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?

Made from non-toxic materials, featuring an almost endless array of potential configurations, and a truly comfortable couch, I’ve got to say, I’m a fan of the Barumba Play Couch. But it is an investment, so here’s everything to consider before you buy one:

Barumba 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. She reached out to me and offered the couch so that I could test it out and share my thoughts with you.

My son had been using me as his own personal climbing gym since 5-months of age, so I was more than game.

With so many play couches out there and at many different price and quality points, it’s tough to figure out what would be worth it, is non-toxic, and will stand the test of time. So far, the Barumba has ticked those boxes:

Endless Possibilities

What I like about the Barumba 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.

The Barumba website has a whole bunch of adorable building suggestions, and if you come up with a new configuration, they’ll feature it and let you name it. My inner super nerd 7-year-old loves that.

That’s part of what makes this one worth it. All of the different shapes and potential things you can do makes it a lot more engaging than a couch that only has a couple different shapes (like the popular Nugget). The many shapes (and sizes) allows for kids to participate in the building, and for multiple kids to be involved.

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.

Made in Canada From Premium Materials

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.

The Barumba Play Couch is made in Canada from certified polyurethane foam, and you can actually verify by looking them up in the CertiPUR-US directory. It’s made without ozone depleters, PBDEs, TDCPP and TCEP flame retardants, heavy metals, mercury and lead, formaldehyde, phthalates regulated by the CPSC, and is low VOC emissions (less than 0.5 parts per million). This basically all means it releases fewer chemicals into the air we breathe.

The covers are microsuede and come in a variety of colors from the more neutral gray we went with to brighter pinks and sage green. It’s waterproof (very important!) and the covers zip on and off for washing.

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.

I can’t fault the Barumba other than the price, but when it comes to quality, items that last and are well made hold a great resale value. Also keep in mind although the website lists the couch at $685 Canadian, if you’re paying with USD, it’ll cost more like $515 (and with the discount code TRAVELMUSE you get $20 off!).

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, but I personally wanted something with way more shapes and potential configurations. The Nugget can be a nice fort-builder, but it’s too big to involve my toddler in building.

At first glance, it seems cheaper, but it doesn’t come with as many pieces as the Barumba, so it depends on your goals:

	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
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 this 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.

We love our Barumba, and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come!

Use discount code TRAVELMUSE for $20 off:

*Thanks Barumba for providing the couch. Some links in this post are affiliate links that support this site at no extra cost to you. We only write genuine reviews and only recommend what we personally use and love. Your trust always comes first!