Room & Board’s Metro is a customizable, medium-depth sofa for people who want a softer seat without giving up day-to-day stability. In our hands-on testing, it felt inviting right away and stayed comfortable across upright sitting, movie nights, and casual lounging. The trade-off is maintenance: the blend-down seat cushions and loose back cushions looked best when we fluffed them regularly. For most living rooms, it lands in a practical middle ground. It is less appealing if you want a firmer, lower-upkeep sofa for everyday use that always looks crisp.
Table of Contents
Product Overview
| Sofa | Overall Score | Pros | Cons | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Sofa | 4.3/5 | Relaxed comfort; steady frame; many configurations | Needs fluffing; can run warm; back cushions shift | Mixed-use living rooms; couples; buyers shopping for a softer seat with structure |
Final Verdict
The Metro’s biggest strength is balance. It gives you that soft, relaxed first impression, but it does not collapse into a sloppy, hard-to-use seat. In our testing, it handled everyday sitting and sprawled-out lounging better than many plush sofas. The downside is upkeep: if you choose this model, plan on routine fluffing and the occasional cushion reset.
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Who It’s For
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People who switch between upright sitting and laid-back lounging
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Couples who want a welcoming sofa that still feels stable day to day
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Buyers who care about U.S.-made upholstery and predictable delivery service
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Who It’s Not For
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Anyone who wants a sofa that keeps a tidy shape with almost no maintenance
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Shoppers who prefer a firm sofa with very little sink
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People who run hot and regularly nap on the couch for long stretches
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How We Tested It
Our sofa testing process covered delivery and room placement, heat buildup in long movie and gaming sessions, posture and seating comfort across laptop work and TV watching, cushion settling after repeated daily use, cleaning around seams and textured fabric, and how the sofa fit into a standard living-room layout. We also weighed the overall experience against the price, delivery, and return policies to judge value as a full purchase, not just a quick sit.
Our Testing Experience
The Metro made a good first impression because it had some give without dropping us into a saggy pit. I could sit upright without constantly shifting forward, and Marcus, who tends to test edge support when he leans or perches, said it still felt stable after long sessions. Jenna and Ethan used it as their movie-night base, and the sofa handled all the position changes fairly well. What changed over time was the look: by the second week, the cushions had settled enough that a quick fluff made a visible difference.

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What we liked
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Soft, relaxed comfort that still feels supported
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Medium seat depth that works for more than one posture
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Stable everyday feel when people sit down, get up, and shift around
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Who it is best for
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Homes that mix TV nights, laptop work, and everyday sofa use
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Couples who share one sofa and change positions often
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Buyers who want softness without a fully slouchy sit, especially if they are comparing foam-vs-down cushion feels
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Where it falls short
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Cushion upkeep is real; settling and fluffing are part of ownership
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The sofa can feel warmer in longer sessions, especially in plush upholstery
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Loose back cushions drift and need re-squaring
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Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Soft, relaxed comfort | Cushions settle with use |
| Stable hardwood frame | Some feather loss is normal |
| Medium depth suits mixed postures | Loose back cushions need re-squaring |
| Plush seat top feels inviting | Can feel warm in longer sessions |
| Multiple sizes and depths available | Low 2-inch leg height limits clearance |
Details
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Price: varies by size and upholstery
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Tested size: 88"w x 38"d x 34"h; seat 17"h; seat depth 22 inches
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Frame and suspension: benchmade hardwood frame; dual flexolator suspension
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Cushions: two loose seat cushions, loose back cushions, blend-down seat fill, fiber-down-blend back fill, two accent pillows
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Upholstery tested: Mori oatmeal chenille, 100% polyester; performance fabric and pet-friendly positioning; approx. 155 lbs.
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Delivery and returns: $159 full-service delivery with assembly and placement; free returns

Review Score
| Metric | Score | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly | 4.7 | Full-service delivery kept setup easy. |
| Cooling | 3.7 | Plush cushions and upholstery trapped more heat in longer sessions. |
| Comfort | 4.6 | Soft landing, but still supportive enough for mixed use. |
| Durability | 4.3 | The frame stayed steady, but the cushions needed routine upkeep. |
| Layout Practicality | 4.4 | The 88-inch footprint works in many living rooms, and the line offers other depths. |
| Cleaning | 4.0 | Performance fabric helped, but seams still caught crumbs and hair. |
| Value | 4.1 | It is a premium buy, but the everyday usability is strong. |
| Overall | 4.3 | A dependable softer-feel sofa if you accept cushion maintenance. |
How to Choose the Room & Board Metro Sofa
Choose Metro if you want a medium seat depth that lets you sit upright, stretch out a bit, and share the sofa without needing an oversized room. It works best for people who like a relaxed top layer but still want the seat to feel controlled rather than loose. Fabric choice matters here. If pets, spills, or heavy daily wear are part of the picture, a performance-oriented upholstery will make ownership easier, especially if you are weighing pet-friendly fabric options.
If your top priority is a deeper, more lounge-heavy seat, the Crate & Barrel Lounge Deep Sofa is the clearer fit and also overlaps with many picks in our best extra-deep sofa guide. If you care more about modular flexibility and stain resistance, the Burrow Nomad is worth a look, especially if you are comparing it with other options in our best modular sofa roundup and our best performance fabric sofa guide. If removable, machine-washable covers matter most, the IKEA UPPLAND stands out alongside other picks in our best machine-washable sofa guide.

Limitations
Metro’s comfort depends on a relaxed cushion build, and that means it will not keep a taut, always-perfect shape without attention. The 22-inch seat depth is broadly comfortable, but taller loungers may still want more room under the legs. In our testing, the plush build also held a bit more heat than firmer sofas during longer sessions.
Room & Board Metro Sofa Vs. Alternatives
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Why choose these models
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They cover different versions of comfort: balanced medium depth, extra-deep lounging, modular flexibility, and washable practicality
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Each one has a clear strength for a different kind of household or use case
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All are established retail options with recognizable delivery and policy structures
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Alternatives to consider
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Crate & Barrel Lounge Deep Sofa: best if you want a deeper, sink-further-in seat
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Burrow Nomad Sofa: best if you want modularity and performance fabric that better resists scratches and stains
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IKEA UPPLAND Sofa: best if you want a removable, machine-washable cover and a lower-stress maintenance routine
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Pro Tips for Room & Board Metro Sofa
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Fluff the seat and back cushions often during the first couple of weeks as the fill settles, especially if you are comparing different foam-versus-down cushion feels.
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Rotate the seat cushions regularly to even out wear.
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Add a small lumbar pillow if you work from the sofa for long stretches or need more support for a sensitive back.
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Use a soft brush attachment along seams where crumbs and hair collect, then follow a basic couch-cleaning routine.
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Spot-clean spills quickly and let the fabric fully dry before using that spot again.
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If you nap hot, a breathable throw can help, but shoppers who prioritize cooler-feeling upholstery should also compare other performance fabric sofas.
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Measure doorways and tight turns before delivery; it is not a casual one-person carry.
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Add felt pads early if you expect to fine-tune the position on hard floors, or review how to keep a sofa from shifting.
FAQs
Does the Metro feel softer over time?
Yes. In our testing, the cushions settled into a more relaxed shape with regular use. A quick fluff brought back some loft and cleaned up the look, which is a common trade-off in softer builds and one reason it helps to understand how different cushion fills behave.
Is the seat deep enough for lounging?
At 22 inches of seat depth, it worked well for mixed sitting and semi-recline. Dedicated loungers may still prefer a deeper-seat sofa, so it is worth comparing this measurement against a seat depth guide or other picks in our best deep-seat sofa guide.
How did the upholstery handle everyday mess?
In our routine spot-cleaning and vacuuming, the performance-oriented fabric behaved well, but hair and crumbs still gathered along the seams and needed regular attention. For similar maintenance questions, it helps to know how to clean a couch properly and what usually counts as the best sofa fabric for pets.