Nugget Couch Review & Nugget Alternatives

Pros

• Comes in a variety of colors
• Lightweight pieces are easy to construct different setups
• Removable washable covers

Cons

• Pieces may be too large for young children to maneuver on their own
• Limited availability and colors are seasonally discontinued

Table of Contents

• Design
• Size
• Materials
• Shipping
• Alternatives
• Accessories
• Summary

Nugget Design

Nugget sofa is made up of 4 different parts.

• The Base
• The Support
• Wedges (x 2)

Each Nugget comes with the same four pieces and each piece has a zippered micro-suede cover that is machine washable.

On the nugget website, you can purchase an entire Nugget (foam + covers) or just a cover set (covers only).

What is a Nugget?

The Nugget couch is an open-ended play sofa with a design that encourages flexibility. Nuggets can provide a comfortable place to sit and lounge, as well as an interactive set of building blocks for imaginative playtime.

The wide cushions have a break in the middle with a nylon carrying handle that makes it easy to make different configurations.

The Configurations

To include a concrete list of configurations seems against what the Nugget couch is all about.

The pieces are all interchangeable and can be used in a number of different ways, allowing children to create and imagine a world of different possibilities.

RELATED – See more Modern Castle furniture reviews here.

How Big is a Nugget?

Assembled in the standard “Nugget couch”, the assembly is:

• Length: 66″ long
• Depth: 33″ deep
• Seating Height: 8.75″
• Total Height: 22.5″

The Nugget box measures 15″ x 15″ x 34″ and the entire could weighs about 19 pounds.

What is a Nugget made of?

The Nugget couch is made of open-cell polyurethane foams, which is similar to the foam pool noodle are made of. It is rigid, while also being incredible lightweight.

The foam itself is a layered assembly of three different types of foams that serve three different purposes:

• Flexible comfort: 1.8 lb/ft3 foam. rated at 34 ILD units
• Soft support: 1.5 lb/ft3 foam, rated at 44 ILD units
• Lightweight strength: 1.4 lb/ft3 foam, rated at 60 ILD units

FAQ: What is ILD? ILD stands for “Intention Load Deflection” and basically is a measurement of the pressure needed to deflect the foam. A higher number means a firmer foam

Nugget covers have a zipper closure and are made of machine-washable micro-suede.

RELATED – How to Clean Kid’s Toys

Nugget Maintenance

Maintaining a Nugget couch is pretty easy each because the covers are machine-washable.

For smaller spots, you can generally spot clean the Nugget as well. You can vacuum a Nugget sofa or lint roll it for surface debris like pet hair or dust.

How long does it take for a Nugget to arrive?

All Nuggets are manufactured and shipped from the headquarters in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

With the influx of Nugget orders coming in late 2019, Nugget entered 2020 with an approach to taking order as “back order”. Under the new plan, when orders come in, Nugget promises to fill said order within 14 weeks from the order date.

Once the Nugget ships, it takes between 1-8 business days to arrive (exact shipping speed varies by location).

The turnaround time isn’t exactly fast, but this approach did solve the problem of upset customers who continued to miss “limited drops” that would sell out in a matter of a few minutes online.

I can say that I placed my order for our Nugget on December 20th, 2019… the first day that backorders were open. Depsite the holidays, I still received my Nugget on January 9th—less than 3 weeks after my order was placed.

Kayla Hein – Modern Castle Editor & Nugget Couch Buyer

The exact time your Nugget will ship will depend on the color of Nugget your ordered and fabric availability.

Nugget Couch Alternatives

If you don’t want to wait, there are a few alternatives on the market that offers a similar product, but with a few key differences.

Check out some of the products most similar to Nuggets below:

Nugget vs. Foamnasium Blocksy

CHECK PRICE: Click here to check the price for the Foamnasium Blocksy.

Both Nugget and Foamnasium are made of blended poly foams. In addition, they are lightweight and come as 4 parts—base cushion, support cushion, and two wedge pieces for different configurations.

The biggest difference between these two play couches is the Nugget and Foamnasium is material. The Nugget covers are micro-suede, which tends to provide a bit more friction, while the Foamnasium Blocksy cover is a wipeable vinyl.

While the Foamnasium is easier to wipe down, the vinyl tends to slide more and may be difficult to set up configurations or be prone to slippage.

Material aside, if you’re in a pinch, with Nugget’s current backorder situation, Foamnasium will likely fill an order quicker than Nugget.

Nugget vs. Foamnasium Blocksy Mini

CHECK PRICE: Click here to check the price of the Foamnasium Mini.

If you’re looking for something smaller than the traditional Nugget, and are open to the wipeable vinyl cover, you may want to check out the Foamnasium Mini Blocksy.

This play couch is about half the size of the Nugget couch, but still comes with 4 pieces. It shares many of the same design features, but in a smaller footprint and also at a lower price point.

Nugget vs. Lucid Folding Sofa

CHECK PRICE: Click here to check the price of the Lucid 4″ Folding Sofa.

The Lucid Folding Sofa uses a micro-suede cover, has carrying handles, and serves the purpose of a sofa, bed, and play pad. In addition, it also has a compact fold as well, similar to the Nugget Couch.

As differences, the Lucid sofa does not have wedge pieces and the pieces do not come apart. It can fold, but there are limited configurations you can do. It is more for quiet play, like playing with blocks, crawling, reading, lounging, etc.

The Lucid 4″ folding sofa comes in 5 difference sizes:

• Twin
• Twin XL
• Full
• Queen
• King

The Lucid folding sofa is certainly more of a bed, than a play center. However, it could be an option to consider depending the needs of your space and family.

Nuggest Accessories

While the Nugget can provide plenty of fun for toddler on its own, there are quite a few accessories that can be used in conjunction for more play combinations.

With a toddler of my own, some accessories I’ve come across that pair nicely with the Nugget include:

RELATED – How to Build a Home Library for Kids

Should you Buy a Nugget?

I would recommend a Nugget if you’re looking for the following:

• Open-ended play: The Nugget works well for children of all ages and provides open-ended fun. Toddlers may enjoy sliding down the cushions, while older kids would be able to move the pieces on their own to create custom configurations and indoor forts.
• Durable kid furniture: The micro-suede covers and machine washable and the foam is very durable. To that end, Nugget’s design is made to stand up to years of high-energy play, while still retaining it’s shape.
• Bright colors: Nuggets are always coming out with new colors, patterns, and styles. The original shape of the Nuggets stays the same, but selling the covers seperately makes it easier to swap out colors as often as you want.

Click here to check out the Nugget for yourself.