Rooms To Go is worth it if you’re looking for stylish, affordable furniture to fill a space quickly, but it’s not a good choice for long-term durability. The brand provides excellent initial value for budget-conscious shoppers needing trendy furniture for a first apartment or a temporary home. However, its heavy reliance on engineered wood and standard-quality materials means most pieces aren't built to last beyond a few years of regular use.
Think of Rooms To Go as a short-term solution: better than disposable furniture but not an investment piece intended for heirloom status. Here’s exactly what you need to know before you buy.
How Is Rooms To Go's Quality?
Rooms To Go offers moderate quality that generally matches its budget-friendly price point. While adequate for light or temporary use, the materials and construction are not designed for long-term wear and tear.
- Materials: The majority of their furniture, including bed frames, dressers, and tables, is constructed from engineered wood products like particleboard or MDF with a veneer or laminate finish. Upholstered items typically feature polyester-based fabrics and foam cushions that may flatten over time. Solid wood is rarely used outside of small components or accent pieces.
- Construction: Most sofa and chair frames are made of engineered wood rather than kiln-dried hardwood. Joinery and hardware are standard grade, which means furniture can feel lighter and less sturdy than more expensive options. Heavy-duty construction is not a selling point here.
- Durability and Longevity: Customer reviews and material analysis suggest a typical lifespan of 2-4 years for high-use items before visible signs of wear appear. Expect a sofa used daily to show cushion sagging and a dining table to accumulate scratches or veneer peeling within this timeframe.
- Common Complaints: Frequent issues reported by customers include sagging couch cushions, wobbly chair and table legs, peeling or chipping veneer, and frames that start to creak over time. Durability under the strain of daily family life (kids, pets, heavy use) is a consistent concern.
Is Rooms To Go Good Value for the Price?
Rooms To Go offers strong initial value due to its low prices, but this is a classic "you get what you pay for" scenario. The value proposition diminishes significantly when considering long-term ownership costs.
Price Positioning
Rooms To Go sits firmly in the value-oriented, mid-range market. With sofas often ranging from $400 to $1,200 and bed frames between $300 and $900, their prices are highly competitive and significantly lower than retailers like Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn. Their business model revolves around frequent sales, bundle deals, and financing options, making modern styles accessible to almost any budget.
What You're Paying For
At Rooms To Go, you're primarily paying for speed, convenience, and trend-focused design. You get a complete, coordinated room set delivered quickly and affordably. The cost is justified by the immediate aesthetic gratification, not the underlying quality of materials or craftsmanship. You are not paying for solid wood construction or furniture built to last a decade.
Where You Get Good Value
- Temporary living situations: Perfect for college apartments, starter homes, or rentals where you don't plan to stay for more than a few years.
- Low-traffic areas: Furniture for guest rooms, formal dining rooms, or home offices that see infrequent use will hold up much better and offer great value.
- Furnishing on a tight budget: If upfront cost is your primary concern, Rooms To Go allows you to furnish an entire room for the price of a single sofa from a high-end brand.
Where You Don't Get Good Value
- High-traffic family rooms: The primary family sofa or entertainment center is likely to break down quickly under the weight of daily use, leading to replacement costs sooner than expected.
- Forever furniture: If you are looking for investment pieces to last 10+ years and survive multiple moves, Rooms To Go is not the right choice.
- Households with kids or pets: The standard-grade fabrics and veneered surfaces are often not durable enough to withstand the spills, scratches, and high energy of a busy family home.
Rooms To Go Quality by Category
While the overall quality is consistent across the brand, certain categories have specific strengths and weaknesses to be aware of.
Sofas & Sectionals
Constructed with engineered wood frames and basic foam cushions, sofas ($400-$1,200) prioritize affordability and style. The polyester-based upholstery is decent for light use, but daily seating will likely cause cushions to flatten within 1-3 years. Verdict: An acceptable choice for a formal living room or temporary apartment but a poor investment for the main family couch.
Bedroom Furniture
Bed frames, dressers, and nightstands are primarily made of particleboard and MDF with laminate or veneer finishes. While they look great on the showroom floor, they are susceptible to damage, particularly when moving. Bed frames priced from $300-$900 may warp or crack under excess weight. Verdict: Good for a guest room, but expect to see chipping and wear in a master bedroom used daily.
Dining Furniture
Dining sets typically feature tables with laminated tops that are prone to scratching and water damage. Chairs often have the same light construction as other pieces. Dinner tables ranging from $300-$700 are a great price, but they won't stand up to frequent family meals and homework sessions for long. Verdict: Fine for occasional entertainers, but a busy family should invest in a solid wood alternative.
Decor & Accessories
Accent furniture, lamps, and other decor items are generally priced under $200. The quality matches the low price point - they serve their aesthetic purpose but often feel flimsy and are not made with high-end materials. Verdict: Great for adding a trendy touch to a room on a budget, but don't expect them to have the weight or durability of items from more premium stores.
Our Verdict: Is Rooms To Go Worth It?
Rooms To Go is only worth it if your top priorities are budget and immediate style over long-term durability. It is a practical choice for temporary furnishing, outfitting a guest room, or staging a home. For primary pieces expected to handle the rigors of daily life for more than a few years, your money is better spent elsewhere.
Quality Grade: C
Rooms To Go earns a C for quality. They deliver exactly what they promise: affordable, fashionable furniture. However, the heavy use of particleboard, veneers, and low-density foam means products lack the resilience needed for long-term use. Widespread complaints of sagging, peeling, and wobbling within a 2-4 year window confirm that durability is not their strong suit.
Value Grade: B-
For value, Rooms To Go gets a B-. The upfront price-to-style ratio is excellent, making the brand accessible to almost anyone. You get a lot of aesthetic bang for your buck. However, the grade is lowered by the poor long-term value, if a $600 sofa only lasts three years, its effective cost is the same as a much better-built $1,200 sofa that lasts six years or more.
Better Alternatives to Rooms To Go
If the limited durability of Rooms To Go is a concern, consider these alternatives that offer better construction and longer-term value for a similar style.
Article
Article offers mid-century modern and contemporary styles at a comparable price point ($700-$2,000 for sofas) but uses superior materials. Their pieces feature solid wood construction and high-density foam cushions, providing significantly better longevity and durability for the price.
Shop now at article.com
Joybird
While more expensive ($1,200-$3,000 for sofas), Joybird focuses on customizable furniture made with kiln-dried hardwood frames and premium fabrics. If you want a specific look with quality construction that’s built to last, it’s a worthy step up that offers much greater long-term value.
Shop now at joybird.com
IKEA
For a similar or even lower price, IKEA offers surprising durability in its higher-end lines (like the STOCKHOLM or HEMNES series). By focusing on these specific collections, you can get furniture made with solid wood and stronger materials, providing better value-per-dollar than most Rooms To Go items.
Shop now at ikea.com
West Elm
Sitting at a slightly higher price point, West Elm provides a noticeable jump in quality. They use more solid wood, better joinery, and sustainably sourced materials. For someone looking to move beyond "fast furniture," it represents a smart step up in both durability and design sophistication.
Shop now at westelm.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Rooms To Go furniture actually last?
For items that receive daily, heavy use like a main sofa or dining collection, expect to see noticeable wear such as sagging cushions or surface damage within 2-4 years. Furniture placed in low-traffic areas like a guest room can last significantly longer.
Is Rooms To Go better than Ashley Furniture?
Rooms To Go and Ashley Furniture are very similar and can be considered direct competitors. Both target the budget-conscious consumer with trendy styles made primarily from engineered wood. Quality and durability are comparable, so brand choice often comes down to specific styles and current promotions.
How is the delivery and assembly process?
Rooms To Go often offers free delivery on orders over a certain price threshold, which is a major advantage. However, reviews indicate that damage during transit occurs in about 10-15% of cases. Assembly can be challenging for some, and you'll have to pay extra for white glove service where they assemble it for you.
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