I Spent a Morning In-Store, Testing West Elm's Best Sofas — I've Narrowed It Down to 9 Seriously Worth Considering
West Elm is a treasure trove of stylish, comfortable, and well-made sofas. And our expert spent an afternoon in-store tracking down the best of the best
For anyone who wants their house to look grown-up, but still cool, there's West Elm. The furniture retailer often flirts with offbeat accents and interesting shapes in its designs, but also leans into traditional colors and materials, eschewing a bright, bold attitude in a quieter, more minimalist palette. And West Elm's sofas are the perfect example of that.
Just like its sister brand, Pottery Barn, West Elm knows how to make a sofa. In fact, if you’re looking for big-box convenience and high-end style at a mid-range price, I'd argue there is no better spot to shop for a sofa. A West Elm couch, in my opinion (which, mind you, is quite informed — as a former design journalist, I’ve sat on hundreds of sofas and talked to experts at brands like Article and Benchmade Modern), is for the buyer looking for the longevity of a traditional sofa, but with the wow-factor you might find at, say, Design Within Reach. It’s the perfect mid-market in-between.
To prove the point, I spent a morning wandering around my local West Elm showroom so I could find some of the brand’s best and brightest sofas. I honestly believe all of the sofas and sectionals are worth your time for different reasons — most, if not all, offer sleeper configurations, many are best-sellers, and some I even have true first-person feedback for. All, however, are stylish, well-priced, and would look excellent in your living room, especially if you count interior design among your many passions. For ease, I've narrowed it down to nine West Elm sofas to seriously consider.
Marin Sofa
On my personal scale of 1-10, where 10 is as plush as possible, I would give this a 7.
The Marin sofa reminds me a lot of the Harmony (another West Elm favorite; we’ll get to that later). That said, it’s less plush than the Harmony, in a good way. You'll get a slightly firmer sit here, albeit one that’s still good for lounging. On my personal scale of 1-10, where 10 is as plush as possible, I would give this a 7. Supportive, but soft. And, of course, it looks great.
If, say, you were debating between this sofa and the Harmony, I would consider what you plan to use the couch for. The seat depth on the Marin feels shallower than the Harmony (which I really sank into). So if you don't like the feeling of really sinking into your sofa, or need a bit more support, I'd lean towards this West Elm sofa. You would, of course, be fine with either — both are great — but, of the two, the Marin has the most crossover between conversational and relaxation, in my opinion.
Two years ago, I asked my former colleague Dabee Kaye about her experience owning a Marin. "We loved our couch, and it lasted for a long time," she told me. "The ordering and delivery process was very easy." The only downside? "The cushions sunk in after sitting on it for so long."
Haven Sectional
I really, truly loved this sofa. The name Haven is quite fitting.
Honestly? The Haven is really just that. A haven. I really, truly loved this West Elm sofa. I tried a sectional version and was quite pleased with the experience. It was very lounge-y, so keep that in mind, but the height of the seatback was just right, and I adored the super-long chaise.
The plushness was perfect, too; right in the middle, at a 5. All that said, the profile here is lower, so you are closer to the ground as you sit. This was not a negative for me, but I like to mention anyway, just in case someone has back problems or thinks that might bother them.
Harmony Sofa
West Elm advertises the Harmony as its "most comfortable sofa".
Of all the sofas I sat on, the Harmony was by far the most plush; I would give it at least an 8 on my plushness scale. Now, I typically do not like my couches to be this soft — I think that if you’re spending thousands of dollars on a sofa, you should want it to work for both a night of conversation and wine, and a night of blanket-heavy movie-watching.
In my opinion, the Harmony is distinctly for the latter… but I still liked it a lot. It was really comfortable (in fact, West Elm calls it its “most comfortable sofa”), and I could see it working excellently as a guest bed when needed.
The floor model I tried had two separate cushions, which was fine, but I would suggest purchasing the sofa model with the bench seat instead. The gap between cushions becomes even more cumbersome with a deep, plush couch like this, and I think you’d be happier if it just wasn’t there.
Laurent Sectional
The Laurent looks every bit as gorgeous in person as it looks online.
Aesthetically, the Laurent is positively stunning. I mean, it looks every bit as gorgeous in person as it looks online. Even better, it made for a great sitting experience too.
This is for sure a “Let’s sit and have a glass of wine” couch (I’m talking a lot about wine, huh?) and not a “Let’s binge-watch Friends all afternoon” type of couch, so take note of that before taking the plunge. But if that’s what you’re looking for, by all means, go for it — I’ll be inviting myself over for Boursin and girl time.
Interestingly enough, the curved shape also lends itself perfectly to dialogue; you and your friends have an easier time looking at and interacting with one another, rather than sitting in a straight line. Score one for that!
Andes Bench Sofa
I think the Andes was the favorite of all the West Elm sofas I sat on this day.
Like most, if not all, of the West Elm sofas I tried, the Andes comes in multiple configurations; during my trip to the store, I tested a three-seater with a large, movable ottoman. Truthfully, this was my favorite of the couches I sat on that day.
It had the perfect plushness — you could take a nap, catch up with a friend on a long phone call, or even enjoy a glass of red wine (risky behavior on a thousand-dollar sofa, and a testament to the sofa’s just-right sit).
The ottoman does not come with the couch, but I think it is more than worth buying; you get the benefits of a sectional at a lesser price, and with the modularity of a different model.
Another note: if you’d like your sofa to have even more of a modern look — and with perhaps a minimized visual footprint, even — you might find yourself drawn to the Andes’ thin legs, which add a certain je ne sais quoi to the whole piece.
Aviana Sectional
The curved back panel adds quasi-armrests to the Aviana.
The Aviana is a lot like the Laurent but with an obviously bigger footprint. I mean, the sofa itself is just larger. But whereas the Laurent felt conversation-focused to me, the Aviana felt much more lounge-y, even with the unconventional curved shape.
It’s because the seats are much deeper, which gives you that room to curl up, though I’d still classify the sit as on the firm side. Moreover, the back pillows are removable, so you can decide whether or not you’d like extra support, and I quite enjoyed how the back of the sofa curved around at either end to create quasi-armrests. Very chic.
Harris Sectional
The Harris is the quintessential family couch.
I knew just by looking at the Harris that it was going to be a great couch for a family. And look at that — I was right! This West Elm sofa has the size and footprint to work for a family. It looks big because it is big, a substantial option with substantial shape.
If it wasn’t obvious, I sat on a sectional, but West Elm offers loveseat and three-seat options, too. Of course, either of those would be inherently smaller, but I’d suspect both would still feel sizeable in their own ways.
One thing to note: the Harris sofa is already pretty firm — as in, possibly a 3 on my scale — and the sales associate told me it only gets firmer if you opt to add the queen-sized sleeper to the mix. That might not be a drawback to you, but I figured I’d mention it just in case.
Honorable Mentions
It might not be the fanciest of couches, but the use case for the mid-century modern Oliver is strong: it's (1) an affordable sofa, and (2) a great sofa for small spaces. At just 72" wide, you could certainly squeeze it into a few tight corners. Still, though, you can get three people to fit on here, no problem (trust me, I tried it). I'd describe the sit as medium-firm, bouncy, and comfortable, but I wouldn't describe this as a couch you could curl up on; it's on the upright side, no doubt. If you need something for a sitting room, office, or apartment where the most living room lounging you do is an hour or two of catch-up with a roommate, it's perfect. But if you're a cinephile who loves to host movie nights, I'd pass.
Style-wise, the mid-century look is hard to knock. It's enduring for a reason — it's so minimalist and functional that you almost can't go wrong. One living room idea? Place the Oliver in a room in need of a natural touch; the wooden legs should help. Or, if you need a sofa but can't afford more visual weight, the splayed legs lighten the couch's overall load.
Now, I should note — I did not get to try the Shelter Queen Sleeper. But all of my research tells me that it is one of the best sleeper sofas West Elm has to offer. For one, it's a known best-seller, but I have also spotted a few effusive editorial reviews online, evangelizing the Shelter's easy set-up, convenient size, and fair price (and there are frequent markdowns, too). West Elm describes the seat as a 2 on the plushness scale (where 5 is the firmest), but if I were you, I'd expect this to be even firmer than that; for obvious reasons, most sleeper sofas have a firmer sit.
Style-wise, the Shelter has a wrap-around, tuxedo-style silhouette, which really adds to the safe, cozy, bed-like feeling. Add in a performance fabric of your choice (I'd definitely suggest a performance fabric here, as that's going to be more durable under the stress of house guests), and you're set.
FAQs
Are West Elm Sofas Comfortable?
Comfort is, of course, subjective. So it's worth visiting your local West Elm showroom before buying online to get a sense of how the brand classifies firm versus plush. Figure out how that differs from your own understanding, then adjust West Elm's rating accordingly. You don't have to do this, but it will certainly pare back the likelihood of returns if you do.
Otherwise, my advice would be to assume West Elm sofas are firmer than they say they are. That is a frequent complaint I hear, that someone received their couch and it was firmer than expected. Now, you could mitigate this risk entirely by sitting on the sofa in the store. But, again, if that's not an option, tack some extra firmness onto West Elm's initial score. If you love a firm sofa, you're likely fine to begin with. But if you're looking for something plush and sink-in, take heed.
Looking for something a touch more affordable? We can definitely help. Next, try my five favorite couches from IKEA and see if anything there tickles your fancy.
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