Swyft Model 03 sofa review: here’s the tea…
An honest review of the Swyft Model 03 modular sofa
Some work weeks are better than others, and this one has been a highlight for sure. I was tasked with testing a model 03 Swyft sofa (some would say that isn’t actually work at all!) it definitely didn’t feel like a chore, so it’s about time I pulled my weight and documented my findings!
Ad info:
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, a quick note to say that this blog post is part of a gifted collaboration with Swyft, where I have been creating content about this beautiful sofa to share on my Instagram. Rest assured, this review is all my own thoughts, and as with all my product reviews, you’ll get the good, bad and (unlikely in this case) the ugly!
Some background…
I first came across the Swyft Model 03 sofa when I was a styling assistant on a commercial shoot for a switches and sockets brand at a fabulous location house about 3.5 years ago. The stylist and I were rearranging the living room for a particular shot and the sofa (this one was a full corner sofa) caught our eye. I remember thinking at the time how beautiful it was, what a statement it made and how glad I was that we didn’t need to move it because it looked huge! I didn’t clock at the time that it was a genius modular design because when assembled, you can’t tell, but more about the beauty of sectional furniture in a minute!
Buying a sofa is a big decision, and there are lots of elements to consider, so in this review, I’m going to cover everything from the delivery right through to the fabric, comfort, size, flexibility and cost of the model 3 Swyft sofa.
How was the Swyft sofa delivery?
The delivery went really well. I received a text in the morning with a delivery slot and a call from the driver’s assistant about an hour beforehand. As the sofa was large and came across seven (yes 7!) boxes, it needed a 2-man team. They brought the boxes down the side of the house and in through the bifold doors at the back, as the front door and inside porch in our little house is tiny! It’s worth thinking ahead about how you’ll get the boxes in and where you’ll put them if you are getting a large model to ensure it all goes smoothly on the day.
What was the packaging like?
The packaging comprised strong cardboard boxes and an inner plastic bag. The boxes were sufficiently durable to prevent damage to the sofas during even the roughest journey/handling. I was happy to see that the boxes weren’t taped closed but had two packaging straps instead that could be easily cut with scissors. After all, the last thing you want to do when unpacking a custom-made sofa is attack the box to cut endless packing tape with a knife or scissors!
Once the furniture was removed, the boxes were easy to flat-pack and take straight to the recycling centre.
Which colour did you choose?
Swyft has such a huge range of colours to choose from that choosing was quite a process. After much deliberation, we opted for the shade ‘Vine’, which is a beautiful dark green. I’ve only ever had play-it-safe neutral sofas before, so this felt like quite a bold move. I’ve wanted a green sofa for ages, perhaps influenced by my Pinterest feed.
I love how the colour varies subtly as the light changes through the day, it’s like a highly pigmented luxury paint finish and adds to the flexibility of the sofa.
Which fabric did you go for?
The Swyft sofa fabric options are vast and again required consideration. We chose the velvet in the end because it’s soft, warm and comfortable as well as being quite resilient to family life (essential with two boys!). Swyft has four types of velvet, with varying shades available for each…
- Velvet: a standard velvet and what you expect from the material
- Mottled velvet: a velvet with more texture, one that is cut differently than a standard velvet
- Royal velvet: a collection of richer, more lux colours
- Eco-velvet: recycled velvet made from recycled plastic bottles – exactly the same soft-to-touch feel as our standard.
Is the model 03 sofa firm or soft?
This model is on the firmer side whilst still being very comfortable and inviting. The cushions are part of the base, so no food (or Lego!) can get lost under them, and they won’t need plumping. In fact, the design means the sofa will retain its shape without getting that sunken, saggy sofa look, so you won’t need my guide on how to refresh a tired sofa!
What’s all the fuss about modular sofas?
The model 03 Swyft sofa is sectional or modular, which is genius and has so many benefits, particularly for people like me who are serial furniture movers! Historically, I have always bought tiny sofas to ensure the maximum potential for relocating around our open-plan space. The downside of this approach is that you never get a sofa you can properly stretch out on and it can feel cramped when you have people over and they have to sit very close together! However, Swyft modular sofas are amazing because you can simply rearrange them into different combinations to suit your needs for the space (or day), including the very spacious 3-seater which even Mr D was able to stretch out on and he’s 6 foot 4.
The 3-seater sofa and ottoman that we tested could be reconfigured to be a 3-seater with chaise, a 2-seater, a 1-seater and an ottoman, a 2-seater with chaise and ottoman, a 2-seater with double chaise… you get the idea.
The modular sections don’t connect together, so you can simply pick them up and move them where you want them, although I would note here that Swyft has done such a good job with the anti-slip feet (to prevent the modules moving apart once in position) that moving them at all can be slightly challenging as you can’t just whizz them along the floor as you can a ‘normal’ sofa. Once you realise that it’s the stoppers on the feet that are causing the friction, you can easily slip something underneath them and slide along the floor, turn the section on its side, or lift the floor completely with the help of a second person. This isn’t a negative, as it’s fab that the sections stay together so well, but it’s something to think about before you attempt a relocation.
Ease of construction:
Ok, so being honest, I found this part of the process a bit harder than expected! There is very little construction involved at all; you simply need to slot the back and armrests onto the main body sections, and there is a clever click-in system to connect one or two attachments together. There’s a good instructional video here… I struggled to nail it – Mr D, on the other hand, got it the first time, so it seems to be a me problem rather than a sofa problem! If you have two people, it’s easy anyway, as one person can push the bottom and the other can steer.
Are Swyft sofas really worth the money?
I’m not going to sugarcoat it—these sofas are an investment. The model 03 I tested (3-seater with chaise) would cost £2600 at full price (the prices vary depending on the colour and fabric you choose). They are incredibly well-made pieces of furniture using quality materials, made to order, and as a service that doesn’t come cheap. This was my first experience of such high-end quality, and you can tell the difference. This is a sofa built to last a very long time. It’s solid and well made, unlike the super lightweight plywood and foam-based sofas at the other end of the scale.
If you are looking for a sofa that is expertly designed, stylish, functional, comfortable, beautifully made, sturdy and adaptable, then the Swyft model 03 ticks all the boxes. If your budget aligns, then I highly recommend investing in this statement piece.
If the price feels like too much of a stretch, keep your eyes peeled for Swyft sales and promotions as they have some excellent money-saving opportunities often with up to 40% off (I spotted they have one of these running now at the time of writing this post with £660 off the model).
Top Tip:
Keep an eye on the clearance section of the Swyft website where you can find bargain stock clearances and reductions on specific lines, potentially saving thousands.
Let me know if you have any specific questions about this Swyft sofa and I’ll add the answers into the review. I’ve got lots of styling planned for the next couple of weeks so will update this post with shots of the sofa in the various other combinations so you can see the full potential for modular living.
Keep an eye on my Instagram where I’ll be sharing more info about this beauty soon!
