Best couches — 7 stylish sofas to upgrade your living room

If you are in the market for a new couch, then we're here to help you come to a decision. There are so many couches out there, and who has the time to sift through them all? Now, this all-important purchase needs to be right, so you've done the smart thing by coming to the experts as your new couch will prove itself to be the focal point of your living room. It'll also tie all your home decor together nicely and last you for years (if you pick the right one).

These couches have been highlighted by our expert Amy, who has read multiple reviews and grilled the team for their expert opinions to help narrow down the top couches out there. We made sure to consider four factors: style, quality, comfort, and price.

On this list, you'll find everything from small couches to super comfortable couches that are cut out for pizza and movie nights, while others might be a better fit for sleeping on. For those that can do the former, keep scrolling. We've found models from the likes of Anthropologie, Burrow, Wayfair, and more that'll be perfect for the living room.

So, whether you want a spacious corner couch with room for all of the family, a chaise couch to kick back and relax on, or even a classic three-seater couch, you'll find the best options right here.

Our favorite stylish couches that offer comfort and practicality

Highly rated and for good reason, Sabai sofas are great quality, they're comfortable, and they are surprisingly affordable. The Essential Sofa is one for any space, small or large, as it offers three seats but in your choice of three cushions or one. You can also choose your fabric from recycled velvet or upcycled polyester, and it comes in a huge color selection to suit your space. It offers wide arms for your comfort, plus removable back cushions for any last-minute sleepovers or daytime power naps. It looks clean, smart, and best of all, it's pretty much a blank canvas so you can decorate it with throws and cushions as you please!

Let's talk sustainability. This couch sits on an FSC-certified wood frame, plus it's upholstered in 100 percent upcycled and recycled fabrics. Choose from metal legs that are made from non-toxic machined solid aluminum, or wooden legs crafted from domestically-sourced maple. Even better? These couches aren't covered in toxic flame retardants or added formaldehyde, making them safe for pets and little ones too. Their comfort comes from their pillows, which are made from recycled fiber fill, while the seats are filled with CertiPUR-US certified high resiliency foam.

These couches are made to order and they should arrive within three to four weeks. It arrives in boxes so that it can fit through your front door. Assembly is quick and easy. There's also a matching ottoman worth adding to your order so you can put your feet up in style.

This compact chaise sofa offers the opportunity to stretch out and get comfortable, even if your living room isn't super spacious. Plus, for added versatility, the floating chaise cushion and ottoman can be swapped from one side of the sofa to the other. So moving home or just rearranging your living room becomes a much easier affair.

The simple shape and clean lines are timeless, working well in both a mid-century-style space or a minimal home. Its high tapered legs are a brilliant way to visually increase your floor space as it raises the sofa frame and draws your gaze underneath the sofa rather than being blocked by a bulkier, low-to-the-ground design.

The elegantly shaped legs also come in three finish options: natural light wood, darker pecan wood, or black. There are also 60 upholstery choices to tailor the look to your home. And, the cushion covers are removable for easy cleaning — always a bonus in our book.

If you're looking to match your new couch to your wider living room suite then coordinating furniture allows you to do so, with the Scott range offering a loveseat, armchair, and choice of larger sectionals and sofas.

A leather sofa is intended to get better with time and wear. Leather upholstery also makes for a durable and easy-to-clean seating material that, depending on the finish, will stand up well to the spills and mishaps of daily life.

One of the team's favorite options from our leather sofas round-up, the Bowen leather couch offers a contemporary take on this popular classic. Deep T-shaped seats, well-padded back cushions, and a wide selection of leather colors make this a great addition to a modern home.

There are seven choices of burnished top-grain leather for a more relaxed look, including tan, camel, dark brown, black, and oxblood. There are two full-grain leather options too in black or tan that offer a sleek and polished look.

On top of the extensive color selection, you also get three frame widths to pick from. It comes in 71", 81", or 91" options, all with the choice of cast iron or brass finish legs.

Opting for a sleeper sofa over a classic couch is a great option for smaller apartments. Even if you don't have a dedicated guest bedroom, this kind of sofa still allows you to host friends overnight. There are a few good reasons that the Lourenco Square Arm Sofa Bed, in particular, has made it to the top of our best sleeper sofa round-up. 

This compact pull-out couch is especially useful for a small living room or for adding to a home office to create an additional sleeping area. Even better, despite its petite proportions, there's a queen-sized innerspring mattress hidden under the seats.

The straight-lined design is classic yet contemporary, so will suit a wide range of interior decor styles. There are over forty upholstery options on offer, which should deliver enough choice to make this sleeper your own. There's a matching loveseat, ottoman, and armchair available, too, if you want to create a coordinated living room suite.

If you're looking to invest in one of the best sectional sofas, Burrow's modular seating is a great place to start (and end) your search. 

The Nomad sofa is one of the brand's bestselling couches, and with its versatile configuration options and customizable design, it's easy to see why. 

Built from individual modular units to the size and shape you prefer, this sofa allows you to tweak both your layout and your seating size whenever you feel like it. This is perfect if you move, rearrange your room, get more roommates, or grow your family.

There are also plenty of options to make it your own, as it has three armrest styles, six different leg choices, and a pick of either plain or tufted cushions. Although there are only five upholstery shades available, all are good, solid colors that work nicely for many home styles.

Read our full Burrow Nomad sofa review for our tried and tested verdict.

Floyd has gained traction after coming onto the scene in 2013. The company is focused on creating furniture that's built to last. In the time since, it’s become one of the most well-known sustainable furniture brands, and its pieces have ended up in nearly 30,000 customers’ homes. 

For Earth Day 2020, the company announced its Sustainability Plan, aiming to ensure that 70% of the materials used in products come from either recycled or renewable sources, that 100% FSC-certified wood is used, and that it measures, discloses, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain by 2025. Floyd also launched its Full Cycle resale program to cut back waste.

The Sofa — one of three versions of the piece available — offers a flexible, stylish staple for your home for a low cost and low impact on the environment. The modern and modular design blends in perfectly with the styles of past, present, and future, all while being toxin-free, easy to clean, and made with reusable and sustainable materials, including all-natural, top grade radiata pine plywood and free of chemical flame retardants.

Channel tufting remains a major trend in upholstered furniture, with versions of this high-glamour look popping up all over the interior scene.

If you're looking to cash in on the look without breaking the bank, then this affordable option delivers an elegant look at a budget-friendly price point.

The curvaceous design features deep channel stitching, soft velvet upholstery, and sleek tapered legs, all in three focal-point colors: soft dusky rose, emerald green, and black. 

The foam seating may be on the firmer side, but if you're looking to nail the latest trend, then this fashionable three-seater could be well worth having on your radar.

How we chose the couches included in this guide

To come to a verdict on the best couches for all budgets, we’ve been grilling the Real Homes team for their expert knowledge, along with their friends, and their friend's friends, to find out how their couch choices are holding up to the rigors of day-to-day life. We've reviewed one of these couches and rated it five stars. We also take into account the wider views of those who own each product, whether that’s through online reviews or social media.

Alex Temblador

Alex is one of our Freelance Reviewers at Real Homes, with experience testing couches, grills, mattress toppers, and more. Alex reviewed the Burrow Nomad sofa as both a sofa and a sleeper sofa, and she loved it. "The folks at modular furniture brand Burrow understand how to carefully mix stylish design with modern-day practicality when it comes to the brand's bestselling Nomad sofa" she claims in her review.

Things to consider when choosing a sofa

Choosing a sofa is about more than just looks. Although, design is important, too. Finding the best couch for your living space will depend on a few key factors, including the size of your living room, your lifestyle, and your budget. So what should you consider when shopping for this all-important investment piece?

How big should your sofa be?

It may sound obvious, but size is one of the most important aspects to consider before falling in love with your dream couch. 

Generally speaking, you're going to want the most spacious sofa your room and budget will allow, but it's also important to make sure your sofa will be well-proportioned for the room size.

After all, it's easy to fall in love with a roomy sectional on Pinterest, but back home that corner sofa might make your living room feel cramped and cluttered. 

A top tip is to measure out where the sofa will stand in your room using tape or newsprint to mark out all dimensions. As well as width, make sure to consider the height of the sofa, especially if you want to place it under a window sill or beneath existing architecture. Get its depth as well to ensure there is plenty of space to walk around it comfortably. 

And don't just measure the room where your sofa will end up, unless you want a stressful few hours come delivery day! Ensure your chosen sofa will fit through doorways, around bending hallways, or up flights of stairs. Most retailers list packaging dimensions on their sites, so ensure these match the access you have. 

What if your access is tricky? That's where sectionals and modular sofas really make sense. Look for options that are delivered in sections that pass through tight spaces, or self-assembly sectionals that have the advantage of being able to be constructed within the destination room.

You'll find more top tips for planning your living space in our round-up of the best living room layout ideas, as well as style inspiration in our modern living room ideas and small living room ideas sections.

What's the most comfortable couch?

Just like finding a comfortable mattress, choosing the right sofa for you will depend a lot on personal preference, and there's nothing that can quite replace going into the showroom and testing a few of your favorite styles if that's a viable option.

However, whether you're shopping online or in-store, we've rounded up some of the most important points to consider when shopping for a sofa that you and your family will love to curl up on.

Cushion padding
The fill of your sofa will impact not only how comfortable your sofa is, but also the way it looks. Down fill, for example, is super soft and cozy, but the cushions will also lose their shape faster than a sofa with foam cushions. If you don't want an imprint left on your sofa every time you stand up, then down may not be the fill for you. Foam cushions, on the other hand, tend to be firmer, and will also hold their shape better than down. You'll find foam-down hybrid cushions, too, which can be a happy medium. 

Frame support
If you're using a sofa to zone a room, then a low-to-the-ground model can offer a great way to create dedicated areas without breaking up the space too much. The flip side is that low seating can encourage you to sprawl more than sit, which can make for a less comfortable seat.

Ergonomically, the recommended seating position is to have your thigh bones parallel to the floor, which for most of us means sofa seating that's roughly knee-height when standing. 

Opting for a sofa with enough back support is also going to make sitting more comfortable. Look for models that have a dedicated backrest, rather than sofas that offer a low back, and then rely on the cushions to provide support.

How to choose your couch fabric

As well as color and style preferences, choosing the best upholstery option for your seating will have a lot to do with lifestyle. Especially if you have kids or pets, who are potentially going to give your couch a more rigorous workout than it might get in an adult-only home (although, of course, there are those coffee and red wine stains to think about too).

That's why the fabric that your sofa is covered in is of particular importance. 

A performance fabric will resist stains (liquid beads up on it before sinking in giving you more chance to sponge it off before it sinks in) and can stand up to a good scrub. 

If you have pets, you'll also want to look for a fabric that won't trap hair and hold it in its grip for eternity. Fabrics with a large or chunky weave tend to be extra good at attracting pet hair, while materials like microfiber and velvet are easier to wipe hair away from.