Floyd vs West Elm: Who Has Better Couches?

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.

Is West Elm good quality? The brand has become a go-to brand for stylish sofas at surprisingly affordable prices. But those lower prices come at a cost. There’s no standard warranty on their couches, made-to-order couches can’t be returned, and their 7-day return window may not apply to their In-Stock or Quick Ship couches. That could make them an expensive gamble. Additionally, West Elm has a very low 1.1-star rating on Trustpilot, which could give you pause. But one saving grace is that you can purchase a 3-year Allstate Protection warranty for your sofa. This covers accidents, stains, material damage, and more.

On the positive side, West Elm has a huge number of glamorous couches to choose from. They’re also generally available in a wide range of luxury fabrics. So you can really design a couch that you love. The pricing is wonderfully competitive for their quality and the number of sofa styles available. West Elm also has plenty of brick-and-mortar locations where you can test out their couches in person. And if sustainability is important to you, West Elm has some impressive initiatives on that front. However, they are part of a big corporate umbrella, which might negatively affect some shoppers.