Ashley Furniture is a mass-market retailer known for its vast selection of affordable, trend-driven pieces across nearly every style category, making it a go-to for budget shopping. In contrast, Lazy Boy is a heritage American brand celebrated for its unwavering focus on comfort, durability, and high-quality construction, particularly in upholstered seating like recliners and sofas.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
Ashley Furniture: The Affordable All-Rounder
As one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world, Ashley Furniture offers an extensive range of products for every room in the home at highly accessible price points. It's a popular destination for first-time homeowners, renters, and anyone looking to furnish a space without a significant financial investment, offering styles that range from modern farmhouse to sleek contemporary.
- Product mix: A complete selection of home furnishings, including sofas, sectionals, dining sets, bedroom furniture, home office, outdoor, mattresses, and decor.
- Style/vibe: A broad mix of casual, contemporary, traditional, and transitional styles. Their collections tend to follow current design trends, providing fashionable options at a low cost.
- Price point: Budget-friendly to mid-range. Sofas can start around $399, queen beds from $299, and full dining sets under $500, especially during sale events.
- Quality: Quality is variable and reflects the low price point. Construction often involves engineered wood and veneers alongside solid wood. It's designed to be functional and stylish but may not offer the longevity of an investment piece.
- Customization: Basic customization is available for some upholstered pieces, allowing you to choose from a selection of fabrics and finishes, though options are more limited than specialty brands.
- Shopping Experience: A vast network of physical showrooms allows you to see and test products in person, supported by a comprehensive website for online shopping.
- Sales: Ashley runs frequent sales and promotional events throughout the year, making their already low prices even more attractive. Holidays are an especially good time to find deep discounts.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers door-step delivery and an in-home delivery and assembly service for an additional fee. Many smaller items can be shipped directly and may require self-assembly.
Ashley Furniture offers unbeatable value and selection for shoppers who are price-conscious or like to update their decor frequently with current trends.
Shop Ashley Furniture: ashleyfurniture.com
Lazy Boy: The Comfort & Durability Expert
Lazy Boy has built a sterling reputation over nearly a century by creating some of the most comfortable and durable upholstered furniture on the market, especially its iconic recliners. The brand targets customers who prioritize ergonomic support, long-lasting quality, and timeless design over trendy styles, positioning itself as a premium investment in home comfort.
- Product mix: Specializes in upholstered seating, including its famous recliners, sofas, sectionals, loveseats, and lift chairs. The selection also includes accent tables, storage, and other case goods.
- Style/vibe: Leans toward classic, traditional, and transitional designs that prioritize plush comfort. Aesthetics are timeless and designed for cozy, lived-in spaces rather than cutting-edge trends.
- Price point: Mid to upper-mid-range. A basic recliner or sofa typically starts around $799, with premium leather models and power options reaching well over $2,000.
- Quality: Known for superior construction. Key features include kiln-dried hardwood frames, high-density foam cushions for lasting support, and durable upholstery, including performance fabrics and high-grade leathers.
- Customization: Extensive customization is a key selling point. Customers can choose from hundreds of fabric and leather options, different cushion types, wood finish colors, and add-on features like power recline, lumbar support, and USB charging.
- Services: Offers complimentary in-home design consultations to help you plan your space, choose fabrics, and create a cohesive look.
- Warranty: Lazy Boy backs its craftsmanship with strong warranties, including a lifetime warranty on many frames, springs, and mechanisms.
- Delivery & Assembly: Professional, in-home delivery and setup is the standard, ensuring furniture arrives correctly and is ready to use without any hassle.
Lazy Boy is the clear choice for anyone investing in long-term comfort and craftsmanship, especially for high-use living room furniture.
Shop Lazy Boy: la-z-boy.com
Ashley Furniture vs. Lazy Boy Comparison
Price Comparison
There is a stark difference in price between the two brands. Ashley Furniture is significantly more budget-friendly across the board. You can often furnish an entire room for the price of a single high-end sofa from Lazy Boy. Ashley’s business model is built around volume and accessibility, passing savings onto the consumer.
Lazy Boy operates in the mid-to-premium market. Their prices reflect higher-quality materials, more robust construction, North American manufacturing, and extensive customization options. While more expensive upfront, many shoppers see the value in furniture that's built to last for more than a decade.
Style & Aesthetic
Ashley Furniture offers a far wider spectrum of styles. They are quick to adopt current trends, so you can find everything from modern and minimalist pieces to rustic farmhouse and traditional designs. Their catalog is enormous and diverse, catering to a broad range of tastes and appealing to those who want a fashionable home interior.
Lazy Boy focuses primarily on traditional, classic, and transitional looks where relaxed comfort is the central design element. Their aesthetic emphasizes plush cushions, soft lines, and cozy functionality. While they offer more contemporary silhouettes now than in the past, their strength lies in timeless designs that don't go out of fashion.
Quality & Construction
Lazy Boy is the clear winner in terms of quality and durability. Their use of kiln-dried hardwood frames, patented reclining mechanisms, and high-density foam cushions ensures that their seating holds its shape and support for years. This commitment to craftsmanship is why the brand is considered a long-term investment.
Ashley Furniture's quality is geared toward affordability. To keep prices low, they often use a mix of engineered wood, veneers, and solid wood in their case goods, and their upholstery may not withstand heavy use as well as Lazy Boy’s. While perfectly functional for many households, it generally doesn't match the level of premium construction found in a Lazy Boy piece.
Product Selection
If you're looking to furnish your entire home from one place, Ashley Furniture has a definitive advantage. Their selection is massive, covering living, dining, bedroom, home office, outdoor furniture, and even mattresses and home decor. It's a one-stop-shop with products for every function and space.
Lazy Boy is a specialist brand focused squarely on living and family room seating. While they offer other furniture like coffee tables and consoles, their main expertise is in crafting comfortable and durable recliners, sofas, and sectionals. Their selection is deep within this niche but not as broad across the whole home.
Shopping Experience
Both brands offer robust online platforms and a widespread network of physical showrooms. Ashley's showrooms are typically large, displaying a wide array of styled rooms. The experience is designed for browsing a vast selection quickly.
Lazy Boy's retail experience feels more personalized. Their showrooms focus on demonstrating the comfort and features of their seating. A major differentiator is their free in-home design service, where a consultant will help you measure your space, select fabrics, and design your room layout - a valuable service you won't find at Ashley.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends entirely on your priorities, budget, and long-term plans for your home.
Choose Ashley Furniture if:
- You're furnishing a home on a tight budget.
- You need a wide variety of fashionable styles to match current trends.
- You are in a temporary living situation or furnishing spaces that don't require heirloom quality.
- You want a one-stop-shop for every room in your house, including decor and mattresses.
Choose Lazy Boy if:
- Comfort, ergonomic support, and durability are your top priorities.
- You want furniture that is a long-term investment and will last for many years.
- You're looking for a top-of-the-line recliner with premium features.
- You value deep customization options for fabrics, leathers, and finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ashley Furniture or Lazy Boy cheaper?
Ashley Furniture is significantly cheaper than Lazy Boy. For example, you can find Ashley sofas starting under $500, whereas Lazy Boy sofas generally start between $800-$1,000 and go up from there. The lower price makes Ashley accessible for those needing affordable options.
Which has better quality furniture?
Lazy Boy has substantially better quality furniture, especially in its framing, cushions, and mechanisms. They use superior materials like kiln-dried hardwood and high-density foam, which contribute to a much longer lifespan and better support over time. Ashley's quality is acceptable for its price but is not built to the same durability standards.
Is Lazy Boy only known for recliners?
While Lazy Boy is famous for its iconic recliners, the brand offers a full line of stationary and motion seating, including sofas, sectionals, loveseats, and chairs. However, their core expertise and a large part of their business remain focused on comfortable motion furniture.
Is Ashley Furniture good for a first apartment?
Yes, Ashley Furniture is an excellent choice for a first apartment. Its affordable prices, vast selection of styles, and pieces scaled for smaller spaces make it a popular and practical option for people just starting out.
Which brand offers more style options?
Ashley Furniture offers far more diversity in style. Their huge catalog covers everything from shabby chic and traditional to modern industrial and contemporary designs, intentionally following popular interior design trends. Lazy Boy has a more constrained aesthetic centered on traditional and transitional comfort-first designs.
How long does Lazy Boy furniture last?
With proper care, Lazy Boy furniture is known for its impressive longevity, often lasting 10-15 years or more. Their strong warranties on frames and mechanisms reflect the brand's confidence in its durability.
Do both brands offer customization?
Both brands offer some level of customization, but Lazy Boy's options are far more extensive. With Lazy Boy, you can choose from hundreds of fabrics and leathers, as well as select cushion firmness, wood finishes, and add features like power recline or heat and massage. Ashley usually offers a handful of fabric choices on select items.
Which is better for families with kids and pets?
This depends on budget vs. durability. Lazy Boy's high-quality construction and availability of performance fabrics that resist stains and wear make it an excellent long-term choice for busy families. Ashley Furniture’s lower price point may be more practical for families who anticipate furniture getting damaged and prefer to replace pieces more frequently without a major financial loss.
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