’d like to know more about the “solid” wood.
    • They utilize sinuous spring systems. This is is good and expected for the price.
    • They use mortise and tenon joints, which is actually very good and rare at this price range. Kudos on this one!
  • 3rd party couches (generally):
    • Most frames are listed as “solid wood.” With no other information, it’s hard to judge how accurate this truly is.
    • Some use sinuous spring supports (good), some use web suspension (just OK), and some use coil spring supports (not good).
    • I only found one listing that detailed the joint construction. It said “basic butt joint,” which is the lowest quality method.

80%

Vibe Check

AllModern: Brand Vibe Check

Vibing with a brand is important. Brands can also promote certain lifestyles and sustainability goals. That’s why it’s my goal to help you find a company and brand that you vibe with so that you’re as comfortable with your new couch as you are on your new couch.

Key Differentiators & Unique Facts:

  • AllModern was launched in 2006 and helped shape the landscape for ordering couches sight-unseen online.
  • AllModern is now owned by Wayfair.


Sustainability:

  • If you purchase their USA made couches then that helps cut down on cargo shipping emissions. However, most of their offerings are imported, so the two basically offset.


Overall Brand Presentation:

  • Their website proudly boasts, “AllModern is more than a style – we’re part of a movement. Defined by the Bauhuas greats and cemented by the Good Design era, modern remains relevant more than 100 years later.” But I’d love to see more of that energy and style come through in the actual website itself.
  • This is a very sanitized, corporate style website. There’s little to no personality on display and there’s no discernible vibe. It’s essentially a list of products. It’s all fine and it gets the job done, but it’s all rather benign.
  • The name AllModern does little to stir the imagination. Worse yet, the name isn’t even accurate since they sell furniture in every kind of style.

AllModern Mid-Century Modern 2pc Sectional Chaise Sofa in Yellow Fabric

What are AllModern's top couches?

Signature Best Seller:

  • Geo 84″ Upholstered Sofa ($920). There’s a reason this is a best seller. It’s THE classic couch style. And it’s available in the right type of fabric, the perfect colors, and it’s priced affordably. What’s not to love?


Couch That Intrigues Me The Most:

  • Dorcy 87″ Upholstered Sofa ($1,999). The crazy, dual round pedestal base makes it look like it’s two armchairs put together. It has a unique, curved, nearly-seamless back and arms. It’s simply a very cool shape and I really want to know how it feels to lie down on it. Note: this is a couch produced by Four Hands and sold on AllModern.


Hidden Gem:

  • Pellea 95″ Upholstered Sofa ($2,100). This cool, one-arm couch has a built-in end table. It can also easily become a sleeper sofa in a pinch, which should be cozy thanks to its fuzzy Bouclé style fabric. It’s a very unique and eye catching piece.

How much do AllModern couches cost?

AllModern has a great number of couches that are inexpensive and affordable. But if you’re looking to spend a bit more money, then you can also find couches that are $2,000+. It’s a good range if you’re not quite ready to commit to the more expensive options out there.

Average Range:

  • AllModern’s average price is about $1,300, but it’s a very large range. You can find some excellent couches for less than $1,000, but plenty of couch options are over $2,000.


Most Expensive AllModern Couch:


Least Expensive AllModern Couch:

  • Tribca 82″ Upholstered Sofa ($710 – $810). There are some couches that are technically less expensive, but the Tribca is an inexpensive 3-seater couch that has the smallest price range variance.

Does AllModern have good reviews?

Overall Brand Reviews:

  • CB2’s style and offerings are well-reviewed, but their customer service and their inflexible service offerings are routinely dragged by 3rd party reviewers and customer reviews. They only have a 1.6 star rating on TrustPilot.


Top Product Reviews:

  • Strato 80″ Boucle 5 star review: “The couch is beautiful! It is very comfortable, not too low, and stain resistant. Would definitely recommend” – ccollins
  • Strato 80″ Boucle 1 star review: “I bought this sofa less than a year ago and it’s already pilling, losing its shape and discoloring! I’m even afraid to have it cleaned fearing that it will continue to discolor! Not happy with it at all and it continues to wear as if I’ve had it for years! Also helpful to note that I live alone and don’t entertain many guests, nor wear dark colors that transfer to the furniture. All of my furniture is white/off white or cream and none of my other pieces have any issues whatsoever!” – Shak


Customer Service Reviews:

  • CB2 has an F grade on Better Business Bureau, mostly stemming from customer frustration due to difficulty of communicating with customer service representatives.

What kind of style is AllModern furniture?

You wouldn’t guess it from the name, but AllModern offers a wide variety of couch styles and sizes. Here’s a closer look at what’s on offer at AllModern.

Range of Couch Options:

  • AllModern has armchairs up through sectionals. They don’t have massive modular couches or big U-shaped sectional sofas, but they do have some sleeper sofas and daybeds.
  • Their main offerings are standard 3-seater couches and 2 piece sectionals.


Range of Couch Styles:

  • Despite its name, AllModern sells a full range of couch styles. Though they definitely skew modern/contemporary, you can also find Mid-Century Modern, vintage, and regency-style looks. It’s a very fun assortment.


Does AllModern Have Other Products Besides Couches?

  • Yes, AllModern has a huge collection of furniture and decor for the whole home.

What are some alternatives to AllModern?

AllModern has couches that are similar in quality and price to brands like IKEA and Hulala Home. But they also custom build made in the USA couches like Apt2B and Joybird. Depending on your needs, consider these options:

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