Lovesac Sactionals are expensive.
But frequently Sactionals can be found at Sale Prices.
25% and even 30% Off Discounts occur several times each year.
How does Lovesac compare with other modular sectionals when Sactionals go on Sale?
This article is a detailed review and cost analysis of the Lovesac Sactional.
The Sactional is compared with another modular sectional of similar quality.
Sactional prices are also analyzed from a manufacturing cost perspective.
Lovesac Sactionals are a lifestyle statement.
Sactionals cost more than other modular sectionals.
They’re designed for growing families and people with changing lifestyles who want furniture that can change as they and their families change.
If all you want is a comfortable place to sit for the next 10+ years, the Lovesac Sactional is not for you.
There are more comfortable seating options available at lower prices than a LoveSac Sactional.
Lovesac’s strength is its unusually wide assortment of design options.
Sizes and shapes transform to accommodate different rooms or special occasions.
Additional pieces can be added at any time.
Fabric covers are completely removable and washable.
All parts are replaceable.
If you want furniture that can be transformed into multiple configurations, or stand up to severe abuse from pets and kids, LoveSac may be worth the additional cost for those who can afford it.
At 25% Off, How do Lovesac Sactional prices compare with other modular sectionals?
The Castlery Jonathan and LoveSac Sactional are both built to last about 10 years.
I recently looked at a Castlery Jonathan 5 seat 117″ x 117″ modular sectional in fabric for $4199.
That price does not include a $280 Cyber Monday discount that brought the Sale price down to slightly less than $4000.
LoveSac’s 5 seat 117″ x 111″ modular sectional was priced at $6695.
A 25% holiday discount reduced the Sactional Sale Price to $5021 in the Tan Combed Chenille fabric.
Other Sactional fabrics can add up to $602 more per seat (which would add an additional $3010 to the 5 seat sactional Sale Price listed above.)
Faux leathers, a popular choice for families with small kids, add $400 per seat. That would boost the price of the 5 seat Sactional to $8695 ( or $6521 at 25% off.)
If you’re just going to be sitting on your Sactional, that’s a lot of money.
Optional Upgrades and Accessory items can drive Lovesac prices far higher.
Even at the 25% Off Sale Price:
The Sactional Lovesoft seat cushions are far more comfortable than the standard cushions.
The additional charge to upgrade from the Standard to Lovesoft cushions is outrageous.
Upgrading from the Standard cushions to the Lovesoft option adds $200 per seat cushion to the price of a Sactional.
That’s $175 per seat at 25% Off. That’s outrageous!
At the manufacturing level, labor + materials for these “upgrades” is less than $20 per cushion.
Many Lovesac customers seem to feel that the Lovesoft cushion upgrade is more comfortable than the standard cushions.
That makes sense, since the standard cushion is basically just a slab of foam underneath a fabric cover.
It doesn’t have the polyester fiber wrap, which is almost universal for mid-range quality seat cushions.
The Lovesoft upgrade adds this polyester fiber layer.
The polyester fiber used is very good quality, a better grade than what is usually found in mid-range quality cushions.
At the manufacturing level, the cost of adding this high quality polyester fiber wrap for the Lovesoft upgrade is less than $20 per cushion.(Actually, it’s probably closer to $10.)
Lovesac charges its customers an additional $200 PER SEAT CUSHION for upgrading to the Lovesoft cushions from the standard cushions.
That’s $150 per seat cushion at 25% off. That’s a profit of around 1000%.
For my readers who think I must have a mistake somewhere in my calculations, I have redone this a dozen times. I find it almost impossible to believe.
Removable fabric covers is another popular option.
A Sactional armless chair uses about 5 yards of fabric. (That includes the seat cushion, back cushion, base and back.)
Lovesac is using fabrics that range from around $4 per yard up to $10 per yard (at manufacturer’s cost.) Sewing replacement covers for an armless chair takes less than 10 minutes.
This is a total manufacturing cost of $24 to $54 for making a replacement cover. After the manufacturer adds in his overhead costs and profit, Lovesac is paying about $35 to $75 for each set of armless covers.
Depending on the fabric selected, Lovesac charges its customers $236 to $602 for each armless chair replacement cover.
That’s the 25% off Sale Price. Lovesac is paying about $35 to $75 for each set of armless covers. That’s almost 700% profit.
If you want to add arms to your armless chair that’s another $56 to $225 per arm.
Adding a set of arms for $112 is reasonable. Charging an additional $450 is not. Even with the slightly more expensive fabric.
A Sactional armless chair uses about 5 yards of fabric. (That includes the seat cushion, back cushion, base and back.) Extra arms (which are the same as the back) add another 1.5 yards.
Lovesac is using fabrics that cost around $4 per yard up to $10 per yard (at manufacturer’s cost.) Sewing a replacement cover for an armless chair takes about 5 minutes.
At the manufacturer’s level, Lovesac is paying less than $25 to $55 for replacement covers that sell for $236 to $602 (at 25% off.)
Lovesac makes even higher profit margins on the extra arms.
Adding storage ls $93.75 per seat.
Although this is far more reasonable than the upcharge for cushions, it is still a substantial additional cost.
Quality comparison between LoveSac Sactionals & Castlery Jonathan:
Frames:
Lovesac:
Solid hardwood, hardwood plywood, and some MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard.)
Overall, this is a very sturdy, well-built frame that should hold up for 15+ years.
Castlery Jonathan:
Laminated Veneer lumber & hardwood plywood.
This is better quality than many other sectionals in this price range.
Although not as sturdy as Lovesac, this frame should also last 15+ years.
Foundations:
Both LoveSac and Castlery use sinuous springs, but there is a difference.
Lovesac:
Sinuous wire is combined with stretchable elastic webbing.
Sinuous springs are very cheap and long lasting. But they have very little “bounce.”
Lovesac appears to be trying to improve the seat comfort by spacing the sinuous wires a little wider apart than normal and reinforcing them with a “bouncy” stretchable webbing.
This may slightly improve the comfort, but it may also sacrifice some long-term durability, since this type of stretchable webbing provides less support.
Castelry Jonathan:
Standard sinuous spring foundations.
They should last 15+ years with no problems.
The lack of “bounce” that Lovesac is concerned about, is more than compensated for by coil springs in the seat cushions.
Seat Cushions:
Cushions are usually the first major component that wears out on sofas and sectionals.
When cushions lose their shape and resilience, many people feel it’s time to buy a new couch.
Lovesac:
The standard cushions are foam (just foam.)
Normal foam seat cushions (at all price ranges) have a foam core that is topped by either synthetic fiber or feathers/down (or sometimes a combination of both.) This adds some softness to the feel.
The most common type of top layer is a 1/2″ to 1″ polyester fiber sheet that wraps around the foam to soften the feel of the foam and to provide a nice looking “crown” that makes the cushion look higher in the middle.
The fiber also helps fill in corners and areas that might otherwise not appear fully filled out.
Lovesac’s standard cushion does not have this polyester fiber wrap.
The standard cushions have two slabs of 4 inch thick 1.8 density polyurethane foam. In many of my other articles, I criticize the use of 1.8 density foam.
In a normal cushion with a 4 or 5 inch thick foam core, 1.8 density foam has an average lifespan of 3 to 5 years.
Using an 8 inch thickness of 1.8 density foam probably doubles the lifespan. (But be aware that more weight can make foam cushions wear out faster. A 250 lb. person wears out foam cushions in half the time of someone weighing 175 lbs.)
Lovesac’s standard cushions are made in 3 layers. The top and bottom layers are 4″ thick foam slabs. The middle layer is a small 3/4″ thick foam insert “bump”, which they call a “cushion heart.”
The purpose of this “cushion heart” is to make the cushion slightly higher in the center and to prevent the center from “sinking.” I don’t know of any other seating manufacturer that does this.
I’m not sure why Lovesac does not use a polyester fiber wrap around its standard cushions.
It definitely helps sell the more comfortable (and far more profitable) LoveSoft cushion upgrade.
Castelry Jonathan seat cushions:
The Castelry Jonathan’s seat cushions have pocketed coil springs and thick foam padding. The seat cushions should remain comfortable for 10+ years.
Not all pocketed coil cushions are the same quality level.
Cheaper brands use only 2 or 3 inches of foam padding above the 3″ high springs. That’s not enough.
Although cheap, poorly padded pocketed coil cushions will last twice as long as similarly priced foam cushions, they may feel uncomfortably firm for many people.
The Castlery Jonathan and other better quality brands use pocketed coil cushions with 5 or more inches of high quality foam padding.
Thicker pocketed coil cushions are both long lasting and comfortable.
Back cushions:
This is one area in which Castelry has a clear advantage over Lovesac.
Lovesac:
Lovesac’s back cushions have a polyester fiber fill. This fiberfill is divided into 3 separate chambers, which help keep the shape better, but only for a while.
Fairly soon, the back cushions lose their shape and appear wrinkled and messy. They can be temporarily “fluffed up” but it’s not a good long-term solution.
You can add fiber or replace the back cushion insert entirely, but either way is only a temporary solution.
The back cushions often look messy and worn out, long before any other part of the Sactional.
Castelry Jonathan:
The back cushions are filled with foam and fiber.
The added foam helps the back cushions hold their shape far longer than back cushions filled with fiber or feathers or Lovesoft™ fiber only.
This is superior to Lovesac’s back cushion construction.
For more information and reviews on Lovesac, Castelry, and other modular sectional brands, see the Insiders Guide to Furniture.
The following Youtube videos have interesting comments about Lovesac Sactionals.
Why I’m Returning My Sactional Sofa?
Deep seating is more comfortable. (Note: Personally, I found the Sactional deep seating to be extremely uncomfortable.)
