Article vs Inside Weather: Who Has Better Couches?
Looking for the perfect couch? Article and Inside Weather both offer intriguing options, but which brand provides the ultimate comfort and style?
Alex Back | Couch.com CEO & Founder
Get ready to uncover the ultimate couch showdown between Article and Inside Weather. Who will come out on top with the comfiest cushions?
Side By Side
Features
Article
Inside Weather
Made to Order Lead Times
N/A
5-6 weeks
Free Shipping Option
White Glove Delivery Option
$199
$175
Return Option
Warranty Included
Financing Option
Affirm
Shop Pay
Assembly Required
Large Fabric Selection
Free Swatches Available
Manufacturing Origin
Asia
USA
Avg. 3-Seat Couch Price
$$
$$$$
So, when it comes to selecting your new couch, Article and Inside Weather have their pros and cons. Article shines with fast shipping, budget-friendly prices, and solid wood construction, though its manufacturing is in Asia. Meanwhile, Inside Weather boasts sustainability, extensive customization, and USA production, but with a potentially expensive return process. While both offer a 1-year warranty, Inside Weather's white glove delivery at $175 edges out Article's $199. So, which one aligns more with your priorities: stylish affordability from Article or sustainable customization from Inside Weather?
BRAND #1: Article
Article is a Canadian company that was founded in 2013. They proudly state that their brand values are, "Customer obsession, do it differently, ownership mindset, win together." They helped pioneer the online couch market and they're still a major player in the sofa space. Plus, being Canadian, they ship to Canada!
Article | Brand Summary
Article’s clean and uncluttered website makes couch shopping a joy. Their chic couch selection and delivery timeline gives them an edge over the competition. Lack of customization options and a shorter warranty period were the main knocks against them. A few 1 star reviews aren't a major concern, though it does indicate that occasionally an unlucky person might get a lemon.
Article is really punching above their weight class when it comes to offering stylish sofas at budget friendly prices. Even better, their sofas are generally all constructed using solid wood frames. That’s great at this price point. Article also has exceptionally fast lead times for their couches, aiming to deliver to your home within 2 weeks. On top of that, they have a tremendous and generous return policy. One bonus is that Article also ships to Canada. We think Article offers excellent value for their quality. But don’t just take our word for it. The article has a stellar 4.5-star rating on TrustPilot. Nice!
That being said, Article’s fast lead times and budget couches are made possible thanks to manufacturing their sofas in Asia. This also means that Article has a limited fabric selection and does not have made-to-order couches. Despite their exceptional return policy, Article only has a 1-year warranty on their couches, which isn’t ideal at this price point. Article also cuts costs by not having any brick-and-mortar locations or showrooms. But none of these downsides are enough for us to steer you away from Article’s excellent selection of sofas.
Inside Weather was founded in 2018 with the goal of bringing sustainable, eco-friendly, modular sofas to the masses. Their Bondi Sofa is extremely stylish and has become an incredibly popular option for families.
Inside Weather | Brand Summary
Inside Weather has a gorgeous website and an incredible emphasis on sustainability. They only offer two couches, including the versatile and comfortable Bondi sectional, which is particularly well-suited for households with pets and children. The Bondi sectional is praised for its durability, modern aesthetics, ease of maintenance, and flexible modular design that enhances living space functionality. Both couches are beautiful and extremely customizable (thanks in no small part to the hundreds of cleanable fabric options).
However, the questionable material quality for the price, the farce of a 365 day trial period, and the lack of customer review transparency undermines an otherwise nice offering.
Massive emphasis on sustainability (sustainably-sourced hardwood frames)
Free shipping (orders over $1,500)
High quality, eco-friendly fabric options (some machine washable!)
Cons
Misleading and pricey 365-day home trial return option
Only a 1-year warranty
No spring support system
Assembly can be challenging
Only 2 in-person showrooms
You might love the way Inside Weather’s Bondi Sofa looks, but here are a few things to consider before you buy it. The return policy of Insider Weather can be misleading and pricey. The 10-25% return fee is based on pre-discounted pricing. And with such large discounts (sometimes 50% off), you could spend thousands to return your Bondi Sofa.
While we love the style of the Bondi Inside Weather couch and its hardwood frame, the support system is elastic webbing, which isn’t super durable and it isn’t great at this price point.
If you don’t pony up for the white glove delivery, you could face a challenging assembly process.
But don’t let the cons spook you. Inside Weather’s Bondi has plenty of pros. There are tons of ways to configure and customize your Bondi Sofa. Inside Weather also has tremendous, eco-friendly fabric options to choose from. They’re super cleanable and many are machine washable.
Their hardwood frames are sustainably sourced, and many of their materials have eco-friendly benefits, too.
Any order over $1,500 ships free, and you can add on white glove delivery (including assembly) for only $175. That’s a budget-friendly white glove option, especially with the amount of assembly required.
The Bondi is also made in the USA using high-quality craftsmanship. This majorly cuts down on Inside Weather’s carbon footprint.
In the battle of couches, Inside Weather emerges as the winner with its emphasis on sustainability, robust customization options, and eco-friendly materials. While Article excels in affordability and quick delivery, Inside Weather's focus on quality craftsmanship and eco-conscious practices sets it apart as the top choice for those looking for style and sustainability combined.
Alex Back
Couch.com CEO & Founder
Alex Back is the founder and CEO of Couch.com. Previously, he was the co-founder and COO of the popular furniture brand, Apt2B, which was acquired by a large US retail furniture chain in 2018. He worked to integrate Apt2B, one of the very first online furniture retailers on the Shopify platform, into the operations of the 100 year old larger business entity and was deeply immersed in the business operations of both online and brick and mortar retail for 4 years before leaving in 2023 to start Couch.com. Working in various parts of the furniture industry since 2004, he has 20 years experience in retail sales, e-commerce, marketing, operations, logistics and wholesale manufacturing and distribution. He has worked extensively with partners such as Costco, Bed Bath and Beyond and Amazon and his work has been highlighted in many publications such as Forbes, CNN and HGTV, among others. Alex is delighted to bring his experience and authority on couches and the furniture industry to this platform, along with many of his industry colleagues who are helping him keep the Couch.com audience informed and engaged on a daily basis.
