We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sofa at Anthropologie

A sofa is a major investment, so it makes sense that you might be more inclined to shop for a more neutral, versatile model that’s “safer” in design. But where’s the fun in that? A statement sofa with interesting design details and bold upholstery can make any space feel fresher — and just because it’s eye-catching doesn’t mean it won’t complement other furniture and decor.

If that sounds enticing, then we recommend starting your search at Anthropologie, which sells gorgeous custom sofas that you won’t find anywhere else. We sent two Apartment Therapy editors to an Anthropologie store in Manhattan as part of our Personal Shopper series, so they could get up close and personal with some of the brand’s bestselling couches. While they were there, they did the shopping for you and touched, lounged on, and examined six sofas. Check out all their notes below, and see which options we loved the most.

While Anthropologie might be better known for its clothing and decor, it’s actually one of the best places to buy eclectic furniture of all shapes and sizes. You can shop custom seating in rich colors and fabrics, as well as truly unique tables, shelves, and cabinets. Anthropologie sofas are made-to-order, and come with plenty of customizations — and all of them are designed with statement-making details, whether that’s a nontraditional silhouette or boldly patterned upholstery. This is a great retailer for maximalists, although you can certainly find more versatile options if that’s what you’re looking for.

We’ve been writing about Anthropologie for years; it’s one of our favorite places to buy gifts, decorative accents, and even glassware. It’s a designer favorite for a reason, and many of our editors have Anthropologie pieces in their own homes. While it is expensive, Anthropologie’s furniture in particular is made with high-quality materials that make it worth the higher price tag.

We judged every Anthropologie sofa based on the following criteria:

• Overall sit: What posture does the sofa best support? How deep or shallow are the seats? Are the cushions soft or firm on the back and arms?
• Seat firmness: How soft or firm are the seat cushions? How do they contribute to overall posture and comfort?
• Customizability: Does it come in different varieties? How many colors, finishes, materials, or sizes is it available in? How granular can you get when customizing the sofa?
• Multifunctionality: Does it have storage capacity? What else can the sofa do or help with?
• Sturdiness: Is the frame made from durable, high-quality materials? Does the sofa wobble or creak when you’re on it?
• Appearance: What style does it best suit? Does it lean more traditional (i.e., deep hues, busy details, flanged edges) or more contemporary (i.e., clean lines, low profiles, mid-century modern design elements)?

Each Anthropologie sofa was tested by Apartment Therapy editors Danielle Blundell and Emma Dangel. Danielle is the executive home director, and oversees all home decor and design content, including trends, small-space solutions, and shopping tips. She’s been with Apartment Therapy since 2019. Emma became the style editor in the summer of 2025, after spending a few years on the Apartment Therapy Marketing & Brand Partnerships team. She covers design news, decor how-tos, and product reviews.

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: Anthropologie’s popular Mina Sofa is a modern spin on a timeless silhouette. It combines elements of the Chesterfield style with a clean tuxedo profile. It features tufting along the back, boxy arms, and a structured construction that feels both classic and fresh. The cushions feel medium firm, and are built with sinuous spring coils encased in foam and a down blend for lasting support and quick bounce-back. 

It has a pretty deep seat, thanks to the lack of back cushions, which gives it a more tailored look — although we think adding some throw or bolster pillows would add extra comfort. If you plan to use this couch as your primary sofa, we definitely recommend adding pillows, but you could get away without them if you place the sofa in a more formal living space.

The Mina comes in six different fabrics and a variety of colors, including some really gorgeous, unusual hues like rose pink, marigold, and mulberry. The couch we saw in the store was upholstered in performance velvet in the Cyclone shade, a luxe smoky blue that feels soft and durable. We loved that the color is still versatile but just a little more interesting than a classic black or navy, and it looked especially sophisticated with the gold metal legs.

• Styles: Also available in leather, with a bench seat, and as sleeper sofa or chair
• Lengths: 79 and 94 inches
• Depth x Height: 36 x 30 inches
• Upholstery: Linen, chenille, and velvet
• Frame: Kiln-dried hardwood

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: Along with the Bowen Sofa, the Willoughby is Anthropologie’s most popular sofa style, which is no surprise considering its classic English roll arm silhouette. The model we saw in the store was upholstered in Sorrento Stripe, a cotton-blend fabric that gives off chic cottagecore vibes, but you can also buy it in a range of colors and materials to suit pretty much any style.

The Willoughby has an angled back and high seat, which allow for a supportive, upright sit that was more comfortable than we expected. The cushions are made with the same fill as the Mina’s (coils wrapped in foam and down blend), so they’re durable and feel bouncy. Also similar to the Mila, there are no back cushions, so we recommend adding throw pillows to make it feel cozier — especially because it has a particularly deep seat.

Sturdy wood legs with brass casters and a unique rounded shape add a polished touch to this couch, which we think is versatile enough to read casual or formal depending on the fabric, color, and space. Overall, it’s a charming and comfortable choice, and we’re impressed by the range of customizations available. 

• Styles: Also available in leather and as a 3-seater, sleeper sofa, or chair
• Lengths: 69, 79, and 89 inches
• Depth x Height: 43 x 33 inches
• Upholstery: Linen, velvet, wool, crosshatch weave, performance weave, striped cotton, Frederica velvet, House of Hackney velvet, bouclé, and jacquard
• Frame: Kiln-dried laminated hardwood

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: Anthropologie’s best-selling Bowen Sofa is one of the best leather sofas we’ve ever seen — and it’s Danielle’s favorite of the bunch! Available in either top-grain or full-grain leather (both of which are highly durable, although full-grain leather is considered the best), the Bowen will develop a rich patina over time, softening much like a beloved handbag. Scratches can be buffed out, which will give it some extra character with age, so active families with pets and kids don’t need to worry about damage.

It has the firmest and shallowest seat of all the sofas we tested, although we suspect the feel is due in part to the leather. We noticed that the cushions felt thinner than others, and had minimal bounce-back, but that contributed to the overall vintage-inspired look. One nice feature is that there’s paneling on the back, which makes it an excellent choice for a “floating” sofa that’s not placed against a wall. 

The Bowen has the perfect height and seat depth for Emma (who is 5’4”), and she was able to sit straight with her feet flat on the floor. It took a little effort to get up, though, as the cushions don’t really have a lot of bounce to them. We love the tall brass legs, which give it a more contemporary look, although we wish wood legs were an option too. There are tons of other customization choices, though — we particularly like the ruffle skirted style for a more cottagecore aesthetic.

• Styles: Also available in fabric and corduroy, with a ruffle skirt, and as a chaise sectional or chair
• Lengths: 71, 81, and 91 inches
• Depth x Height: 35 x 31 inches
• Upholstery: Top-grain leather and full-grain leather
• Frame: Kiln-dried laminated hardwood

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: The James has the deepest, softest seat of all the sofas we tested, and we think it’s ideal for lounging. Honestly, the depth is comparable to that of a twin-size bed, which makes it perfect for stretching out, napping, or watching Netflix — although it can be tricky to get up from, especially for shorter folks.

The feather-filled cushions are super cushy and cloud-like with minimal bounce-back, which does mean you may have to regularly rotate and fluff them to maintain their shape. While the arms themselves are pretty thin, you can use the included pillows to make them more supportive and comfortable to lean against. We’re also fans of the back cushions being taller than the frame, which makes it look even more inviting.

We saw this sofa upholstered in the same performance velvet fabric as the Mina, although the James was in the honey color (which the Anthropologie sales associate told us is one of the most popular choices). It feels super soft yet has a luxe appearance, and its durability is a great feature. The James is also modular in design, so it’s highly customizable in terms of configuration. Overall, its oversized build and comfortable design make it particularly suited to those who are looking for a deep, cozy couch that they can really sink into.

• Styles: Also available in leather and as a 3-seater, ottoman sectional, corner sectional, U-shaped sectional, and chair-and-a-half
• Length: 86 inches
• Depth x Height: 44 x 35 inches
• Upholstery: Linen, velvet, crosshatch weave, and performance weave
• Frame: Kiln-dried hardwood

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: The Selma is a true statement piece — especially if you purchase it in the François tapestry upholstery, which is what we viewed in-store. It’s truly stunning, and gives off a bold and kitschy vibe that’s perfect for maximalists. The look is complete with winged arms and bobbin-style legs — both of which add to the drama (even if you opt for a more neutral upholstery, it’ll still look like a showstopper).

It was a lot more comfortable than we expected, with a feather blend fill that felt surprisingly firm. The bench seat and back cushion seemed to hold their shapes well, although they didn’t bounce back as effectively as some of the other models we saw. The arms are definitely more decorative than supportive, but you can still lean back on them thanks to the included bolster pillows. 

The Selma has one of the shallowest seats we tested, which made it easy to get up from. Emma in particular didn’t mind the depth (she’s 5’4”), and felt comfortable leaning back thanks to the nice feel of the back cushion. In our opinion, though, this sofa is best as a secondary seat in a more formal living space, and not as the main couch in a more laidback lounging room.

• Lengths: 79 and 90 inches
• Depth x Height: 38 x 30 inches
• Upholstery: Linen, velvet, performance weave, and François tapestry upholstery
• Frame: Kiln-dried hardwood

Emma & Danielle’s thoughts: For a totally modular sofa, check out the Celine, a design-forward collection that’s endlessly customizable. The configuration we saw in-store consisted of an armless sofa connected to a curved seat, but there’s also an armed version available and plenty of other seat styles to build out your dream sectional with. It can even be configured in a double-sided setup that feels very ’70s-inspired.

We really loved the corduroy upholstery, which felt thick and soft and added to the chic vibes. If you go the corduroy route, you have two color choices: a gorgeous pinkish-beige or sky-blue corduroy. We love that both options are a bit unexpected, but if you want to keep it simple you can opt for more traditional fabrics and colors. Another great feature are the short wooden legs, which look so much nicer than the more common black plastic invisible legs.

The high-resiliency foam and fiber cushions are pretty firm, so you don’t sink in as much as you would with other sofas. That firmness plus the nontraditional shape make this sofa better as a statement piece versus a cozy lounging sofa — it’s definitely more for someone who prioritizes style over function, and the conversation pit-inspired look will work really well in a vintage-inspired space.

• Styles: Also available in fabric, velvet, and performance weave, and as an armed sofa, sectional, or chair
• Length: 69 inches
• Depth x Height: 38 x 32 inches
• Upholstery: Corduroy
• Frame: Pine wood