Barumba Play Couch – An Honest Review From a Mom

If you’re in the market for a play couch, you might be coming across a truly overwhelming amount of choices. Which one is actually the best?

We tested out the Barumba Play Couch and have had it for a couple of years now. It is an investment – but is it worth it? Here’s everything to consider before you buy one:

TLDR; Having a play couch has been lots of fun for my family, but if I were comparing the Nugget and the Barumba, I’d just go with the Nugget. It costs meaningfully less and you can make combinations with their offerings that are more customizable to your desires.

Play Couch Pros

The Barumba is an 11-piece couch that was created by Canadian momtrepreneur Sara, an accountant mother of two who wanted to create something long-lasting that would actually hold kids’ attention.

Endless Possibilities

What I like about having a play couch is that it’s essentially giant building blocks made of soft foam that can be reconfigured into almost endless combinations. One of my toddler’s favorite things to do is knock down the pillows and yell ‘boom!’ – it’s become a nightly bonding experience for he and his dad. The squeals of delight when he knocks it over are adorable, and I am not worried about it hurting him since the foam is so light.

That’s part of what makes a play couch worth it. All of the different shapes and potential things you can do makes it a lot more engaging than pillows that are only a couple different shapes.

Saves Your Couch (and butt)

The other big reason why I wanted a play couch was to get down on my son’s level with ease. He’s always asking to be picked ‘up,’ but my back can’t handle it anymore, so this gives us a space to hang out together on the floor without it being painful. It’s so comfy, I often don’t want to get back up again.

Now we’re mostly hanging on this couch rather than our nice couch. I don’t necessarily want my son snacking and climbing all over our living room couch, but this one is easy to wash and is made for playing. This is truly his couch to treat as he pleases.

Go Nontoxic

One of the toughest things to figure out when I was researching different couches was what they were actually made of. I saw options on Amazon and Alibaba, but there is no real vetting process for knowing if they are being honest about their materials. They can claim anything and you’ll never really know. The reviews often mention bad smells and the pieces being much smaller than expected.

Since my son is putting his face and entire body on this thing, I want it to be made from nontoxic materials – something we’ve gone to great lengths to reduce his exposure to in everything from his car seat to his toys and clothes.

After doing extensive research on the topic, I put together a full list of nontoxic play couches here.

Barumba Play Couch Cons

There were two things I didn’t want when considering which couch to get (or whether to get one at all) – something that was going to compromise the air we breathe and something that would tear easily.

The is pricey. The website lists the couch at $685 Canadian, if you’re paying with USD, it’ll cost more like $515. I initally thought it was worth it, but now that the nugget has more shapes and allows bundling and more customization and colors, I do think it’s the better move.

Either way, when you’re done with your couch days, as someone who buys and sells baby items on the secondhand market, I’m always able to recoup a significant amount of my investment when brands are well-known and higher end, and recommend to all parents to do the same, both for their wallets and the planet. For this reason I always opt for the longer-lasting, nontoxic brands (like Nuna, Guava, and Lovevery), since I know I will pay less in the long run, and have better stuff while we’re using it to boot.

Barumba Play Couch vs Nugget

Most parents looking at play couches are probably considering the Barumba or the Nugget. Our writer Christy loves the Nugget.

Here’s a comparison:

	Barumba Play Couch	Nugget
Cover Material	Microsuede	Microsuede, courduroy, or double brushed micro suede
Inner Material	CertiPUR-US foam	CertiPUR-US foam
Waterproof covers	Already applied/included	$109 extra
Colors	6 colors	16 colors
# of pieces	11 pieces	4 pieces (can add more)
Size	33″ x 66″	33″ x 66″
Washability	Easy – remover cover	Easy – remover cover
Price	$515 ($685 CAD, $20 off with codeTRAVELMUSE	$249 (+ $109 for liners)
Warranty	1 year limited warranty	2 year limited (cover only)

Is it Worth the Price?

Given how many pieces the play couch comes with and how many different combinations we can create with it, plus how many hours of fun we get out of it each evening after dinner, I love having a play couch. It keeps my toddler entertained, helps him get his energy out, and gives us a very comfy spot to hang out as a family.

I think given that Nugget has come out with so many different shapes and options, it’s the one I would choose over the Barumba. While both are great, the variety of colors and textures and lower price point while still being nontoxic make it a bit more competitive.

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