Medley: Ultimate Brand Review And Rating

Medley has a beautiful website with great photography, but they’ve also bogged it down with some poor navigation and less-than-stellar pricing information. With a few minor improvements they could easily bump up their score.

Medley’s Ease of Navigation

• Medley’s home page greets you with a beautiful, full-width photo, followed by some excellent photography and links that highlight their sustainability and design principles. It’s a lovely, thoughtful home page.
• The top menu leaves a lot to be desired. There are only two dropdown choices (“Shop” and “Explore”), plus a link to order free swatches. There’s no background behind the menu text so it’s quite easy to miss it entirely. It doesn’t help that the menu doesn’t stay at the top of the page as you scroll down.
• When you click “Shop” there’s a narrow menu that drops down. There are no photographs or other nice features. If you click the main category titled “Sofas” nothing happens. You have to follow the side menu that pops out and then click “Sofas” on the new list to actually navigate to the page. The same is true for “Sectionals.” It’s a clunky system.
• There’s a menu option called “Natural Latex + Wool Sofas.” If you’re not familiar with Medley’s offerings then it’s unclear what this section will be and whether it will offer completely different products from the regular sofa category. It’s confusing when you’re first browsing.
• Category pages are very clean and easy to browse with lovely, real life images of the couches.
• Product pages are well-organized and a joy to scroll through. There’s a mix of great information and great photography without anything feeling like fluff or filler.

Medley’s Information Available “At-A-Glance”

• There’s very little information available on the main category pages. You only get the name of the couch and the price.
• They should really list the price as “From $____” so that you know the initial price will likely differ substantially depending on your width and fabric and filling choices.

Medley’s Product Images

• Product images are nice and clear and do a great job of conveying the fabric colors and textures, including the beautiful blue colored fabric that adds a touch of elegance to their sofas.
• Lifestyle images are colorful and cheery and lovely. You see a lifestyle image when you hover over an image on a category page, as well as below the main images on a product page.
• When customizing a couch, you’re taken to a 360 view featuring your choices. A few fabrics can not be seen in this view, but the fabrics that are available look tremendous and better than many similar systems on other websites. They look like real photographs of the fabrics and not just computer renderings.

Medley’s Quality of Product Information

• The product descriptions, the cushion descriptions, the “how it sits” section, and the dimensions are all fantastic. I love the way they provide extra tidbits of practical information like sitting style or how they specifically list the seat height and seat depth. For super detailed dimensions and diagrams, there’s also a link to a PDF.
• Scrolling down further provides even more specific breakdowns of the cushion materials, fabric materials, and construction process. Each of these sections also has a link for further reading that goes into even greater depth. This is a great system that allows to you engage with any level of information you might need without ever feeling overwhelmed or left in the dark.
• Pricing information is a major disappointment, since the couch price quietly changes as you customize your couch. There’s no indication as to which options will increase the price or by how much. So you might choose a fabric and a different filling material and realize your couch’s price has gone up by more than $1,000. Fabric options and filling options should really have prices listed.
• The customization menu can be tricky to navigate. You’ll need to do some cumbersome scrolling to view all your options. The fabric filter tool certainly helps, but I think there’s more they could do to help make it easier.

Medley’s Extra Bells & Whistles

• 360 view and see-it-in-your-room AR view are available for couches and they work very well.
• A wonderful Comfort Guide page helps you determine which couch style will be best for your sitting style.
• For certain couches they have a video of two different models sitting on the couch to show off how the cushions will sink in and how deep the seating is. You can choose between a 5’6″ model or a 6’0″ model to compare and contrast. I always love extra features that are practical.

One of the biggest drawbacks mentioned in Medley couch reviews is its longer lead times. Since every Medley sofa is made-to-order, production times vary based on material selection.

Estimated Lead Times:

• Medley Rio Sofa (Latex + Wool): 16-18 weeks
• Medley Rio Sofa (Standard Foam): 8-10 weeks
• In-Stock Clearance Items: 7-10 business days

Medley’s Shipping Time: Once your couch is manufactured it takes roughly 2-4 weeks for for final delivery to your home. Medley ensures a hassle-free delivery process by bringing the furniture into your home and removing all packaging.

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 Medley stack up to the competition when it comes to customer friendly resources and offerings?

Medley’s Warranty:

Medley furniture offers one of the best warranties in the industry. Unlike most brands that provide just 1-5 years, Medley offers:

• Lifetime warranty on all hardwood frames.
• 10-year warranty on cushion cores for loss of shape.
• 5-year warranty on fabric, covering manufacturing defects.
• No coverage for natural pilling or regular wear & tear.

Medley’s Return Options:

• 30-day trial for all Medley couches & sofas.
• Full refund minus shipping costs.
• Custom-sized orders have a 20% restocking fee.

Medley’s Delivery Options & Costs:

• White glove delivery is the only option. The cost of white glove delivery varies depending on your location. In Los Angeles the cost is $175, but a more rural location is $375.
• Medley also partners with a professional delivery company to ensure timely and professional service. Customer feedback often highlights the positive experiences with the delivery company, noting their professionalism and punctuality.

Medley’s Financing Options:

• Medley has partnered with Affirm to offer 6 and 12 month financing plans starting at 0% APR.
• There’s also a 36 month Affirm option starting at 15% APR.

Is Assembly Required?

• Attaching legs is the only assembly required and it’s exclusively reserved for couch styles with legs longer than 7″. If a sectional needs to be attached, the customer must do that, as well. Note: the white glove delivery service does NOT perform this assembly, though it should be extremely simple to perform on your own without any help.

Medley’s Customization Options:

• Can choose from a great range of high quality fabrics and leathers for each couch. There are also several leg stain options to choose from.
• Each couch collection comes in a variety of widths and some styles are also available as sectionals.
• Medley is able to use a customer’s own material (C.O.M.) for upholstering a sofa, which is a great option.
• Medley’s couches can also be made using natural plant-based latex and sustainable wool.

Does Medley Offer Free Fabric Swatches?

• Yes, customers can order 7 fabric swatches for free.

Durability is a major factor when it comes to purchasing a couch, especially when you’re ordering online. So do Medley couches hold up over time? The answer is a resounding “yes.” Almost every single aspect of their couch construction is above and beyond most competitors. Medley’s couches may be more expensive than others, but the quality and craftsmanship justifies the price.

Medley’s Quality of Materials:

• Medley has an outstanding lineup of fabric offerings, many of which are natural fibers or super durable synthetics. Their textiles are OKEO-Tex 100 certified, GreenGuard Gold, or GOTS certified. They also use organic materials, which are healthier and free from harmful chemicals.
• They offer many full-grain leather options. Full-grain leather is the gold standard and is exceptional quality. There’s also one top-grain leather set, which is a tier below full-grain, but also still a great real leather option.
• They have plant-based latex foam options that are made from the sap of rubber trees. They’re also mold-resistant and antimicrobial. This is a very high quality, sustainable material.
• For their standard foam, they use 2.5 high density, Certi-PUR certified foam. This is a fantastic option and a cut above most competitors on the market.
• Medley offers a 'healthy sofa' made from organic materials, emphasizing the lack of harmful chemicals and VOCs.

Medley’s Cleanability:

• All fabrics are properly labeled with the cleaning codes of either W, S, or W/S. This allows you to know exactly how you should clean your upholstery. Additionally, Medley's products are free from weird chemicals, making them safer for health-conscious consumers.
• Medley has a wonderful Product Care page that details the best way to clean each fabric type, plus other tips to help you keep your new couch looking great.
• Some fabrics are machine washable – you can even filter by “machine washable” when choosing your fabric.

Medley’s Quality of Construction & Manufacturing Origin:

• Couches are all constructed by skilled craftsmen in the USA.
• Couch frames are constructed from a blend of solid, kiln-dried hardwood and engineered hardwood. Each frame is corner blocked and comes with a lifetime warranty.
• All wood is domestically-sourced and always comes from FSC-Certified forests.
• Exposed wood bases on sofas, sectionals, and ottomans are sealed with a bio-based finish made of beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil.
• Medley uses a proprietary suspension/support system that combines the concepts of sinuous spring systems and 8-way hand-tied coil springs. They use twine to tie the springs together in a unique pattern, resulting in their “hand-tied, arch support system.” It’s also backed by a lifetime warranty.

If you’d like more information about the frame and material durability, check out Medley’s excellent guide to their construction process.

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.

Medley’s Key Differentiators & Unique Facts:

• Medley is about as “bench made” as you can get in the world of online couch retailers. Many companies lob empty claims about their high quality craftsmanship, but Medley is one of the rare companies that actually delivers.
• Couches are made in the USA by a smaller team of experienced craftsmen.

Medley’s Sustainability:

When it comes to sustainability, here’s the ethos that founders (and brothers) Travis and Ryan Nagle bring to the table: “Since 2005, we’ve been learning all we can and trying to further the conversation on sustainability in our industry. We want to change how an industry thinks about making furniture, and also change how people think about what goes into their homes.” Let’s take a look at how they’re trying to accomplish that vision.

• Partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant 3x as many trees for every one tree they use in their construction process. Additionally, all trees used in couch construction are sourced from FSC-certified forests. They use maple, walnut, and alder trees, which are all grown domestically in the USA.
• By not only constructing their couches in the USA, but also sourcing wood from domestic forests, their cargo shipping carbon footprint is essentially nonexistent.
• Medley has natural plant-based latex and wool options for their couches that are seriously sustainable and great for people who desire natural products in their home.
• They also incorporate organic textiles in their furniture, emphasizing their commitment to low environmental impact.

Medley’s Overall Brand Presentation:

• They present themselves as the authority on natural, sustainable couch craftsmanship and, unlike many competitors, they actually back this up with their quality and materials.
• Medley’s not trying to be flashy or trendy. They let the products speak for themselves. They have a nice, clean, simple website. But I can’t help but think that they’re doing themselves a disservice by not upgrading their website and developing their overall brand image.
• Customers often describe Medley as the 'perfect furniture store' for those seeking healthy, organic options.