This is an honest (unpaid) review of our Crate and Barrel Lounge II sofa. After all, buying a sofa is a big investment!
Let me start by saying that this post is not sponsored in way, just an honest review of the Crate and Barrel Lounge II sofa we bought!
While we were in the throes of selling our previous house and buying our current one, one of the things that became clear to me was the fact that we would probably need a new sofa. I’ll preface this by saying that this was more of a design/function want, not a true need. We would have survived with our old sofa just fine for a while, but it would have been a behemoth to move and I knew the market to sell it used was way better in a major city than it would be in the small town we were moving to.
Sectional Vs. Sofa
When we bought our current home we went from having two separate living areas in our old home, to having on large multi-use great room. While I loved our white slipcovered Pottery Barn sectional, I knew it wasn’t ideal for our new house for a couple of reasons. One, it was a sectional and our new, open great room didn’t really accommodate a sectional. It would end up cutting off access to doorways as well as the general walking pattern through the room. It was also white, which was great in our other house, but I was afraid with predominately white walls in this home it would just be too much white.
So in the interest of getting all the money out of it I could, I sold it on craigslist before we moved (you can see it in our old living room here). On a side note, I sold it to a lovely lady with four boys and a fifth on the way, and I am still in awe of both her energy level and the fact she was buying a white sofa.
Do Your Research
Since a sofa is almost always a major purchase for the home (and was for us!) I did a ridiculous amount of sofa research before we bought anything. One of the major ways I do my research is through online reviews. Reviews from real people who have spent their money on an item are always a great way to get the scoop on something before you buy it. I will say though, one of things that always bothers me with most reviews is that people write them right after receiving an item. This isn’t the most helpful with something like a sofa, after all, you want to know how it wears! So hopefully this review helps you if you’re in that same boat!
Crate and Barrel Lounge II Sofa
We have been using our Crate and Barrel Lounge II sofa for 9 months now. There are a few different sizes and configurations for this sofa, so make sure you check all of them out to see what works best for your home! We ended up getting the 93″ Lounge II Petite Sofa, partly because it fit our space the best and partly because we didn’t like how deep the regular model of the Lounge II was. The size and depth is very generous on this sofa, so the petite version is still on the deep side (41 inches) when compared to other traditional sofa depths.
Here are the criteria I set for the new sofa before I started searching:
- Needed to come is customizable colors and fabrics
- Have different size options
- Have basic, clean lines
- Be comfortable (ha!)
The Lounge II ticked all of these boxes! In most of the reviews I read, people had bought either the cement color, or the steel color. Both are great neutrals and come stock, so they don’t have to be special ordered. We wanted a sofa with some color, preferably darker for wear with kids and to help bring some contrast to our living space. We ended up getting our sofa in the fargo midnight color, which is pretty much an inky navy blue color. This was a special order color, so it was non-returnable which is always a little nerve racking!
Order Fabric Samples
We were fortunate to have a Crate and Barrel store in the Portland area, so I was able to go to their showroom and see fabric samples in person as well as take some home. I highly recommend ordering fabric samples from their website before you buy anything. It will give you a chance to see how the fabric looks in your home with natural light.
Positives & Negatives
Let’s start with the positives:
- We love the size, it was great to have the option to order a 93″ sofa (versus 83″ which is also available)
- I love the cushions. Both the seat and back cushions are down blend which makes them really soft! Plus they are easy to take off and fluff up after a week of leaning against them. They also have removable zippered covers.
- The design is great. This sofa has a modern, simple design, but one that feels classic so you don’t have to worry about it going out of style anytime soon.
- It comes with it’s own set of matching throw pillows, which is kind of a nice touch.
Negatives:
- It may be that I’m comparing this sofa to our last Pottery Barn comfort sofa, but the back seems a little short. I’m 5’3 and my husband is 5’9, so we aren’t overly tall people. It is marketed as a “lounge” sofa, so maybe it’s meant to be slouched in? Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t consider this sofa if you need a lot of head and neck support when you’re sitting up straight.
- There is some pilling. This was probably one of the main complaints I saw in the reviews on the website for this sofa. I think a lot of sofas have this issue and it really depends on the type of fabric that’s used. The main stock fabric for this sofa (which we ordered, just in a different color) does pill. I’ve really only noticed it on the front side of the seat cushions. I tried to get a view of it in the picture above. I use a sweater shaver to get rid of the pills. Again, not something that bugs me a lot right now, but I do worry about how that fabric is going to look 5 years from now.
Would We Buy It Again?
Overall, we love our Crate and Barrel Lounge II Sofa, and would buy it again. I think there are pluses and minuses to almost any piece of furniture you buy, so it really comes down to your lifestyle and what works for you and your family. When it’s possible, trying out a sofa before you buy it is ideal. If it’s not possible, then check around and see what kind of return policies different retailers have, and if there is a trial period.
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I love reading reviews for products and furniture, and you did a great job on this one, Tiffany! Hope to see you at Tuesday Turn About today at 3pm PST!
Thanks so much, Julie! I’ll be there 🙂
Hi! Great review! Curious what fabric did you use? We’re looking at the couch and I specifically want a blue shade. Thanks!
Hi Dana,
Our fabric is the standard stock fabric that the sofa comes in, I believe it’s called “Everweave” – it has almost a boucle feel to it. The actual color of the sofa is what caused us to have to special order it. Hope that helps!
Are the seat and back cushions zippered? How do you clean the sofa if needed?
Hi Kan, The seat and back cushions both have removable (zippered) covers. When I bought the couch I was told the cushion covers would have to be dry cleaned. Hope that helps!
Do you have issue with the down feathers coming out?
Hi Emily – Occasionally a feather pops out here or there, but nothing noticeable. Hope that helps!
What color and fabric is the sofa you posted pictures of?
Hi Dani – the color is the fargo midnight color, the fabric is the stock “everweave”.
Any issues or concerns with pets on this fabric? We are considering this very couch in this fabric, and also have a quite large Irish Wolfhound (150 lbs) that is, like it or not, a couch dweller.
Thanks!
Hi Stephen –
We have a 3 lbs yorkie (who as you can imagine doesn’t do a lot of damage to furniture!) I think the one thing I would be concerned about with this fabric and a large dog is the amount of pilling you’ll probably see and maybe even some pulled threads from dog nails. The color is probably perfect for a dog though! Maybe consider some sort of microfiber material for your couch? I had one years ago that held up really well as far as performance fabrics go. Hope that helps!
Hello! Thanks so much for your thoughtful and detailed review. I really appreciate the information. I am about 24 hours away from pulling the trigger on purchasing two of these sofas. I have been planning to make these my next sofas for a long time and there is a nice upholstery sale is going on.
Since it’s such a large and important purchase, I am looking for as much information as I can get. I am looking at the stock Taft fabric in cement and steel. I also have a couple swatches of the View fabric. I am wondering how your pilling situation is now. Has it progressed? How noticeable is it to the eye and the touch? Are you still happy with the quality of the sofa overall? Again, thank you very much!!
Hi Lorraine – We do still love our sofa! It has gotten a little more worn looking since these pictures were taken last year, but we have small children so that’s probably to be expected! I use the sweater shaver on any pilling about every six months. I would say almost all of the pilling is located on the front edge of the seat cushions where people’s legs repeatedly brush against it. Hope that helps!
hello! I was wondering if you ordered yours in deep or petite depth? trying to decide between the two currently and wondering if the deep one will be too large in our apartment. thanks!
We have the petite depth!
Hello, thanks for your review! My main concern about purchasing a sofa are the durability of the cushions over time. We’ve got some big heavy people in our family, so having solidly build seat cushions that won’t get too flat over time is paramount. Also, our current sofa’s back cushions don’t retain their shape and just turn into balls, are not supportive, and take up a bunch of the depth, leaving just a little bit of seat for us. How are you finding the cushion durability in your sofa? Do you feel like it is / will hold up well? And do the back cushions stay in place and keep their shape?
Hi Ed – I’m with you on cushion durability! I think one of keys to keeping cushions in good shape is rotating, fluffing, and flipping them regularly. These cushions have down feather inserts in them, so they do need fluffing (I give mine a few good fluffs and flip them around once every couple of weeks) We aren’t big people (my husband tops out at 160 lbs) but the cushions have held up well for us. They do start to get indents in them from where you lean or sit on them, so that’s why they need to be flipped. Compared to our last pottery barn sofa, the seat cushions and back cushions are much more firm. I will say that the depth is great and I don’t feel like the cushions take up too much space. We have the petite sofa with is less deep than the regular, so if you’re looking for a lot of depth you should probably check out the regular depth one (you can curl up and sleep on it because it’s so deep!) It is technically a “lounge” sofa and I personally find the back a little low, but I like to sit up really straight, if you like slouching down and reclining back on sofas, this one does that for you. Hope that helps!
Your review was the most in depth and honest I have found. I am a deep researcher when it comes to dropping $$$ on a major purchase. Truthful reviews are so valuable
Thanks so much, Tina! I hope you find the perfect sofa:)
This is a helpful review – thanks for your honesty! I’m considering the exact same length/depth and am wondering how many people you can comfortably fit at once? This isn’t an ideal time to buy a sofa (without being able to pop in the stores and “test sit” on all of them), so real life reviews help!
Hi Cait! Obviously that kind of depends on the size of the people, we’re a family of 4 (2 smallish adults, a toddler and baby) and we fit fine. But I’d say in general 3 grown adults comfortable with a little space between them, 4 if you don’t mind being side by side:) I hope that helps and happy sofa hunting!
Thank you! I was able to find a local store today with a 93″ on display and I think it will work well for us. We will probably also purchase an armchair in a few years time as the kids get bigger if we need another seat, but for now, it will be just right! Thanks again for the input 🙂
Hi Tiffany, I purchased this sofa, but it will not be delivered until May 2021. Can you tell me if the legs are screwed on? I’m thinking of purchasing furniture risers so my robot vacuum has enough clearance to clean underneath. I appreciate your help!
Hi Patricia, ours came with the legs on when it was delivered. As far as I can tell they don’t look screwed on.