Burrow Leather Sofa Review 2024: Cost vs. Quality Explored

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.

Burrow - A Background

Burrow was founded by two former Wharton classmates - 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.   

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. 

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.  

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.

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 seating sections have little spikes that insert into the other seating area, with a locking mechanism.

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.

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. 

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.

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 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's Nomad sofa has a classic mid-century flavor and is a bit boxier than the Field sofa with thicker arm rests. 

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

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.