I’m strongly considering purchasing the Linsy Rubik modular sofa sectional.
It mimics Lovesac’s modularity at a fraction of the cost.
The seat cushions have pocketed coils and pass all the basic US health and safety certifications — CA65, OEKO, BIMFA, etc.
It also comes with storage and removable covers.
What do you think?
Answer:
[Linsy has upgraded its modular sectional from the Rubik to the Rubik III, which includes improvements to the frame, fabric, and cushions.]
My original review, based on the Rubik, remains untouched below, but I have added an updated response addressing the changes made to the Rubik III. 6-15-2023
The Rubik III has a few modifications from the original Rubik.
Cushion comfort has been improved, but durability has been downgraded.
Upgrading the frame to solid wood sounds nice. The frame needed an upgrade from its original weight capacity of only 220 lbs. per seat., but the solid wood is Eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus is frequently used for outdoor furniture. It’s rarely used for indoor furniture. One reason is that it is highly susceptible to insect infestations and cracking.
The wood needs to be sprayed with insecticides and sealed. The treatment needs to be renewed periodically if the furniture is around for awhile. (This is not long-term furniture.)
That’s not good for people with allergies or who are sensitive to chemical off-gassing.
Linsy is claiming that the new seats have a weight capacity of 1000 lbs.
At first, I thought this was the total of all the seats in the sectional, but the same 1000 lbs. seems to apply to 4 seat, 6 seat & 8 seat sectionals. That doesn’t make sense.
But a weight capacity of 1000 lbs. per seat also doesn’t make sense.
I don’t know of any manufacturers who test their weight capacities beyond 500 lbs. I don’t know of any wood strong enough to have a 1000 lb. weight capacity.
When I pointed this out to Linsy’s customer service representative, she insisted the 1000 lb. capacity was accurate.
Upgrading the frame to solid wood does nothing to improve comfort or overall durability since the cushions are likely to wear out long before the frame.
Changing the cushions from pocket coils to a “pure sponge” core with a memory foam wrap should temporarily improve the comfort.
But it also decreases the cushions’ durability.
“Sponge” foam rarely lasts longer than 5 years. If used by individuals weighing more than 200 lbs., it can fail much sooner.
My guess is that the cushion change was made because there were too many complaints about the thin pocket coil cushions being too firm.
This is a common problem in pocketed coil cushions that are less than 6 inches thick.
In the photos, Linsy’s cushions appear thinner than 6 inches.
It’s possible that the photos were not changed when the specifications were changed.
If pocketed coil cushions are too thin, there won’t be enough foam padding above the coil spring unit to make the seats comfortable.
IKEA’s pocketed coil cushions are 6″ thick. Although they are firmer than most 1.8 density foam cushions in similarly priced seating, they are not uncomfortable to most people, and will usually last 10+ years (more than twice as long as 1.8 density foam cushions.)
Hydeline & Prospera Home use 8.5″ thick pocketed coil cushions, which are both comfortable and long- lasting (10 – 15+ years.)
Linsy’s new 1.8 density foam cushions may be too thin to last longer than 3 years for most people.
I emailed a question to the company asking how thick the cushions are.
If the cushions have a 4″ thick core (as it appears to me from the photos), the average lifespan of these new cushions may be around 3 years.
The memory foam makes the cushions feel softer. But it does not improve the cushion durability. It actually decreases it.
Cushions that combine 1.8 density foam cores with memory foam wrappings are unusual.
1.8 density foam loses its initial firmness and resilience pretty quickly.
Memory foam has very little resilience, even when new.
The result is “puddling,” where the cushion’s fabric cover appears loose and sloppy.
If you look at the website photo showing the person stepping on the cushions, you can see an example of puddling.
Modifications made from the Rubik to the Rubik III may be temporarily improving the comfort at the expense of long-term durability.
Lack of comfort was apparently a major issue for many purchasers.
Changing the cushions is not a complete solution.
It does nothing to correct the perpendicular back (no pitch) which is also a major reason for the discomfort.
The new cushions will improve comfort for a while, but will wear out quickly, possibly within 3 years for most people.
[End of Updated response to changes from Linsy Rubik to Rubik III.]
The original Linsy Rubik review is shown below.
The comments above may amend or contradict my original analysis.
Before combining the comments above with the original review below, I have sent several questions to Linsy and am waiting to hear their response.
Foam cushions are usually the biggest problem with modular seating in this price range.
Cheap foam cushions have an average lifespan of 3 – 5 years before losing their shape, firmness, and resilience.
The Linsy Rubik solved the collapsing foam problem by using pocketed coil springs in their cushions.
In IKEA sofas, pocketed coils have been lasting 8 – 10+ years.
I strongly doubt Linsy’s cushions will last as long as IKEA’s, but they will probably hold up for twice as long as the foam cushions normally found cheap sofas and sectionals.
The bigger problem with the Linsy Rubik is likely to be comfort.
When designing this type of modular seating, one of the most important requirements is making sure the boxes will fit FedEx and UPS size requirements.
That requires a lot of design compromises.
It leads to undersized dimensions and sharp angles.
One of these design compromises is straight perpendicular backs (with no pitch.)
Straight backs can become uncomfortable after sitting for a short time.
Another design compromise may be the cushions.
The seat cushions appear to be thinner than normal.
In cushions with pocketed coils, this may not leave enough space for foam needed to pad the spring unit properly.
This can result in seat cushions that feel too firm or lumpy.
In foam cushions, thinner cores reduce the cushion lifespan.
IKEA’s closest equivalent to this is the Finnala.
It costs a few hundred dollars more, but is larger, deeper, and far more comfortable.
IKEA’s Finnala is 10 inches longer and 3.5″ deeper.
That extra depth makes a huge difference in comfort.
Linsy’s seat depth (from the front of the back cushion to the front of the seat cushion) is only 20″.
In normal American style sofas, the minimum seat depth is 21″. IKEA’s Finnala has a 21 5/8″ seat depth.
IKEA’s 38 5/8″ overall depth compares with Linsy’s 35″.
The extra depth gives IKEA enough room to pitch the back of the sofa.
Pitched backs are normal in sofa designs. They are critical for a comfortable seat.
Linsy doesn’t have enough overall depth to pitch the back.
The back attaches to the base at a 90-degree angle.
Another feature that makes Linsey uncomfortable is the seat support foundation.
It doesn’t have one!
The cushions are supported by a thin, flat piece of hard fabric covered plywood.
It allows easy access to the storage area, but it’s not comfortable for sitting.
It’s also not as strong as a normal sinuous wire foundations.
As a result, Linsy’ Rubik’s weight limit is 220 lbs.
That is less than standard for sofas
Usually, 250 lbs. is minimal and 350 lbs. is far more common.
If you want to know more about IKEA’s sofas and the pocketed coil cushions, check out my article, IKEA Sofas: All the Experts Are Wrong!
In your question, you mentioned the seat cushions pass CA 65, Oeko, and Bifma certifications.
These certifications are required for foam used in furniture shipped to California.
Almost all foam made in the U.S. meets those certifications.
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Hi this seems to be about the Rubik sectionals. Have you looked at the Rubik III? it was just released by LINSY home and seems like more premium version. It makes some claims about having solid wood, better fabrics, and better foam cushions. just wondered if you have thoughts about these claims
https://www.linsyhome.com/collections/all?gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oIkkQ7O1v12bcR1vBKeHf-yQx1y8InIDzx4PGbP7hebNRkJVV5JjWcaAkjCEALw_wcB
The Rubik III has a few modifications from the original Rubik. From my perspective, these are primarily marketing changes.
Upgrading the frame to solid wood sounds nice, and the frame did need an upgrade from its original weight capacity of 220 lbs. per seat.
Linsy is claiming that the new seats have a weight capacity of 1000 lbs.
At first I thought this was the total of all the seats in the sectional, but the same 1000 lbs. seems to apply to 4 seat, 6 seat & 8 seat sectionals. That doesn’t make sense.
But a weight capacity of 1000 lbs. per seat also doesn’t make sense. I don’t know of any manufacturers who test their weight capacities beyond 500 lbs.
Upgrading the frame to solid wood does nothing to improve comfort or overall durability since the cushions are likely to wear out long before the frame.
Changing the cushions from pocket coils to a 1.8 density foam core with memory foam wrap should temporarily improve the comfort, but also decrease the cushion durability, possibly to as little as 3 years when combined with a hard plywood slab instead of a spring foundation underneath the cushions.
Memory foam sounds better than pocket coils to most people. My guess is that the change was made because there were too many complaints about the pocket coil cushions being too firm.
In the photos, the cushions appear thinner than normal, and there didn’t seem to be enough thickness to properly pad the coil spring unit.
But the cushions may also be too thin to last long with a 1.8 density foam core. I emailed a question to the company asking how thick the cushions are.
If the cushions have a 4″ thick core (as it appears to me from the photos), the average lifespan of these new cushions may be around 3 years.
The memory foam makes the cushions feel softer. But it does not improve the cushion durability. It actually decreases it.
Cushions that combine 1.8 density foam cores with memory foam wrappings are unusual. 1.8 density foam loses its initial firmness and resilience pretty quickly. Memory foam has very little resilience, even when new.
The result is “puddling,” where the cushion’s fabric cover appears loose and sloppy.
If you look at the photo showing the person stepping on the cushions, you can see an example of this puddling.
In summary, the modifications made from the Rubik to the Rubik III may be temporarily improving the comfort at the expense of long term durability.
Lack of comfort was apparently a major issue for many purchasers. Changing the cushions is not an adequate solution. It does nothing to correct the perpendicular back (no pitch) which is a major reason for the discomfort.
The new cushions will improve comfort for a while, but will wear out quickly, possibly within 3 years for most people.