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We’ve lived with sustainable and nontoxic furniture for years — these are our favorite brands making slipcovers that are natural, durable, and ethical for transforming your sofa.
Whether you’re looking to extend the life of an old couch, protect it from mess from kids or pets, or just give your space a refresh without buying an entirely new piece of furniture, couch covers are an affordable and sustainable solution. Throwing on a couch cover is a great way to keep couches out of the landfill and instead keep them in our homes longer. After all, couches are no small investment. As we’re choosing which couch covers to put in our home, it’s important to consider options that are nontoxic and sustainable — and better for the environment, too.
Why is a nontoxic couch important?
Sadly, many conventional couches off-gas harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, flame retardants, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into our homes. These chemicals might be in the foam of the couch cushions, the fabrics, or even the glue holding the wood together, and they are released into the air over time. This can cause issues over time; over time, exposure to these chemicals have been linked to various health issues, from allergies to respiratory problems to cancer. Choosing a nontoxic couch is important because it can help you and your home free from any of these unwanted chemicals.
That being said, what can you do if you already have a couch that might not be nontoxic? We understand it’s not always realistic to just up and purchase a new couch. Thankfully, one solution is to find a nontoxic couch cover that can serve as an interim solution for a healthier indoor environment. These couch covers are natural and durable, and free from any harmful chemicals, ensuring that you’re resting comfortably on a clean and nontoxic surface.
What should you look for in a couch slipcover?
First, it’s important to consider what type of couch slipcover you’re looking for. There are three main types:
- Couch covers that simply drape over your couch like a blanket. These are great for if you want to be able to easily take on and off the cover as needed or if you want a more relaxed fit.
- Couch covers that fit exactly to your couch. These covers shape to your couch and essentially act as a new outer shell to your couch. Often, these are more of a semi-permanent approach, because they are more difficult to take on and off.
- Couch covers that only cover the seat of the couch. These provide extra comfort and protection on the seat to extend the life of your couch, while only covering part of it.
When specifically looking for a nontoxic and sustainable couch cover, it’s important to consider the materials that are being used. Look for natural materials like cotton or linen, or for upcycled or recycled materials if it’s something like velvet. It’s also important to look for couch covers made from certified materials.
What are the relevant certifications?
When shopping for natural and nontoxic couch covers, look for third party certifications that verify and ensure the safety and quality of the materials being used. For example, the OEKO-TEX® certification ensures that no harmful materials are present in the product. Other certifications to look for are the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Fair Trade, which make sure that the organic cotton is produced in a fair and safe way, limiting harm to the environment.
Our criteria:
Our editors have spent over a decade researching and living with the top sustainable furniture brands. For this list, we’ve selected our favorite slipcovers for couches and sofas, made from safe and sustainable materials and using manufacturing processes that will last a lifetime. We continually add new picks to the list that meet the criteria below.
- NATURAL & NONTOXIC | Made with natural, organic, recycled, and responsibly-sourced materials, these nontoxic couch covers use sustainable and low-impact materials that are not treated with chemicals, so they’re better for your indoor environment and the planet.
- DURABLE | Each of these options is made of long-lasting, durable, and quality materials that will hold up for years to come.
- AFFORDABLE | Couches can be pricey, and non-toxic couches can be even more expensive — these couch covers can help to transform your existing couch to get more life out of a sustainable purchase, or as a solution for creating a better indoor environment.
If you’re shopping for new furniture for your living room, check out our guides to nontoxic couches and ottomans. Or if you want to make your bedroom nontoxic too, our mattress and mattress protector guides can help with that!
1. Magic Linen
Best For | Linen Couch Covers
Sustainability | Compostable packaging, linen grown from renewable flax, low emissions, prioritizes zero waste
Price Range | $76-$266
Magic Linen is dedicated to creating sustainable and thoughtfully designed linen products, from bedding to clothing. Their linen is grown and handcrafted in Vilnius, Lithuania — all in the same place to reduce transportation emissions and their carbon footprint. Linen itself is also a very sustainable and renewable material because it is made from the flax plant, which can easily grown even in poor soil and doesn’t require harsh chemical pesticides. You’ll find a variety of linen couch cover designs from Magic Linen, like this one in a soft waffle fabric or this one in a playful gingham design. These couch covers simply drape over your couch, providing full coverage of the cushions, back, and arms. Magic Linen also ships in compostable packaging, as part of their efforts to reduce waste and plastic use in their facilities and beyond.
Customer Review | “Love the windowpane check cover my couch. Protects from dirty dog paws and looks really nice. This is my second one. Highly recommend.” – Terri H. [Read more reviews.]
2. West Elm
Best For | Seat Only Couch Cover
Sustainability | OEKO-TEX
Price Range | $139-$149
West Elm is a widely popular home, furniture, and decor store, and they have several items that are Fair Trade and organic. The brand offers two couch covers, both made to cover the seat only, adding a bit of cushion while you snuggle in. The Quilted Sofa Overlay is made with a 100% linen shell and a polyester interior. The Quilted Cotton Velvet Sofa Overlay is made with a cotton and polyester outer shell and polyester interior. One thing to note for these is that polyester isn’t a natural/organic material. However, both of these couch covers do meet the OEKO-TEX Standard for safety and they’re made in a Fair Trade factory. Both come in a variety of neutral, earth-toned colors.
3. Etsy
Best For | Budget-Friendly Couch Covers
Sustainability | natural materials, small businesses
Price Range | $22-$300+
Etsy has a wide variety of couch covers, not just in style but in price range too, with a lot of options that are very budget friendly. We love this simple, drapey linen option, for example. And this beautiful 100% cotton cover is a bestseller on Etsy and comes in five colorways. Etsy’s also great if you’re looking for something really unique for your couch cover. We love this chenille neutral floral one and this funky geometric option, too!
Customer Review | “Drapes very nicely over my couch. I am so pleased!” – Kathleen [Read more reviews.]
4. Comfort Works
Best For | Custom Couch Covers
Sustainability | Natural materials, made-to-order options
Price Range | $69-$800+
The entire model for Comfort Works is built around keeping your couch out of the landfill. They create custom covers that give your couch a new life and make you fall in love with it all over again — because at the end of the day the most sustainable couch you can have is the one you already have. You’ll find covers for most popular couch brands, including IKEA, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Joybird, and many more. And if you can’t find your couch in their list of 1,100 models, they also have a sofa request form that you can submit your couch measurements in, and they’ll do their best to create a cover for your couch. Their couch covers come in several fabric options too, including cotton, linen, velvet, canvas, and more. Comfort Works is also covering all U.S. duties and tariffs, so the price you see is the price you pay.
Customer Review | “I can’t believe the transformation. It looks like I have a new piece of furniture in my house. Assembly isn’t like your typical slip cover, but the results are worth it. It looks like I had this couch professionally upholstered. Plus I love that I can take it off and wash it.” – Jessica W. [Read more reviews.]
5. The Futon Shop
Best For | Futon Covers
Sustainability | Natural materials, organic cotton, OEKO-TEX Certified materials
Price Range | $92-$350+
The Futon Shop’s mission is “to make furniture without fossil fuels,” instead making it with natural fibers and sustainable materials. Since 1976, the company has been creating futons and organic furniture with a minimalist and budget-friendly design. The couch covers from The Futon Shop are specifically made for futons, and they come in a variety of colors, materials, and sizes. We love this simple organic cotton cover and this 100% wool and OEKO-TEX certified cover, to name a few, but there are so many to browse!
6. Sabai
Best For | Velvet Couch Cover
Sustainability | Second hand options, Sabai Revive program, Repair Don’t Replace Program,
Price Range | $150-$1,375
Sabai is dedicated to creating furniture that’s responsibly made, comfortable, and convenient. They’re one of our favorites for sustainable couches, and we love their slipcovers too! They’re great for extending the life of your couch, or if you have kids, pets, or messy eaters at home and want to add a bit of extra protection. They come in 10 colorways and are made from recycled velvet and upcycled polyester. The covers are easy to put on too. Sabai has slipcovers available for their sofas, sectionals, ottomans, and loveseats.
Customer Review | “A bit of tugging to get it on but once it’s in place, the fit is amazing! People have been surprised it’s not the actual couch because the seams hit the edges so well.” – Adrianna M. [Read more reviews.]
7. 7th Avenue
Best For | Water Resistant Couch Covers
Sustainability | OEKO-TEX Certified fabric, free from “forever chemicals” or microplastics such as PFAS/PFOA/PFOS
Price Range | $168-$525
Known for its modular loungers, 7th Avenue is a furniture brand bringing luxury, comfort, and flexibility to the table. The couch covers are specifically designed for their modular couches, so if you’re looking to extend the life or add a layer of protection to your couch, these are a great option — or if you just want to change up the color! They’re made from water-repellent and stain-resistant materials that are OEKO-TEX certified and free from PFAS/PFOA/PFOS and other “forever chemicals.” You can order the couch covers for each modular section, so it’s exactly specific to your couch design. They come in over 15 different colorways across three fabric types: textured weave, woven chenille, and velvet.
Featured image is from Magic Linen
Brianna Schubert is a writer and editor based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade, an editorial assistant at Motley Bloom, and a freelance writer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Since 2023, Brianna has combined her expertise and investigative skills to deliver thoughtful reviews of sustainable products and home goods, helping readers make informed, eco-conscious choices. Brianna is also the writer behind The Mood Board, a Substack newsletter for creativity and inspiration. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking up a new recipe, reading and recommending books, cuddling with her cat, or yapping with her friends at a café. Say hi on Instagram!
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