Burrow and Floyd are two companies that want to modernize the couch shopping experience. Both have stylish sofa collections. But which one does it better?
Alex Back | Couch.com CEO & Founder
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Burrow and Floyd are two companies that want to modernize the couch shopping experience. They both offer a stylish and unique collection of couches. But which one does it better?
Side By Side
Features
Burrow
Floyd
Made to Order Lead Times
N/A
N/A
Free Shipping Option
White Glove Delivery Option
Return Option
Warranty Included
Yes
Financing Option
Affirm
Affirm
Assembly Required
Varies
Large Fabric Selection
Free Swatches Available
Manufacturing Origin
USA + Import
USA + Import
Avg. 3-Seat Couch Price
$$-$$$
$$-$$$
Based on the chart it’s hard to tell that there are any significant differences between Burrow and Floyd. But there are some areas where one has the edge over the other.
Stylistically Burrow and Floyd are quite different. Burrow leans more Mid-Century Modern and “simple” modern. Floyd leans more industrial, reclaimed, and contemporary. Floyd certainly has a more unique look than Burrow.
Burrow ships their couches for free in individual boxes via FedEx. All their sofas then require extensive assembly. Floyd’s couches ship via a freight partner and the cost is 12% of your order total ($299 max). However, of their couch options, only “The Sofa” requires assembly.
Neither company really has made to order couches, despite having customization options. If you’re lucky a couch could ship out in 1-2 weeks. But for both companies the average lead time is closer to 6-8 weeks, if not more.
Both companies have 30 day return policies, but neither offers free returns. For Burrow, returning a couch incurs a 10% fee (with original packaging) and a 20% fee (without original packaging). Floyd charges a 30% return fee and the customer must pay for return shipping (likely a couple hundred dollars). We give Burrow the edge on that front.
BRAND #1: Burrow
Burrow is an online-only retailer that was founded in 2016. The original idea was actually a class project before it transformed into a real company. Burrow's goal was to modernize the entire couch shopping and couch ownership experience. Modularity, expandability, and ease of assembly were the core principles.
Burrow | Brand Summary
Burrow provides a clever and creative solution to the many issues that have historically plagued couches – bulkiness, inflexibility, and immobility to name a few. Burrow’s modern, modular methodology has some major benefits over the competition, but it also leads to several flaws that are hard to gloss over. Their emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly practices are admirable and commendable. However, the materials used for their modular couches are not as high a quality as you’d hope for given the price.
Burrow’s primary goal is to modernize the furniture market. Their couches are designed to be modular and expandable so that they can grow with you. They’re also delivered in boxes and easily assembled and disassembled. Great for apartment dwellers!
Burrow’s couches ship for free via FedEx, though you might end up with a dozen boxes if you order a sectional. Their couches come with a 1-year warranty on craftsmanship. A Mulberry extended warranty is also available, which protects against accidents and damage.
Several of Burrow’s couches have multiple customization options so you can really design a sofa that suits your style. There are also modern, high-tech options like having a phone charger built right into the couch. Perfect for those nights you’re browsing on your phone while half-watching “Love is Blind” on TV.
One of Burrow’s drawbacks is that the material quality could be better. It’s not terrible at the lower end of their price range, but for their higher-priced couches, the cushions could feature higher-quality fill materials. On top of that, their business model implies that their couches will be inexpensive, but they can actually get quite pricey.
Lead times are also longer than you’d expect. If a couch is in-stock it could ship out in 1-2 weeks. It could take 4-6 weeks or even 4 months if not. And once your couch arrives, assembly can be much more challenging than advertised.
Floyd is an online-only retailer that was founded in 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. The company's first product was called the Floyd Leg and was as simple as it sounds – a leg that could transform any flat object into a table. This simple design philosophy is evident across all their products, even their website.
Floyd | Brand Summary
Floyd has a very well-designed website that also reflects the design principles of their limited couch offerings. But once you peel back the glamorous veneer, you might be disappointed by the overall quality, customer focus, and lead times. There’s a lot to love with Floyd, but the fact that they only have 3 couch options means that you’d expect them to absolutely nail everything else. Unfortunately, they fall short, especially at their price range.
The first thing you’ll notice about Floyd is how special and stylish their sofas are. And that really is the company’s main draw. They also have one of the most unique and eye-catching fabric collections we’ve ever seen. Some fabrics are recycled cotton. Others have multi-colored cross-weaves. Some are made from Norwegian and New Zealand wool. Fancy! Their signature sofa (aptly named “The Sofa”) has an industrial, reclaimed look to it. Everything about Floyd’s design sensibility is simply cool.
Floyd does provide a 1 year warranty on their craftsmanship. Customers can also purchase an extended warranty through Mulberry that provides coverage for any type of accident or damage.
Although Floyd does not offer white glove delivery options, only The Sofa requires any assembly. And even then, it’s rather simple and straightforward. You won’t have a marital crisis trying to assemble it.
But there are certainly downsides to Floyd. They have unexpectedly long lead times for their limited offering. It can often take 6-10 weeks before a couch ships out. Shipping also costs 12% of your order total (max $299).
The material quality for the price is OK if you’re buying a smaller couch. But you can easily spend $3,000+ on a Floyd couch. At that price point we’d like to see higher quality cushion fill and sturdier frames.
Burrow and Floyd have very close PotatoMeter ratings. That means this comparison is a real toss up. If you want a larger selection, free shipping, and a better return policy, Burrow is the right call. If you want high style and can’t be bothered with difficult assembly, Floyd is the way to go.
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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.
