Room and Board: Ultimate Brand Review And Rating

Room & Board Mid-Century Modern couch and armchair in beige fabric
Room & Board was established in 1980, which makes them true veterans of the furniture industry. But 40+ years later do they still have the same quality and dedication to their craft? In this total brand breakdown, I take a look at Room & Board and reveal their PotatoMeter rating.

Overall Potatometer Rating:

0 %

Room & Board gets it. They have a beautiful and useful website that makes shopping for a couch delightful. Their quality is excellent, their couches are made in the USA, and they have measurable and attainable sustainability goals. If their lead times were better and if they had an actual warranty on their couches then they would get a MAJOR bump in their PotatoMeter rating.

If you’re OK with those caveats, then Room & Board is a phenomenal choice for your couch purchase.

97%

Online Shopping Experience

91%

Shipping & Lead Time

89%

Customer Focus

93%

Durability & Quality

99%

Vibe Check

Our Own Rating System

The PotatoMeter is Couch.com’s very own rating system that grades furniture retailers on a variety of – what we consider to be – essential criteria. While we aim to be fair and objective in our assessment, subjectivity based on our expertise and personal biases is unavoidable.

97%

Online Shopping Experience

Room & Board: Online Shopping Experience

Shopping for a couch on Room & Board’s website is an absolute joy. They’ve created thoughtful, useful, and elegant ways to display information. There’s also an emphasis on transparency when it comes to pricing and your options. It’s a refreshing change compared to some of the more deceptive websites out there. Room & Board manages to get nearly everything right about the shopping experience.

Ease of Navigation

  • Gorgeous home page that highlights some of their best assets like eco-friendly options and white glove delivery. Lovely imagery to boot.
  • The category pages have incredible filters at the top of the page that provide practical options like “Softer” and “Firmer” so you can shop via comfort rather than just aesthetics.
  • Scrolling around product pages can be cumbersome. Sometimes part of the page scrolls but the rest stays still. Other times everything moves. It can be a bit troublesome and awkward to navigate.
  • They have an INCREDIBLE Fabric page and an excellent Product Care page. The fabric page has the most information I’ve ever come across. It’s amazing.


Information Available “At-A-Glance”

  • They show the couch name, a range of fabric options, the range of pricing options, the multiple customization options available, and the star rating + number of reviews. All great!
  • The listing of the customizations available is particularly great and not something I’ve seen on any other website. It’s nice to know what’s available for each couch without clicking into the product page.


Product Images

  • On category pages, each couch has its own carousel of images you can scroll through. It’s nice to see multiple photos right from this page without clicking in.
  • On category pages, clicking or hovering over a different fabric does NOT change the color in the image. This is a disappointing omission.
  • On individual product pages, there’s a very simple front-facing view of the couch that changes based on your fabric choice. The fabric representations do not do a great job of illustrating the texture or depth of color.
  • There’s a really nice carousel of lifestyle images for each couch just below the main image. These images also note the width of the couch, the fabric choice, and the leg choice. Very useful info.


Quality of Product Information

  • Fabric options are listed by price tier so there’s no surprise when you choose a more expensive fabric.
  • A “How It Feels” section describes the seat comfort, seat depth, and seat height in as objective a way as possible. Very nice info to have.
  • They have GREAT dimension info and excellent diagrams. They even have a cutaway diagram for the cushion construction and materials. Very cool.
  • All the specific dimension and construction and material info is hidden away behind a small drop-down menu that says “See all dimensions & details.” And the information could be FAR more specific. Too many vague terms like “hardwood” and “high resiliency foam.”
  • Overall the amount of information provided is top notch, though it could still be more specific than it is.


Extra Bells & Whistles

  • 360 view for each couch + see-it-in-your-room AR features are right in the main product carousel.
  • Can order their fabrics by the yard for other projects.
  • Certain couch product pages feature a video of a model sitting down on the couch to display the way the cushions react. They also list the model’s height so you can get a sense of how it will be for you. Love it!

91%

Shipping & Lead Time

Room & Board: Shipping & Lead Times

Room & Board manufactures their couches in the USA, which is great. But their lead times could be more competitive. To combat this, they offer a few “In Stock” fabrics for each couch. These couches ship out much faster. This is a great option!

Made to Order Products:

  • The average manufacturing time for their custom upholstery couches 10 weeks. That’s longer than similar competitors, but still much faster than some of the big-name retailers.


In Stock Items:

  • Their selection of “In Stock” couches ship out in just a few days.


Shipping Time:

  • It takes roughly 2 weeks for delivery once your couch ships out. However, some customers complain about longer than advertised delivery timeline, which is a very common complaint in this industry.

89%

Customer Focus

Room & Board: Customer Focus

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 Room & Board stack up to the competition when it comes to customer friendly resources and offerings?

Warranty:

  • Room & Board does NOT offer a warranty on their couches. They simply offer a “guarantee.” This is a major issue.
  • Despite not having any type of warranty, customers often mention that Room & Board goes above and beyond to make problems right. So why not put it in writing with an official warranty?
  • No 3rd party extended warranty offerings
  • If they offered a warranty they would immediately get a major bump in their PotatoMeter rating.


Return Options:

  • Returns receive a full refund and there’s no charge for return shipping. But the original $119 shipping charge is non-refundable.
  • They do not provide a window for when returns are accepted. This is either a good sign or a bad sign.
  • There’s no fee for canceling an order, even if it’s custom upholstery.


Delivery Options & Costs:

  • There’s a $119 white glove delivery fee for every order. It includes room of choice, assembly, and packaging removal.
  • Room & Board’s delivery teams work exclusively for the company as opposed to being 3rd party delivery vendors. This is super rare in the industry and a huge plus.
  • If you live near a distribution center then you have the option to pick up your couch for free.


Financing Options:

  • Room & Board has partnered with Affirm to offer monthly payment plans starting at 0% APR.


Is Assembly Required?

  • Nope. The $119 white glove delivery fee on all orders means the delivery team will perform all assembly.
  • Assembly is limited to installing legs and attaching sectional pieces. These are fully-constructed couches.


Customization Options:

  • Room & Board has a TON of fabric options to choose from for their couches.
  • Most collections allow you to choose from as many as 6 leg options, some wood and some metal.
  • Many collections also have the option to have a deeper seat, which is a great customization bonus for taller folks.
  • Many collections are also available in leather, as well as being available as sectionals and even modular sectionals. So if you like a style there’s a good chance you can get it in a variety of configurations for your specific needs.


Does Room & Board Offer Free Fabric Swatches?

  • Yes! Room & Board offers up to 20 free fabric swatches. However, they offer SO MANY fabric options that you’ll definitely feel a bit limited by having a 20 swatch cap.

93%

Durability & Quality

Room & Board: Durability & Quality

Durability is a major factor when it comes to purchasing a couch, especially when you’re ordering online. The information that Room & Board provides leads me to believe that their couches are a great quality for the price, but the fact that they don’t list some of the important, specific details of their couch construction gives me a tiny bit of pause.

Quality of Materials:

  • They have a seemingly-endless variety of fabric options to choose from. They provide unmatched, detailed fabric information. Fabrics range from 40,000 double rub counts up to 100,000. Plenty of super durable options to choose from.
  • They offer top-grain leather in an aniline or semi-aniline finish. This is great quality at this price range. Only full-grain leather is better (and much pricier).
  • They have several different types of cushions, most with high-resiliency foam cores encased in fiber or down wraps. I’d love to know the specific details of the foam density and the down ratios to make a more accurate judgment of the quality.


Cleanability:


Quality of Construction & Manufacturing Origin:

  • Room & Board manufactures all their couches in the USA. More specifically, in the furniture capital of the USA, North Carolina.
  • They describe their couch frames as “benchmade hardwood,” but that’s as much as they tell customers. Presumably the quality is good, but I’d like to know MUCH more about the materials and whether the frames are corner blocked, glued, stapled, or whatever else. These are important details that they’ve omitted.
  • Some couches list that they use a sinuous spring system while others say they use a dual flexolator suspension. These are both fine options and in line with what similarly-priced competitors offer.

99%

Vibe Check

Room & Board: Brand Vibe Check

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.

Key Differentiators & Unique Facts:

  • Established in 1980 and headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. They have an emphasis on American craftsmanship, which is a major plus.
  • They focus on “trend proof style.” The fact that they’ve been in business for 43 years attests to their wise style choices.
  • Their business is linked to 12,000 American crafstpeople. And they have a page on their website dedicated to highlighting and celebrating them. It’s pretty remarkable!
  • Room & Board does NOT have sales. They believe in delivering the best quality at the best price year-round. Love this.


Sustainability:

On the sustainability front, Room & Board’s website claims, “Sustainable practices have been fundamental to our company since 1980. Now, we’re setting ambitious goals for better products and practices in service to people and the planet.” Let’s see how they’re setting out to accomplish those sustainability goals.

  • Aim to use 100% sustainably-sourced wood by 2025.
  • More than 90% of products are made in America, which cuts out a huge chunk of cargo shipping.
  • By 2030, they will use 100% renewable electricity in all operations.
  • 2% of their profits are donated to nonprofits that focus on the environment, communities, and the arts.
  • Aiming to have 100% recyclable packaging by 2025
  • They actually have a link to their 2022 Impact Report that you can read and review. This is way above and beyond. The transparency is impressive!
  • These are measurable and attainable goals that they are actively working towards. Most companies offer vague goals but aren’t actually following through on their promises.


Overall Brand Presentation:

  • Everything about their website is thoughtful and practical, but it doesn’t have as much personality as some competitors. There’s not any specific aspect of their brand that jumps out at you for you to latch onto. Which is OK, though a bit boring.

Room & Board Mid-Century Modern couch and armchair in beige fabric

What are Room & Board's top couches?

Signature Best Seller:

  • Jasper Sofa (from $1,599). This is a classic, iconic, Mid-Century Modern inspired couch. It’s a great price and it looks sharp, making it an obvious best seller.


Couch That Intrigues Me The Most:

  • Deco Convertible Sleeper Sofa ($1,699 and can purchase a $300 mattress topper). This is a stylish, modern take on the futon. You’d never guess from looking at it that it has this unique dual functionality. It’s a clever design. I’m VERY curious to know how comfortable it is to sleep on.


Hidden Gem:

  • Fia Sofa (from $2,299). This is actually an interesting and contemporary design compared to their other options, but it doesn’t seem to get much love. It doesn’t even have any customer reviews! But in the right boucle style fabric this could be a stunning piece.

How much do Room & Board couches cost?

Room & Board has very competitive pricing considering their range of customization options and the fact that their couches are made in the USA. However, their prices can start to rise quickly depending on your choice of fabrics and other customization options that add to the total cost.

Average Range:

  • A typical 3-seater sofa is generally between $2,000 and $3,000. Sectionals can get much more expensive.


Most Expensive Room & Board Couch:

  • Linger Leather 2pc Sectional ($9,500). Their leather sectionals can get MUCH more expensive, but to keep things within the realm of a couch you might actually buy, this is a good representation of the upper tier of their pricing.
  • For a standard 3-seater couch, the Linger Leather Sofa is still the most expensive at $5,799.


Least Expensive Room & Board Couch:

  • Ada Loveseat 60″ (from $1,299). This is a super cute, tight back loveseat.

Does Room & Board have good reviews?

Room & Board has tremendous customer service reviews and overall brand reviews. The furniture industry faces particularly challenging hurdles when it comes to customer satisfaction, but Room & Board has stood the test of time thanks to their customer service.

Overall Brand Reviews:

  • Overall they are a well-reviewed brand. They hover just above 3 stars on most 3rd party, unaffiliated review sites. Anything over a 3 in the furniture world is considered good.


Top Product Reviews:

  • Metro Sofa 5 Star Review: “The 88” metro sofa is perfect! I had a large space needing to fill, and this gives a cozy yet comfortable feel paired with other Room and Board pieces. It is comfortable, modern, and functional. The Gino cement color is sharp and practical to mix with a pop of color or earth tones. Highly recommend and contemplating getting a second to parallel the look across the room!” – EkMNhome
  • Metro Sofa 1 Star Review: “This sofa is filled with cheap quality down that constantly looses feathers and has feathers poking out of the cushions all the time. On top of that the cushions makes loud crinkly sound that sounds like it’s been lined with a paper bag. Unzipping the cushion cover showed a very stiff fabric with loose strings all over the place. In my opinion, this sofa is not worth more than $700 considering quality and workmanship.” – JW


Customer Service Reviews:

  • Their customer service is HIGHLY praised. Even negative reviews generally mention that the customer service was stellar. This is a great sign.

What kind of style is Room & Board furniture?

Room & Board features a healthy range of couch styles to choose from. If you like Mid-Century Modern, traditional, vintage, or modern styles, then you’ll be able to find a couch that speaks to you. There’s something for everyone.

Range of Couch Options:

  • Room & Board offers the full spectrum of seating options from armchairs up through modular sectionals. They also have a wide range of standalone daybeds and chaises, which was nice to see. These are often overlooked pieces in the modern era.
  • They have a decent number of sleeper sofas to choose from.


Range of Couch Styles:

  • Room & Board offers couch styles for every customer. They run the full range of styles from vintage and Mid-Century Modern up through modern and contemporary. They truly have it all.


Does Room & Board Have Other Products Besides Couches?

  • Yes, Room & Board has furniture for the whole home. Better yet, Room & Board’s website states, “American manufacturers make more than 90% of our furniture and decor, supporting local communities, businesses and craftspeople across the country.” That’s fantastic!

What are some alternatives to Room & Board?

Room & Board has a focus on custom, USA made upholstery delivered to your home for a competitive price. Here are a couple other companies offering similar options!

Instagram Youtube Tiktok Pinterest Facebook Twitter

Couch.com 2023