I now have 6 pottery barn sofas 4 of which I have had for over 8 years. While I agree a custom sofa would be a great route to go it’s not an option for a lot of people due to where they live. I’m in a rural coastal area. I don’t think the entire company needs to be thrown under the bus. Every furniture line everywhere has some duds. I do very careful research into the product I am buying. I’m simply offering up my review of my experience. You don’t have to agree with me. I have had very positive experiences with pottery barn. Restoration hardware absolutely not. Have a great day everyone and good luck on your furniture adventures!

If you read this entire thread, it is clear that PB upholstery and the company’s years lacking responsiveness to this issue indeed deserves to be thrown under a big bus followed by a train and a few trucks.

This is product specific, not “the whole company”. Custom upholstery from better vendors was available online elsewhere when I was shopping and with customer supplied fabric.

Jem/Susan, I truly appreciate your honest takes as it appears you are both passionate about your decisions since you have to live with it and no one else. As the idiom goes, “One man’s meat is another’s poison” which doesn’t take away from neither as much as it is a matter of choice. This is capitalism in play as we have choices and not just settle for the status quo. Each of you are very unique in your own way and very much expected and understandable. Can you imagine if everyone were the same in the world? It definitely would be a boring place. Susan, please save that arm...don’t you dare cut it off... :). I thank everyone for taking time out of their busy schedule to chime in. Pros and cons make my decision making process a lot easier. Once again, Vielen Dank..!!

My recommendation is DO NOT buy PB upholstery! I have a sofa with chaise which is a piece of junk, very uncomfortable, I have read lots of reviews with the same problem I have. It's okay in the beginning but starts to be uncomfortable after a while. We took the dust cover off the bottom and PB is selling a very poorly built sofa for way too much money.

Not about PB upholstery, though I do have a PB couch in performance twill and had no problems. This is about the Thalia dining table. I purchased that and the matching buffet awhile ago. The buffet is fine, but the tabletop has developed 4 splits, from 6" long to 33" long! I called PB LAST OCTOBER and they decided it was a quality control issue, and were supposedly sending a replacement. STILL waiting. I checked on the order in early December and PB HAD CANCELED THE ORDER! I sure didn't. Reordered AGAIN. Never got a confirmation or any documentation, but checked on it, and supposedly this time it's on its way. Their customer service is bad, and the shipping of large pieces is atrocious, especially since there's a high surcharge. The one good thing I'll say is they did not hesitate to agree the fault was theirs. Calling again today to check on things...

One suggestion I have is to not order online. Have an associate order it for you. It really helps to have someone advocating for you If there is a problem. Otherwise you’re just an anonymous face. I’m convinced this is how I got my sofa replaced- 3 times!

FWIW, our 8 yr. old leather chesterfield couch from PB is still going strong, and we just bought the Jake sectional with bench seat in premium performance ivory for our living room which is gorgeous and delightfully easy to clean. After a few months, we decided the bench seat cushion was a little too squishy and it indented a bit too much for our liking, so they resent firmer cushions for us immediately (literally got them 2 weeks after I put in an email to customer service) and that did the trick. All during a pandemic while other vendors were a complete mess. I'm not saying PB is perfect or even worth the money, but I love the styling of their pieces and their fabrics, and most importantly they take complete ownership in making things right if you're not happy. That's one of the hardest things to find these days and I personally appreciate it.

Not my experience at all. They told me since I did not complain in the first year there was nothing they could do for me!! I am very frustrated that I have a piece of junk sofa that is not even 2 1/2 years old. I will keep telling people to not buy the Pearce sofa from PB. Many others have complained with similar issues! I spent over $2500 and in 2 1/2 years it needs to be replaced, that is just not okay!!

Do the Twill fabrics collect lint or animal hair? I have three dogs, but really like the red twill fabric. I do not want a fabric that is going to just collect animal hair though.

I’m not sure because I don’t have my dog yet and unable to share the experience.

However, I can categorically say that my experience with PB has been less than a pleasant one. Having a root canal has been a better experience than getting a resolution for a blemished sectional sofa that cost $7,000.00. I have had to write and follow up a few times . On top of the follow up when there was no response, the L-side of the sectional was eventual going to be replaced but not the R-side because the blemish in the fabric is normal, I was told. Excuse me? I would expect a 7k furniture to be flawless. I had to once again call to ensure that both sides except the corner piece were being replaced. Alas! I found out there was no movement on the issue since the associate I was dealing with did not respond

but eventually got resolution after I had to, once more call again. In a nutshell, it has been a less than desirable experience after spending over 20k to get our new home furnished with PB wares. That will be my last patronage of PB.

I hate to see so many people having issues. Just like with everything, experiences vary. I’m going on 4 years with my Townsend Reversible Chaise Sectional in Metal Washed Linen/Cotton & it’s been amazing. The fabric still looks great, no pilling, and the cushions aren’t flat or slouching. Based on my experience, I’d recommend PB. Based in everything I read here, I’m on the fence. I hope everyone gets their issues worked out!!

Looking to purchase the chesterfield sleeper sofa. Thank you all for your comments on fabric- it has been quite helpful. I’m leaning towards the sunbrella chenille fog. Anyone have any experience with the pull out bed?

@Lila Thank you for sharing the pics! the Sofa looks so gorgeous! we are thinking to get the PB comfort sectional with the exact fabric. do you happen to notice if the fabric is easy to attract dust or look dingy, which was mentioned in some reviews? thank you!

@kellychan hi so I’ve had this since June 2020 and the color does not look dingy at all nor does it attract dust... I love this fabric ! I actually had company over and the toddler colored on my sofa with a crayon! A wet paper towel and some scrubbing and it came out completely sunbrella material is the way to go for sure .

@Lila So glad to know the fabric doesn’t attract dust. That was my big concern before. Thank you so much for getting back to me. That really helps us with making decision. Sorry to ask for more. Do you happen to have some pics of your sofa under different lighting condition? If yes, could you please have it emailed to me? lanxue125@gmail. Your input is so much appreciated!! Thank you Lila!

Hi everyone! This thread has helped me so much in picking a fabric! Can you tell me if the chenille cloud color is a beige or a gray? I have the sample but it looks different in every room due to the lighting. TIA!

Hi, I’m deciding between performance heathered tweed in ivory or sumbrella performance slub tweed in white for a Big Sur Deep with double wide chase. How can I tell how tightly woven the these fabrics are? Do they pill? If they do, is it really just as simple as using the shaving tool? Any experiences with the Big Sur in regular or deep versions? Any other recommendations? Thank you all so much for all the comments in this thread.

Hi Maria…check the post below. It’s more active & I’m sure you’ll be able to find your answer there.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4445810/has-anyone-had-any-experience-with-the-pottery-barn-performance-fabric

Hi Maria. I have the Big Sur terminal chaise in heathered tweed ivory. It does pill. I use a clothing shaver to get it off and it does the job. The Big Sur Cushions do get smooshed down especially on the terminal part. Not sure how to fix it. It recommends dry clean for this fabric but I’m going to use my wool setting tomorrow and wool laundry detergent from laundress. I’ll repost to let you know how it goes.

Jem jlemail3

Can either of you tell me how your sunbrella slub tweed sofas are holding up? I'm considering getting a sofa in this fabric.

thank you!

i have new slipcovers coming tomorrow. the current slipcovers are dry clean only and the new are machine washable. i will take before and after photos and share the types of fabric. i am so excited.

Maggie Worms
My Sunbrella slub tweed has actually held up well. There are just the 2 of us so it’s not used a lot, but no pilling or stains. Our Big Sur cushions do dent in, so we have to turn and fluff often.

Yes mine is great no pilling. i have the white. stains wipe off with a wet wipe. like i stated earlier in the thread i do fluff, flip and vacuum every week. i also stay on top of the stains but they are white and i have 4 kids and a dog. i do not treat my couches preciously they are lived on!

Fabric has worn well but did pill; after researching that found that pilling on certain fabric happens but shaving it will fix the problem it feels soft at the store, but mine has never felt really confortable, kind of scratchy and hot. not sure I would buy again.

@katkoz Which fabric would you never get again?

Performance tweed PB

@jlemail3 hello! Are you still around lol? I've been reading through your comments in this thread, as we are considering the same exact couch as you, Big Sur in Sunbrellla Performance slub tweed in Pebble! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

You mention the 'denting in' of the cusions, do you regret getting the bench seat? I thought I liked the idea of bench seats as easier to not deal with a gap, but I'm worried the bench might dent unevenly and look weird, or if someone sits on it while someone else is on it, it might dip funny as they're both on one pillow (if that makes sense). Having separate 'seats' might be more comfortable, and the 'dips' will be in pre-determined spots which might look less uneven and messy and be more comfortable. What are your thoughts? Do you think you would have preferred individual seats or are you happy you got the bench?

I had replacement slipcovers in sunbrella performance chenille salt and they are phenomenal. Washed them once in six months and came out of the dryer better than new. i can not give them a higher recommendation. pricey but so worth it.

If anyone wants a photo i would be happy to provide.

Severeide. I have a creme canvas PB sofa, and while it’s holding up nicely, I envision a time when it will appear dingy and need slipcovers. Post a picture! I’d love to see yours.

E E, we are pretty happy with our sofa. The material cleans easily and still looks new, although there are mostly just the two of us that use it. As far as denting in, I try to flip the seats around but for some reason where my husband always sits does look dented on that side. Maybe I don’t flip them enough. When my kids are over we will sit three on one seat and it’s nice not to have someone sit in the middle of a crack. Maybe the separate seats would not show as much denting, but I’m not sorry we got the bench. It is a little firmer than we would like, but I’m used to it now. Also the pebble color seemed very light when we got it, lighter than I was expecting, but I still like it.

Here it is. i washed the cushions once after about six months. never the back and bottom. it atill looks and feels so great.

Thanks! Does still look fabulous.

@jlemail3 thank you so much! Very helpful. Do you have a pic of your sofa you wouldn't mind sharing? How old is it now?

Hello everyone,

for slipcover sofas for anyone who might be interested, I put some orange lipstick on regular white twill (non-performance), white warm denim, and performance twill white warm, and FYI, the white warm performance twill was the hardest to get out, in fact it still had some lipstick on. Albeit I did not do a dry solvent treatment as was recommended by multiple random website, and just hand washed it with shout and tide, and in the end, I did bleach it, and still the white performance twill had 15-20 % of its stain on. So I did not follow the instructions, do not do as I did on these swatches, especially not on your sofa slipcovers. This was just a test.

The warm white performance twill did wonderful on the water spill test, and little spheres formed on top of the fabric not penetrating it, but that’s what I thought many people say scotchguard does to fabric. Unfortunately it stood no chance with orange lipstick stain. (This is the revlon kiss me coral super lustrous creme lipstick, not a matte long lasting lipstick perse) I will post pictures later.

The White warm denim did not have the magic spheres when put to water spill test, but stain came out amazingly, but required more work than the regular white twill fabric, and cleaned out the best out of the three. I believe the stain is 99% gone.

The regular white twill fabric did not have magic spheres when put to water spill test, and lipstick stain came out the fastest, but not the best, it retained about 5 %of the stain or less.

I will put some pictures so you can see how they look in comparison to each other. (The picture is wet-maybe dried will look better)

Also, the denim was the thickest and softest of the 3 fabrics, remember, all 3 are 100% cotton, with the regular white twill being 15,000 rub count, the performance twill 100,000 rub count and ’finished with soil and stain repellant’ per PB website, with the denim at 50,000 rub count. Performance twill was not as ridig as I thought it would be, there was a display sofa in the store and it was comfy.

I will be looking into the regular twill and the denim in the white as best option for materials I like for future slipcover sofa.

Hi All, Similar concerns here. I am considering the PB sanford modular (I have a tricky space and nothing else seems like it will fit). I also want a firmer seat, which I think this has. I have a toddler.. I love the color of the sunbrella performance sahara weave oatmeal, the performance heathered tweed Desert and the sunbrella performance boss herrigbone ecru. Any advice / experience with either the Sanford or the fabrics (and an active 2 yr old boy?). We spend all our time in this room so he will be all over it. Should I just wait until he is like 15 to invest in a good sofa...?

I've had several PB couches with Sunbrella fabric (current is Sahara weave in oatmeal) and I never had an issue with staining - that always cleaned up extremely well - everything from red wine to cat vomit (several times a month). I don't think I would get a light colored fabric again. While the cushions are easy to clean the rest of the couch, where legs rub etc. are a little harder to care for. Unfortunately I don't have a slipcovered sofa so I have to clean it by hand in those areas. I never had an issue with the frames. The back cushions seem to lose their shape quickly - after the two year mark I was a bit disappointed. The bottom cushions don't look bad after 4 years but are not as crisp as I would like. I think this is on par with other brands at the same price point. You see a lot of complaints about the cushions but they can be replaced. I'm getting a custom made sofa - not going with PB this time around. I'm just not happy with any of their designs in the size I need. I also want to upgrade to better cushions. Believe it or not, the price isn't much more.

Thanks Kristel! Are there customs that use the sunbrella fabrics?

They do have Sunbrella fabric available. There is another company that makes stain resistant fabrics called Nassimi. Some of their fabrics have a silicone backing so it's liquid impermeable which means stains won't seep through. I've tested samples for stain resistance and it's on par with Sunbrella. The company that I'm considering to make my sofa is 'Roger and Chris'. They have an online store and a store front in Omaha. They provide samples of their fabric for free. I need a 110" - 115" sofa. I don't like the cushions that come with the Big Sur and that would be my only option. I considered buying better cushions for the Big Sur but that feels like a waste of money. Roger and Chris charges extra for Sunbrella but not for the Nassimi fabric. Nassimi also has a website and will send out free color cards. You can can actually use bleach on some of their fabrics so I'm excited about that.

If you go with PB consider a Sunbrella fabric with a denser weave - the thicker fabric will help hold the cushion shape better and give the sofa a less casual look - the lines will be more 'crisp'. The lighter weave fabrics tend to look 'slouchy'.

Have you thought about the slipcovers. they fir so well anymore and are not wrinkled like the old cotton paint drop cloths. and they wash like nobody’s business!

I have thought about slip covers. I actually have a small PB sectional now but after our remodel it won't fit the space. It's going in the basement in the 'man' cave. I've bough PB replacement slipcovers in the past for a PB comfort sofa I used to have. I tried twice and they did not fit. I had to fuss with PB to return both times. Technically you can't get your money back for something that's custom to them. The PB rep told me the best way to do it is to buy the extra slip cover the same time you get your couch. I have thought about getting an upholster I know to make some. I can sew and could probably do it but that is a LOT of work.

Wanted to update everyone/anyone who might be interested

ordered the york squared arm deep seated bench seat with 3 cushions (only comes in deep seat now I believe) 81 inch slipcovered square in denim white on 1/15/2022

ordered the 2 PB comfort (smaller sized) sofa chair in denim white, in memory foam(cuz it was the softest at our local store compared to down fill) 3/5/2022

received both of them early 4/22, at the same delivery.

the PB barn sofa/sofa chairs are very comfortable. I have a farlov ikea sofa, and it does not compare. Farlov cushion is hard in comparison. My husband likes it because he likes firm chairs. No regret so far with the white warm denium fabric, in terms of sitting comfort and color for the PB York and PB comfort chairs. I wondered if the warm white would be white enough, in the denim and almost picked the white regular twill, which was the whitest. It is pretty white.

Of note, the york 81 ” sofa was $2299, in 1/22 and now cost 2499$ (W/O delivery/tax)

The PB comfort sofa chairs (smaller size) in memory foam cost 1299$ each and now 1599$ each (WO delivery/tax)

so price went up 20% and some for both furniture types… how often does this happen,does anyone know?

The denim white in the PB comfort chair memory foam and the york sofa are both very soft and comfortable. I was afraid the stiff denim would make the York sofa and PB comfort sofa chair stiff, but it didn’t. Overall the York sofa is more comfortable than the PB comfort chairs in memory foam.

The PB comfort sofas at the local store with down fill was so HARD to sit on, which was odd, since the york sofa is also downfilled but super soft. I spoke to a rep online and he also confirmed and said on their floor, the comfort line PB sofa in memory foam was softer than the down fill.

Super happy with my purchase for many reasons.

Thanks to everyone who commented on this thread, it was a lot of help.

FYI the performance twill sample in warm white, after wash, when pouring some water drops onto it,, still retains some water spheres/ bubbles, before quickly dissipating into the material. It was not as water resistant as it once was. However, it was again the worst at stain removal, when removing revlon superlustrous coral orange lipstick from it.

@Amber R, this is super helpful! I’m looking at the York slope arm slipcovered couch and in between warm white performance twill and warm white denim. I will go with denim based on your posts - $200 less too! Btw did you go with memory foam for the York bc the reviews about feathers sticking out with the down fill?

@Sarah C, York only comes in downfill blend I believe, the PB comfort lines of sofa have the option of memory foam vs down fill. From many websites with down fill sofas reviews, any downfill sofas can have feathers sticking out of it, not just Pottery barn.

I think the performonace warm white twill is 100,000 rub count and maybe once something stains the cloth, it seeps and gets stuck in the tight twill, and it’s harder to get stain out.

Make sure to try and visit a store before your final purchase if you live near one.

I bought the Pearce couch with performance slub fabric. I thought long and hard over it and the sales rep tild me it was a premium fabric would stand up to pets usage etc. i had the couch for two weeks and it started to snag. i put covera on the seats and it pilled horribly. I overspent so much on this couch and just decided to let it be and it will definitely not be lasting more than a couple years. i will never buy pottery barn again.

Out of curiosity if anyone is still on this thread- are you still happy with your sofas? I’m looking at the York slope arm feel with bench seat and double chaise. Trying to decide between Performance Heathered Tweed in Desert or possibly the performance a performance velvet. Thoughts? Updates?

I am still happy with my Big Sur. I know PB Williams Sonoma etc changed manufacturers during the pandemic. So they are not manufactured anymore by the same company that did mine However the york has maintained its same maker and quality. I have the york as well and it looks brand new five years in. The Sur cushions do flatten out with sitting but I take off the slipcovers twice a year and wash. Comes out great and the cushions go back to looking like I first got it five years ago as well. I have the fabric the heathered tweed I believe. The performance velvet is nice but I think it might stain a little easier and show more just because of the fabric smoothness. You would need to be a little more delicate with the velvets. Even performance. I don’t care what the sales lady says. I worked west elm and tried to steer people away from velvet unless it was not the every day family use couch. A couch in an office or master might do better with velvet. It will wear faster I believe. And I owned a chair in velvet as well.
Hope that’s any help.

I have had the everyday performance velvet for about 5 years now. The fabric has held up remarkably well in a household with kids and 2 labs. Although I do not have slip covers, I am able to remove the covers and machine wash them from time to time. I also spot clean the couch with a damp rag. Dog hairs do cling easily to the fabric.