A “pit couch” is a large, deep couch that forms a large, soft “pit” for multiple people to sit or lay in. Usually comprised of 6 or more sections that are arranged in a square or rectangle formation. Pit couches go by other names as well including “Modular Sectionals”, “Pit Sectionals”, “Modular Pit Sofa”, etc.
This trend has risen in popularity in the last 3-4 years, especially for home theaters.
When we designed our home theater in The Arched Manor, (see the blog post here) we decided to remove the stadium seating that was previously there – we have two small children, and instead of having us in separate reclining chairs, we opted to create a space for a large pit couch where we could lay and watch a movie together!
We reviewed many different brands and styles of pit couches and ultimately decided on which one fit our style, dimensions, and budget. This blog post dives into our top 5 pit couch options (starting at our #5 choice and working down to our #1) and gives you the pros and cons of each.
Pit couches are large, so make sure your space can handle the width and depth. Especially for the custom made couches that can't be returned!
Opt for Performance fabric if available. Especially if you have kids, pets, or you want a white/light fabric color. Wine and popcorn butter are not your friends!
If you have a space that requires a custom configuration, look for pit sectionals where you can buy each piece individually.
Do you need your couch sooner rather than later? Check lead times for each option. Some ship in a few weeks while others ship in a few months or more!
Being able to return the pit couch if you don't like it is a huge benefit, but usually not an option for custom orders.
One of the more famous and best known pit couches out there, the Restoration Hardware Cloud Pit Couch gives the most versatility to customize the modular sections to fit your space. This is one of the two pit couches in our list where you purchase each section individually, which means if you need a wider couch to fit your home theater, you can add middle sections to get the width you need.
Restoration Hardware offers this couch in 160 fabrics/colors, so you can find the one that best fits your space and your budget. Speaking of budget, this pit couch is only for those that have a significant amount to spend. The 6-piece arrangement in Classic (not Luxe) depth starts around 12K and goes north from there depending on fabric, depth, and additional sections you may add.
One bit of advice we can give based on our research is that you want to spend a lot of time going over the fill options for the cushions. There are many reviews out there that say the basic fill looks very frumpy and is hard to keep its shape.
This detailed pit couch from ZGallerie is one of the classiest couches we have seen. Boasting clean lines and sculptural silhouettes, amply filled with high-density foam and upholstered by hand using a multi-step process, each piece is both comfortable and durable. Available in 35 color options, including their performance fabric to prevent stains. Other key features:
This Crate & Barrel Pit Couch is a great option for any home theater – especially if you need a specific color or fabric. These are custom made and can be upholstered in 100’s of colors and fabrics. The sides are tapered inwards (great for laying back and looking up to watch the movie) and the pillows on this unit are more substantial than some of the other pit couches we reviewed. Other features of the Axis pit sectional are:
We wouldn’t mind this Arhaus pit couch in “our house”! Features plush, foam and down-filled pillows and has a casual, structured look to it. There are currently 8 color options available, with 6 of those being performance fabric. Since you can’t turn over the top cushion to hide a spill, we definitely recommend getting the performance fabric option.
This pit couch is part of the Coburn collection, and you can purchase additional pieces to this couch to make a custom layout. Perfect if you have a unique home theater design! Delivery for the in-stock fabric choices is 6 weeks, and custom fabrics take 12 weeks for delivery.
This is the pit couch we selected for our home theater in The Arched Manor! Our family absolutely loves it and it will easily swallow you and your crew into a sea of comfort. This modular sectional contains 6 pieces and seats around 8 people comfortably.
The fabric is soft, the cushions are not too firm and not too soft (in other words perfect) and the quality is top notch, especially for the price!
This pit couch is from the collection “Home by Sean & Catherine Lowe” and comes with all the buyer-friendly perks of shopping on Wayfair (free returns, customer service, etc.).
Compared to the other pit couches above, this one is the clear winner for us – it is not only high-quality and comfortable, but also affordable, which means we will feel less angry when our kids spill popcorn butter all over the cushions.
One bit of advice – this couch sells out quickly so if you see it available in the color you want – BUY IT QUICK! They are restocked every few months and sell out in a few days. Setup the email notification in Wayfair so you get alerted when they are in-stock!
Seeing the pit couches side-by-side really helps to compare them, see what options are available, and what will fit your requirements the best.
John and Megan are the founders of Arched Manor, which is a passion-project turned business featuring home design, renovations, DIY tutorials, décor, e-Design, and 3-D rendering services. This married couple lives in Leesburg, Virginia, and is currently renovating The Arched Manor, a brick colonial house built in 2000.
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The Comments
John
“top 5”
I am unclear. Did you actually sit in any of the ones you didn’t buy?
1021home
→ JohnThanks for the question! We sat in a few of them, but not all of them. We created this list based on our research of the top pit couches and ranked them based on numerous factors such as price, availability, color options, fabrics, and reviews. Thanks!