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Couch purchasing used to mean a marathon of trips to your local furniture stores, choosing from the limited brands, colors, and styles they’ve chosen to stock. The vibe was always off—an eager salesperson follows you around, too hungry for commission. Prices are often opaque with add-on fees and upselling at the register. Oh, did you want that couch delivered to your home? Instead of sitting in a warehouse three states away? That will, unfortunately, cost extra.
When I got the opportunity to try a couch from Cozey, I was immediately sucked into a nearly overwhelming amount of customization options. Fabric, color, layout, sleeper, storage, arm height—and that’s all after you pick the style.
I was torn between the Gaia–an on-trend, pillowy couch that’s a passable dupe for the internet-viral Restoration Hardware Cloud Couch, and the Atmosphere–angular and modern with options for storage. I chose the Atmosphere in Tangerine Performance Fabric (I have a dog, remember?); one of the benefits of the endless customization is the ability to pick colors you’d never find in a Raymour & Flannigan. Then storage (yes, please), arm height (high, but you can also choose low or even armless), configuration (L-shaped for me), chaises (pass), ottomans (always), and pillows (pass, we have pillows at home).
The Atmosphere, like many of Cozey’s items, features removable and washable covers. Not just for the sofa cushions, but for the entire sofa. This also means that you can change the color of your couch without replacing it, which is especially helpful when you’re taking a swing at a bold hue.
My couch arrived in an astonishing 13 boxes—individual boxes for each seat, arm, and backrest. The downside? Lots of packaging, though I was pleased by the scant amount of plastic or styrofoam involved. The upside? No need to confine yourself to your home for a six-hour delivery window that will be completely ignored anyway.
The hardest part of the tool-free assembly was putting the couch covers on, which I found to be a two-person job. The covers are clearly labeled, as are the couch pieces, but getting the cover on tightly involves a lot of fingertip strength. You have to pull pretty hard to get the Velcro aligned, all while it scrapes at the backs of your fingers. Putting in the effort to get the covers on straight and tight pays off—after a week of use, there are no signs of sagging or shifting. No one would guess this isn’t a traditionally upholstered couch.
After you’ve got all the covers on, the seats, backs, and arms slot into each other with pre-installed brackets. The resulting couch sections are loosely locked together with plastic loops. The finished couch is shockingly sturdy–each seat is heavy enough that there’s no shifting despite the couch’s modular nature.
Cozey Atmosphere SofaSpeaking of that modularity, I ordered a left-side L, but meant to order a right-side L. Luckily, I could switch the extra seat to either side. Ultimately, I decided I had seriously overestimated how much couch would fit into my tiny living room. No biggie–we pared back to a three-seater couch and tucked the extra seat into a corner of our bedroom. If we didn’t have space for that seat, we could have easily broken it back down and stored it.
The final test: is it comfortable? A resounding yes, and this is from someone who has a near Goldilocks-level of pickiness with couches. Overfilled, plush couches are too soft. Angular, mid-century modern couches are too firm. The Atmosphere is supportive, but adaptive. I’m heavy and was worried I’d have to move gingerly, but I’m no longer concerned.
The seats are really deep, which is great for people like me who can’t sit with both feet on the ground to save their lives. The arms and backrest are square and wide, perfect for resting a book, phone, or plate of cheese (no judgment) on. And the storage is such a nice touch; three baskets of blankets have now been tucked away, plus some lap desks and a foot massager.
I don’t know that getting the covers on and off was easy enough that I’ll be washing these weekly, but it’s good to know that I won’t have to cry over spilled milk (or, more likely, coffee). It also gives peace of mind to know that if there is any damage, it’s easy to replace a single piece or cover. Ordering a la carte pieces also means I can change the size and layout of my couch as needed, too.
I’d recommend this for anyone with growing, changing, or messy lifestyles (could be kids, grandkids, pets, or eating in front of the TV). Me? I don’t know that I’ll ever step foot in a furniture store again.
The post Scouted: This Couch Is Washable, Swappable, Customizable—but Is It Comfortable? appeared first on The Daily Beast.
