In this review, we delve into the Burrow leather sofa collection, evaluating if they truly deliver on their promise of quality and affordability.
Burrow's unique modular design, aimed at easy navigation through narrow doorways and simple assembly, is a potential game-changer in furniture convenience.
But does it measure up in terms of comfort and durability? Let's find out.
While offering style, convenience, and innovative modular design, customer feedback suggests mixed reviews on Burrow's assembly ease and quality control. Notable features include built-in USB chargers and customizable options, but be aware of potential durability concerns. Burrow stands out for its accessible price point and smart design, but it's important to weigh these benefits against customer experiences and quality considerations.
Key Features
overall
Quality
Value
Warranty
Reviews
Burrow - A Background
Burrow Co-Founders Stephen Kuhl and Kabeer Chopra
The two had issues with a few discount furniture stores (West Elm, Pottery Barn and Ikea) and decided to venture out and launch their own online furniture company.
They also wanted to create a high-quality sofa, however with a modular design.
They felt that there was a lack of high quality furniture that could be moved from place to place.
Thus, the goal from day one:
"reverse-engineer a luxury sofa to separate into modules"
The company was incubated at Y Combinator, a popular start up school of sorts for those just getting their feet wet.
What does stain resistance mean? What does durability mean? Modularity is this thing easy to move is easy to receive. All those things become really important as part of the overall package. And if you're going to build the best furniture brand of the future, you should incorporate all those different pieces into it, as well as providing, next level customer service.
- Stephen kuhl, Burrow Co-Founder
Is Burrow Legit?
Burrow is a well known online furniture retailer that has been in business since 2016. The company is headquartered in New York City. They also have a flagship showroom in Manhattan (Burrow House) which is open for in person shopping.
The Burrow House New York showroom. Image courtesy Burrow.
However, if you aren't in NY, you will have to purchase the sofa online. Note, that Burrow is available for anyone looking for design help and you can schedule a consultation here.
The company is listed on Trust Pilot and has a score of 4.7 (out of 5 stars) on only 31 Reviews. There are 11 complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
Kabeer Chopra
"There are three main differences that set us apart. First and foremost, you can get a Burrow sofa much faster than anything at either of top competitors, and you’ll be able to easily move it into and out of your home...Second, if your space changes, our modular design allows you to adjust the size of your sofa to adapt to your new space. Third, with our simple, online customization experience, you can create over 1000 combinations of our sofa with just a few easy selections. All of this without sacrificing quality for cost."
What Is A Modular Couch?
Burrow says that "Modular design is the innovative foundation" of their furniture.
Modular in the furniture world is a term used to describe individual pieces that can be combined together to create a larger furniture piece.
Burrow's modular sofas come in boxes separating the different sections of the couch.
Modular furniture has become popular in recent years for several reasons. First, many apartment dwellers, with tight spaces (and narrow hallways) are seeking higher quality, non-Ikea based furniture.
In addition, modular leather sofas are a great solution for those that want sofas that are easy to move and expandable. For younger consumers, modular furniture can be a great option, given its versatility.
Are Burrow Couches Easy To Assemble?
In the case of each Burrow sofa, it is delivered with pieces in different boxes (three or four boxes for a standard sofa).
As shown below for the Nomad sofa, it comes in four boxes, one which contains all of the arms, and then three other boxes which contain the seats for the sofa.
The Nomad sofa comes in four boxes
The seating sections have little spikes that insert into the other seating area, with a locking mechanism.
Frame locking mechanism on a Burrow Sofa
As shown in the video below, which illustrates the assembly of a Field Sofa, the build is quite easy and takes less than 15 minutes.
I have received many complaints from Burrow consumers about struggling to line up the attachment parts of the seating areas.
Also, a lot of complaints about wood on the frame not being sanded properly, having a lot of splinters sticking out.
Do Burrow Sofas Have A USB Charger?
Burrow definitely has the smart home in mind, as the Nomad sofa (fabric or leather) has a built in USB charger to make charging your electronics that much easier.
The USB charger is located in the right arm of the sofa, nestled in-between the arm and seat cushion.
Can I Add To My Burrow Couch?
Burrow's modular designs are built for flexibility, thus in most cases, you will be able to add components to your sofa.
Burrow creates what are known as A-Seats and B-Seats for each sofa.
Burrow makes thousands of what are known as A-Seats and B-Seats. B-Seats are the core seat (an arm chair is made with a B-Seat and a set of arm rests). A-Seats attach to the B-Seat to create 2, 3, 4...10-seaters.
Thus, Burrow's modular design does allow you to transform a sofa into a sectional sofa (with the addition of a chaise) or add on new seating modules to make your sofa bigger.
Are Burrow Couches Durable?
One of the benefits of a modular couch is easy assembly, the ability for it to fit in small places and the ability to easily move the furniture.
But, once you take a structure (a solid frame) and break it down into modular components, with multiple connection points to secure, there are more possibilities of something going wrong.
Sure, a furniture company might make a traditional couch frame with cheap engineered wood that snaps after a few years of use.
But, with modular components, there is more to worry about.
Thus, I thoroughly analyzed each and every Burrow Review, seeking complaints about modular component problems.
My conclusion?
I have heard a lot about the modular seating components on Burrow's sofas moving around. Burrow's typical response to these consumers is to take it apart and put it back together again.
Thus, if you are buying a Burrow sofa, and expecting durability, I would advise that the furniture may not last a long time.
Who Makes Furniture For Burrow?
Burrow is based in the US, and they have manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Mississippi. Thus they make all of their own furniture.
They source as many raw materials as possible from US suppliers. They also source most of the wood, fabric, foam and many other items from US companies.
Leather is sourced from Italy but not much information is provided on the quality of the leather aside from the fact that the leather is sourced:
"from a renowned tannery in Italy that’s been in operation for over a century and supplies leather to some of the world’s most distinguished luxury brands"
Where Are Burrow Sofas Made?
Burrow's sofas are made in the USA. They have manufacturing facilities in North Carolina or Mississippi, however, the majority of their sofas are made in North Carolina.
All the wood in Burrow sofa’s is also made in the USA, according to Burrow mostly in Mississippi and Louisiana - in responsibly managed forests.
Burrow Leather Sofa Design Options
Burrow's leather sofa offerings are the Nomad, Mambo and Field.
Both the Burrow Nomad and Mambo sofas are available in three different colors (Camel, Slate or Chestnut), while the Field collection is available in either Slate or Camel.
As shown below, the Nomad and Field sofas have a somewhat similar mid-century modern look. The major difference in that the Field has thinner arm rests.
The Mambo has massive seat cushions and tends to be the most comfortable of the three.
Burrow Nomad Leather Sofa
A Burrow Field leather sofa in camel color.
The Burrow Mambo Leather Sofa in Camel color.
All three styles also are available in varying modular designs including a traditional three seat sofa, love seat or sectional sofa.
Burrow provides the option of six different leg designs on the Nomad sofa.
On the Nomad sofa, customers can also customize the arm style of the sofa: either slope, arch or block. The Mambo sofa is also available with high or low arms.
Burrow offers three different arm style options on the Nomad sofa.
Burrow Nomad vs Field
Burrow's most popular leather sofas are the Nomad and the Field. Many customers wonder which one to choose when purchasing a new sofa from Burrow.
Burrow's Field sofa offers a luxurious, versatile design with deep plush, loose cushions and narrow, squared arm rests.
Burrow Field Leather 2 Seat Sofa
Burrow's Nomad sofa has a classic mid-century flavor and is a bit boxier than the Field sofa with thicker arm rests.
A Burrow Nomal Leather Sofa Loveseat
In our reviews of the two Burrow couches, both scored solid reviews, but the Nomad got better scores in terms of comfort, especially due to the more cushion at the ends of the couch.
Burrow Field Sectional Sofa Review
Burrow Field Sectional in Leather
A visitor asked for an opinion on the Burrow Field Sectional and while I don't own the sofa, I did examine the construction closely.
The Burrow Field Sectional sofa is modular and adaptable to help fit in whatever space you want the sofa to fit. It has a familiar three seat sofa with a chaise lounge configuration.
The frame uses plywoods (not the best construction) with reinforced steel hardware to connect the modular parts of the sofa.
Customers seem to love the sofa and overall durability has been solid, despite a fairly short track record for Burrow (the company).
What's The Quality Of Burrow Sofas?
When we examined the materials used for Burrow's leather sofas, I was happy to learn that they use top-grain leather.
But, I was couldn't find details of the leather used at Burrow. Aside from the fact that they state it is a 'beautiful, natural material that develops a unique patina'.
I dug into articles from the founder to find more information. The Article Nomad Leather sofa is assembled at its factory in North Carolina.
They also work with an Italian leather tannery.
But, I could not find anything on the website about the quality of leather and how the sofas are assembled.
This concerns me and it would be helpful if Burrow put more information on their website.
Details on the materials used to build the frame and more videos/articles about their leather sourcing would be helpful.
(Update, I did find this older blog put together by Burrow, which does detail more information on wood sourcing and sustainability measures)
This Business Insider article (although likely a paid sponsor) says that the Burrow Nomad is not cheap, but after almost two years, the durable full-grain leather still looks as good as new.
From what I can gather, Burrow's quality is OK, but for the price point, you sort of get what you pay for.
Is Burrow Leather Really Scratch Resistant?
Burrow does have a fabric sofa called the Nomad that it claims is scratch resistant.
The fabric is made with an ultra tight weave and colored with a special dye which makes it not only scratch resistant but stain resistant as well. In addition, the Nomad is non-toxic with zero chemical additives.
For anyone with a pet, looking for a new modular sofa for your living room, the Nomad fabric option could be one to look at.
But, if you're looking at a Burrow Nomad leather sofa, which uses top-grain Italian leather, the sofa would not be scratch resistant. More on the different types of leathers used for sofas here.
Turn Your Nomad Into A Sleeper Sofa
Burrow offers a few additional add-ons with each leather sofa.
One that looks quite intriguing is a sleep kit ($295), which certainly appears aimed at apartment dwellers in tight quarters. It features:
"..a memory foam topper, a custom sheet set, a quilted blanket, a pillow and pillow case, and even an eye mask"
Another potential add-on is an ottoman for your new sofa ($495).
You can also buy a moveable chaise for $895, in case you want to turn your sofa into a sectional.
Lastly they offer booster pillows for $135. Personally, If I'm buying the Nomad leather, I'm probably going for the booster pillows. But that's just me.
What's The Warranty Of Burrow Sofas?
Burrow has a rather limited policy, offering 30 days after delivery to send it back and get a full refund, minus shipping & a 10% restocking fee.
Each Burrow-manufactured piece also comes with a one year warranty.
From Burrow:
'We stand by our furniture with a warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship for one year, starting on the date of delivery. There are no fees to repair or replace an item that’s covered by our warranty. Get in touch with our team to get the process started.
Please note that our warranty isn't transferable; that is, it can't be extended to cover a re-sold item. Defects or damage caused by negligence, misuse, accidents, abnormal use, modifications, or commercial purposes will not be covered by the Burrow warranty."
Burrow Nomad Leather Sofa Review -What Do Customers Say?
Reviews on Burrow's leather sofas on their website are quite good, with most of their leather sofas earning a 4.5 star rating at a minimum. Like we've mentioned before however, we are always skeptical of reviews on a company's website.
I also have first hand knowledge that not every customer can leave a review on the site. So buyer beware.
Unfortunately, we found some reviews from Reddit users which were not quite as flattering. Of course we must also consider the possibility of fake reviews, but there appears to be a trend of users not really loving Burrow furniture all that much.
"I have a leather sofa from them and it is the biggest disappointment. It is super uncomfortable and it looks so cheap."
"Oh and if you purchase a warranty and return the couch, you have to fight to get that money back. For some reason they believe they are entitled to keep this - picture working with a group of self proclaimed progressive market disrupters fueled by entitlement who eat action filled sentences like this for breakfast"
"Please do not buy burrow. My wife got suckered into buying furniture from them by reading their bogus fake reviews. The couches are the most uncomfortable pieces of furniture I have ever sat on."
"Please do not buy burrow. My wife got suckered into buying furniture from them by reading their bogus fake reviews. The couches are the most uncomfortable pieces of furniture I have ever sat on.
In addition, on the BBB website there are even worse reviews, with an average rating of 1.45 out of 5.
Peter B
BBB Website,
Burrow Sofa Review
I have had my Burrow couch since 2017, and found it to be a very underwhelming purchase. First, when purchased, the couch was missing 3 screws that were necessary to insert the legs for one side of the couch, requiring a trip to their office in NY to get the part. Second, the couch cushions are of poor quality, with sustained usage over a few days leading to noticeable sagging. Third, when I reached out recently to get a replacement part (the bottom element preventing the couch from scratching the floor), I was told they no longer produce any of the "original burrow items" but generously offered to upsell me a new couch for $500-$1000. Buyer beware.
While not a leather sofa, Sofa Digest reviewed the fabric Nomad Sofa and called it "WAY overpriced for what it is". They went on to say the only good thing is that the sofa "breaks down into small pieces so one person can move it in and out of an apartment".
Will Burrow Ship Internationally?
Burrow will ship to virtually the entire contiguous United States except for Alaska and Hawaii. Unfortunately, they do not ship outside the continental US.
How Long Does Burrow Take To Deliver Sofas?
Burrow offers FREE shipping on any order and prior to the pandemic, delivered sofas within a week.
But then the good ole pandemic hit, and well, nearly every furniture company's shipping slowed down.
Most of it is due to supply constraints overseas, along with port backlogs.
Today, Burrow notes that customers can check shipping estimates on any product. This info is located on the product page for any given item, under the “Add to Cart” button.
Here's a shot at the Burrow Nomad leather sofa, which as of this writing shows an 8-10 week shipping estimate
Check the shipping status for any product at Burrow under the Add To Cart button.
Burrow also makes it easy for anyone looking for a product with quicker shipping status. Check out their 'Ready To Ship' section for those items with a quicker expected turnaround time.
Does Burrow Offer Discounts?
Burrow has regular sales so if you have your eyes on something be sure to check around to see if they might have an upcoming sale.
