Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam vs Buchanan Roll Arm Upholstered Sofa Polyester Wrapped Cushions: which is safer?

Pottery Barn Buchanan Roll Arm Upholstered Sofa Polyester Wrapped Cushions is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam

Joybird

Banks Sleeper Sofa Foam

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Poor 39/100

Verdict

Buy with care

Hazard flags

⚑ 4

Material

polyurethane foam

Confidence

72%

LikelyVolatile Organic Compound (VOC) Off-Gassing

PossibleFlame Retardant Chemical Content

PossibleFormaldehyde in Adhesives and Binders

Our pick

Pottery Barn Buchanan Roll Arm Upholstered Sofa Polyester Wrapped Cushions

Pottery Barn

Buchanan Roll Arm Upholstered Sofa Polyester Wrapped Cushions

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 63/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

Polyester wrapped cushions with fabric upholstery

Confidence

62%

PossibleVOC off-gassing (adhesives, foam, polyester)

PossiblePolyester fiber degradation and shedding

PossibleDust mite and mold accumulation

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Off-Gassing, Flame Retardant Chemical Content, Formaldehyde in Adhesives and Binders and Foam Degradation Over Time on the Joybird and not on the Pottery Barn.
  • We flag VOC off-gassing (adhesives, foam, polyester), Polyester fiber degradation and shedding and Dust mite and mold accumulation on the Pottery Barn and not on the Joybird.
  • The Joybird is polyurethane foam where the Pottery Barn is Polyester wrapped cushions with fabric upholstery, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • These two are level, close enough that price and fit should decide it rather than our grade.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More upholstered furniture: see the full ranking