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Reviewer: Audrey Lee, commerce editor
Model tested: Sven Sectional in leather
The details: Article’s been in the direct-to-consumer furniture business since 2013 with the goal of making high-quality pieces accessible to customers at affordable price points. In fact, it’d be easy to outfit your entire home in the brand’s stylishly-designed furniture and home decor options—from sofas to lounge chairs, full dining sets, bedroom furnishings, and more. The only catch? Unlike traditional retailers, the Canadian brand’s offerings are only available to shop online, meaning no showrooms or storefronts to assess options in-person before you buy.
Ordering process
Price: How much does it cost? Are there payment plans available?
Fabric upholstered Sven sectionals start at $2,299 while leather will run you $3,499 (non-sectional Svens starts at $1,299 for fabric options, and $2,099 for leather). Three, six, and twelve-month payment plans are available for all products through Affirm with varying interest rates.
What are the upholstery or customization options? Did you choose any?
The Sven is the brand’s most popular sofa—and it’s no surprise why. The classic silhouette is available in a wide range of colors and materials like fabric, leather, or velvet upholstery with or without a chaise sectional. Since I’ve always loved the look of a really worn-in leather couch (my Pinterest doesn’t lie!), I opted for the right side Sven sectional upholstered in navy blue leather.
What is the lead time for customization, manufacturing, and delivery?
Coordinating furniture delivery can be a hassle but Article takes as much of the guesswork out of the process as possible by using your zip code to estimate delivery date ranges for all its inventory. As a general rule of thumb, most in-stock orders are available to be shipped to your home in two weeks or less.
Couch delivery + assembly
What was the delivery process like?
Before my Article sofa arrived, I was contacted by the team via email to schedule a delivery date and time window. On the actual delivery day, the Article team called 30 minutes in advance of their arrival time to alert me they were on their way. In the interests of staying COVID-safe, I had the leather sofa delivered to my doorstep using contactless delivery, which Article offers for a flat rate of $49 on orders below $999 and comes free with orders over $999. If you live alone or you’re worried about carrying heavy weights, for $99, the brand offers in-room delivery to have your boxes brought to whatever room you’d like. In-room delivery and assembly is also available for $169, in which case the delivery team will bring the Article furniture into your home and assemble it on the spot.
What was the assembly process like? How long did it take and how many people?
The sectional sofa came disassembled in one large box (measuring 35 inches high, 50 inches wide, and 80 inches long). Inside, everything was neatly packed like a jigsaw puzzle—including a right arm-facing sectional chaise, a left arm-facing loveseat, two tufted leather seat cushions, three back cushions, and two round bolsters to accessorize each arm rest. I took each item into my home piece by piece (with help from a strong friend for the two large frame pieces), which was definitely the hardest part of the process because assembly was as simple as screwing on the solid wood legs (stored in handy zipper pockets underneath each frame piece), snapping the chaise and loveseat together, and putting the cushions in place.
Although the Article sofa comes with instructions (which can also easily be found on the website) everything was straight forward enough that I didn’t even glance at them during the whole process (which took under 30 minutes). If, like me, this is your first time ordering a piece of furniture online, don’t fret. Article offers a 30-day return policy from the date of your delivery, with a $49 return shipping fee ($19 for some smaller items) and a one-year warranty for item defects.
After installation
What are the dimensions? How does it fit in your space? Would it be better suited for a different type of home?
The Sven sofa is 34 inches tall and 100 inches wide while the chaise itself is 67 inches long and the loveseat sofa cushion is 37 inches deep. I have four members in my family of varying heights (from 5'1 to 6'1), so it’s important to have ample space to accommodate everyone. I’d say the Sven sectional is an excellent choice for a family or household of three that can fit maybe four adults at max thanks to the added section. Article also provides exact measurements for all its products and recommends measuring your space beforehand to ensure a proper fit. In my opinion, a sectional is always a good choice for an open floor plan (which is the case with my home) and even in a studio if you’re trying to create the illusion of separate regions for a living room, dining area, etc.
Sit test: Is it comfortable? Does it feel well made? Does the couch have a tendency to sag?
Though I chose the couch more for the look of it than the actual comfort, I’m pleasantly surprised with how lovely it is to sit in. It’s not particularly deep seated, and since leather—especially new leather—is a bit stiff, you definitely won’t get a sunken or sagging effect for a while. Unlike some leather couches, the tufted seats on the Sven ensure that you won’t slip around or have to adjust yourself to get comfy, and thanks to a generous fill of accommodating high density foam and polyester, the back cushions are firmly plush and have a tendency to retain their shape.
Lay test: Is it comfortable? Does it feel well made? Does the couch have a tendency to sag?
I’m on the petite side (about 5'1), and find I have more than enough room to sprawl out on both the loveseat or chaise section of the sofa (my dad who’s 6'1 also finds it comfy). However, because everything from the material to the fill is on the firmer side, I don’t see myself taking any luxurious naps or using it as a makeshift bed anytime soon. That said, it’s still definitely an ideal sofa for lounging about while reading or watching TV.
Is the sectional suitable for particular decor styles and, if so, which?
From the get-go, I was drawn to this couch for the look of it. I’ve always loved the patina of a distressed, lived-in leather couch, and I can tell this one will age beautifully. The leather is good quality while the navy blue is a bit more interesting than black but still versatile enough to match with other neutral colors. Its classic design mimics the silhouette of midcentury-modern furniture so it can blend in with both modern decor styles but also any vintage or more eclectic aesthetics as well.
Is it durable/practical in a modern home? Is the couch kid- and/or dog-friendly?
This sofa is definitely one of those furniture pieces that will just get better with age. The leather feels soft but still extremely durable so I don’t feel like I have to be too delicate, and it’ll still last a long time. As odd as it might sound, I’m even fairly excited for it to get substantially worn down to achieve that super lived-in look and feel I mentioned before.
There are no pets or young children in my house, but I think the material would fare pretty well because of how durable the leather feels (though you might find it bothersome to clean pet hair and dust out of the tufted regions of the seat cushions). It definitely seems like a sofa that can take some light scratching and with no sharp edges, ideal to have if you do have young kids or finicky pets.
What are the care and cleaning instructions? Do you think stains could be easily removed?
In terms of keeping everything clean, Article suggests wiping stains with a soft cloth and fluffing cushions regularly to help maintain shape, though you should turn to professional cleaners for major messes. I would also definitely invest in some leather conditioner if you want to spruce it up somewhere down the line.
Do the photos do this product justice? Was there anything you were surprised to see IRL?
I was relieved that the sofa looks just as good in person as it does on Article’s site (no one likes a catfish!). It also helps that Article posts review images from happy customers on its site so you can see how others style the piece and how it might fit in your own home. Though it looks fairly substantial on the website, I would consider the sofa to be very much the Goldilocks of couches—not too big, not too small, and an overall crowd-pleaser.
One year update:
After a year of post workday naps, movie nights, and lazy days binge watching whatever streaming show TikTok influenced me to watch, the Sven sectional is still in top-notch condition. The leather feels as soft as ever and its durability has really shown through the countless hours my family spends on this sectional. While I’ve noticed some signs of wear like slight creasing in the cushions (which I honestly love), it hasn’t worn down in any areas and the dark navy makes it forgiving to scratches and stains. Dirt, dust, and crumbs can easily accumulate in the seat cushion tufting but it’s just as easy to run a handheld vacuum over the areas to quickly remove anything from the crevices. I also stand by my original note that some good leather cleaner and conditioner can spruce up the look of any dull-looking leather.
I love that the sectional is actually more comfortable than I originally thought it would be. Though I previously said I likely wouldn’t be taking any luxurious naps on the Sven, I’m happy to report I’ve been doing just that (the added bolster pillows really make the difference!). And although this sectional is pretty sizable I actually find myself wishing the seat was just slightly deeper. It does comfortably accommodate my four family members, but it’d be nice to have a little extra room to sprawl out out. All-in-all, if you’re considering the Sven sectional or the regular Sven sofa I wouldn’t hesitate.
Sectional grades
Comfort: A-
Value: A
Delivery and assembly: A
Style: A
Overall couch rating: A
