The answer is: it depends. For shoppers who want affordable home decor featuring unique, artist-driven designs, Society6 is a great choice. The platform excels at providing a massive variety of vibrant, trend-forward art on everything from posters to throw pillows.
However, if you're looking for heirloom-quality pieces built for long-term durability, you may be disappointed. Society6 operates on a print-on-demand model, which means quality is generally mid-tier and can be inconsistent. Here's a detailed breakdown of what to expect.
How Is Society6's Quality?
Society6 quality is best described as acceptable for decorative purposes but lacking in premium materials and construction. Due to its print-on-demand model with various third-party producers, consistency can be a major issue. Here's the reality:
- Materials: Products are made with budget-conscious materials. Wall art is printed on standard paper or polyester-blend canvas. Textiles like tapestries and rugs use digitally printed polyester, which feels less substantial than natural fibers. Frames are typically lightweight wood or plastic, not robust hardwood.
- Printing Quality: This is Society6's main strength. Most customers agree that the color reproduction is vibrant, sharp, and true to the artist's original design, especially on canvas and metal prints. However, the inks are not always archival quality and can be prone to fading over time with sun exposure.
- Textile Durability: Soft goods like throw pillows, rugs, and tapestries look great initially but don't hold up well to heavy use. The polyester fabrics are susceptible to pilling, fraying, and fading after just a few washes or in high-traffic areas.
- Common Complaints: Customer reviews frequently mention inconsistent quality from one order to the next. The most common issues are prints arriving with minor damage, fast color fading on paper goods, and textile products showing wear and pilling within 1-2 years.
Is Society6 Good Value for the Price?
Society6 offers great value if you prioritize design and affordability over longevity. You are paying for access to an incredible library of independent art, not for high-end craftsmanship.
Price Positioning
Society6 is competitively priced in the print-on-demand market. Posters typically run $30-$60, unframed canvas prints cost $70-$200, and tapestries are often in the $40-$80 range. This is comparable to sites like Redbubble but significantly cheaper than premium art marketplaces like Minted or Saatchi Art, where prints of a similar size can cost two to three times as much.
What You're Paying For
The core value of Society6 is artistic variety and customization. You are paying for the artist's design and the ability to have it printed on an array of different products. It's a fantastic way to support independent artists and decorate your space with unique pieces without breaking the bank. The cost reflects the design more than the physical quality of the item.
Where You Get Good Value
- Unframed Posters & Art Prints: For decorating a dorm room, rental, or creating a gallery wall on a budget, their prints offer excellent bang for your buck.
- Tapestries: An incredibly affordable way to cover a large, blank wall with a statement piece of art.
- Accessories (Totes, Mugs, Phone Cases): These smaller items are a low-risk way to incorporate unique art into your daily life.
Where You Don't Get Good Value
- Rugs: The polyester material and printed designs are not durable enough for high-traffic areas and tend to show wear, fading, and pilling quickly.
- Framed Prints: The additional cost for framing often isn't worth it, as the frames themselves are lightweight and can feel cheap. You're often better off buying the print and sourcing a higher-quality frame elsewhere.
- Anything Requiring Heavy Use: Avoid relying on Society6 for items that need to withstand daily wear and tear, like bedding or bath towels, as they won't last as long as products from dedicated home goods brands.
Society6 Quality by Category
Because Society6 offers such a wide variety of products, quality differs significantly from one category to another.
Wall Art (Posters, Canvas & Metal Prints)
Print quality is generally very good, with sharp details and vibrant colors. However, longevity is a concern. Paper posters can fade or crease within a year if exposed to direct sunlight, while canvas prints (made of a poly-blend) hold up better but aren't archival quality. Verdict: Great for affordable, decorative art but not for investment pieces.
Textiles (Tapestries, Rugs & Throw Pillows)
These are all digitally printed on polyester materials. While soft enough for decorative use, they are not designed for durability. Rugs will pill in high-traffic areas, and throw pillow covers can fade after washing. Verdict: A solid choice for low-impact decor, like a wall tapestry or accent pillows on a guest bed.
Apparel & Accessories
Similar to fast-fashion quality. The value is in the unique printed design, not the construction of the t-shirt, tote bag, or phone case itself. Expect standard-grade materials that will show wear at a normal rate. Verdict: A fun way to "wear" art, but don't expect premium clothing quality.
Our Verdict: Is Society6 Worth It?
Society6 is worth it for shoppers on a budget who prioritize unique artistic designs over lasting quality. It's an unbeatable resource for discovering independent artists and finding trendy, personalized decor. Just be realistic about longevity - these are not heirloom pieces and will likely need to be replaced after a few years of use.
Quality Grade: C+
Society6 earns a C+ because its core offering - vibrant art printing - is quite good. However, this is brought down by inconsistent production quality, the use of budget-friendly materials like polyester, and a lack of durability in high-use product categories. Products look great out of the box but often don't stand the test of time, with common complaints of fading, pilling, and flimsy hardware.
Value Grade: B
The value proposition gets a B. For the price, you get access to millions of one-of-a-kind designs that would be impossible to find elsewhere. It allows you to support artists and fill your home with creativity affordably. The value dips slightly because the products may not last long, but for decorative, low-intensity use, the price-to-design ratio is excellent.
Better Alternatives to Society6
If consistent quality and better durability are top priorities, these other platforms offer a step up in materials and craftsmanship, usually at a higher price point.
Minted
Minted focuses on premium art prints from a curated community of independent artists, using archival inks and high-quality papers. They offer museum-grade framing options, making them a better choice for art you want to last for a decade or more.
Shop now at minted.com
Art.com
A well-established retailer offering a huge catalog of art reproductions with robust customization and framing services. Their prints often use UV-protected inks to resist fading, providing better longevity than standard print-on-demand services.
Shop now at art.com
Saatchi Art
For those looking to invest in original art or high-end limited edition prints, Saatchi Art is a leading online gallery. The quality is on a completely different level, with prices to match, making it ideal for finding a true centerpiece for your home.
Shop now at saatchiart.com
Great Big Canvas
Specializing in large-scale canvas prints, this site uses premium materials like museum-grade inks and sturdy, warp-resistant frames. If you want a statement canvas piece that is built to last, they offer a significant quality upgrade from Society6.
Shop now at greatbigcanvas.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Society6 prints last?
Durability depends on the product and exposure to sunlight. Canvas prints kept away from direct sun can look vibrant for 1-3 years. Paper posters are more fragile and may show noticeable fading in as little as 6-12 months in a sunny room.
Are Society6 rugs good quality?
Society6 rugs are best used for decorative purposes in low-traffic areas. They are made of printed polyester, which is susceptible to pilling, fading, and showing wear quickly in hallways or main living spaces. They are not comparable in quality to woven wool or cotton rugs.
Is Society6 better than Redbubble?
Society6 and Redbubble are very similar platforms. Both are print-on-demand marketplaces with comparable mid-tier quality and pricing. The main difference is the pool of artists on each site, so your choice will likely come down to which platform has the specific designs and aesthetics you prefer.
Does Society6 have frequent sales?
Yes, Society6 runs promotions and sales very frequently, especially around holidays. It's almost always a good idea to wait for a 20-40% off sale, which happens multiple times a year, to get the best possible price on your order.
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