What A Room vs Room & Board: Custom vs Configurable Sofas

Room & Board and What A Room have a lot in common. Both are known for American-made furniture, both offer large fabric libraries with free swatches, and both let you personalize your sofa. Where they differ is in how that personalization works. Room & Board is a configurable model: you build a layout from set pieces and choose from defined options. What A Room is a custom model: the sofa itself is sized and tuned to your specifications.

Here is an honest, side-by-side look at how the two compare. Details below are based on each company's published information at the time of writing, and specifications vary by model, so always check the product page for the exact sofa you are considering.

The short answer

Choose Room & Board if you want free returns and exchanges, a single flat delivery fee for a large order, or a showroom visit in one of its cities, and if one of its set sizes and depths fits your room. Choose What A Room if you want a sofa sized to your exact space, want to choose your cushion firmness and seat depth from a wider range, or want your sofa built and delivered in weeks rather than months.

Side-by-side comparison

Custom vs configurable: what it means in practice

Room & Board's custom sectionals work like a configurator. On its Metro custom sectional, for example, you choose from 17 layouts built from set piece sizes, select a standard or deep version, and pick your fabric and legs. It is a well-designed system, and Room & Board also offers made-to-measure options in other categories, such as tables and bookcases.

What A Room changes the dimensions themselves. On our Daphne collection, you can choose a width from 80 to 136 inches in 4-inch increments, a seat depth from 23 to 31 inches, and a chaise length from 62 to 82 inches. If you need a size between our standard options, custom dimensions can be requested at checkout, and a designer reviews every order before production. If your wall is 91 inches, you can build to 91 inches. See our Personalizing Your Sofa guide for every choice you can make.

Comfort and firmness

At Room & Board, each collection has its own comfort profile. Metro, for example, is described as a softer, sink-in seat with medium seat depth.

At What A Room, firmness is your choice on every model. All seat cushions use a 2.5 lb high-resilience foam core, and you choose Soft (24 ILD), Medium (28 ILD), or Firm (45 ILD), or a Trillium down-alternative wrap for a plusher feel. That means you can pair the design you love with the seat feel you prefer. You can read more on our Cushions page.

Construction and materials

Both brands are known for American manufacturing. Room & Board states that more than 90% of its products are made in America, working with small, often family-owned manufacturers, and its fabric pages are some of the most detailed in the industry, listing fiber content, cleaning codes, abrasion results, and certifications such as GREENGUARD® Gold where they apply.

Every What A Room sofa is built to order in the USA with the same core construction: a kiln-dried solid wood frame with corner blocks, 8-gauge sinuous springs, and 2.5 lb high-resilience foam that is CertiPUR-US certified. Every fabric we offer is free of PFAS and PFOA. Our Materials page covers each component in detail.

Lead time

Room & Board notes that most personalized pieces take 1 to 3 months to create, and in-stock items ship as soon as they are available. What A Room builds every sofa to order in 4 to 5 weeks, and transit typically takes 7 to 14 business days after your sofa ships. If your home is not ready, we can hold your finished order at our warehouse at no additional cost. See our Shipping & Delivery page.

Delivery

Room & Board charges a flat $159 per trip for unlimited items delivered anywhere in the contiguous U.S., with full-service delivery that includes assembly, placement, and packaging removal. If you are furnishing several rooms at once, that flat fee is a real advantage.

What A Room delivery runs $149 to $289 based on order total, and most orders include white glove service with room-of-choice placement, setup, and packaging removal. Both brands deliver within the contiguous U.S.

Returns and warranty

Room & Board has one of the most generous return policies in furniture: free 90-day returns and exchanges for items in like-new condition, with free return pickup within the contiguous U.S. It also does not charge a fee to cancel custom items. If you are ordering a personalized piece, confirm its return eligibility with Room & Board before you buy. Room & Board also does not use time-limited warranties, and says it supports customers through manufacturing defects regardless of when they appear.

What A Room accepts returns on custom furniture built from our standard website options within 60 days of delivery, in new or like-new condition, with a 15% return processing fee and pickup charges. Special requests beyond our standard options and customer's own material (COM) orders are final sale. Our sofas carry a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, suspension system, and construction-related components, plus one year on cushions and fabric. See our Returns & Exchanges and Warranty pages for full details.

Fabrics and swatches

Room & Board offers more than 250 fabrics and leathers for its custom sectionals, many labeled pet friendly or family friendly, and free fabric and leather swatches. What A Room offers more than 165 fabrics, with filters for Cat-Friendly, Dog-Friendly, Machine Washable, Performance, Stain-Resistant, and more. You can order up to 12 free samples from our Free Fabric Samples page, and they ship in one business day.

Which one is right for you?

Room & Board may be the better fit if you

• Want free 90-day returns and exchanges.

• Are furnishing several rooms and want one flat delivery fee.

• Find that one of its set sizes and depths fits your room.

• Want to shop in person at one of its showrooms.

What A Room may be the better fit if you

• Need a size between standard options, down to the inch.

• Want a wider range of seat depths, from 23 to 31 inches on Daphne.

• Want to choose your cushion firmness on the design you love.

• Want your sofa built in 4 to 5 weeks rather than 1 to 3 months.

If you are deciding between a configurable layout and a custom size, send us your floor plan. Our free Design Consultation includes 2D and 3D renderings so you can see exactly what fits.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between custom and configurable sofas?

A configurable sofa is built from set pieces and preset options. A custom sofa is built to your chosen dimensions, such as width, seat depth, and chaise length, along with comfort and finish details.

Is What A Room a good alternative to Room & Board?

It can be, especially if you want a sofa sized to your exact space, your choice of firmness, and a shorter build time. If free returns and a flat delivery fee for a large order matter most, Room & Board has a clear advantage there.

Which is faster, What A Room or Room & Board?

Room & Board says most personalized pieces take 1 to 3 months. What A Room builds in 4 to 5 weeks, plus 7 to 14 business days in transit.

Are both brands made in the USA?

Every What A Room sofa is built to order in the USA. Room & Board states that more than 90% of its products are made in America.

Which has the better return policy?

Room & Board offers free 90-day returns and exchanges on items in like-new condition. What A Room accepts returns on custom pieces built from standard website options within 60 days, with a 15% return processing fee and pickup charges.