I’ve had my Pottery Barn York sofas for a little over a year now, and I often get asked about their durability, cleanability, and overall quality. Here are my honest thoughts!
Before I dive in, let me tell you exactly which version of the Pottery Barn York sofa we have – if you’re researching them, you likely already know that there are different depths, sizes, arm shapes, and upholstery options.
We have two of the York Slope Arm Deep Seat upholstered sofas in the 95″ length with bench seat cushions. We chose the Performance Heathered Tweed fabric in Ivory. Performance fabric is an absolute MUST, in my opinion, and the other important factor when selecting fabric is the rub count. Rub count tells you how durable the fabric is. The higher the rub count, the more durable the fabric. In order to establish this number, they literally have a machine that rubs the fabric over and over in the same spot until it starts to show signs of wear. If a fabric has a rub count of 50,000, that means the machine rubbed it 50,000 times before it showed any signs of wear. For an item that will get heavy use (like a sofa), a high rub count is a must – and the Performance Heathered Tweed hits the mark.
Okay, now that you know exactly what Pottery Barn York Sofa we have, here are my thoughts.
The fabric is incredibly easy to clean. Like I mentioned, we have two toddlers and a black dog, none of whom go easy on our sofas. We’ve had dirt, food, milk, dog hair, chocolate, and just about anything else you can imagine spilled on these sofas, and it washes right out. That’s the best part – these are upholstered sofas, but the cushion covers are machine washable and very easy to put back on! For anything that isn’t removable (like the arm) a little Folex works wonders.
Overall durability is also outstanding. We sit on these couches daily, but the cushions are not dented or saggy at all. Our kids even sit on the top of the back cushions, and I can easily fluff them back to normal quickly. The one sign of wear that we have noticed is that the fabric tends to pill over time. That can easily be cleaned up with a fabric shaver, but it is a little bit of maintenance that is required.
Finally, let’s talk comfort. These are supremely comfortable! I highly recommend the deep seat, because you can sink into them and put your feet up. In fact, most people end up lounging rather than sitting, because they’re just too inviting. The fabric is soft enough that it’s not scratchy but not so soft that it feels delicate.
Is there anything I’d do differently? Actually, yes. If I could go back, I’d absolutely repurchase the Pottery Barn York Sofa, but I’d probably choose the “Pebble” color of this fabric rather than the Ivory. I love our sofas, and I am not looking to replace or reupholster them any time soon, but the Ivory fabric can pull slightly yellow, especially against our bright white walls. I spent lots of time with fabric swatches before ordering the Ivory, but that’s just something that’s hard to tell until you really see the full piece of furniture in your space.
So there you have it! Hopefully this helps you make a decision if you’re considering a York sofa. If you have any questions that I didn’t answer, please drop them in the comments!
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** We paid full retail price for our sofas, so this is not a sponsored review! However, I do receive a small commission if you use my links to make a purchase. You certainly don’t have to, but I do appreciate it if you do! **
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