Costco Leather Sofa Review (Are They Good Quality?)

I'm a huge fan of Costco. It wasn't until last year that my friend convinced me to sign up for a membership. Ever since, I've been hooked. I typically buy all of our household supplies (paper towels, coffee, batteries) at Costco, but have even splurged for a new laptop at Costco (how could I refuse the extra warranty?)

*Side note, this is a cool site that reviews all the Costco products for sale

Based on my experience, EVERYTHING Costco sells is of the highest quality (umm, even Kirkland batteries are made by Duracell), so I figured the couches might be worth investigating. 

So, are Costco's leather sofas any good?

Based on my research, I discovered that Costco offers good quality leather furniture at an affordable price point. Most of the furniture is imported from China, and while not the BEST quality leather, Costco's warranty policies provide solid protection to make up for any potential issues. 

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

What's The Background Of Costco?

Costco is a membership based warehouse store that offers bulk goods to its members at a discount price. It has earned a reputation as a high quality retailer that offers a mix of brand staples and high quality foods and products. At the end of 2020, it was the fifth largest retailer in the world.  

To shop in Costco stores, you need to have a Costco membership. They offer consumer and business memberships which range in price from an affordable $60 to $120 per year. Costco members can also shop on their website (Costco.com) to have goods shipped to their home or office. 

Do I Need A Membership To Buy Furniture At Costco?

Typically, Costco requires a membership card to shop in store, but non-Costco members can purchase furniture online at Costco.com, however with a 5% surcharge on any order. So, for any sizeable furniture purchase over $1200, the membership will be well worth the purchase. 

Even if you plan on shopping in store, the membership is well worth the savings. Note there are other methods shoppers have used to avoid spending up for a membership (while still getting access to in store deals).

What Types Of Furniture Does Costco Sell?

Costco offers pretty much any sort of furniture you can imagine, ranging from kitchen sets, living room furniture, mattresses and outdoor furniture.

Costco doesn't manufacture or white label any furniture pieces (similar to what it does with Kirkland brand food items) and instead works with a host of manufacturers. 

Can I Find Costco Leather Furniture In Store?

Costco showcases some of its leather sofas in store, but the majority of leather sofas are only available online. If you call your local store with the model number, they can give you more information regarding local store availability. 

Note however, that many Costco members have reported that furniture found in store can often be found for less than the online pricing, so be sure to at least check your local store to check availability. 

In addition, Costco brings more furniture in store around January and July of each year.

Who Makes Leather Furniture For Costco?

Costco does not make its own furniture and instead sells several third party brands of leather furniture. The majority sold are under the Simon Li, Prospera Home, and Abbyson Living brands. 

Prospera Home is a California based furniture company that sources all of its furniture from China. It is a division of Amax Leather, a Chinese company. 

This story from Furniture Today discusses Amax and the high level of craftsmanship put into its furniture:

The quality story includes real wood, German springs of high tensile strength, eight-way hand-tied construction, down seating, hand tufting, and hand-rubbed antique and distressed finishes on top grain leather only from U.S. or Brazilian hides. 

I believe that Prospera Home is a brand that Amax created exclusively for Costco, as I haven't found any other furniture stores online selling any Prospera furniture. 

Simon Li Furniture is another China based furniture manufacturer and is a division of Trayton Furniture. Simon Li is not a Costco exclusive, but based on my research it appears that Costco has its owned named furniture pieces, some which look somewhat similar to other furniture that Simon Li sells through to other furniture stores. 

How Much Are Leather Sofas At Costco?

Full-size leather sofas at Costco run from between $1100 to $3000, with the average Costco brown leather couch costing $1800. Note that Prospera brand leather sofas typically run about 30%-40% more than Simon Li branded sofas.

Abbyson Leather sofas run from $1400 to $3000, Prospera from $1500 to $2700 and Simon Li from $1100 to $1900.

One of the more popular budget leather sofas at Costco is the Harstine Leather Sofa made by Simon Li.  The Costco Harstine sofa retails at $1299 but is often on sale for $1000 or less. It's not a bad deal but notably the sofa does use a 'leather match on the backs and sides. 

The most expensive non-sectional at Costco is this Tinley (made by Abbyson Leather) Power recliner for $2999.99. 

The most expensive (non-power recliner) leather sofa is this Colby Leather Sofa (made by Prospera) which sells for $2599.  I really like the look of this one. 

The cheapest full size leather couch at Costco is this Jordane Leather sofa made by Simon Li for $1100.  

I've had more questions about the Allington Top Grain Leather Sofa, a sharp Costco chesterfield sofa in top-grain leather made by Prospera Home. It's a very affordable option, retailing at $2700 but occasionally on sale down to $2400. The sofa does cut some corners with split leather on the sides and back of the couch.

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

All furniture manufacturers for Costco utilize top grain leathers. However, be sure to read the details for each product to see what materials are used.

For example, this Chanton Leather Sofa from Simon Li uses top grain leather, but notes that 'splits' are used on the front rails, sides and back.

Splits are one of the lowest quality forms of leather and this is a common move on lower priced leather couches--where the splits are used in low traffic areas. 

I've gone through the majority of leather sofas sold by Costco and this appears to be the case for all. Not a deal breaker, but just know that the sofa probably won't have the longevity of a higher priced top-grain leather.

Chanton Leather Sofa Review and Quality

Based on consumer reviews on the Costco website, the Chanton Leather sofa looks quite favorable, with a 4.7 star rating (out of 5) on over 300 reviews. The reviews are quite favorable and consumers are happy with the quality of the sofa. Some customers are unhappy that the Chanton cushions are in place and are not removable. This could lead to excess wear, with the inability to move cushions around. 

Things that could be an issue for you: 1) the seat cushions are permanently in place and cannot be moved, and 2) the rear back rest cushions are permanently in place and cannot be swapped out.

Abbyson Leather Sofa Review and Quality

We've had a lot of questions on the Abbyson Living leather sofas at Costco, and I might do a more lengthy review soon, but for now, I wanted to provide some more commentary on the brand. For now, I looked for any Abbyson Furniture reviews over at Reddit and found a few informative comments, mostly focused on customer service/shipping issues. Stay tuned for more information on Abbyson Living Corp. 

What Do Customers Say About Costco's Furniture?

Costco does list reviews on its website for all products, but I typically take those with a grain of salt. However I did review some of the top rated leather sofas on their website.

For example, here are some of the reviews for the Larsen Top Grain Leather Sofa (made by Prospera which has a 4.6 Rating on nearly 250 reviews. 

"The quality of the sofa and loveseat are top notch. Perfect match to the color swatch and does really well with our dogs and kids jumping on everything. A perfect neutral color and sharp design, with very clean lines. Perfect for nearly every style"

"This set was perfect for what we needed. It has a nice, clean profile and small footprint. Haven’t had for too long, but leather is holding up great considering 60lb puppy jumping on daily."

However some people complained about the couch actually being darker in person.

Costco notes that you can order swatches from the manufacturers, so if you are considering a leather sofa, I would highly recommend this! All product pages include an email to the customer service department for each manufacturer.

The good thing is that in reading the majority of reviews, there were minimal complaints about quality, the biggest complaint being the COLOR. 

I've also scoured the Reddit Costco forums and there is a consensus that most consumers are pretty happy with their purchases. 

What's The Warranty On Costco's Furniture?

Costco has no stated warranty on their furniture but Costco has what is known as a Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. 

Translation: Costco has a VERY liberal return policy and will honor any issues long after initial purchase. 

I've had a friend return a leather sofa at Costco a few years after purchase due to a sagging cushion. If there is something wrong with the sofa, you can rest assured that Costco will do everything in its power to keep you as a happy customer.

Note that many furniture experts will tell you NOT to buy a sofa from Costco due to Chinese manufacturing and lower quality leather and its true that the craftsmanship is not on par with some of the top American based leather manufacturers. 

However, when you take into account the affordability and the liberal return policy, it makes Costco a clear contender when considering a new leather sofa. 

Will Costco Ship Furniture?

If you purchase furniture in store they will not deliver it, so if you find something that you need to have, its recommended to find a local task company to help move it.

Or many people have told me they just rent a truck from Home Depot for a few hours and move it that way. 

Any type of furniture purchased online will be shipped to your home with shipping charges depending on the size of the piece and your individual location. 

Costco notes that shipping via a "White Glove* carrier is included in the quoted price" 

Does Costco's Furniture Ever Go On Sale?

Costco has ongoing sales that vary and there aren't any sort of set dates that I'm familiar with. If you are a member, they will send ongoing mailers to your home that advertise any upcoming furniture deals.

Costco tends to bring more furniture into the showroom at the end of December, pushing furniture sales for the first few months of the new year. This is also the case at the end of the summer, usually some time in July, when more in showroom pieces are added.

Buying furniture at Costco might seem like an afterthought for many, but if you can get a good price, the price tag makes up for some of the lack of quality. 

Does Costco Furniture Offer Financing Plans?

Costco doesn't offer a financing plan for furniture similar to other big box retail furniture stores. But, they do offer a Citi Credit card for its warehouse members. The Citi Costco card also offers great cash back rewards, including 4% on gas purchases, 3% on restaurants and travel, along with 2% back on all purchases from Costco in-store or Costco.com