The Best Slipcovered Sofas Are Customizable, So Go Ahead, Coordinate With Your Living Room

This story was part of Sofa Week, our seven-day stretch of, you guessed it, sofas. After years spent styling, sitting on, and searching for the best of the best—from bespoke designs to rare under-$500 gems—we’re compiling our couch knowledge in one comfy spot.

Sofas see the best of times—like catching up with friends and family members—and the worst of “who got peanut butter on the couch?” times. Between pet hair, sticky-fingered children, and the occasional wayward glass of wine, chances are your seating situation is put through the wringer every day. That’s where a slipcovered sofa comes in handy. 

“Adding a slipcover to a sofa is an easy way to bring durability to a couch that gets lots of wear and tear and needs to be washed or spot-cleaned often,” says Bria Hammel, CEO and creative director of Bria Hammel Interiors. The best slipcovered sofas don’t compromise style or comfort and are easy enough to clean, too—preferably in a washing machine. We scoured the market for the best slipcovered sofas and are confident any of these options will set the stage for your living room design and feel like new for way longer.

Our Favorites

• Best lived-in look: Crate & Barrel Ever Slipcovered Sofa by Leanne Ford
• Best make-it-your-own modular: West Elm Remi Slipcover Modular Sofa
• Best bespoke feel: Maiden Home The Dune
• Best under $500: Lark Manor Alonnie Upholstered Sofa
• Best under $1,000: IKEA Uppland Sofa
• Best all-day home base: Cisco Home Donato Sofa
• Best beachside vibes: Serena & Lily Norfolk Sofa
• Best quick delivery: Stone & Beam Rustin Contemporary Down-Filled Sofa
• Best built-in recliner: Homebody The Couch
• Best cozy-comfy sectional: Sixpenny Gabriel Chaise Sectional
• Best sexy silhouette: Lulu and Georgia Seton Slipcover Sofa

Best Lived-In Look: Crate & Barrel Ever Slipcovered Sofa by Leanne Ford

Cushions: Down | Width: 77 or 89 inches | Care: Machine washable

Why we chose it: This sofa brings a touch of Leanne Ford’s effortless aesthetic into your home.

Raise your hand if you’re a Leanne Ford superfan (we are). Add a dose of her laid-back style to your living room with this slipcovered sofa she designed for Crate & Barrel. Guests will be begging to sink into its cloudlike cushions all night with appetizers and a glass of wine. Once you’ve sufficiently broken it in over time, simply toss the slipcover in the wash and it will look refreshed. This sofa is down-filled, so you’ll want to do regular cushion fluffing.

Best Make-It-Your-Own Modular: West Elm Remi Slipcover Modular Sofa 

Cushions: Memory foam | Width: 70 or 105 inches | Care: Spot-clean

Why we chose it: Go semi-custom to have more say in your living room seating.

Modular sofas are appealing enough on their own. They allow you to arrange and rearrange the pieces, essentially playing Legos with their various armless chairs, corner chairs, and chaise longues. Add in the fact that this one from West Elm is slipcovered, allowing for easy cleaning, and you have a pretty perfect sofa. Mix and match the pieces to your heart’s desire. We also love that it’s made with sink-in-and-stay memory foam cushions for extra comfort through any show binge.

Best Bespoke Feel: Maiden Home The Dune

Cushions: Combination of down, feather, and fiber | Width: Many options, ranging from 60 to 100 inches | Care: Machine washable

Why we chose it: The crisp seams on this sofa are tailored to perfection. 

Forget any notions you have of ill-fitting slipcovers. This Maiden Home design is anything but, with a hand-sewn cover that fits snugly. The clean lines are just one benefit of this couch, though. Add easy maintenance, durable performance fabrics, and cushions to melt into that list, and you have a top-notch slipcovered sofa you’ll love for years to come.

Best Under $500: Lark Manor Alonnie Upholstered Sofa

Cushions: Foam / Upholstery: 100% polyester linen | Width: 75 inches | Care: Machine washable

Why we chose it: A rare budget-conscious favorite from our guide to the best sofa under $500.

Landing a decent slipcovered sofa for under $500 is no easy feat—which is why this incredibly affordable Wayfair find made the selective cut for our top-tier list. While some reviewers knock the stiff cushions and thick, denim-like fabric, the overall positive feedback surrounding its ease of assembly and washability makes it a worthwhile purchase for the price point. Plus, the real-life pictures do this classic skirted silhouette more justice than the digitalized product shots.

Best Under $1,000: IKEA Uppland Sofa

Cushions: Combination of pocket springs, foam, and polyester fibers | Width: 88.25 inches | Care: Machine washable

Why we chose it: The understudy of IKEA’s beloved, and now retired, Ektorp design. 

When IKEA sent its Ektorp sofa out to pasture, many shoppers were dismayed. That is, until the Uppland sofa came onto the scene. Its classic look and machine washable slipcover, all for less than $1,000, make the couch an ideal budget buy or bonus room/den/basement furnishing. Many reviewers go to bat for Uppland’s comfort and depth, and several say that assembly was easy. With seven slipcovers (replacements start at $69), there’s a range of color options—but it’s a good idea to take a closer look at the materials each is made from, as they differ. Some buyers also note a few important things: It sits on the firmer side, the cushions can’t be flipped, and you need to let the back cushions expand for a day or so out of the packaging before they are fully fluffed.

Best All-Day Home Base: Cisco Home Donato Sofa

Cushions: Many options, including foam, feather, latex, and down | Width: 78 inches | Care: Professionally clean

Why we chose it: Customizable to be the most comfortable, whatever that means to you. 

This slipcovered sofa feels just as cozy as it looks, and that’s saying something. What’s comfortable to one is too soft or too firm to another, though, which is why Cisco Home offers various fill options—foam, feather, down, latex, and combinations of all of them. The only problem? You may have a hard time crawling out from your spot to bed at night. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Best Beachside Vibes: Serena & Lily Norfolk Sofa

Cushions: Combination of down, feather, and a spring core wrapped in poly-foam | Width: 96 inches, 108 inches, or 120 inches | Care: Spot-clean

Why we chose it: You don’t need an ocean view to revel in this one’s beachy feel. 

Bring a relaxed yet sophisticated look to your living room—whether you’re by the sea or not. Serena & Lily doesn’t skimp on the customization options for this couch, so dress its clean lines however you’d like, whether that’s with stripes in performance fabric, gingham linen, or clean white cotton. Narrow down the 145 fabric choices by color, type (linen, leather, cotton, performance, and more), and pattern (solid is also available).

Best Quick Delivery: Stone & Beam Rustin Contemporary Down-Filled Sofa

Cushions: Feather mix | Width: 89 inches | Care: Machine washable

Why we chose it: You could be resting on this minimalist beauty as early as tomorrow. 

Patience is a virtue, but if you don’t have weeks (much less months) to wait for a couch to be delivered, opt for this one by Amazon’s in-house furniture label, Stone & Beam. There aren’t dozens of upholstery options to sort through, and for the decision fatigued among us, that’s a relief. Simply choose between the linen-like neutrals, featuring reversible cushions and a solid wood frame. No assembly is needed either, so quickly unbox it and then kick your feet up knowing you made a solid decision.

Best Built-In Recliner: Homebody The Couch

Cushions: Feather, cotton, and foam mix | Width: Varies, 90.56 to 166.93 inches  | Care: Varies; linen and pet-friendly are dry cleaning recommended but machine washable; velvet is dry-clean only

Why we chose it: Recline without looking like you’re turning into your parents.

Reclining sofas aren’t usually synonymous with style. But when our assistant editor, Raven McMillan, came across furniture startup Homebody, which promises to deliver a comfier, cool kid–approved version of a La-Z-Boy, she was sold. With all kinds of configurations possible, this modular piece of furniture didn’t take McMillan long to assemble on her own, and the final result looks like an expensive slipcovered sofa. The recliner simply snaps into place and plugs into an outlet, and the moving piece only needs 2 inches of clearance from the wall. USB and USB-C inputs are hidden under the cushions, which means charging a phone or laptop is within arm’s reach. All seven fabric selections (with swatch samples available) are treated as stain resistant, which helps with pet paws and accidental spills.

Best Cozy-Comfy Sectional: Sixpenny Gabriel Chaise Sectional

Cushions: Choice of feather down or polyfill | Width: 99 inches | Care: Dry cleaning strongly recommended; machine washable possible

Why we chose it: A versatile design that will create the living room corner of your dreams.

As far as sectionals go, it’s hard to beat the ones from Sixpenny. With 55 styles from 11 different collections to choose from, there truly is something for everyone, especially if you like the cozy, lived-in look the brand is known for. While we love the Devyn’s clean lines, Aria’s armless elegance, and Elias’s cottagecore appeal, the versatility of the Gabriel ranks it a notch above the rest. Its slender arms, low-slung back, and loose, pleated corners all culminate in a soft, comfy place to lounge—the cushions are packed with feather down or a vegan poly mix and a layer of high-density foam. You’ll need to choose from canvas, linen, or velvet fabrics, but know that every frame is made from kiln-dried hardwood and plywood. While most of Sixpenny’s products are made to order, a few do come ready to ship and will normally arrive to you in two to three weeks. Plus you get free home delivery, 30-day free returns, and a limited lifetime warranty. 

Best Sexy Silhouette: Lulu and Georgia Seton Slipcover Sofa

Upholstery: 100% linen | Width: 96 inches | Care: Spot-clean or professional upholstery cleaner

Why we chose it: The seamless slipcover silhouette paired with a sultry, sea-blue linen colorway.

Never have we used sexy and slipcovered in the same sentence, but there’s a first time for everything. This sea-blue sofa features an alluring seamless slipcover overtop its clean-lined silhouette. Choose between four other elegant neutral colorways crafted from 100% linen.

How We Chose These Products

A slipcovered sofa is a big purchase, for both your living room and your budget, so we took this hunt for the best ones seriously. First, we chose brands that we have firsthand experience with or we trust to consistently deliver quality couches of all kinds, including slipcovered ones. Each pick needed to provide a variety of upholstery options (preferably machine washable!) that could coordinate with various decor styles. If they had an alluring shape and extra-cushy fill, all the better. 

Our Shopping Checklist

Style

Style can reveal itself in an interesting silhouette, unexpected upholstery, or simply an overall cool vibe. Whichever stylish slipcovered sofa is the best fit for you, choose one you’ll be happy to have in your home to repurpose for years to come.  

Upholstery

When it comes to upholstery types for a slipcovered sofa, the options are (nearly) endless: linen, cotton, weave, bouclé—need we go on? If you’re hoping for a hardy upholstery that can withstand repeated washings, opt for a performance fabric. Whether that’s in a timeless neutral or showstopping color is up to you. 

Comfort

No matter what kind of sofa you’re buying, slipcovered or not, a sink-in-and-stay level of comfort is nonnegotiable. As you’re shopping, keep a close eye on the cushion filling. Are you a down lover or do you firmly believe in foam? That’ll help narrow your wish list.

Cleaning and Maintenance

The biggest benefit of a slipcovered sofa is that it’s a breeze to get stains out of, so easy cleaning was at the top of our must-haves. Many of the above options are machine washable, which is ideal, though a few require spot cleaning. 

Ask Domino

Q: Can any sofa be slipcovered?

Most sofas can be slipcovered, especially if it has a traditional shape. The more intricate the style, the more likely you are to need a custom-made slipcover—and the more unnatural a slipcover may look. “Really modern designs or very ornate traditional styles may not look the best with a slipcover,” says Hammel.

Q: How do you clean a slipcover?

Different upholstery types will have different care needs, so always refer to your slipcover’s care tag or the brand’s website for guidance. Many of the options we chose are machine washable, though some need to be spot-cleaned or even professionally cleaned. Before throwing your slipcover in the washing machine willy-nilly—and, really, before buying the sofa to begin with!—read the care requirements carefully. 

Q: Help! My slipcover is really wrinkly. What should I do? 

A steamer is your friend and much less tedious to use than an iron. For a more relaxed vibe, embrace the wrinkles. “Wrinkles are okay if you’re looking for a more lived-in, casual feel,” says Hammel. 

The Last Word

The best slipcovered sofas combine style, comfort, and the ease of knowing you can remove the upholstered exterior to wash your pup’s muddy paw prints off of it.