We tried the popular Nugget couch—does it live up to the hype?

My local online parenting group is where I first heard of the Nugget couch. I wasn’t completely sure what it was, but from the sheer number of Nugget-related posts, it was very evident that it was something a lot of parents wanted for their children—and many more were already proud owners of.

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Intrigued, I began scrolling through the posts and pictures of what people were doing with their Nugget and I became completely convinced that my kids needed a Nugget, too. I wanted to find out why the Nugget couch is in such hot demand, and if it was really worth the price.

What is a Nugget couch?

To be specific, a Nugget is actually a couch; or at least that’s what it was intended to be originally. “Turns out that the world’s best kids toy is actually a couch” is the claim that the Nugget Company, maker of the Nugget couch, proudly displays on their website. And taking into consideration the cult following that surrounds the Nugget, many people would be inclined to agree.

Made of four pieces of foam that include one firm base cushion, one soft top cushion, and two triangle pillows, the pieces can be stacked on top of each other to make a very modern version of a couch.

Although it’s technically a couch, the Nugget has evolved into what is essentially a set of playground building blocks. Parents absolutely love that it entices kids into using the creativity and imagination necessary to induce learning, while also providing an outlet to absorb the brunt of their children’s endless energy.

Because the Nugget is so versatile in its design, when it’s not being used as a play couch it doesn’t take up precious storage space since it can be used as a modular furniture option for older kids and even adults.

Designed and touted to be extremely durable, Nuggets are made of high-quality, low-VOC CertiPur US certified foam and upholstered in a machine-washable microsuede fabric cover.

How much does a Nugget cost?

Available in 18 different colors to match any decor, the Nugget sells for $249 with free shipping.

Ordering the Nugget

Why anyone would want a Nugget was a bit confusing to me at first. A $249 couch that resembles dorm room furniture? I really didn’t get it. But the more I tried to explore what the hype was behind the Nugget couch, the more I found myself thinking about how much fun my own children would have with it. And before I knew it, I was showing my husband the Nugget website and trying to convince him of all the reasons we needed one, too.

When I went to order my Nugget, their website stated that all Nuggets were back ordered but would ship within two months. Although that seemed like a really long time, I was relieved that I wasn’t going to have to enter a Nugget lottery system to try and win the opportunity to purchase a Nugget during a “drop,” which was the situation some buyers encountered in the past.

Placing my order I clearly didn’t read the website well enough because even though it is stated right on their webpage that you will be charged as soon as you place the order, I was caught off guard when I was charged immediately rather than when my Nugget shipped; my error completely but worth mentioning for other distracted parents like me.

However, I did start to get worried when shortly after placing my order I had a question for customer service and realized that Nugget doesn’t really have any easy way to contact their company. “We’re still a small team, so to serve as many customers as thoroughly as possible, we don’t take phone calls," the Nugget website states, and then instructs you to contact them via email.

Not a huge deal, but when I sent off my email and received an auto-response that said I will hear back from someone at the Nugget team within two weeks, I wasn’t thrilled. That’s quite a long time in my opinion for a company that just accepted $249 from me. What if I had accidentally ordered the wrong color? Or needed to cancel my order because I had a financial issue come up during the long wait for shipping?

All of that worried me, and from what I could see on their Facebook page, Nugget doesn’t respond to messages or comments there either and has a similar situation on Instagram. That was a huge red flag for me but I didn’t have much choice but to wait for their response—and also hope that my Nugget shipped without issues.

How the Nugget arrives

Thankfully, as promised, my Nugget arrived two months later in a giant orange box. As instructed by my auto-generated Nugget shipment email, my Nugget needed to be opened immediately upon arrival because they don’t like being smashed into their shipping boxes.

So I ripped that baby open and you know what? It was a couch. Kind of. It was a bunch of colored foam pieces in my chosen “koala” color and I was certain that I had just fallen prey to one of those fads that later you look back on and laugh at the absurdity.

But my suspicions were quickly laid to rest when a short time later my toddler saw the Nugget pieces lying on the floor and immediately, with no prompting on my part, began moving them around until he had constructed himself a slide. Then the pieces were transformed into a jumping platform and soon afterwards my 9-year-old grabbed some bedsheets and the Nugget became a fort.

When my kids went to bed and I went to move the Nugget out of the middle of my living room, I instead found myself laying on it while watching a movie. Before I knew it, the Nugget was being used nearly all the time by someone in our family. Maybe those Nuggeteers, as they call themselves, are onto something after all.

What I like about the Nugget

The whole family loves it

My relationship with the Nugget is a complicated one. My children love it, I love it, and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I am already wishing that I had ordered two of them. Do you know how many things you can do with two Nuggets? Many, you can do many and I’ve been dreaming of them all.

It inspires creativity

I’ve really enjoyed watching the creativity and pride that has come from my kids being able to build something and then have a great time with it. A huge bonus is that even though there is a 10-year age gap between my first and third child, I find all three of my kids playing together when the Nugget is involved.

The cushions are easy to move

I also love that it’s lightweight and easy to move from room to room thanks to the attached carry handles on the two larger cushions. From my experience so far the Nugget has held up to its claims of being durable and easy to clean. It's taken quite a bit of abuse from my busy family, but it hasn’t shown any signs of wear or even signs of use, and small marks have been super easy to wipe off because of the microsuede fabric.

What I don’t like about the Nugget

Customer service is non-existent

Where I pause in my love for the Nugget is that I was never able to get a hold of anyone at the Nugget company. It’s now been more than two months since I sent my email to customer service, and I have not received any reply from the Nugget company. It worries me that if I had an issue with their product, I might be out of $229.

I can confidently say that my Nugget purchase has worked out well and I would definitely purchase one again. But, I say that knowing full well that although I didn’t have any issues this time, if I had an issue with the next order I might feel differently based solely on my customer service experience. I would advise keeping that in mind when deciding if the Nugget would be right for you.

Nugget couch ideas

The Nugget is more than something to sit on. It’s more than a slide, jumping platform, or fort, too, for that matter. Nuggeteers post possible configurations all over social media. You can search #nuggetcreations for ideas, or watch YouTube videos that show you how to create unique designs step-by-step. Some notable standouts were a Christmas tree, a house, and the Pyramids—and that’s just with one Nugget. Own two or more Nuggets and there’s no telling what your children can come up with. Whether it’s a dinosaur, a Buzz Lightyear, or an obstacle course, you’ll be amazed by their creativity.

Is the Nugget couch worth it?

Absolutely.

The Nugget has consistently been the first thing my toddler chooses to play with in the morning. It’s the ramp for his cars, his obstacle course, the spot where he lays to read his books, and when he isn’t using it, he’s crying because our 9-year-old is building yet another fort to hang out in, or my 12-year-old is lying on it to watch TV.

Last night we built “movie theater” chairs for our family movie night by propping the rectangular sections up with the triangular pillows. As I’m writing this right now, I’m laying on one of the rectangular pieces with the triangular pieces under both my head and my knees (I’ll let you in on a little secret, it’s amazing). In fact, now that I’m writing this, I think my family might need two Nuggets.

Buy now at Nugget

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.