The Best Modular Sofas, Because Sectionals Are Just Sexier

Feeling shameful of your sad, saggy sofa? We get you. We also understand that nice, adult furniture—no, not that kind of adult furniture—can cost a lot of our hard-earned Benjamins, and while we may have gotten our mattresses off of the floor and into a real bed frame, finding a couch that can impress mothers, lovers, and ornery ghosts is no small tall task. Luckily for you, we have nothing but time and an unhealthy obsession for pleasing our poltergeists, and we’ve Goldilocks’d enough couches in our life to understand that the most important elements of a sofa—from durable materials to timeless design—can still be found in couches and seating for under $1,000. And before you suggest a couch cover for that lumpy, ugly futon, be warned: One of our editors had such a couch cover in her last apartment, and it earned the nickname, “The Diaper.” It was not fun to make out on The Diaper. 

That’s where modular sofas come in to save the day and coddle your buns. Known as “modular” for their easy assembly and proclivity for arriving in buildable pieces, modular sofas are like the Build-A-Bear of the furniture world. They’re for people who want to make their railroad apartment look way bigger while investing in a velveteen, scratch-proof sofa that even Fluffy can’t annihilate; they’re large enough to fit a sleeping houseguest, sleek enough to look designer, and plush enough to make sure we’re ready to binge-watch 19 hours of Werner Herzog movies (it was a weird winter). 

Whether you’re looking for a two-seater loveseat, sectional, or couch worthy of your most epic 1970s conversation pit dreams, here are some of the best modula sofas that will stand the test of time (and that one friend who spills everything). 

We don’t know if Albany Park is a real park (Don’t spoil the magic) but if it’s anything like the website of the same name, it must be populated with beautiful modular couches. The Kova sofa in particular is worthy of its own Brave Little Toaster spin-off, because it’s super easy to assemble, small-space-friendly, comes in seven earthy colors, and ships under one business week—for free.  

If you're looking for more of a conversation-pit-style statement sofa, try the big, bodacious Kova Pit, which has enough space for your whole squad to stretch out and scream during the new season of Love Is Blind. No wonder it’s a favorite of VICE editor Hilary Pollack, whose dedicated review is filled with tons of helpful specs on the über comfy couch. As Pollack writes, “It's just as vibey, sprawling, and sink-in-able as I had always hoped.”

As one of the lines belonging to the design emporium that is Wayfair—which can do no wrong, in our books—AllModern’s reversible sofa and chaise is not only built to last, but sold at a far more affordable price than most of the velveteen mid-century style sofas you’ll find online, which can run thousands of dollars. The brand’s deep green sofa has handsome, round throw pillows and is $160 off.

We go to Amazon for the pickle-flavored cotton candy, but we stay for the impressive selection of some of the best modular sofas your clams can buy, such as this high-rated Honbay sofa that is perfect for a cuddle puddle, and has hidden storage. As one reviewer writes, “Having storage under each of the nine sections is fantastic. It is very easy to reconfigure. Actually it's ingenious.”

Next up, we have this Linsy Home modular sofa. The high-rated couch has over 300 reviews on Amazon praising everything from its sturdy frame to its comfortable cushions, and it comes in the kind of soothing blue colorway that will (mentally) whisk you away to a boathouse in the Hamptons.

Article has a huge selection of mid-century-modern-ish sofas to choose from, in a wide variety of fabrics and textiles. But if you're still feeling indecisive after checking out the three-seat Burrard or five-seat Timber, head over to the modular section of the site to design your own big or small couch that tickles your fancy perfectly and accommodates all your cats, Roku remotes, and empty bottles of pêt-nat. 

One of Article’s newest stars is the Leigh modular sofa, which is a very chic and affordable dupe for the coveted Restoration Hardware Cloud sofa. This three-seater is over 10 feet long, and comes upholstered with a high-performance, stain repellent fabric known as SimpleCare that will protect your precious couch from the perils of taco night.

One of our favorite pet-friendly furniture options is Burrow, because there’s such a vast range of fabrics and designs. Whether you’re looking for a durable loveseat, three-piece sectional lounger, or a leather, eight-seat corner sectional, all of Burrow’s couches prioritize quality materials that your cat can try (and fail) to ruthlessly claw, easy assembly, and free delivery, no matter the size of your order. 

“From mid-century modern to contemporary, our design language is intentionally universal,” says Castlery about its furniture, which pairs perfectly with our Noguchi lamps and Japandi decor. The brand’s five-star average rated, two-seater sofa is the perfect building block for a smaller space, and it’s on sale right now for $170 off its original price.“[It’s] exactly how we envisioned [it] to be when setting up our cozy corner,” writes one pleased customer. 

Design Within Reach is the world's largest emporium for all kinds of coveted furniture, lighting, and home decor brands, but especially pieces with mid-century modern design flair. Consider this comfy Quilton sofa from HAY, which is 30% off and nearly 13 feet long. Just imagine the cuddle puddle possibilities on this Danish throne…

Need a vintage Moroccan rug? A framed drawing of dancing, slightly menacing faeries? Head to 1stDibs, pal. We often spend hours drooling over the digital marketplace’s eclectic selection of vintage furniture and decor, but somehow, we always end up ogling the archival Togo sofas the most. Out of all the websites for copping these coveted 1970s thrones and their dupes, 1stDibs has the best range, from massive five-seaters to this small space-friendly version in the brand’s iconic Alcantara Eggshell colorway.

Well, well… look how has the honor of slinging Mario Bellini’s GOATed Camaleonda sofa. The modular throne first came out in 1972, and has since been immortalized in the halls of MoMA and various hot people’s Instagram posts alike. We’re forever grateful to Eternity Modern for relaunching the iconic sofa a few years ago, and will be pairing this earthy, velvet-nettle olive colorway with a sprawling monstera plant to curate a lush, retro ambiance in our apartment.

Perhaps best known for its signature chic, easy-to-assemble platform bed frame, Floyd also offers an interactive Build Your Own Sectional feature on its website that lets you choose the length, configuration, cushions, and color of your custom modular couch. Or, if you're not exactly a design whiz and your apartment's a wee bit shoeboxy, go for the Floyd Sofa, which is easy to assemble and disassemble and has an optional chaise for when you wanna put your feet up.

Yet another furniture company that can contend with the ruthless claws of our adorable pets, Interior Define did not come here to play. The brand has innovated 13 pet- and kid-friendly fabrics that include a special leather and velvet, and even its smaller couches and loveseats look like a million bucks. Once the tax refund hits, we’ll be bringing home this rust-colored sectional:

No one is asking, but we would totes swap our first-born for free rein on Kaiyo’s furniture selection. We wrote an honest review about second-hand and vintage furniture seller’s services ages ago, and loved everything from the prompt delivery time (you can select your delivery day and time), the cleanliness of each item, and the affordable white glove (meaning, a team delivers and installs your item themselves, so you don’t lift a finger) delivery fee which ranges from $19 to $49. If you love to zhuzh your home decor and have a vampire thirst for bargain hunting, this is a site to have open in your browser all the time—you never know what deals you’re going to find, such as this handsome modular sofa that is 83% off the original price. 

This elegant blue Burrow sofa is not only 43% off the retail price at Kaiyo, but it’s also the perfect size for the friend (or pet) who loves to crash on your couch.

Urban Outfitters has really amped up its home decor swag in recent years, and offers everything from retro mushroom lamps to postmodern wall shelves. The brand’s terracotta Corium modular couch is like the more affordable cousin of the Mario Bellini Camaleonda sofa. Plus, the the faux leather material makes it all the more stain-proof.

We are proud, eternal Wayfair devotees, because the retailer of home, kitchen, and design goods has just as many (if not more) highly aesthetic furniture pieces as fellow mega-retailer Amazon, from mid-century modern furniture to the brand’s minimalist-meets-industrial Steelside line, and it offers free shipping without any need for a subscription. Modular sofas such as the Teangela and Ossining (great future baby names for celebs) will make a statement on their own and look classy with a footstool, ottoman, or chic poof: 

No one knows the way to our design hearts quite like West Elm, from ficonstone indoor planters to those luxurious bedding bundles. The furniture and decor site consistently makes pieces that feel both trendy and timeless, and it's marshmallow-esque Remi sofa starts at $1,598, while the Harmony indoor sofa starts at around $749 and is made with extra-durable kiln-dried wood.  

Now go pour yourself a treat, and put your feet up for a while. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.