Anthropologie Leather Sofa Review (Worth The Investment?)

What do you think of when you hear the word "Anthropologie"?

If your answer is a store that sells bohemian chic clothes and home goods then we're on the same page. I'm here to talk about this iconic brand's furniture, which has come a long way since it first opened its doors in 1992.

Given that Anthropologie is typically considered a clothing first company, I get many asking me about the company's furniture, which has become a much bigger part of their business in recent years.  

Specifically, most wonder about Anthropologie's leather furniture quality, especially since a lot of the furniture is on the higher end of the price spectrum.

Based on my research, I discovered that Anthropologie offers beautiful designs but lacks transparency into the materials and sourcing. Anthropologie's leather furniture sells at an above-average price point, with a consensus that the quality and craftsmanship is subpar.  

I welcome anyone who has purchased an Anthropologie leather sofa to please leave a review in the comments section at the end of this piece. 

What's The Background Of Anthropologie?

Anthropologie is a retail company that specializes in women's clothing and home décor.

They got their start selling vintage clothes and furniture from around the world, but now they sell an assortment of products including apparel, accessories, beauty items, bedding & bath goods, furniture & décor. 

The story goes that the founder of Urban Outfitters - Dick Hayne - had a plea from his friend urging him to launch a new clothing brand that appealed to her 'creative side'. Hence, Hayne started a new clothing brand, targeting affluent 30-45 year old women, naming it after his college major (with a different lettering twist). 

Hayne spent two years cultivating the idea for the store.  

Is Anthropologie Legit?

Anthropologie is a well known online and brick & mortar clothing retailer that has been in business since 1992.

Note that Anthropologie is a part of a publicly traded company - Urban Outfitters, so if you really love the Anthropologie brand, then you might consider adding some shares (ticker URBN) to your investment portfolio.

The company is listed on Trust Pilot and has a score of 1.3 (out of 5 stars) on over 600 Reviews.  There are over 100 complaints with the Better Business Bureau.  

Of course, Anthropologie is a large clothing retailer and there are bound to be SOME level of complaints. 

Who Makes Furniture For Anthropologie?

Anthropologie notes the 'Origin' in the product details for its furniture pieces, with either a 'Handcrafted In the USA' or 'Imported.

In terms of its products that are 'hand crafted in the USA', like most major furniture retailers, they do not reveal any of their manufacturing partners.

In my discussions with Anthropologie, they would not reveal any of their manufacturing partners or even countries (although safe to assume that we can guess it's likely China or other east Asian regions). 

There is one article online that speculates that Vanguard of North Carolina makes the furniture for Anthropologie, but this has never been confirmed. 

I found a few Hancock & Moore pieces that actually looked fairly similar to Anthropologie leather couches. Here's the Leather Dulcimer Petite Chesterfield from Anthropologie.

And then the Kent Chesterfield from Hancock & Moore.

However on the Origin section of the page, this piece says 'Imported' so I really think Anthropologie is just 'borrowing' the style from Hancock and Moore. 

I realize there is a difference in cushions, but a lot of the same detail including the rivets on the arm rests, the wooden foot supports, and the buttons running along the bottom of the sofa. 

If this were true, I could wholeheartedly recommend Anthropologie sofas, since Hancock & Moore is one of our top rated sofa manufacturers-- however, it doesn't look likely. 

And one of the most well known online Hancock and Moore dealers has lambasted the quality of Anthropologie, so...I'm putting a low probability on this being true.

So, is Vanguard a possibility?  I would say yes. It is one of the biggest furniture makers in the US. Vanguard is considered a mid-range brand, not on the same level as a Hancock and Moore, but a decent manufacturer. 

What's The Quality Of Anthropologie's Leather Furniture?

I reached out to Anthropologie and they were not very forthcoming on details about the products used to make their leather furniture.

There is also very little transparency in regards to the materials used in the furniture, with the only information provided on the product pages, that they use 'kiln dried wood'.  

There is also no information regarding the leather used for each piece, aside from a leather guide on their website that only discusses different leather grades and has no information regarding where they source leathers from. 

One concerning item I noticed on some of the details of the leather sofas is the use of a Flexolator deck, which is a type of spring system used in sofas. 

It is considered to be one of the poorest spring systems in the business, so it appears that Anthropologie might be cutting corners in terms of product quality. 

Based on my research Anthropologie has nearly 100 leather furniture products.

Does Anthropologie Sell Leather Furniture In Store?

While some of the retail stores may have limited furniture selection, Anthropologie's 'Home Design Centers' offer an expanded offering of in store furniture selection along with in store home stylists. 

However, in my local store (Dedham, MA) they have ZERO leather furniture pieces. 

So, my advice - call your local store to see what they have in the showroom. 

A Visit To The Anthropologie Store - My Review

So, I decided to make the trek over to the Anthropologie store in Dedham, MA.  

It's a gorgeous store, and the style is really amazing. I must admit, I bought some ceramic bowls while I was there!  

Unfortunately, as mentioned, my store doesn't have any leather furniture in stock, however, there are design specialists in store that can help you choose a new leather sofa. 

However, as shown below, their aesthetic is other-worldly and I didn't walk in here wanting to buy a pink velvet couch, but after seeing this setup, I could see why someone might consider it!

So, unfortunately, I couldn't try out any of the Anthropologie leather furniture in person, so if you have an Anthropologie piece, please let me know your experience either in the comments below or shoot me an email at tom@bestleathercouches.com.

What Do Customers Say About Anthropologie?

The hard part about the analysis of customer opinions with Anthropologie is that they are a clothing retailer first and foremost, so most of the online comments and reviews are primarily on the store experience and opinions regarding their apparel.  

There are reviews for most furniture pieces on the website, but as some readers might know, I take most retailer reviews on their own website with a grain of salt. 

I found that even on Anthropologie's website some of the reviews are not actually reviews at all, but comments, like 'I am so interested in this piece!', with a five star rating.

Ugh.

I did dig into a few of the reviews however to take the good and the bad. 

For example on the Bowen Leather sofa, one of their more popular pieces...

The good appears to be that it's 'beautiful', 'modern', 'gorgeous'....although several reviewers say that the sofa is not all that comfortable and that the leather cushions scratch very easily. 

On another popular piece, the Edlyn Sofa, the reviews aren't as great.  

This one consumer seemed to have some serious issues with the Edlyn sofa:

"Our couch was beautiful when we first bought it. We loved it! A few months later it started to fade from indirect and direct sunlight. We have to keep covered every day. The color also rubs off on our throw pillows and has worn off where we sit, as seen in these photos. We are extremely disappointed"

However, others say the sofa is 'beautiful', 'comfortable', and 'modern'. 

What's The Warranty On Anthropologie's Leather Furniture?

Customer reps at Anthropologie told me that there is a 'One Year Vendor Defect' warranty, meaning that if there's something wrong with the sofa within the first year of purchase--that was due to a manufacturer defect, they will take the couch back.

However, outside of that, I could drive my car through Anthropologie's furniture warranty policy - meaning there isn't one.

Which sort of gave me West Elm vibes, as they also offer no warranty.  

Will Anthropologie Ship Internationally?

International shipping restrictions prevent them from shipping Furniture and oversized items to some countries outside of the U.S..   

See more here: https://www.anthropologie.com/help/shipping-info

Does Anthropologie Offer Discounts?

Anthropologie does mark down furniture in store that might not be available for the same discount online. I'd also recommend getting on their mailing list for any specific promotions.