The Nugget Is the ‘Original Play Couch.’ Costco’s Version May Be Better.

Photos of The Nugget and a Yourigami Kids Convertible Play Fort with a square graphic background.

If you’re a parent of a child under 10, you’ve probably heard of The Nugget, the beloved play sofa that launched a thousand (well, at least 20) competitors. I’ve only recently discovered the category; but now that my eyes are open, play-cushion sets seem to be everywhere — even at Costco.

I’m inherently skeptical of any product that claims to solve a need that I’m unaware of having. But, last summer, a junk collector hauled away our sofa, whose base had finally broken clean in half from eight years of my son’s intense, anime-inspired dance-jumping. It turns out we could’ve used a play sofa — and saved our couch  (as well as our cushions).

The Nugget, the first play couch to widely popularize the concept, experienced viral popularity during pandemic lockdowns in 2020. It is also a Wirecutter favorite. Its modular design is simple: There are two long, hinged cushions and two triangular bolsters, all with removable, washable covers. And while The Nugget is arguably the most popular model in this category, Costco (as it is wont to do) has provided a significant competitor with its exclusive Yourigami Kids Convertible Play Fort.

Staff pick

The Nugget play sofa comes in four simple pieces that can be assembled into numerous configurations.

Sold exclusively at Costco, this set offers more pieces, with clever cutouts that create “windows.” The foam is more flexible, less dense, and lighter than The Nugget’s.

There are many faithful devotees to The Nugget play sofa. But the Yourigami Kids Convertible Play Fort offers a myriad of compelling features, not the least of which is its price: While The Nugget starts at about $250 (at the time of publication), the Yourigami Play Fort costs about $100 less — but you need to have a Costco membership. There are other configurations, including Yourigami’s Kids Play Couch, which has the same four-piece combination as The Nugget. And the Kids Play Couch is about $200 (at the time of publication) and sold at Amazon, Walmart, Kohl’s, and Wayfair. But we were most interested in the Costco-exclusive Yourigami Convertible Play Fort, whose configuration is most commonly compared to The Nugget, based on Google searches and Reddit boards.

We tested both sofas at Wirecutter’s offices, with staffers’ kids. And I later brought both sets home to place them head-to-head, admittedly expecting The Nugget to emerge the clear winner for value and overall utility. The results were surprising.



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