I recently found myself in a new apartment with no couch and it was tough to decide which brand to go with. I knew I wanted a PFAS-free one. We recently reviewed Medley’s natural sofa, and I wanted try out a slightly more affordable option this time.
I ended up choosing 7th Avenue for a few reasons. I was really interested in the modular and washable aspects. I’ve never been brave enough to have a white couch before, but the fact that they offer stain-resistance without the PFAS gave me the resolve. I’ve also seen so much about the cloud couches over the past couple of years, so I wanted to give this cloud couch dupe a try for myself.
Now that I’ve been living with it for a couple of months, I’m giving you my full review below—complete with pros & cons.
This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. This article is not sponsored, but the couch was gifted (thank you!). As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine.
PFAS In Upholstered Furniture
For many years now, toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” have been added to upholstered furniture in order to make them water/stain-resistant.
These chemicals are linked to a host of potential health concerns, from cancer to reduced fertility and more. They don’t stay on fabrics forever—they gradually degrade and “flake off” over time. Then they get into our air and household dust, and we breathe them in.
The worst part is that companies didn’t even have to tell you if they’d added PFAS to their upholstered furniture or other consumer goods. There have been no labeling laws and it’s often practically impossible to tell whether or not a product contains PFAS or not.
Now, the good news is that many states have started taking this issue into their own hands. California, for example, banned intentionally-added PFAS in certain consumer goods, including upholstered furniture! 👏 This ban went into place in January 2025.
State-based laws like this become de-facto national laws because manufacturers are not going to make different products to send to customers in different states. They’re just going to change their product altogether.
What this essentially means is that over the next few years, most of the upholstered furniture in the U.S. will probably be free from intentionally-added PFAS.
7th Ave. won’t have to change anything, though, because their furniture has always been PFAS-free. They’ve been one of the trailblazers on this issue, offering PFAS-free stain-resistance since their founding in 2022.
Materials & Safety Considerations
Let me get this out of the way: if you’re looking for a completely natural/organic couch, 7th Ave is not for you.
They do use a lot of synthetic material, including in the fabric and cushions.
That said, one of the reasons I chose this sofa is because it’s a great “middle-ground”. It’s got a lot of low-tox features, it’s more affordable than something that’s 100% natural, and it’s also a little more practical for real life in the long run.
Low-Tox Features
PFAS-Free Water & Stain Resistance: As I mentioned, almost all upholstered furniture has been treated with toxic PFAS over the past few decades in order to make it water & stain resistant—a feature that a lot of consumers want.
7th Ave, however, is PFAS-free. Instead, they use a material called C0, which still provides powerful stain-resistance, but without the PFAS. (And when I say “powerful”, I mean it: the 7th Ave team is constantly pouring drinks on their couches!)
Now, I do have some hesitations about C0, mostly because I haven’t been able to find out what it’s actually made out of. It could be made with either silicone or some sort of plastic, which of course is still not ideal. But even with that in mind, I still believe it to be way better than PFAS.
OEKO-TEX Certified Fabrics: They have a lot of fabric options, and they are all OEKO-TEX certified.
This basically means they’ve been third-party verified to be free from a long list of potentially toxic chemicals, including PFAS, azo dyes, flame retardants, formaldehyde, lead, and more.
This is something that sets them apart from brands like Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn. Some of their fabrics are PFAS-free, but others aren’t. And it can be really difficult to find out what’s what before buying.
Transparency: I have a full sofa guide that I update every year, so I’ve looked into a LOT of couch brands over the years. Something I really appreciated about 7th Ave from the first time I found them was how transparent their info & FAQs are. So many brands don’t have enough information on their website and even when I reach out to them, it’s hard to get straight answers from customer service reps.
But 7th Ave has a hefty FAQ page, which includes info about materials and certifications, including a copy of their lab test showing undetect PFOA and PFOS (two types of PFAS). I often look for lab tests from brands, but rarely find them.
FSC Certified Wood: The frames are structurally made out of solid wood, and then reinforced by furniture-grade plywood to prevent warping.
For the solid wood, they use FSC Certified Indonesian solid hardwood, which essentially means the wood has been third-party verified to be sourced in a responsible way.
They do use plywood, which is not always ideal because there is glue involved. However, I personally am not super worried about this in the grand scheme of things. One: they don’t use MDF or composite wood (which uses more glue). And two: I think this probably helps with the long-term durability of the couch. (The alternating directions of the layers helps balance internal stresses and prevents the wood from expanding or contracting too much in any one direction.)
Good Option for Vegans & People with Allergies: They use a down alternative for their cushions (unlike the Restoration Hardware cloud sofa, which uses real feather and down). “Down alternative” is just a synthetic (aka plastic) material, so, you know—pros and cons!
It’s also suitable for people with latex allergies since their cushions are made of PU instead.
More Modular = More Sustainable
I want a couch that’s long-lasting not only in terms of durability but also flexibility. A couch that can grow (or shrink) according to your living room and family size. A couch you can change up with color trends or aesthetic preferences. A totally washable sofa (you can take ALL the fabric off to wash it if you need to!), which means you probably won’t have to replace it as often. A couch that you’ll keep for a really long time so that we can minimize the amount of furniture that ends up in the landfill.
In my opinion, this modularity and flexibility is inherently a sustainability feature. So much stuff in our society today is meant to be thrown away. It’s not designed to be timeless and adaptable to your real life.
So, this was definitely one of the main selling points for me with this couch.
The Price
The 4-seat chaise sectional with ottoman that I got was priced at $4,680.
That’s definitely not the cheapest couch on the market. You can get a couch of comparable size from somewhere like IKEA or Wayfair from around $1,200. (But let’s be honest: we all know those are not going to last as long.)
But it’s not the most expensive either. If I was to buy the original cloud couch from Restoration, the same size one would cost almost $10,000. Or, if I was to buy a sofa of similar size that was made with all-natural materials, it would also be anywhere from $9-15,000.
That’s why I say this is a really good option for a “middle ground” couch. It’s high-quality, durable, and low-tox, but it’s also half the price of some of the other options you might be considering.
(Side note: Some of Restoration Hardware’s fabrics are PFAS-free and some are not. Everything from IKEA is free from intentionally-added PFAS. I have no idea about Wayfair—they’re all over the place.)
P.S. They do have financing available through Klarna, Shop Pay, or Affirm, if that’s a good option for you.
Customer Service Stuff You Want to Know About
Free 30-Day Fabric Exchange: If you decide you want a different color fabric, you can swap it out within the first 30 days at no extra cost.
10-Day Returns: You can return your sofa at no extra cost within 10 days of getting it (minus any shipping or assembly fees).
Virtual Appointment Option: If you don’t live in one of their showrooms, you can make a virtual appointment with a representative who can show & tell you more about the fabric swatches, modular options, and more.
Assembly Add-On Option: If you don’t want to put the couch together yourself, you can upgrade (it’s an extra $100) to have someone put it together for you. This is what I did—more info about that below.
Picking Out My Sofa
I’m a terrible decision maker, especially with big things like this, so it took me a while to pick out which sofa I wanted.
I knew I wanted a sectional, but they have so many different variations and colors. Plus, my new living room is a really weird shape so it was hard to envision how the couch would fit in it.
In the end, I went with the 4-Seat Modular Chaise Sectional with Ottoman (Classic, not Extra-Deep) in the Oatmeal Beige Performance Woven Chenille fabric.
Our last couch was dark gray, so I wanted something lighter. But I didn’t want to go with WHITE white either.
Delivery & Setup
The couch was delivered by FedEx. It did end up coming two days later than it was originally scheduled for, but that’s no big deal to me. FedEx called me the morning of delivery and asked me to schedule a drop-off time. (I was home so they just brought it a couple hours later.) My original order confirmation said a signature would not be required, but then the FedEx delivery guy did in fact need my signature. The couch came in 11 different boxes. (Max weight of one box is 45 lbs.)
I tell you all of this to say—you probably want to keep an eye on the shipping process and prepare to have someone at home to accept the boxes.
I wish I could tell you how easy it was to set this sofa up, but I actually opted to include assembly with my order. Basically, it’s an extra $100 and the 7th Ave team coordinates an Assembler to come to your home and put the couch together. (Kind of like a Task Rabbit.) All you have to do is fill out a short form after you’ve received all of your boxes and they do everything else for you.
My assembler was awesome. She was so nice, efficient, and knew what she was doing. She said she’d worked with 7th Ave several times in the past and that these couches were not difficult to put together at all. She was here for about an hour.
(Quick note: They cannot guarantee assemblies located in remote areas, same-day assemblies, or scheduling assemblies on certain holidays and blackout dates.)
If you assemble the couch yourself, check out their collection of helpful how-to videos here.
My Thoughts After Living On This Sofa
Okay… Now let’s get into my actual, real-life experience with the 7th Ave couch!
No smell: This is the first thing I noticed. There was no smell when the couch was unpacked. I’m sensitive to smells and this is always something I worry about when it comes to new furniture and other products. So, I was really happy to get a couch that smells like nothing!
Fabric Feel: If you want the softest option, you should probably go with their velvet fabric. But velvet is not my thing. Overall, the Performance Woven Chenille fabric is pretty soft to the touch with a slight bit of texture. It’s definitely got a cozy feel to it.
Depth: There are two depths available: Classic (39″) or Extra-Deep (47″). I went with the Classic simply because of the size and shape of our living room. If we had more room, I would have totally gone with the Extra-Deep. I mean, who doesn’t want more space to really sink into a comfy couch? Watch this video to see real people of different sizes sitting on the Classic vs. the Extra Deep.
All that being said, I am perfectly happy with the depth of the Classic! There is more than enough room to get comfy. My husband is 6’4″ and he is more than happy with the depth as well. (He sits on it more than I do, honestly!)
Firmness & Fluffiness: It’s on the medium-firm side, but it’s good a good amount of bounce to it. One of the main concerns I’ve seen with the original cloud couch is that the cushions get a messy look to them pretty quickly because of how soft they are. You have to fluff them frequently. This is definitely not an issue with the 7th Ave couch. The cushions require basically no fluffing at all—they go right back to their shape when you stand up.
Back & Body Support: This one relates to the previous point. Another complaint I’ve seen with the original cloud sofa is that it doesn’t provide adequate back and body support for sleeping or long-term lounging because of how soft it is. My husband (who is prone to neck pain) sleeps on this couch all the time (not because of marriage problems, lol—I think he just likes falling asleep to the TV), and he hasn’t had any issues here.
The one thing I don’t love is the low-profile back. As you can see in this photo, the back is the same height as the arm rests, which means as you lean back, most of the support is coming from the back cushions, not the back of the couch itself. So if you’re literally leaning back on the couch, it doesn’t feel as supportive. I’m not usually sitting this way, but it’s just worth noting.
Customizable Firmness: Now, if you want to make the cushions less firm, you totally can! Both the back cushions and the seat cushions can be unzipped so that you can add or remove stuffing based on your preferences.
Cushions & Gaps: Because of the modular nature, you might be wondering if the sections slide around or if there any major gaps between the pieces. We haven’t had any issues here, either. Here you can see how the sections come together and how tight the gap is:
Noise: No issues here. No creaking or squeaking. I’ll be sure to update this if that changes after I’ve had it for a longer period of time.
Easy to Clean: This is one area where this couch shines. The whole thing is washable. First, it’s hard to stain it because of the water resistance. But if something does happen, you can remove ALL of the fabric and put it in the washing machine.
Obviously, some parts are easier to wash than others. Removing the cushion covers are super easy, whereas removing the fabric from the frame is a little more difficult. But the point is that you can do if you need to. 😅
So far, the only thing I’ve spilled on my couch is some of my Ogee Bakuchiol Oil (I was doing my nightly gua sha!). I didn’t notice it had spilled at first so I don’t know how long it had been sitting there, but it had definitely soaked in a little bit. I spot cleaned it with my Branch Basics. It did take a little bit of scrubbing, but it came out!
See here for the full directions on how to clean the fabric. They do recommend you wash them on gentle, don’t use any harsh detergents, and let them air dry.
Lots of Seating: There’s plenty of space for people to sit. When my husband and I are both sitting on it, one at each end, I feel like he’s far away from me!
Wide Arm Rests: I love the wide arm rests because I’ll put a coaster on it and use it as an end table for my drink. Wild, I know! But it doesn’t feel risky since I know it can handle a spill.
Husband-Approved: My husband is very introverted, but he works a lot of hours at his extroverted job. Which means that he needs some good couch time to recover during his off-days. I think he loves it even more than I do! 😆 As I mentioned, he sleeps on it all the time. He plays Xbox on it. And we watch shows on it together in the evening.
As I mentioned before, he’s also 6’4″, so yes—this couch is good for tall people!
Pros & Cons in a Nutshell
PROS:
- Modular, expandable, and flexible for long-term use
- No smell right out of the box
- All of the fabric can be removed to either wash it OR to switch the whole couch to a different color
- ALL of the fabrics are PFAS-free and OEKO-TEX certified
- Great for pets, kids, or messy adults 🙃 (Stain- and water-resistant without the PFAS)
- Good option for people with latex allergies (a 100% natural sofa will have latex cushions)
- Returns and refunds within the first 10 days (minus any shipping/assembly fees)
- Option for pro assembly or DIY
- Looks beautiful in real life
- Cushions are firm which means you don’t have to fluff them. (But you can also remove some of the stuffing if you want them to be softer.)
- Comfy!
CONS:
- Not the cheapest option on the market
- Wait time if backordered. (Lead time at the time of publication is 8-10 weeks.)
- Not 100% natural/organic materials
- I don’t love the low back support
- They don’t offer full product exchange. (They have the 30-day fabric exchange, though.)
- Not available outside the contiguous US at this time
Final Verdict: Here’s Who I’d Recommend the 7th Ave Sofa For
Who it’s for:
- People with pets and/or kids who want durability and stain-resistance, but want to skip the toxic PFAS
- People with chemical sensitivities who want a no-smell, PFAS-free option but can’t afford a 100% natural couch (and/or don’t want latex)
- Renters or frequent movers (who may need to change up the size & shape of their sofa over the years)
- People prioritizing both aesthetics and function
- People who like to redecorate or move things around without committing to a fixed frame
- Those looking for a cloud couch dupe that’s cheaper than the original (and also doesn’t need to be fluffed constantly!)
- Folks who want to minimize toxic materials but don’t need fully organic
Who it’s NOT for:
- Someone who’d rather have a 100% natural/organic sofa. (Check out Medley for that!)
- Folks who are on a super-tight budget
- Anyone who needs high back support or a more structured couch design
