Unboxing the Albany Park Kova Was Fun — Living with It Turned Out Even Better

Getting hands-on with the Kova Sofa

Ordering from Albany Park

Albany Park is a direct-to-consumer brand, which means it doesn't sell through third-party retailers. Instead, you order from its website, and the sofas are shipped directly to you — this helps the brand keep costs at a minimum, and there aren't any retail markups to bump the sofa price up.

After browsing Albany Park's website, I went with the 84" Kova sofa in rust velvet.

As a modular sofa, you can also add new pieces to it at any time to change the size and shape of the couch. For example, a new armless section would make my sofa 121" in length, and additional ottoman sections could give it a pit-like feel. 

One thing to know before you shop: the Kova I tested is the earlier version, and it has been retired. Albany Park now builds the Kova in its own factory in El Florido, Baja California, Mexico, and relaunched it in October 2026 as the Kova Box and the Kova Pillow. Same name, same idea (modular pieces you can add to later), but a new frame, new cushions and new sizes. My hands-on notes below are about the original, and further down I go through what the rebuild changes.

The Kova today: key features

• Two looks on one modular system: Box (tailored, with a structured edge) and Pillow (relaxed, with a single-seam cushion), in sofas, sectionals, chairs and ottomans. See current pricing on Albany Park's site.
• Seat depth is 25" with the back cushions in and 33" with them out (my original measured 30").
• Soft, medium or firm seat cushions, chosen with Albany Park's Comfort ID System, backed by the Cushion Exchange Program: one free cushion exchange, in your home, within 60 days of delivery.
• 32 woven performance fabrics with machine-washable covers, and up to 12 free swatches.
• Sinuous steel suspension over a nine-ply hardwood frame, tested to meet ANSI/BIFMA X5.4, with concealed clip connectors between modules.
• Built in 7 days, with your delivery window shown by ZIP code before you order, and free standard doorstep delivery.
• The Maker's Warranty: frame, suspension and hardware for the normal useful life of the sofa; fabric, foam and fill for three years.

Unboxing the Kova Sofa 

I knew the sofa was arriving in boxes. I'm not sure what I expected, but what arrived on my doorstep was much bigger than I anticipated. UPS left four, almost chest-high boxes at my front door. They were heavy but manageable — my daughter moved them into the house by herself. I was able to slide the boxes into the living room and unpack the sofa. 

The two large boxes included the base sections of the sofa, with the pillows packed in the bottom of the bases, along with the wooden block "legs." The arms and backrests were in the other boxes. The directions were minimal, just pictures. I had put together enough furniture over the years that I felt up to the task.

Assembling the Kova Sofa 

In a matter of minutes, I unpacked the boxes and screwed the legs to the base, four feet per base. Pretty easy! No tools were required. I was on a roll and thought I would be relaxing on the couch in no time.

Unfortunately, my roll came to a screeching halt when the cushions for the arms and back of the sofa stopped me in my tracks. Both sets looked the same save for the slight difference in length. The assembly video on the Albany Park site made it seem quite simple. You line up the tapered end of the metal track on the arm and the backrest and just give them a slight push to slide them into the base. It was not that simple for me. I couldn't get them to line up, and because there's no labeling of the pieces, I wasn't sure which was the arm and which was the backrest. After 30 minutes of trying to figure it out, I took a break. 

The next day, I called Albany Park, and they emailed me a video. After watching the video, I finished putting the couch together in a matter of minutes, but it took some exertion. You have to really put your back (and knees) into it and press against the backrest to ensure the tracks for the armrest line up and can slide in. Because the first video made it seem so easy, I thought I was doing something wrong when I couldn't get the armrest to fit.

Living with Albany Park's Kova Sofa

After I assembled the couch, it looked just like the photo on the website, which is always a great sign (and a bit of a relief when you order online). It made our space look and feel warmer (the color is perfect) and cozier. Now we have ample seating for guests, and I have a spot to relax and chill out when I binge on Netflix.

Immediately I wanted to road test the Kova's lounging capabilities to see how it might stand up to hours-long weekend binges of my favorite shows. The first thing I noticed was how large it was. The seats are 30" deep, more than enough room for me, my laptop, and the cats to spread out.

‍The bottom cushions look thin but are super comfortable. Although, the feather blend in the cushions makes a slight crinkling noise when I move around. Once put together correctly, the armrests and backrests don't move, and the sofa's quite sturdy. One thing that was not sturdy was the metal piece underneath the sofa to hook the two sections together. I found it didn't latch on tight enough, and the two pieces could move apart. 

The felines couldn't wait to hop up on the couch. It is velvet, so I need a lint brush handy. Albany Park said back then that the fabric could be Scotchgarded against stains. The short couch legs prevent the cats from going underneath the couch and using the underside as a scratching post. Trust me, if you have cats, you know this is a win.

A couch that's easy to clean is essential to me. Happy to report that Sriracha mayo (because it tastes good on fries) is a cinch to wipe off with water and a napkin without leaving a stain.

Also, I'm the type who will use the couch as a hub to eat, sleep, and work. A couch that's easy to clean is essential to me. Happy to report that Sriracha mayo (because it tastes good on fries) is a cinch to wipe off with water and a napkin without leaving a stain.

The Kova sofa is a perfect fit for my space and lifestyle. Its comfort and durability leads me to believe I won't need another sofa for quite some time. Because the pieces are modular, it's easy for me to rearrange them if I want to change up the room's look. Or I can add more pieces. I love having options! Most importantly, it offers the perfect level of comfort for sprawling out with remote in hand and settling in for some serious binge-watching.  

The Kova sofa is a perfect fit for my space and lifestyle. Its comfort and durability leads me to believe I won't need another sofa for quite some time.

The rebuilt Kova takes on almost every gripe I had

I haven't sat on the new one yet, but I went through Albany Park's spec sheet with my old notes open next to it, and I'll be honest: it reads like someone was listening. Nearly everything that bugged me has an answer.

• The wobbly connector. My biggest structural complaint was the metal hook underneath that let the sections drift apart. The new Kova uses concealed clip connectors that Albany Park says hold the modules tight and release only when you want to rearrange.
• That ridge between seats. The frame is now sloped at the joins, with extra foam there, so there's no hard edge when you sprawl across two modules.
• The crinkle. My feather-blend cushions rustled every time I shifted. The new seats are high-resiliency CertiPUR-US foam wrapped in a fiber layer.
• Cleaning. I wiped Sriracha mayo off velvet and hoped for the best. Now the seat and pillow covers zip off and go in the washing machine, in 32 woven performance fabrics.
• Guessing on comfort. Ordering a sofa online always means guessing how it will feel. The new Kova's Comfort ID System helps you pick soft, medium or firm, and if you guessed wrong, the Cushion Exchange Program covers one free cushion exchange, in your home, within 60 days of delivery.
• Build quality. The new Kova is built in Albany Park's own factory in El Florido, Baja California, Mexico, with sinuous steel suspension over a nine-ply hardwood frame, tested to meet ANSI/BIFMA X5.4. It's GREENGUARD Gold Certified, with CertiPUR-US foam. The Maker's Warranty covers frame, suspension and hardware for the normal useful life of the sofa; fabric, foam and fill for three years.

One thing to weigh: the seat is a bit shallower with the back cushions in (25" against my 30"), though it opens up to 33" if you pull them out to lounge. If deep seats were your favorite thing about my review, order the free swatches and check the dimensions against the way you sit.