Updated on Jan. 21, 2025
Don't settle for a couch that doesn't deliver on softness. The Albany Park sectional is equal parts easy to assemble, sprawling and snooze-worthy.
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Some folks prefer hiking, pickleball or grabbing a beer at the local bar on Saturday nights. Not me. My family, comprised of my husband, myself and our two rambunctious cats, is a very tight-knit brood. Coined “the cuddle puddle,” much of our free time is spent snuggled up rump-to-rump on the couch while we take in the latest cinematic offerings on HBO or Prime. I wouldn’t say I’m lazy per se, I just know how to appreciate a night in. Almost every night, in fact.
It goes without saying that my household requires a cozy spot to kick up our feet for our nightly movie showing, and that’s exactly what my old couch from college was not offering. After over ten years (!!!) of suffering through the squeaky coils and sunken seats of this secondhand couch, it was time to upgrade. Not even upcycling could save this 90s sofa. I knew that for my family, anything less that cloud-like softness just wouldn’t do. And with two cats (one of which sports fur in every color), it also has to be easy to de-fluff.
The cloud couch trend immediately caught my eye. You mean to tell me there’s furniture out there that’s big, butt-submerging and practically built for cuddling? Say no more. After much deliberation, I settled for something chic, colorful and pleasantly plush: the Albany Park Kova sectional. Specifically, the Albany Park Kova Pit sectional—a sofa so big, so fluffy, that I dare you not to imagine flinging yourself into the very center of it.
The Albany Park Kova sectional is a modular cloud sofa with enormous cushions—big enough to fit eight people (though I’m convinced you could fit up to 12, if your crew doesn’t mind squeezing in close). Like the name implies, the Albany Park Kova Pit sectional has major 70’s conversation pit energy. If you’ve seen those whole-room couches on Pinterest, you know exactly the vibe this couch brings to the party.
VIA MERCHANT
Incredibly cozy and deep, the Kova was made to unwind, relax and kick your feet up.
In the wide world of sectional sofas, there are a few things this humble editor deems essential. First, comfort. Second, sturdiness. Third, storage. The Albany Park Kova sectional offers all of these things, plus a whole host of other bar-setting features. Removable covers? Check. Modular pieces? Check. Gorgeous colorways? Oh, you just wait! More on that later.
One of the major selling points of the sofa is its configurable nature. Set it up in the intended u-shape, or opt for a longer couch instead. There are also two and three seat versions of this sectional for smaller spaces. If you’re my kind of lounger and need to fill up more living room space with this ultra-cozy couch, there’s even the option of snagging an extra middle or corner seat for additional room. Or, go all out and splurge on the Grand Pit if you have the room for it.
Between the four different fabric types—velvet, soft bouclé, polyester and a stain-resistant and waterproof performance option—there are 13 color choices available. And they’re not just boring neutrals, either. We’re talking some seriously pretty jewel-toned options, people!
Those thinking of springing for a Kova Pit are probably most transfixed by the sizable, all-engulfing seats. These dreamy, cloud-like cushions come with a hypoallergenic, 100% vegan filling—none of that organic stuff that feels nice but invites all manner of allergens to take up residence.
With so many fabrics and hues to choose from, I ultimately settled on the velvet fabric. While I found the stain- and water-proof fabrics tempting, my maximalist heart absolutely fell for the dark teal. Placing the order was easy. Just select your desired style, fabric and whether you’d like to upgrade to a storage ottoman.
Albany Park gives you the option to finance with Affirm if you choose. After we placed the order, we got an email with an estimated ship date, and another when it left the warehouse. I received a call to schedule my delivery about four days later.
On the day of my delivery, the freight came by and dropped two wood pallets stacked high with eight sizable boxes right outside of my apartment complex. Despite being on the larger size, the boxes were quite narrow and doorframe-friendly.
That said, each box contained a whole section of the couch, so they were naturally very heavy. If you don’t live in an apartment complex, you should be able to enlist a partner and tag team them inside. Because I live on the third floor of a building without elevators, I immediately weakened and hired a couple of movers to rescue me.
I was actually a little worried about assembling the couch, as issues with assembly seemed to be the major critique in all of the reviews I read online prior to acquiring the sectional. However, there are helpful videos on the brand’s YouTube channel that offer a really thorough guide on putting it together—more on this in a moment.
Each base arrives fully assembled, aside from the feet (which just twist on). Assembly isn’t complicated, and there’s no tools required. It’s just a matter of lining up the metal tracks on the bottom of the backrests to the ones on the base and sliding them into place. Once the backrest is in place, open up the vacuum-sealed bags containing the seat and back cushions and toss them on. While the cushions seem thin in the bag, they spring to life the second you pull them out, and they’re so cushy.
The trickiest part was putting together the corner pieces. I struggled while trying to figure out how on earth the second backrest/armrest fits on—the way it’s situated puts the first backrest directly in the way of the second set of tracks. However, after some huffing and puffing, I decided to take a peek at the aforementioned assembly videos. Albany Park clearly states that the second backrests have to go in at an angle, and the piece slid in nicely after making that small (yet critical) adjustment.
Once the sections are built, it’s time to attach them to create a nice sturdy sofa. This part is the fun part, since this modular sofa offers nearly endless configuration options. Instead of aligning the pieces in the “pit” formation, I opted to go for a longer L-shape that best fit my living room.
Each middle sofa piece has a bracket on both outer edges of the underside. The corner pieces are similar, except they boast brackets on two adjoining sides. One bracket juts out a bit, while the other is more of a “cradle.” To put the couch together, it’s a simple matter of pushing the opposite types of brackets together to lock things into place.
Overall, the process took me about two-ish hours to assemble by myself, including unboxing the pieces, putting them together, shooing away curious cats and discarding the mountain of cardboard I acquired in the process. I would say that this was actually an easier process than I anticipated—it’s just rather time consuming.
I’ll say it again: This thing is soft. Not typical couch soft, either. It’s sink-in-and-immediately-fall-asleep soft. The second I finished building it, my cats claimed it as their own. Some say they’re still there to this day, snoozing away like the little couch hogs they are. But that leads into my favorite aspect of the Albany Park Kova sectional: The sheer cosmic size of this couch.
In its intended configuration, the Albany Park Kova Pit sectional functions as both a bed and a sofa. In the long, unfurled L-shaped configuration in my living room, not much changes. And my favorite part? It’s also totally snooze-worthy (in the best way). I’ve had my Albany Park Kova sectional for circa five months at this point, and it’s still as sink-able and doze-deserving as it was the day I put it together.
In fact, I’ve turned several friends onto the couch after they spent the night on this behemoth splendor. I myself “accidentally” fall asleep on it almost every evening while my husband plays video games, just to get another hour or so of peaceful, downey comfort. It’s not enough that I spend most of my work from home day on it; I wish I could spend all of my time on it!
In my little apartment, this sofa takes up an awful lot of the living room. Because of that, storage is a must for me. The Albany Park Kova Pit sectional comes with an included ottoman featuring optional storage for a slightly higher price (I found it well worth the extra cost, personally). The optional addition of the storage ottoman gives me space to keep extra blankets and pillows for sleepover guests. Even better, it’s incredibly inviting to have an ottoman that bolsters my legs wherever I’m sitting or—let’s be honest—sleeping.
The couch itself comes in a wide range of stain-resistant fabrics, making it a good choice for families with kids or pets. The performance fabric in particular is worth considering if you have toddlers. It offers a water-resistant coating that helps liquids bead up on the surface, rather than sinking in and staining the material.
While the velvet options aren’t stain-proof, I personally haven’t noticed any issues with spills sinking into the fabric. The velvet is pretty dense, which gives it a bit of a water-resistant finish. I was even able to clean up cat vomit that sat overnight with nary a speck remaining, which in and of itself is miraculous.
One aspect I don’t love is that the velvet material is something of a fur and dust magnet. My cats delight in spreading their multicolored fur all over this couch. That said, giving it a good once-over with a handheld vacuum eliminates the fluff without too much effort. I aim to perform routine maintenance—fluff the cushions, suck up any hair—about once per week. To me, that’s well worth the benefits of lounging on a literal cloud.
Yes. According to the website, regular vacuuming or light brushing is recommended. Spot cleaning is simple—just dampen a rag and dap away any spots or spills. The website recommends using a, “water-based, non-abrasive cleaner, mild detergent, foam, or pure, water-free solvents.” For stubborn stains, the mention that it’s best to use a 70% solution of isopropyl alcohol and water and dab at the stain. I used Resolve Fabric Cleaner and Upholstery Stain Remover and had no issues with discoloration or bleaching.
I haven’t tried tossing the cushion covers into the wash, but removing them for cleaning is easy—just unzip the covers and pull ’em off. Some folks claim they’ve washed their covers in the washing machine and air dried without experiencing shrinking or misshapen results. Albany Park doesn’t include that in their care instructions, though, so keep in mind that your mileage may vary.
My couch took a few weeks to reach me after placing the order, and that’s pretty typical for the company. When you purchase your couch, you receive an email with an expected shipping date. Once the couch ships, you’re notified in a separate email. From there, it was a few days before I received a call from the freight company asking me to choose a time within the next two days for delivery. Overall, the whole process took about four weeks from placing the order to having the boxes in my living room.
I’m not the only one obsessed with my Kova Pit. Over a thousand customers gave it five stars on the Albany Park website alone. Purchaser Jessica B. uses hers as an extra guest bed. “This is the best couch. I got the green, and love it.” She goes on to say that as a pet owner, “it’s easy to get the hair off the couch and to remove the pillow covers and throw in the washer.”
“I have a big family that sometimes comes to visit and it’s perfect to turn into a bed that three to six can sleep on. The seats are so deep it’s easy to sit crisscross or to even cuddle next to someone comfortably on the same cushion. We’ve taken a lot of naps and even fall asleep for the night on the couch it’s so comfy. This was a worthwhile investment that I see myself loving for years. I’ve had it 5 months so far.”
Similarly, Phyllis B. found that it works a treat for movie nights. “I have been watching this couch online for several months and when they had a big sale, I decided to go for it,” she says. “I was nervous that I had to put it together myself, but between me, and a friend, we were able to unpack it, and put it all together within two hours. The only problem we had was getting the corner back pieces to fit properly, but we finally did! And I absolutely love this couch! I got it in the rust velvet and it is absolutely gorgeous. And it is so comfortable. Definitely a nice family couch to lounge, cuddle or watch a good movie.”
Another cloud couch that’s similar to the Albany Park Kova Pit sectional is the 7th Avenue sectional. Like the Kova Pit, the 7th Avenue version offers ample space, sinkable cushions, waterproof fabrics and high quality materials. One place where the 7th Avenue couch shines is maintenance—7th Avenue will send complimentary fill packets to adjust the firmness of the couch. That said, it’s also nearly double the price of the Albany Park Kova sectional.
If you like spending most of your free time lounging with a good book, flick or gathering the extended fam for a board game night, you really can’t go wrong with this fluffy, sprawling sectional. It’s vast, feathery and oh-so-cozy. Fair warning, though: This eighth wonder of the world might just become your new snoozing spot.
The Albany Park sectional is available on the Albany Park website. Prices range from $1,498 to $5,592, depending on size. There are also frequent sales that bring the prices down substantially. No matter which option you choose, get ready for the nap of your life!
VIA MERCHANT
Incredibly cozy and deep, the Kova was made to unwind, relax and kick your feet up.
