But how do you know where to begin your search? We researched all of the top furniture retailers, evaluating inventory, affordability, customer reviews, warranty, and return policies. Our favorites include online-only retailers like Wayfair, Article, brands with online ordering, and brick-and-mortar stores, including Ashley Furniture, Ikea, and Pottery Barn. Here are the best furniture stores. Ashley Furniture is also known for having plenty of salespeople on hand to offer in-store shoppers help. Online, you can also find the help you need, thanks to a convenient interactive chat system, and the retailer has tools like a “room builder” to make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. There are plenty of deals to be had, too. Pricing is fair, but they also offer price matching, plus frequent deals and sales, as well as 10% off if you sign up for the newsletter. Whether shopping online or in-store, you can find just about whatever you need to furnish your home, from baby cribs to sofas to kitchen cabinets. You can even find items like faucets, artwork, and trash cans. When it comes to home hardware and decor, if you can dream it, IKEA probably has it. The furniture does skew more contemporary—and you’ll have to assemble everything yourself (not great for longevity). But prices are undeniably hard to beat, making this retailer an excellent option for anyone on a budget or those who tend to move around a lot and need something more temporary. All of these items come in a wide range of styles and at varying price points, too. You’ll have no trouble finding both low- and high-end items in styles ranging from rustic farmhouse to sleek and modern. And if you’re not sure about something, you’ll love the extensive reviews, many complete with pictures of the item in someone else’s home. If there’s any downside, it’s that you can’t test out an item before you buy (like you might in a traditional showroom), but Wayfair gets items to your doorstep quickly and has a fair return policy—just in case. At the end of the day, there’s no better way to get quality furniture quickly. Most orders ship from the company’s warehouses within two weeks or less. How Article they pull off all of these great perks for a reasonable price? It’s all made possible by the brand’s direct-to-consumer model, which they say is 30% better than what traditional retailers can offer. At Joybird you can find furniture for most rooms in your house—beds, sofas, chairs, tables, storage pieces, and even rugs. And most pieces come in a variety of wood finishes, plus over 50 fabrics and colors, so you can get a truly custom product without actually having to go custom. Unfortunately, you can’t view your prospective purchases in person as you might in a traditional store, but you can easily order free swatches before you commit, making it a little bit easier to confidently settle on something ideal for your house. What’s more, you can utilize their free online design services for help making a purchase. As an added bonus, shipping is comparably pretty affordable, especially for large items. Joybird also offers 90 days for returns, though you will have to pay a restocking fee. And though you may pay a little bit more at Pottery Barn than comparable retailers, you know that what you’re getting is an investment—their furniture is widely-known to go the distance. The retailer is also committed to sustainability and using ethically sourced materials to help you feel even better about your purchase. Another nice perk: Because Pottery Barn has various spin-offs, including Pottery Barn Kids and PB Teen, you’re sure to find exactly what you need for the kids and their rooms, too. It’s also well-known for responsible practices. West Elm has a wide range of organic, hand-crafted, and fair trade-certified items within their list of offerings. It also supports independent artists wherever possible—especially within their decor items, including artwork and trinkets like candles. Most of what West Elm offers is at a slightly elevated but still accessible price point that puts it in a sweet spot. Plus, the furniture is made to last, so you can feel good about the investment you’re making. If there’s any downside, it’s that shipping is expensive and can take a long time, particularly if you order a custom fabric—often a requirement, unless you’re happy to choose from just one or two in-stock options. Inside said catalog—and in the retailer’s stores and online platform—you’ll find a large collection of high-end and intricately-crafted furniture that comes at an equally large price tag. When you examine the quality, you’ll understand why their offerings of tables, chairs, beds, media cabinets, and more come at such a premium. Everything is built to last for years and years, no matter how many times you move. If it’s any consolation, Restoration Hardware offers shoppers a special membership that costs $175 per year and gives you plenty of perks, including early access to sales and “member pricing” of 25 percent off everything, no matter how pricey! Shopping is a breezy experience at Crate & Barrel, too. The brand has plenty of physical locations to check out items in person, but the website is also largely intuitive, so you can order what you want and have it delivered to your front door. Just be prepared to pay for shipping for this convenience—basic freight delivery can cost upwards of $100. Another helpful way to shop: In stores, Raymour & Flanigan is known to have many knowledgeable salespeople who can offer personalized help, while online, there is a variety of interactive tools—like room planners and instant chat—to help you shop confidently. While you can certainly find what you’re looking for at Raymour & Flanigan, it’s worth noting that the style tends to be a little more classic than modern, so you can’t bet on finding trendy items there. What’s more, you’ll want to be sure you love what you buy, as the retailer does not accept returns on furniture. There are plenty of ways to shop for whatever furniture you need—beds, dining tables, dressers, couches, and more. You can shop with a designer in-store (at no cost to you!), or you can head to their website from the comfort of your own home. Online, you can still shop confidently, thanks to an online chat that lets you ask just about anything, including personalized questions like “What fabric should I get?” The chat agent will walk you through the whole process and can even help you place your order. Just note: Shopping can be pricey—premier shipping starts at $99. What’s more, you can’t return made-to-order items, so make sure you use all of their helpful services to get something you’re sure you love. The style, while attractive, does skew a bit more traditional. But overall, you’ll find a decent variety of both more classic and more modern pieces. The company also has specially curated lists to help make the whole shopping process easier. Browse through inspiration pages categorized by room, decor style, or even seasonality. And if you need more help, you can always utilize the convenient online chat system. Shipping is friendlier than most. You can get free shipping on a vast array of items over $35. Returns are easy, too. As long as you’re within 30 days and willing to pay a return fee based on shipping, you can return most items in their original packaging. There are also ways to save: The retailer offers a variety of great sales throughout the year, plus offers a 20% discount to anyone who signs up for their newsletter—worth keeping in your back pocket until you’re ready to make a big furniture purchase. Shipping is also convenient, since you have so many different choices. Each shipping method comes at a flat rate, so you’ll never be caught off guard. Worst case, if you don’t love something, you can return it within 30 days for a full refund—you just need to pay for return shipping. Both in stores and online, the retailer stocks lots of stylish furniture that’s always right on trend (but also pervasive enough to go the distance). They also have plenty of smaller household essentials like flatware, barware, bath linens, and small giftables. The website is easy to navigate but also has a convenient chat feature, should you need more help finding or selecting just the right thing. But buyer beware: You can only return furniture if it’s a stocked, non-custom piece. Even those eligible items have stipulations—you need to call within seven days to schedule a return within 30 days. The offerings are vast, too. You’ll find everything from sofas and benches, to headboards and nightstands, to dining tables and bar carts. If you’re having trouble finding what you need, you can browse curated lists by design style or room to help you find just what you’re looking for. The designs from the Wayfair-owned company aren’t necessarily unique to them. In some cases, you may even find the item for less at another retailer, but it’s worth giving AllModern a chance, especially because of how affordable the shipping is. The retailer offers free shipping on many items, even furniture, over $35—much less than some other places.
Delivery and Returns
Even the most skilled interior designers sometimes get it wrong when trying to select the right furniture for a space. Whether it be a large anchor piece like a couch, or smaller items like nightstands or coffee tables. Look for a furniture retailer that makes delivery and returns easy, particularly if you are buying from an online-only retailer and will be seeing your new sofa in person for the first time when it arrives on your doorstep. Be sure to check the fine print if you are having furniture delivered to an apartment building on a high floor, or you might end up sitting on your brand new couch on the curb, wondering whom to call.
Transparency
Increasingly, today’s consumers want to know where the things they buy are made. Whether you’re dealing with a local artisan or a big box retailer, look for transparency around everything. From what materials were used to make your furniture, where those materials were sourced, and to where the furniture is manufactured. Make sure that you are buying quality materials and supporting companies that favor things that are important to you, whether that means using renewable or non-toxic materials, or local labor and manufacturing.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This roundup was written by Brigitt Earley, who has written and edited hundreds of buying guides, particularly in the home space, for various publications over the last 10 years. Her own home is filled with finds from many retailers on this list, including West Elm, Crate & Barrel, CB2, Pottery Barn, IKEA, Wayfair, and Restoration Hardware. To curate this list, she leaned on her own purchasing experience and scoured dozens of retailers to see how easy their websites are to navigate, and read all of the fine print about shipping, returns, deals, and more. Brigitt also interviewed interior designer Megan Hersch, co-founder of roomLift.
