Shopping for a sofa that’s both stylish and comfortable isn’t easy. Shopping online for a sofa that’s both stylish and comfortable is even harder. Enter the Article Sven Sofa. After selecting a three-seater Sven Sofa in Birch Ivory from Article’s online showroom, we tested it in our home for a few weeks. It served as our apartment’s style anchor, a lounger for movie nights and morning cartoons, and extra seating and sleeping space for guests. Spoiler alert: We loved it. See why the brand has changed our minds about the unpredictable and expensive world of online furniture shopping.
Delivery and Setup: Almost too easy
Founded in 2013, Article is a direct-to-consumer online furniture store. This basically means the company’s goal is to cut out all the middlemen (retailers, showrooms, salespeople, etc.) and give you high-quality modern furniture straight from the manufacturer without markups. The whole process is simplified but, to our surprise, there is no sacrifice when it comes to style or service. About a week after selecting the Sven sofa from Article’s online shop (our choice, the fabric-upholstered Birch Ivory three-seater), we got a call from a local delivery service to schedule our home delivery. We chose a date and a three-hour time window that was about a week out from the call. On the delivery date, the sofa arrived within the time frame, and we received a courtesy call 30 minutes prior to its arrival. When the sofa did arrive, the delivery company was super kind and friendly and carried the sofa for us up to our second floor flat and into our living room. The sofa arrived in a giant box and was well protected. Unboxing our Sven Sofa was very easy, and since the sofa is almost ready right out of the box, there weren’t a lot of pieces or instructions to worry about. There was an assembly guide included, but all we had to do was screw in the legs by hand (four outer legs and one center support leg), unwrap the sofa, and add the cushions. The Sven sofa itself is surprisingly lightweight. It was and is easy for us, or even just me, to move it from room to room, re-adjust it, or add a rug underneath. The legs also have soft rubber pads included on the bottom to save our wood floor from scratches.
Design: Elevated, modern, mid-century
Browsing the sofa selections on Article’s website, we loved all the designs. The sofas and other items are elevated, modern, and look a lot like the expensive furniture at higher-priced retailers like West Elm, Pottery Barn, and CB2. Article specializes in Scandinavian style pieces, and with its crisp lines, tufted seat cushion, walnut legs, and matching round bolsters, the Sven Sofa is definitely mid-century modern. The shape and fabric of the sofa really add character and style to our living space. Also, after living with our Sven Sofa for a few weeks, we realized how versatile its aesthetic is. The color we chose is muted, but we found we could easily jazz it up with colorful accents. One feature we loved when choosing our sofa online was the “Article Social Club” and #OurArticle hashtag. The company also tags furniture by product name and style (ex. #SvenSofa). Using these online tools, we were able to browse tagged photos of the Sven sofa on Instagram in the colors we were considering. This helped us get an accurate idea of the upholstery color and style and imagine how the Sven would look in our home.
Seating: Deep and roomy
Understandably, we were pretty nervous about how comfortable the Sven Sofa would be to sit on. It was the first time we had ever purchased a sofa without sitting on it beforehand, and since my husband and I are both tall, it could have been a total disaster. Luckily, as advertised, the Sven Sofa is deep and comfortable without being too slouchy. The legs lift it off the ground just enough that it’s not too low, and the bolster pillows act as a buffer for the slightly hard, tall armrests. Aesthetically, the Sven has a low profile because the back cushions aren’t high, which is great for our small space. The Sven is also available in a two-and-a-half-seat option. We chose the three-seater sofa to give ourselves more room, and we’re glad we did. While three people could definitely fit on the sofa, the 88-inch length is best for two people when lounging or watching a movie. In our case, it’s the perfect size for two adults and a toddler.
Upholstery: Soft, durable, and versatile
The fabric color we chose (Birch Ivory) was accurately depicted on the website and in the brand’s social media photos. While we didn’t opt to do this, Article would have happily sent us fabric swatches ahead of ordering. The fabric itself is 73 percent polyester, 27 percent acrylic. What we love about the fabric of our sofa is that, for one, the texture hides general wear. Also, the color is trendy without being too much in a certain direction. We can see loving the color for years since we can easily dress it up or down or mix it with other colors. The Sven is also available in leather and velvet, and there is a variety of color options for each material. A couple of editors for The Spruce own it in leather and love that it feels soft and supple, not stiff or sticky. And after years of use, the finish still looks beautifully rich. Any scratches or spills have faded and blended nicely, only adding to its character.
Comfort: Like Goldilocks—just right
We really love how comfortable our Sven Sofa is. As soon as we pulled this sofa out of the box and sat down, we felt like staying on it for the rest of the evening. We specifically love the combination of one long firm bottom cushion and softer back pillows. The cushions are filled with a combination of high-density foam, polyester, and duck feathers, and the seat cushions sit on Pirelli webbing, which offers a good amount of give and support. We noticed that the back cushions were much softer and more malleable than the base cushion and had to fluff them often so they would keep their shape. We also loved that we could easily use this sofa as a guest bed by removing the bolster and back cushions (which are loose). Our guest had no complaints and said sleeping on the sofa was “supportive and firm but with enough give, much like a memory foam mattress.”
Helpful Features: Generous return policy
Article has an awesome 30-day satisfaction guarantee return policy. You have 30 days to try the product, and if you aren’t happy with it, they will refund you. For us, this made the risks of buying a sofa sight unseen a lot less of a barrier and is one of the reasons we would happily purchase furniture again from the brand.
Cleaning: Regular vacuuming and dry cleaning
The biggest downfall of the Sven sofa in the fabric we chose is that, according to the website, it is dry clean only. We definitely thought this would be more of an issue, but we found the fabric pretty stain-resistant. Also, after spilling coffee on one of the armrests, we discovered the brand’s suggestion for minor spills on fabric: Soak up the liquid with a towel, dry the stain with a blow dryer, and, if needed, use the suds from mixing dishwashing detergent and water to clean the stain. For general maintenance, Article’s blog also recommends using your vacuum’s fabric attachment (the one with soft bristles around the suction area) or even a lint roller to loosen dirt and debris like pet hair. The Article website also suggests not placing your sofa in direct sunlight to avoid fading. For the leather-upholstered sofas, the company recommends conditioning with Otter Wax Leather Oil.
Price: Below retail
Though it varies depending on the material and size selected, the price of the Sven sofa is right around $1,000 dollars, which is mid-range for a three-seater sofa in a modern style. You would certainly pay a lot more at a traditional furniture store, but you could possibly find a cheaper sofa at a discount store—although it wouldn’t look as pretty as the Sven does. Given the return policy, the excellent customer service, and the elevated style of this sofa, it is definitely worth the cost. Also, Article offers affordable and quick flat rate shipping, which could cost you hundreds of dollars at another retailer.
Article Sven Sofa vs. Joybird Briar Sofa
Much like the Sven Sofa from Article, Joybird’s Briar Sofa has a tufted seat cushion, bolster pillows, and a classic mid-century style frame. Both sofas have screw-on solid wood legs and similar dimensions. Unlike Article, though, Joybird offers more color options and boasts a 365-day home trial and a limited lifetime warranty. But the Briar will cost you: It’s more expensive than the Sven and will take longer to ship out. Also, the Joybird Briar sofa’s cushions are filled with high-density foam, whereas the Article Sven Sofa cushions also have down filling, which makes them more comfortable. Considering both of these sofas are comparable in style, you could go for the Joybird if looks are your only priority. If it’s comfort and quality you’re after, we would, without a doubt, recommend the Article Sven Sofa. The Sven Sofa is perfect for any space in your home and is as comfortable as any sofa you’ve owned (maybe more so). The cushions are soft yet firm, and the length is great if you need to use it as a guest bed. For the price, this sofa is high on style and quality and will arrive without hassle.
