My Honest Thoughts After Testing King Living's Best Sofas — These Are the Styles I'd Definitely Consider Buying

King Living is a household name in Australia. Growing up there, my family had a sofa from the brand, and so did all my friends' parents. It has such a reputation that when my partner and I first moved into our own flat, we found a King Living sofa on Facebook Marketplace for just $300, and bought it without ever sitting on it — we knew it would be good. (And, yes, it was.)

I've since moved to the UK, but thankfully, so has the popular sofa brand. So far, there are three London showrooms: in Westfield, Kingston upon Thames, and on Tottenham Court Road, where I recently visited to see (and sit on) some of the best-selling and newer King Living sofas.

So, what do you need to know about the brand? The TLDR is that it owns its own factories in Australia, China, and Thailand, which reduces costs and means you can get almost everything replaced — even very small, specific parts. It also means customization options are fairly limitless. That said, most sofas are already modular and come in multiple configurations (and many are also sofa beds, too).

Its Australian heritage has heavily influenced the colorways; you'll see lots of sandy beiges and earthy greens inspired by the outback, but there are hundreds (no exaggeration) of other options available, too, and most feature a convenient zip-and-velcro system that makes changing (and washing) the sofa covers very, very easy.

And while the brand told me that the best-selling King Living sofa styles are the Jasper, the 1977, the Zaza, and the Delta (an original, unchanged design from the 90s), below, I've pulled my personal favorites that I think feel particularly design-y, have particularly innovative features, or would work best in tighter British homes.

1977

I've had my eye on King Living's 1977 Sofa ever since I was invited to an event to celebrate its relaunch in Sydney back in 2023. It was styled with each modular section in a different fabric, which was super cool, and I liked how it was comfortable yet firm and didn't slump or slouch. If you're a fan of Ligne Roset's Togo Sofa, you'll like this one. That said, it's slightly higher off the ground, which is a strong selling point.

Being modular, you can build a few different configurations, and it's available in a number of machine-washable covers (but not King Living's full fabric archive), including textured chenille, bouclé, quilted fabrics, and the iconic furry 'Yowie'.

Unlike a lot of King Living's other sofas, this one can't fold back into a sofa bed and doesn't have any hidden tricks — what you see is largely what you get, but that's not a bad thing by any means. It's a very stylish sofa. I personally know a few people who own it and love it, and when I first discovered how affordable it was, if I hadn't already owned a sofa, King Living's 1977 would be sitting in my own living room.

If you like the look but want more support, King Living's 1978 Sofa is the same, but with a higher back.

Haven

Haven is one of the newer King Living sofa designs, and it immediately caught my attention when I saw it in this lustrous green fabric with its sculptural flared arms. Well, I quickly discovered that those flared arms move in and out, while the backrest can be raised and lowered (forget what you thought you knew about reclining sofas).

It's also very easy to adjust — just a push-and-pull situation — rather than having to deal with any complicated mechanisms or levers, which I love. It's as if, when you stretch, the sofa could actually stretch with you. Plus, it just looks more comfortable when the armrests are 'squished' like that.

Comfort-wise, it was medium-soft with super deep seats. It's squishy without being hard to get out of, and the seat cushions didn't feel like they'd require constant plumping; there was no indent left when I stood up. That said, you can choose between 'Premium Soft' and 'Premium Firm' cushions. And I particularly liked the configuration with the keystone chaise that felt like quite a unique shape, which gave it a bit of interest without being trendy.

Fleur

I'm a sucker for a clever couch — one that looks really good but is also comfortable (not always a common combination). Well, once I saw that you can flip the backrest on King Living's Fleur Sofa for added neck support, I was sold. Typically, this requires either a bulky backrest or additional bolsters, but with Fleur, it feels seamless. I guess because ultimately it is. Looking at it in the showroom, I never would have known it was designed to do this.

Style-wise, the Fleur doesn't scream 'jump-on-me'. It's curvaceous, but at the same time somewhat angled, and certainly on the firmer side of things. But it makes you feel supported while sitting on it. Plus, its ever-so-subtle flared arms maximize the sitting space — an important factor for smaller homes.

Once again, you can upholster it in almost too many options, but the style shown in the showroom (the Amalfi Blush, an additional £900) was a beautiful textural weave that feels way more timeless than bouclé, and colored without being solid (if that makes sense?)

Delta Coast

It's an Australian brand, so I knew eventually I was going to be pulled towards a more coastal-style sofa, and it eventually came in the form of King Living's Delta Coast. Depending on your taste, I like that you can choose between piped or taped cushions — which either ramp up that coastal look or pull it back.

This was by far the comfiest King Living sofa I sat on, particularly if you're someone who wants that squishy, sink-in feeling. However, the cushions are deep, and even the sofa itself is quite large and boxy, so you'd need a big room to fit it. (Though it wasn't as big as the Jasper sofa.)

I wasn't overwhelmed by the woven gray upholstery on display in the showroom, but seeing it online in a cream fabric feels way fresher; once again, there are hundreds of fabrics to choose from.

But the thing that really impressed me about this sofa was seeing it fold back into a sofa bed — perhaps the most enticing I've ever seen, and certainly no need for a mattress topper. Apart from that, there are more than a few other configurations you can contort this sofa into, so no matter your space, I think you'd be able to find one that fits.

Plateau Outdoor

I don't know why I was so surprised to see King Living's outdoor seating range in the showroom — it is an Australian brand after all. And while the 1977 Outdoor Sofa was a standout (it looked exactly the same as the indoor version, but with a special drain-through foam, among other tweaks), my pick is the Plateau Outdoor Sofa.

Part-sofa, part-bench; it's just how multifunctional this design was that impressed me the most. The shape is timeless, and the cushions were weighted enough that you could comfortably rest against them (they had a grip underneath to help hold them in place), but light enough that you could still move them around to position them however you want — even under the platform at one end to transform the piece into a daybed. There are even configurations available with built-in side tables, depending on the size of your space.

Available in a range of different fabrics, I saw the Cascade Vista in the showroom (which is an additional £300), but it was really pretty (patterned without being too much), and surprisingly soft to the touch, unlike a lot of outdoor fabrics. You can also customize the color of the powder-coated frame, too.

FAQs

Are King Living Sofas Good Quality?

The team in the showroom was quick to tell me that King Living sofas are all made with engineered steel frames, rather than more traditional timber framing — as such, they're typically more durable than your average sofa. The steel frame is backed by a 25-year warranty, too.

"Our Postureflex® Seating System is another key part of the construction," adds Chris Cooke, head of design at King Living. "It works with the frame to help maintain comfort, support, and appearance over time. Our sofas also feature removable covers, so they can be cleaned, refreshed, or replaced, helping extend the life of the piece."

So yes, I'd say King Living sofas are good quality.

Are King Living Sofas Customizable?

I think one of the biggest selling points of King Living's sofa range is just how customizable it is. For one, there's the choice of upholstery to consider, with hundreds of options for fabrics, leathers, and finishes to choose from. Even the outdoor sofas have a range of different fabrics, including bouclé.

Covers can also be removed or replaced, "which means the sofa can be refreshed with a new fabric or leather rather than replaced entirely," says Chris.

Plus, many of King Living's sofas are modular, "so customers can create a layout that works for their space and adapt it over time if their needs change," says Chris.

While you're on the hunt for your new piece, John Lewis' sofa range is trusted for good reason, and Livingetc's editor, Hugh Metcalf, recently went in-store to sit (and rate) most of them for himself. He's also tested Cozmo's sofas and says he fell for the brand's comfort and charm.

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