This Wildly Popular Kids' Couch Is Taking Over TikTok (and Getting Parents All Riled Up)

TikTok has been the hub for uncovering the coolest, quirkiest and unexplainable trends over the past year (think Cloud Bread, Hot Girl S**t and a whole musical dedicated to the Disney animated film Ratatouille). As an avid TikTok viewer, nothing surprises me anymore until I fell down the rabbit hole that’s #NuggetTok (and I learned the hard way that it was not about chicken nuggets).

By #NuggetTok, I’m referring to the trending hashtag that's filled with a bunch of posts devoted to a surprisingly chic couch made for children. Now, you’re probably thinking, ‘OK, and?’ but like any other Internet trend, it has become a cult-favorite (and rather controversial) piece of furniture. While you can spend hours researching the trend, I did all the work for you. Here’s everything you need to know about the Nugget couch and how you get your hands on one (or a similar alternative).

It’s a $229 sofa-meets-convertible-toy for children. The foam couch comes in four pieces—two supportive pillows, one soft cushion and one sturdy base—that can be transformed into just about anything. (In fact, there are multiple Facebook groups where parents share their kids’ creations using the couch.) Plus, it comes in 15 colors to mix and match for kids to make it their own.

In 2014, the Kickstarter for the product made about $65,000 more than its goal, and a few years later it started really gaining momentum, thanks to rave reviews from mom influencers and Facebook groups. But it wasn’t until last year when the mod furniture began trending on TikTok (for many reasons we’ll get into) and #NuggetTok was born. Since then, there’s been a very high demand...and to think it started out as a luxury futon for local college students.

Once parents realized they were at home for the long haul during the pandemic, they relied on the Nugget to keep the kiddos entertained. From fort-building to providing a fun place to climb and lounge, the couch offered a welcome distraction for kids stuck inside (and provided mom a chance to focus on her Zoom meetings for a while).

Don’t believe us? Just scroll through the 33,000+ reviews praising the convertible couch. Plus, it’s microsuede (making it super comfy and aesthetically pleasing) and machine-washable (so no biggies on those spills and smudges). But like anything, there are a few downsides.

Namely, it’s basically the Supreme of couches. When I say it sells out fast, it sells out fast. The demand is so high that it’s on backorder (and won’t ship until April, maybe even June for some). The brand has even dropped Nugget Lottos during the holiday season for a chance to win a checkout link because yes, people are that serious about scoring one.

You would never think a couch designed for kids would be controversial, but here we are. While it’s intended to provide fun, interactive building blocks for children, some adults brought it upon themselves to use them for, um, other activities instead.

Private Facebook groups (known as, ahem, Nugget After Dark) revealed some parents are using the couches as sex furniture. A few TikTok videos also made the rounds, where moms admitted to hooking up on the Nugget after the kids had gone to bed.

Naturally, this niche only made the couch even more popular—and sparked all kinds of questions like, “Is it weird that it’s children’s furniture?” Or “Is this actually a cult?” And “dammit, please tell us that you have separate Nugget couches for the kids and the adults?!” People reselling their Nuggets online have even included “No Nugget After Dark” in their descriptions to confirm that no one has had sex on the couch.

Getting a Nugget couch right now requires some patience—and strategizing. It’s wise to follow the brand on social and sign up for their newsletter to know as soon as the couches drop on their site. There are also many FB groups, like Nugget Comfort Chatter & BST and Nugget Comfort FUN that have sell, trade and buy options from other Nugget fans. (Keep in mind the $229 couch might slowly turn into $500, $1,000 or even close to $10,000, depending on how many pieces you buy and how rare the color is.)

If you don’t want to deal with the wait—or buying one secondhand—there are plenty of Nugget couch alternatives to try out instead. Here are a few to check out: