Looking for the perfect couch? Wondering if What A Room or Article has the ideal one for you? Join us as we dissect the features, styles, and quirks of these top furniture brands.
Alex Back | Couch.com CEO & Founder
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Step into the ring of plush comfort as we unravel the face-off between What A Room and Article. Who will emerge victorious in the epic clash of these two sofa heavyweights? Get ready to witness the showdown of a lifetime!
Side By Side
Features
What A Room
Article
Made to Order Lead Times
4-6 weeks
N/A
Free Shipping Option
White Glove Delivery Option
$99+
$199
Return Option
Warranty Included
Financing Option
Affirm, Shop Pay
Affirm
Assembly Required
Varies
Large Fabric Selection
Free Swatches Available
Manufacturing Origin
USA
Asia
Avg. 3-Seat Couch Price
$$$
$$
What A Room and Article go head-to-head in the couch challenge. What A Room dazzles with its custom designs, durability, and customer-focused approach. Meanwhile, Article excels in style, affordability, and solid wood frames. Customers valuing customization and premium quality may lean towards What A Room, while those seeking stylish sofas at budget-friendly prices could favor Article's offerings.
BRAND #1: What A Room
What A Room was founded with the goal of offering fully customizable sofas and sectionals, made in the USA with high-quality materials. By owning their own factory in Los Angeles, they are able to offer quicker production times (4-6 weeks) while ensuring a personalized customer experience. Their key milestone includes providing over 250 fabric choices, with a focus on pet-friendly and eco-conscious options. Known for their craftsmanship, durability, and commitment to customer satisfaction, What A Room has carved out a niche as a go-to brand for buyers seeking custom, high-end furniture with a fast turnaround.
What A Room | Brand Summary
When it comes to custom sofas made in the USA, few brands match the level of quality, customer service, and design flexibility that What A Room offers. But do What A Room reviews reflect this same level of excellence, or is it just good marketing?
As a direct-to-consumer furniture brand, What A Room manufactures its own sofas, offering full customization with high-end materials—all without sky-high retail markups. That’s a rare find in today’s sofa market. With handcrafted frames, premium foam cushions, and free design consultations, What A Room gives buyers full control over their couch.
Let’s see if they live up to the hype in What A Room reviews or if there are better alternatives.
Personalized customer service with design consultations
Cons
20% restocking fee for returns
No free shipping option, delivery fees can be high
What A Room offers a customizable sofa experience, perfect for buyers seeking a unique, made-to-order product. Their quick 4-6 week production time is faster than many competitors, and they provide over 250 fabric choices, including pet-friendly options. Owning their manufacturing facility in the USA allows them to maintain high-quality standards while meeting customization needs.
However, their return policy has a 20% restocking fee, which can be a drawback for some customers. Delivery fees are also an added expense, and there have been occasional complaints about delays in receiving custom orders.
On the plus side, What A Room excels with personalized customer service and free design consultations to ensure you’re getting exactly what you want. Their use of eco-friendly, chemical-free fabrics and durable high-resilience foam cushions makes them a great choice for families, and their made-in-the-USA production is a strong selling point for those seeking quality craftsmanship.
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.
In this couch showdown, What A Room takes the crown with its superior customization options, durable designs, and customer-centric focus. The commitment to quality craftsmanship and tailored experiences make What A Room the top pick in the battle of the couches, offering unbeatable value for discerning buyers.
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.
