When it comes to buying a new couch, two brands have been making waves in the furniture industry recently – Home Reserve and Burrow.
As direct-to-consumer couch startups, they are both focused on selling high-quality couches at affordable prices by cutting out the middlemen and selling directly to customers online.
But with two buzzworthy couch brands to choose from, how do you decide which one is right for your home and budget? This in-depth guide compares Home Reserve and Burrow across the factors that matter most when couch shopping – price, quality, customization options, and more.
Read on for an unbiased look at the pros and cons of each brand.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Couch Comparisons | Home Reserve | Burrow |
| Pricing | $1,100 – $3,000 | $995 – $2,000 |
| Quality/Durability | American-made, artisanal craftsmanship | High-tech, precision materials |
| Customization | 50+ fabrics, unable to mix | Modular pieces, mix & match |
| Delivery | White glove assembly | Ships in boxes, DIY |
| Comfort | Universally appealing | Choice of 2 feels |
| Innovation | Classic style with smart features | Cutting-edge tech focus |
| Sustainability | 100% carbon neutral | Eco-conscious efforts |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame; 1 yr rest | 3 yrs comprehensive |
Price and Value Comparison
Price is often the first consideration when shopping for a new couch. And given that both Home Reserve and Burrow market themselves as affordable, premium couch brands, pricing is an important starting point for comparison.
Home Reserve positions itself solidly in the mid-priced couch bracket, with most sofas ranging from $1,100 to $3,000. With an average price around $1,800, they aim to compete with big box stores like IKEA when it comes to pricing, while using higher quality materials and American-made construction.
Burrow takes value a step further, with most of their sofas priced between $1,000 and $2,000. Offering custom-designed couches shipped directly to you starting at just $995, Burrow is targeting budget-focused customers who still want style and quality.
Add on their high-tech features like power recliners and USB chargers, and Burrow squeezes a ton of value out of their affordable price points.
Winner: Burrow offers more couch for your money in the budget-friendly price bracket under $2k.
Comparison of Quality and Durability
You want your new couch to last, which is why quality materials and durability are key considerations for long-term value.
All Home Reserve frames and cushions are made with durable hardwood, heavy gauge sinuous springs, and high density foams. And almost all of their fabrics and leathers come with heavy treatment and protective finishes to prevent stains, scuffs, and scratches over years of use.
The result is a family-tough couch designed to handle years of kids, pets, and adults alike.
Burrow takes a high-tech approach to durability, using moisture wicking fabrics, scratch resistant surfaces, and precision engineered frames designed for disassembly and years of use.
They even test fabrics for up to 30,000 cycles – or 10 years of daily use – without pilling or tearing.
While not always made in America, Burrow’s smarter sofa materials give them an edge for active households.
Winner: It’s a toss up. Burrow offers high-tech durable fabrics, while Home Reserve relies on time-tested luxury materials and American-made craftsmanship. Choose based on your priorities.
Customization and Style Options
One of the promises of direct-to-consumer furniture brands is increased personalization and style options versus big box retailers. So how do Home Reserve and Burrow compare when it comes to making a couch your own?
Home Reserve offers over 50 fabric options to choose from for all their sofa collections, making it easy to find an on-trend look and feel you love. While fabrics can’t be mixed and matched within collections, the color and pattern options are diverse enough for most styles. Complimentary swatch samples make final fabric choices easy.
Burrow takes personalization even further with their modular system that allows you to customize each piece of your sectional. Choose from either 2 or 3 seat sizes, right or left orientation, sloped or squared arm styles, and even select your preferred heights and depths per section.
This flexibility lets you design a sectional tailored to your unique space. Burrow also offers a wider variety of on-trend fabrics and leathers to mix and match across your personalized sections.
Winner: Burrow offers next-level modular customization for truly one-of-a-kind sectional designs.
Shipping, Delivery & Setup
One major perk of ordering directly from furniture startups like Burrow and Home Reserve is the convenient home shipping and assembly. But how does the process compare between the two brands?
Home Reserve offers free standard shipping on all their collections.
Using premium white glove in-home delivery and assembly, your couch will be professionally unboxed and set up in the room of your choice by the delivery team.
This premium delivery experience ensures your new couch arrives in pristine condition.
Burrow also provides free standard shipping, but takes more of a DIY approach once the couch arrives at your home. Their sofas ship in easy to maneuver boxes that can be brought inside by one person.
Burrow includes an Allen wrench so you can conveniently assemble the couch yourself in about 10-30 minutes. No heavy lifting required! Optional white glove delivery is available for an added fee.
Winner: Home Reserve’s white glove delivery takes the hassle out of setup if you prefer leaving it to the professionals.
Seating Comfort and Ergonomics
Of course a key factor for any couch is comfort! How do Home Reserve and Burrow compare when it comes to the sink-in, curl up with a book or binge Netflix experience we all want from our living room?
Home Reserve optimizes for traditional comfort with medium, cushioned firmness and supportive backs across their collections. Plush seat cushions padded with high-resilience foam or down alternative fibers make evenings in feel extra cozy.
While not as enveloping as a down-filled classic, their cushions aim for crowd-pleasing comfort suitable for all-purpose living spaces.
Burrow takes a more curated approach to comfort by offering two distinct feels to choose between. Their Standard model features a firmer, more supportive seat making it easy to get in and out of while still relaxing into the back cushions.
The Signature line uses a high-recovery foam for added sink-in comfort better suited for dedicated TV rooms where you plan to really lounge. Differences come down to personal preference between their “chill” vs “chillax” comfort profiles.
Winner: A tie. Those wanting a universally comfortable, standard couch feel will be happy with Home Reserve’s selections, while Burrow lets you customize the exact level of cushy comfort you prefer.
Additional Features and Innovation
As ecommerce furniture brands, both Home Reserve and Burrow integrate innovative features and thinking into their couch designs unseen from legacy brands. But which startup does more to push the category forward?
Home Reserve injects heritage craftsmanship with modern technological additions like USB ports discreetly placed in their sofa arms for staying powered up. They also offer specialty performance fabrics designed to stand up to the rigors of pets and kids.
And their recent Orbit collection features a swivel base for fluid sectional configurations.
Burrow takes innovation to the next level by using technology to enhance couch functionality. From precision sized modular pieces for unmatched customizability, to proprietary fabrics with moisture-, stain-, and scratch-resistance built right in for durability.
They are also leading the way when it comes to integrated tech like USB chargers, power recliners, adjustable armrests, night lights, and even smartphone-controlled massage.
Winner: Burrow edges out Home Reserve as the leader when it comes to high-tech couches without compromising on comfort.
Social Responsibility & Sustainability
With climate change and other social issues top of mind for brands and consumers alike, assessing and comparing each company’s commitments to corporate social responsibility provides further insights on the ethos behind these couch crafters.
Home Reserve showcases admirable commitments to sustainability across operations. They offset 100% of carbon emissions from manufacturing and shipping while achieving zero waste company-wide through eco-friendly packaging and recycling programs. Home Reserve also makes corporate philanthropy contributions to charities supporting at-risk youth, medical research, and disaster recovery programs.
While Burrow doesn’t promote environmental or social initiatives as overtly, they describe using sustainable manufacturing processes and consciously sourced materials whenever possible.
Burrow’s innovative modular design also inherently supports sustainability by extending product lifespans and uses less materials per couch through size customization.
Winner: Home Reserve stands out for their more measurable and committed approach to monitoring and minimizing environmental impact across the business.
Battle of Brand Reputations
Given these are still relatively new direct-to-consumer brands compared to legacy players, assessing what existing customers have to say provides helpful insight around quality, service, and overall owner satisfaction.
Home Reserve earns glowing reviews from verified buyers on platforms like Google and Yelp. Most praise the quality and luxury feel of sofas for the reasonable mid-tier pricing. Complaints are rare and usually focused on longer than expected lead times.
With a 5 star average rating, Home Reserve delights most customers.
Burrow also averages 5 star reviews across rating platforms, with praise highlighting ease of customization and cost-conscious pricing. Some reviewers deduct points for thinner seat cushions or report receiving furniture with defects.
And delays due to supply chain disruptions have frustrated some recent buyers. But overall Burrow maintains repute as an innovative brand disrupting the status quo.
Winner: It’s a draw. Both brands earn enthusiastic word-of-mouth with a few sour grapes sprinkled in. We call this category squarely down the middle.
Warranties
When investing in a sizable and long-term furniture purchase like a sofa, considering each company’s warranties provides peace of mind should any defects occur.
Home Reserve proudly stands behind their American-made craftsmanship by including a lifetime warranty on all hardwood frames and spring systems, covering replacement costs due to manufacturing defects for the lifespan of the couch. Cushions and fabric upholstery fall under a standard 1-year warranty.
Burrow offers an extensive 3-year warranty that covers all parts of the couch – frame, cushions, fabric, etc. They also provide a 1 month trial period where you can return the sofa for a full refund if it does not meet expectations once assembled in your home.
Here is an at-a-glance comparison table summarizing key differences in coverage duration across categories:
| Warranty Comparison | Home Reserve | Burrow |
| Frame & Springs | Lifetime | 3 years |
| Fabric & Cushions | 1 year | 3 years |
| Trial Period | None | 1 month |
Burrow clearly stands out for their 3 years inclusive warranty and trial period demonstrating confidence even first-time furniture brands can craft high-quality, defect-free living room pieces. Those wanting lifetime guarantees around key structural elements will appreciate Home Reserve’s enduring policy however.
Still Undecided? Key Takeaways to Decide:
For those still weighing choices between Home Reserve or Burrow for their dream couch, keep these summary takeaways in mind:
Home Reserve shines for:
- Heirloom-quality craftsmanship and luxury materials
- Wide range of family-friendly, stain-resistant fabrics
- White glove delivery with professional assembly
- Philanthropic company ethos
Burrow excels at:
- Unparalleled customization flexibility
- Budget-friendly pricing under $1,500
- High-tech features like recliners and USBs
- Innovative modular and quick-ship designs
At the end of the day, you can feel confident choosing either brand known for affordable luxury paired with ecommerce-redefining innovation. Use the pros, cons and competitive comparisons above to decide if your ideal couch leans more Home Reserve or Burrow.
And no matter which direction you go, enjoy many years of happiness curling up on quality comfort made to order just for you!
FAQ Comparing Home Reserve & Burrow
Below find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions around popular newcomers Home Reserve and Burrow when comparing quality, value, and reputation.
While both Home Reserve and Burrow use premium quality materials and durable construction in their couches, Home Reserve stands out for artisanal American craftsmanship passed down for generations along with timeless heirloom aesthetics. They focus on heritage luxury looks and feel that come from natural, full-grain leathers and textiles made to patina beautifully over decades of use.
As Burrow’s premium line focused on portable modular sofa customization, Burrow Nomad introduces innovative features like easier setup/takedown and machine washable slipcovers making them perfect for urban dwellers or anyone wanting maximum configurability. While the $1,245+ price tags sit at the higher end, Nomad sofas also feature up to 30 customizable pieces for unprecedented adaptability. For the target demographic, they deliver the adjustability and clean-lined style worth the investment.
As founders from legacy furniture brand Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams ventured into startup territory, Home Reserve launched in 2018 based off their 25+ years of industry experience. So while still a newer direct-to-consumer brand, Home Reserve benefits from established expertise crafting high-end sofas and furnishings.
Burrow pioneered the modular sofa concept using precision-cut cubes that connect through patented slide-in brackets to enable unmatched custom configurations in seating shapes/sizes. Shoppers choose their preferred arm, back, and cushion styles then arrange cubes to design sofas/sectionals to perfectly fill unique spaces or evolve flexibly over time as needs change. This flexibility fueled Burrow’s rapid rise redefining customized, adaptable furniture.
And In Conclusion…
When it comes to buying a couch online, both Home Reserve and Burrow present compelling options blending premium materials, on-trend looks, and ecommerce-friendly ordering/delivery.
If wanting maximum customizability with budget-friendly pricing under $2,000, Burrow leads as the best value option. While Home Reserve shines for those seeking timeless, heirloom-quality craftsmanship made using traditional techniques.
Either way, skipping big box stores for the personalized online couch shopping experience allows finding better quality, service, and options thanks to direct-to-consumer furniture innovators like these raising expectations for modern brands.
