Our sofa is from Crate & Barrel. We got it secondhand from a relative who had it close to ten years, and we have had it for three more. You can’t really say no when you don’t have a proper sofa and someone offers to give one to you, especially something from Crate & Barrel.

It’s still really comfortable to sit on. You sink in it, and I really like that feeling, especially after a long day.

Sadly, after having it for three years and going through the newborn phase where we had to lull our baby to sleep all the time, some of the springs in the seat are already giving out. My wife did call me out asking me why I was bouncing our daughter on the sofa, instead of the birthing/yoga ball that seemed designed specifically for that purpose. I shrugged and said my brain is fried due to lack of sleep.

Last weekend I went to the green market at Union Square and thought it was a good time to check out the Crate and Barrel store a couple of blocks away. I tried on some sofas to see how they compare with what we currently have.

When shopping for a sofa, I check the brand and make sure it’s trustworthy. I read owner reviews. I look at the fabric and pick all-natural or mostly natural fibers.

It’s a sofa and I know I’ll be keeping it for a long time, so it has to fit in the space and the vibe. Keeping one that long is why I read what owners say, the glowing and the grumpy, before I’d spend a dollar. For these two brands, here’s where I’d put my money.

Jump to a section

• Is CB2 part of Crate & Barrel?
• CB2 Berkeley vs Crate & Barrel Lounge, side by side
• Which is more comfortable, CB2 or Crate & Barrel?
• Is Crate & Barrel better made than CB2?
• Fabric choices, and the ones that show marks
• Which costs less, CB2 or Crate & Barrel?
• Delivery, returns and warranty at CB2 and Crate & Barrel
• What owners wish they’d known
• Should you buy CB2 or Crate & Barrel?
• Questions people ask

Best for most people, a sofa to sink intoCrate & Barrel Lounge 93″ Sofa

Best for: families, and smaller rooms in the Regular depth.

If you want a sofa to sink into at the end of the day, this is the one I’d start with. The seat is built to hold you up while the soft back cushions let you settle in.

It comes in three depths, and this is the Regular. The Classic is shallower and a little higher, so it’s easier to get up from, and the Deep is made for stretching out.

Shoppers say it’s durable and easy to keep clean, too, and with a kid at home, I love hearing that.

Specs93 W x 41 D x 37 H in

Size

93 W x 41 D x 37 H in

Seat

83 W x 24 D x 18 H in

Arm height

25 in

Legs

1.5 in

Diagonal depth

48 in

Frame

Hardwood

Spring base

Flexolator

Seat cushions

Foam wrapped in fiber and feather-down

Back cushions

Fiber and down

Fabrics

234

Origin

“Made in USA of Domestic and Imported Materials”

Best for a firm, formal sofaCB2 Berkeley 92″ Sofa

Best for: a loft, and a living room that’s more for talking than napping.

If you’d rather sit up on something firm than sink in, this is your sofa, and it’s more for grown-ups than teenagers. And that jade velvet is gorgeous.

Specs92 W x 42 D x 30 H in

Size

92 W x 42 D x 30 H in

Weighs

155.48 lb

Frame

Solid hardwood, hand-assembled in North Carolina

Spring base

Flexolator

Cushions

High-density foam wrapped in feathers and down

Legs

Removable

Fabric

Performance velvet

Fabrics

85

Sizes

78, 92 and 106 in, and a 91 in sleeper

Origin

“Made in USA of Domestic and Imported Materials”

Is CB2 part of Crate & Barrel?

Yes. One company runs both.

The delivery fees and the 30-day return window are the same on both sites, and a CB2 gift card works at Crate & Barrel too (handy if one shows up as a housewarming gift).

CB2 Berkeley vs Crate & Barrel Lounge, side by side

The Berkeley’s back is 7 inches lower and its seat is firmer, while the Lounge is the soft one you sink into.

Which is more comfortable, CB2 or Crate & Barrel?

Crate & Barrel’s Lounge, if comfortable means sinking in. CB2’s Berkeley, Curvo and Fitz sit firm and upright, which suits a room where you talk, read or work more than you nap.

I’m a sink-in person myself, but firm has real fans, and it’s lovely if you eat or work on a laptop on the sofa. And if your sofa is where you nap, meet the Gather Deep.

Best for stretching out on a deep seatCrate & Barrel Gather Deep Sofa 89″

Best for: an apartment, and a small room that still needs a deep seat.

The seat runs 28 inches deep, room enough to stretch out on. Every arm style but the track arm adds width, up to 97 inches with the wide arm, so on a tight wall I’d stick with the track arm.

A sofa you can really nap on? I’m all for it.

Specs89 W x 43 D x 36 H in

Size

89 W x 43 D x 36 H in

Seat

81 W x 28 D x 19 H in

Arm height

26 in

Diagonal depth

49 in

Width, wide arm

97 in

Frame

Engineered hardwood

Springs

Wire

Back cushions

Fiber

Fabrics

250

Origin

“Made in USA of Domestic and Imported Materials”

Best for a curved, sculptural sofaCB2 Curvo 96.5″ Sofa by goop

Best for: an alcove, a narrow room, or anyone who wants a sofa that looks like a piece of art.

If you’ve got an alcove or a narrow spot where a boxy sofa looks wrong, the curve is what you’re paying for here.

Its seat sits 2.5 inches lower than the Lounge’s, so if anyone in your house needs a hand getting up, the Lounge is the kinder choice. For a sofa you mostly sit up on and admire, though, it’s a beauty.

Specs96.5 W x 47.5 D x 31.75 H in

Size

96.5 W x 47.5 D x 31.75 H in

Seat

80.5 W x 28 D x 15.5 H in

Legs

7 in, stainless steel, champagne finish

Weighs

100 lb

Frame

Engineered wood

Springs

Wire

Fabric

Poly-cotton performance

Fabrics

31

Origin

“Made in Multiple Countries”

Is Crate & Barrel better made than CB2?

Not across the board. Both brands sell sofas with hardwood frames and with engineered wood frames.

The Lounge and the Berkeley have hardwood frames, and the Gather and the Curvo engineered ones, so the brand name won’t tell you which you’re getting (I wish it were that simple).

Fabric choices, and the ones that show marks

Crate & Barrel gives you far more to choose from, 234 fabrics on the Lounge against 85 on the Berkeley. CB2’s velvets and whites are the ones that show marks.

White performance fabric can stain, and CB2’s white Camden can turn yellow after a year or two of use. On the Gather, some fabrics pill, and even plain water can leave a stain.

Velvet shows where you sat, and on the Fitz, one owner warns that “the outline of the pant pockets will be etched on the material.” The Curvo’s camel velvet doesn’t clean up well with dogs around, so if you have a dog, I’d skip velvet altogether.

Which costs less, CB2 or Crate & Barrel?

At 92 to 93 inches, Crate & Barrel’s Lounge costs less than CB2’s Berkeley.

Crate & Barrel matches a lower price on the identical item elsewhere, and both give you a one-time price adjustment if the price drops within 7 days of delivery. That takes the sting out of a sale that starts the week your sofa arrives.

Delivery, returns and warranty at CB2 and Crate & Barrel

Nearly the same at both. A flat fee brings the sofa into your room, you get 30 days to send back a sofa in a Stocked fabric, and custom fabric can’t go back.

Two people carry the sofa into the room you choose, set it up and take the packaging away, for $289 if you’re within 100 miles of a shipping point and $399 beyond that. Inside 100 miles, that’s $10 less than the $299 it costs to have it left at the door. An in-stock sofa usually arrives within 7 to 14 business days.

If there’s any chance you’ll send it back, I’d pick a fabric under the “Stocked” heading in the fabric chooser, since everything under Custom is made to order. A return isn’t free. You lose the delivery fee and pay to ship it back.

CB2 wants to hear from you within 7 days of delivery if you’re returning a stock sofa. At Crate & Barrel, if the crew put it together in your home, you don’t have to take it apart to send it back.

It’s worth asking what’s covered before you order. I couldn’t find a sofa warranty on either site, and I looked hard.

What owners wish they’d known

Expect a stray feather now and then, plan on the cushions softening, and check every cushion before the delivery crew leaves.

Cushions soften with use at both brands. The Lounge’s and the Gather’s seats can sink within a year or two, and the Berkeley’s can lose their shape, so I’d rotate them now and then on any of these. A cushion sometimes arrives damaged, even gouged, and that’s far easier to sort out while the crew is still at your door.

The Lounge’s cushions can let feathers poke through and work their way out, and the Berkeley’s are wrapped in feathers and down too. If that would drive you crazy, the Gather has no feathers at all, just springs, foam and fiber.

Should you buy CB2 or Crate & Barrel?

Crate & Barrel’s Lounge for most people. CB2’s Berkeley or Curvo if you want a firm, sculptural sofa in a room where you sit up.

• Buy the Lounge 93″ to sink in, with your pick of seat depth and fabric.
• Buy the Gather Deep if you lie down or nap on your sofa.
• Buy the Berkeley if you want a firm, formal sofa with a low back.
• Buy the Curvo for a curve, if you’re happy sitting up with pillows behind you.

If you’re still working out how big a sofa your wall can take, the guide to the right size couch for your living room walks through it. For more sofa comparisons, there’s Castlery vs West Elm, the Castlery reviews and, for an affordable alternative to both brands, the Wade Logan Azriah sofa review.

Whichever you pick, here’s to a sofa you still love ten years from now.

Questions people ask

Read how I check numbers.