Upholstery fabrics sometimes share a rub-count rating, which indicates their longevity. The cheapest fabrics are generally more susceptible to stretching and staining. Retailers offer a wide range of upholstery fabrics at different prices. She also said assembly was easy and that the components were light enough for her to handle alone. And she reports that its cushions look plump, unfaded, and virtually like new, even without washing the upholstery or flipping the cushions (but with regular vacuuming). Our outside tester, a dog-owning friend of one of this guide’s authors, has had the three-seater in indigo velvet for two years. At time of writing, Sabai offers a limited selection of stain-resistant, spot-cleanable saturated colors in two fabrics (five colors each), made with Global Recycle Standard–certified recycled synthetic fibers (a polyester weave and a velvet) the company says it’s exploring natural fiber options. Seat cushions are made from high-resiliency foam, and pillows use 100% recycled fiber fill. The frame uses FSC-certified wood and domestically sourced maple and jute webbing suspension, and it is assembled in North Carolina.

What we liked: Founded in 2019, Sabai is still a relative newcomer, yet it has already redesigned its sofa with an eye toward end-of-life disassembly and recycling, removing glues, unnecessary plastic, and redundant materials.

The Sectional uses a flat-spring suspension that should provide more springiness (again, we haven’t tested it yet). This means that The Sofa lacks bounce, despite its cushy appearance. Unlike many sofas, The Sofa has no suspension the double-foam seat cushions simply rest on a thinly padded plywood base. And we’re confident about the frame’s construction, which blends steel with birch plywood and steel legs. We've been testing The Sofa (in its three-seater-with-chaise configuration) for more than three years, using it daily. We haven’t tested The Sectional or The Sink Down yet, but we hope to do so in the future. The three styles are: The Sofa (which blends a wood frame with a plush, pillowy look), The Form Sectional (which is sleek and modern), and The Sink Down Sectional each is available starting in a two-seater size up through sectional sizes. But Floyd is a solid stop for those who want a modular sofa with modern styling, priced around $1,400 to $3,300 for three-seater sizes. What we liked: Floyd sells just three sofa styles, so it’s not the first place to go if you want to browse a lot of looks. However, when our 5-foot-4 tester was seated “normally,” facing forward, it felt almost too deep taller folks may find it to be just right. With a seat depth of 2 feet, the Sven can comfortably accommodate cross-legged and side-lounging positions. The green velvet has a sumptuous, mossy richness to it and is soft to the touch, and the seat cushion feels medium-firm. We found these sofas generous to sit in, and our testers thought they had a decent, albeit firm, “ride.” We’ve been testing the Sven Lounge Chair in velvet for a few years of daily use (it has quickly become a living room favorite). And we’ve found both to be comfortable and well constructed, with high-density foam cushions, webbing suspensions (which we discuss in this section), and solid walnut or oak bases. We’ve tested Article’s Ceni Sofa and the Sven Lounge Chair (an armchair version of the Sven Sofa). What we liked: Article offers a range of sofa types-including loveseats, sectionals, and sleeper sofas-in modern and trendy styles.

Crate and barrel outlet sofa