Mad for Foam Furniture? Wait Til You See THE FORT
If you haven’t gotten wrapped up in the pandemonium surrounding “The Nugget,” consider yourself lucky. This foam couch that can be re-configured into a variety of play structures, forts, and more has gained a cult-like following and has been notoriously hard to purchase for the last few years. But with more knock offs and competitors hitting the market, we might have found a product that is just as good, and possibly even better? And you won’t want to miss it’s Jan. 26 launch.
The Nugget
In 2014, Nugget Comfort launched a kickstarter to fund the creation of their four piece, foam couch. It took off like a rocket, raising more than $65k over their goal, and for years, the company has been trying to keep up with the immense amount of demand. Every few months, Nugget’s website would offer a re-stock, and within minutes would sell out. Which just made the allure of the Nugget couch grow. Influencers and even Tik Tok (#NuggetTok) has hyped it even more. As more parents discovered this wildly popular item, so did resellers. Buy/Sell/Trade groups started popping up on Facebook all of a sudden, used ones were popping up for more than double their retail value. For a couch that sells for $229 new, that’s a big problem.
Before Christmas this year, they actually created a lottery system to draw names so that customers could get a private purchase link and order in time for Christmas. The lotto didn’t get you a free nugget, just the opportunity to order one. That’s how crazy it is. It seems that Nugget Comfort is finally catching up with their production since moving to a much larger facility and are now offering a backorder option with items expected to ship by the end of April. But with knock off items and alternatives hitting the market, maybe its a good time to re-assess if the original play couch is really the best?
Popular Alternatives
Blocksy- Similar pieces and price point as a nugget, but with a vinyl cover for easy cleaning.
The LEO Mat- Just released on January 8th, they have super cute patterns and a similar style as the nugget, but the price point is a little higher.
Jaxx Zipline- Smaller, and more affordable at about $165 each. Plus it can be ordered on Amazon.
The Nest- If you’ve got expensive taste and money to burn, this one might be an option for you. Pretty colors, but at $472.75, I think I’d rather wait for a knock off.
The Figgy- Only two color options, but prices at $275, it might work if you just cannot wait another second for a nugget.
Our Choice:
The FORT- Not only does it have more pieces that its competitors, but it has MAGNETS. Yes! Magnets! What could possibly be better for play time than adding in magnets to the mix? They will also have awesome accessories like a magnetic light and blanket to take your fort building to the next level.
The FORT launches on kickstarter January 26th, and as a backer you will get to order The FORT for 45% off of the retail price, which puts it at less than the cost of all of the competitors. Based on the more than 12k people in their Facebook group, it seems pretty likely that their kickstarter is gonna get funded. You can also order The FORT sans magnets if you prefer.
The best way to learn more is to register for the newsletter here. They’ll send you all the info you need on how to order through kickstarter, ideas on different builds, and more. The Facebook group is also a great source of info, with the creator, Conor hopping on regularly to answer questions, give demonstrations, etc.