I tried 80 modular sofas when choosing the best one for my living room – these are the ones I was most impressed by, and would recommend

In 2024, I set out on a quest to find the best modular sofa for my living room. But even after choosing and investing in the one for me, the journey made me fall for modular sofas hard – so much so that I haven’t stopped trying out all the various sectional sofa options available on the market. And based on the whopping 80 different styles I’ve sat on (thus far), I’ve put together this guide to the modular sofa designs and brands that I’d recommend so that you, too, can find the best one for you and your home.

Compared to the traditional best sofas, the benefits of modular sofas is their versatility and flexibility as they can be divided into multiple sections – this means that they’re easier to transport and get through small, narrow doorways and staircases. But it also means that you can separate and/or reconfigure the modules to fit a new living space and accommodate your changing tastes. Most of the modular sofa brands also sell individual sections so that you can change or add to your configuration if your family grows or you move to a larger home.

Simply put, investing in a modular sofa is a way to future-proof your living room. While the rising popularity of sectionals can be seen as a sofa trend, I don’t believe it’s a passing fad since it is something so functional and practical. On the contrary, I think modular sofas are here to stay as some of the first designs already came out back in the 70s, including my very own sofa that’s even named after the year it was originally released – the 1977 sofa from King Living. Also, more and more sofa brands are starting to embrace modular sofas and include them in their offering.

Below, I’ve included the 6 modular sofa designs that I rate the highest and recommend the most. But since choosing a sofa is so subjective, the top 6 styles are followed by a rundown of the best brands and places where to buy a sofa if you’re looking for a sectional.

My top picks

Where to shop for modular sofas

Australian brand King Living with its Tottenham Court Road and White City London showrooms was truly a revelation to me as pretty much all of its sofa designs are extremely comfortable, super high quality, durable and boasting a designer style. It’s perhaps because of this that most people (myself included) assume it is more expensive than it actually is.

King Living’s 1977 sofa, specifically the Package 3, is the one that I ended up choosing for myself. And the only reason that I didn’t end up including it in my top picks above is because I’m aware it has a very specific look that might not appeal to everyone. But that’s perhaps one of the main reasons why I and many others love it. It’s also extremely comfortable - not too soft and not too firm - which is also thanks to the curved, organic shape with no harsh angle in sight. And the more recently released version with a high back called simply the 1978 sofa won the best sofa award in the Ideal Home 2025 Living Room Awards.

They both come with removable, washable covers - with the option to have each module in any of the available colours you choose as I have opted for three different neutral shades for a gradient effect - and they can also be purchased separately if you ever get sick of the colour you first chose.

But apart from the 1977 and 1978 sofas, King Living also has two other modular styles – the Max and the Haven. The one downside of this brand? The lead times. I waited 3 months for my sofa to arrive as they are all made to order and shipped from Thailand since the brand is Australian.

If your budget is limited and a full-size modular sofa is what you’re after then DUSK is the place to go in my opinion. Up until recently, the brand's only offered the one style of modular sofa, the aforementioned Brooklyn, available in several different configurations and four matte velvet shades (which I realise is not a big range to choose from compared to some of the other brands) with prices starting at £710 for a two-seater sofa.

But now, there are three more styles available – the designer-looking Bondi sofa which is a dead ringer for Rochelle Humes' sofa, as well as the Boston sofa and the Cairo sofa.

Reviews from existing customers - I mostly looked at those of the Boston sofa as the other three are still very new - are also favourable with a rating of 4.9 out 5 stars and over 100 five-star reviews. But while the brand states that it dispatches every sofa ordered within 7 days, customers have reported that it’s taken over a month to arrive. So that’s something to be mindful of. As well as the fact that you can’t test the sofa out before purchasing, given that DUSK doesn’t have a physical presence on the high street.

Started in 2022, Sazy is still a fairly young, under-the-radar brand – but it’s one that’s already quietly revolutionising the modular sofa scene in my opinion. And this year, it’s becoming increasingly louder. At the time of writing, Sazy has only one sofa design in its offering which is in fact modular – but I have intel that a second modular sofa launch is soon to follow.

The Cob sofa boasts a modern, legless, slightly ‘boxy’ design which is made to order here in the UK – and you’d be surprised how rare it is to find a sofa brand that manufactures locally. But the best part about it is that all the different modules can come with differently coloured covers – and since the seat and the back rest are two separate modules, that means you can have the seat and the back in two different shades. And if you ever get sick of the colour (or colours) of your sofa or your covers get damaged, you can buy new covers to replace them.

If sustainability is important to you then you’ll love Sazy as it is a homeware brand built on sustainable values. The removable covers are made with recycled materials - either recycled polyester or recycled cotton, depending on the material you go for - and the sofa filling that covers the beech wood frame is crafted from a recycled PET foam alternative.

Swyft has reported that its modular sofas, the Model 03 and Model 06, sell more than its standard sofa styles, second only to the brand’s best sofa beds. Which is very telling of the shift in popular living room sofa ideas.

Model 03 offers a bit more support compared to the cushiony Model 06. But I’d say the former is more popular than the latter – which is why it’s also made its way into our general best sofa buying guide. Both arrive packaged in a flat pack box and can be on your doorstep within 24 hours after ordering which are the two major benefits of this brand.

As for downsides, since Swyft doesn’t have its own physical stores or showroom, it is very difficult for potential customers to test. Especially the favoured Model 03. I believe that you should be able to test the sofa before committing to buying it so this was a major con for me. At last, I have managed to track it down as it is on display at the One.World store in London's Parsons Green - alongside the other modular Model 06 - and I loved the modern design coupled with a firmer, bouncier feel.

John Lewis has an offering of six different modular sofa styles in its own collection, while also stocking the Swyft Model 03 and Model 06 sofas. With a price point starting at around £1700, all of the styles are available in over 70 different fabrics. The made-to-order sofa designed by you will take 10 weeks to arrive but if you opt for the default fabric of your chosen style, which John Lewis has pre-made and all ready to go, the lead time is only 7 days.

In the case of my curvy top pick, the Flow, it’s the boucle fabric in the colour natural that can arrive within a week, while one of the bestsellers called Border is available in olive-coloured relaxed linen.

Similarly to Sazy, Cozmo was also started in 2022 in the UK – and it’s also manufactured here. But unlike Sazy, Cozmo offers not one but two different modular sofa styles – the original and much-loved Cozy and the newer addition to the range, Float.

Both of the sofas come with a foam and feather filling which results in a pillowy soft feel when you sit down. But if you prefer something a little more bouncy that also retains its shape a little better, you can choose to go for full foam seats instead. The Float fits the profile of a solid modular sofa more – and it is the design that first caught my attention and brought me through the doors of the Cozmo showroom. It’s a low-profile design with deep seats and a cubist-inspired shape finished with a pinch detail along the edges. It comes with removable covers that can also be purchased separately to change the look of your sofa.

Meanwhile, the bestselling Cozy is a more classic sofa design with legs that raise it off the ground, slim armrests and higher removable back cushions. The seat cushions are also removable but what isn’t are the covers which come fixed – however, you can choose to go for contrasting colours on the frame and the cushions to create a more colourful, colour-blocked design.

The brand has only one showroom which is located in London’s Shoreditch. But if you can’t get to the showroom and try out the sofas IRL, Cozmo offers a hassle-free 30 days return policy, no questions asked and with money-back guarantee. So if the sofa arrives in your house and you’re not 100% happy with it, you can easily send it back.

It’s difficult to find a modular sofa that also provides ample storage or let alone a fold-out bed, as it is to find an uncomfortable Loaf sofa (perhaps it’s the brand’s bed-making specialty). Which is why the modular Pillow Nap sofa bed stands out. Made to order with decent lead times of 5 to 7 weeks, the design is available in over 140 fabrics. Given that it’s a corner sofa, the size and extra features mean it is on the higher end of the pricing spectrum, starting around £4,500 and it’s also one that requires a bigger living room.

But if you don’t need the sofa bed feature or the extra storage, then I also really enjoyed the bounce and curved, pillowy shape of Loaf’s Squishblocks modular sofa which starts at around £2,300.

If what you want are endless possibilities and infinite customisation of your modular sofa, then Darlings of Chelsea is the place for you. Each of the brand’s sofas can be made in any of its 170 fabrics and colours on offer, all of which can also be tested in person in its Parsons Green showroom. But it comes at a price as Darlings of Chelsea is certainly not a budget brand – it is an investment that will stand the test of time though.

And there are surprisingly many styles – I say surprisingly mainly because to me, Darlings of Chelsea is quite a traditional brand and definitely not the first one I’d personally think of when talking about modular sofas. So this was a pleasant surprise.

I’ve tried 7 different sofa styles at Darlings of Chelsea which can be made modular (even if they’re not displayed as modular in the showroom) and each is completely different. As already discussed before, the Kingston would be my top pick but I was also impressed with the cinema room-style Purley which was surprisingly one of the cheaper but also most popular designs.

As far as the shortest sofa delivery wait times go, Sofa.com is definitely up there with their 4 to 6 week lead time. Considering that each sofa is made to order using any of the brand’s 70 fabrics on offer you choose, that’s pretty impressive.

Sofa.com is also the only other brand aside from Loaf I’ve come across that makes a modular sofa bed – the Aissa style which I’ve personally tried and can attest to its comfort both as a sofa and as a bed. But in terms of design, I prefer some of the other styles on offer such as the aforementioned Ren and the Long Island and Long Island Slim, both of which come with removable covers.

Sofology’s modular sofas are not necessarily made for small living room ideas, given their depth, but they are pretty special – especially The Cocoon and the Flex, both of which are available to try in the brand’s stores across the country. I personally visited the Croydon branch. Starting at £1,500 for a two-seater, The Cocoon is special for its original cocooning shape that will really scoop you up and envelop you in its high arms and backrest.

Meanwhile, the Flex boasts a very modern look with a low back and armrest. But what’s special about this one is that each module comes equipped with a reclining function so you can adjust the backrest at a push of a button, much like in a luxe cinema experience.

I love going into Heal’s but more so for their extensive offering of high-end design brands on the lower ground floor, rather than its own brand of sofas. There you can try the likes of design classics that is the Togo by Ligne Roset, loved by many a celebrity including Stacey Dooley – I understand the hype now, it is comfortable and its pleated design is unique, even though for someone with low mobility, it will be very difficult to get up given the low profile.

Heal’s is definitely a more spenny retailer, obviously, but if you are prepared to spend more or invest in an iconic designer style, then this is the place to go.

What’s the testing process?

Since day one of trying out various modular sofas, I’ve sat on 80 different designs and have visited 24 showrooms with the objective to sit on and test the comfort of as many modular sofas. At first, this was motivated by my own search for the best modular sofa for me – but now, I just want to find the best modular sofas for everyone and try as many as humanly possible so that you don’t have to.

Whenever I try out a new modular sofa, my number one priority is to assess the comfort levels. This is based on the softness/firmness - or ideally, the balance of the two which is when perfection is achieved - of the sofa seat, backrest, cushions and even armrests which most of us regularly use as head and neck support if we’re lying down on our sofa watching a movie, reading a book or simply scrolling on our phones so it shouldn’t be feeling too hard as that would be uncomfortable to rest on.

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The sit test also tells me how much bounciness the sofa has and how well it retains its shape which I also factor in when judging the sofa overall. Meanwhile, testing out the back cushions lets me see how much support of the back, neck and head they provide and whether they allow the user to sit upwards or if you end up leaning back at all times – neither is necessarily wrong in this particular case as everybody has their preference in this department but is important to know.

In person testing also lets me see the quality of the sofa’s finishes and the feel of the fabric (or fabrics if there are multiple choices available).

What to look for when choosing a modular sofa

Comfort: This should be the primary factor when shopping for any sofa. That’s why it’s so important to try the sofa IRL and sit and lie on it the same way you would at home. If a brand is online-only or there isn’t a store or a showroom near you, make sure the brand has an easy returns policy that lets you try the sofa at home and send it back if you’re not happy with it. I want to know how comfortable each sofa is to sit on, both sitting up and lounging so I try to lie both on the side arms to see how comfortable those are, as well as the back cushions if it is a chaise or a corner sofa style.

Versatility: The biggest benefit of a modular sofa is its flexibility. And while certain sofas technically classify as modular, it’s best to invest in a design that allows you the most flexibility for the future. A design with removable covers which can be bought separately and easily replaced, as well as one which is sold as individual modules that you can add to an existing bigger configuration is ideal.

Quality: This is a factor that should be considered when buying any sofa as it is a long-term investment piece for your home. So you want to make sure that it is built well from high-quality materials which will stand the test of time. This is difficult to judge but the best way to ensure this is by buying from trusted companies and from brands that offer ideally a 10-year frame guarantee - some of the brands on this list offer an even longer one - and paying attention to the attention to detail in the finishes. Tanya Rechberger, design development manager at King Living, adds, 'It may look perfect from the outside, but the inside construction determines the comfort and how long it lasts. Pay attention to details like how well the less visible parts of the sofa are finished. Poorly finished areas may indicate that shortcuts were taken. If you're buying online, do your research on the brand and their approach to design and quality.'

I hope that my (hopefully) concise guide to modular sofas and my hands-on experience has been helpful in your decision making towards picking the best modular sofa for you. Let me know which one you’re thinking of going for, I’d love to know.