Joybird is a direct-to-consumer brand specializing in customizable, mid-century modern furniture with bold colors and retro designs. In contrast, Crate & Barrel is an established home retailer offering a broader range of timeless and transitional styles, famous for quality craftsmanship and in-store showrooms. Joybird’s key appeal is its extensive personalization options, whereas Crate & Barrel stands out for its versatile, high-quality collections and comprehensive product range that includes kitchenware and home decor.
Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
Joybird: The Customizable Mid-Century Modern Brand
Joybird has made a name for itself by offering unique, made-to-order furniture inspired by sleek, mid-century modern aesthetics. The brand targets design-conscious shoppers who want to create standout pieces by choosing from a huge library of fabrics, colors, and configurations. It's a go-to for anyone looking to add a pop of personality to their space with furniture that feels tailored to their personal style.
- Product mix: Primarily design-forward furniture, including sofas, sectionals, accent chairs, beds, dining sets, and storage. The focus is on statement pieces for the living room, bedroom, and dining room.
- Style/vibe: Decidedly mid-century modern and retro. Expect tapered legs, clean lines, organic curves, and a wide selection of vibrant, bold fabric colors alongside classic neutrals.
- Price point: Mid-range to premium. Custom sofas generally start around $1,200, with prices increasing based on fabric and configuration choices. Dining chairs often begin at $300.
- Quality: Construction features kiln-dried hardwood frames, engineered woods, and high-density foam cushions. Many performance fabrics are available that are designed to resist stains and wear.
- Customization: This is Joybird's main strength. Shoppers can customize most upholstered pieces with dozens of fabric types and colors, and often select leg finishes and configurations.
- Sustainability: The company is committed to eco-friendly practices, using responsibly sourced woods and manufacturing processes designed to reduce its environmental impact.
- Shopping Experience: Primarily sold online through its highly interactive website, which includes customization tools. Joybird also operates a handful of physical showrooms in select major cities.
Joybird is ideal for shoppers who want a one-of-a-kind piece and value being able to put their own stylistic stamp on their furniture.
Shop Joybird: joybird.com
Crate & Barrel: The Timeless Modern Home Retailer
Crate & Barrel is a household name in home furnishings, known for its high-quality, sophisticated, and durable products. Its collections lean modern and transitional, offering timeless designs that are versatile enough to fit into a wide variety of home styles. With a massive physical retail footprint, it also provides a tangible shopping experience where customers can see and feel products before buying.
- Product mix: A comprehensive home outfitter offering everything from sofas, dining tables, and beds to kitchenware, dinnerware, lighting, rugs, and decor. It's a one-stop-shop for furnishing a home.
- Style/vibe: Modern, transitional, and classic. The aesthetic is clean, sophisticated, and polished, featuring neutral palettes and high-quality materials that don't bow to fleeting trends.
- Price point: Mid-to-upscale. Sofas typically begin around $1,000 but can easily exceed $3,000 for larger or more premium models. Dining tables and bedroom furniture range from $500 to $3,000+.
- Quality: Known for excellent craftsmanship. Pieces often feature solid wood construction (like oak and walnut), durable finishes, and reinforced frames with details like dovetail joints.
- Sustainability: Crate & Barrel maintains an emphasis on responsible sourcing and holds certifications such as FSC and GREENGUARD for many of its products, indicating low chemical emissions.
- Return policy: Considered generous, especially for non-furniture items. Custom upholstery often follows a more restrictive policy.
- Shopping Experience: A powerful omnichannel retailer with a sophisticated website and dozens of large-format physical showrooms across the country.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers full service, from standard shipping to white-glove delivery that includes in-home placement and assembly.
Crate & Barrel is perfect for homeowners who want to invest in high-quality, lasting furniture and decor with a timeless and elegant appeal.
Shop Crate & Barrel: crateandbarrel.com
Joybird vs. Crate & Barrel Comparison
Price Comparison
On the surface, Joybird and Crate & Barrel operate in a similar mid-range to premium price bracket. A sofa from Crate & Barrel may start around $1,000, while a Joybird sofa often begins closer to $1,200. However, the true cost depends on what you value.
Joybird's pricing is heavily influenced by customization. Choosing a premium velvet or performance fabric can add several hundred dollars to the final price. Crate & Barrel’s prices tend to rise with material quality and scale, with their solid wood pieces or Italian-made upholstery commanding higher figures. Crate & Barrel also runs frequent sales and promotional events, which can offer significant savings on its ready-to-ship items.
Style & Aesthetic
The stylistic difference is the most immediate point of contrast. Joybird is distinctly tied to the mid-century modern movement, making it the clear choice for anyone looking for that specific retro, "Mad Men" vibe. Its bold color options and unique silhouettes are designed to be focal points.
Crate & Barrel offers a more versatile, foundational style. Its modern and transitional pieces feature clean lines and neutral tones that can blend into a city apartment, a suburban home, or a traditional setting. While beautiful and well-designed, its furniture is often intended to create a calm, cohesive backdrop rather than steal the spotlight.
Quality & Materials
Both brands prioritize quality, but they showcase it in different ways. Joybird focuses on solid, customizable frames using kiln-dried hardwood and offers a wide array of fabrics, including durable performance options that are great for busy households.
Crate & Barrel has built its reputation on superior craftsmanship and materials. It's common to find pieces made from solid American walnut or white oak, with traditional joinery and high-end finishes. Their attention to detail in construction often means their pieces are viewed as long-term investments built for durability.
Customization Options
Joybird is the undisputed winner in this category. Customization is the core of its business model. Nearly every upholstered item can be personalized - from the fabric and color to the leg finish. This allows you to create a piece of furniture that is truly your own and perfectly matches your vision.
Crate & Barrel offers some customization for its upholstered furniture, allowing customers to choose from a selection of fabrics for certain sofas and chair collections. However, the options are more limited compared to Joybird, and the brand's primary focus is on its curated, ready-to-ship collections.
Shopping Experience
Your preferred way to shop will strongly influence your brand choice. Joybird is primarily a digital-native brand with a fantastic website that makes customizing and visualizing furniture easy. It has a few physical showrooms, but the experience is designed to be seamless online.
Crate & Barrel offers a true omnichannel experience. You can browse and buy online, but crucially, you can also visit one of its many large showrooms to sit on sofas, open dresser drawers, and see dining tables in person. This "try before you buy" aspect is a major benefit for many shoppers making significant furniture purchases.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable practices, making this comparison a near-tie. Joybird emphasizes its use of responsibly sourced materials and eco-friendly manufacturing. Similarly, Crate & Barrel highlights its use of reclaimed and FSC-certified woods and GREENGUARD Gold certifications, which ensure products contribute to cleaner indoor air. Shoppers dedicated to sustainability can feel good about purchasing from either brand.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends entirely on your design priorities, shopping style, and what you need for your home.
Choose Joybird if:
- You're specifically looking for a mid-century modern or retro aesthetic.
- You want to fully customize your furniture's fabric, color, and finish to create a unique piece.
- You want a bold statement sofa or chair that will be the centerpiece of the room.
- You are comfortable making a large purchase online without seeing the item in person first.
Choose Crate & Barrel if:
- You prefer timeless, versatile modern designs that can adapt to evolving styles.
- You prioritize premium materials like solid wood and expert craftsmanship.
- You want the ability to see, touch, and test out furniture in a physical showroom before buying.
- You are furnishing your entire home and want to shop for furniture, kitchenware, and decor all in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joybird or Crate & Barrel more expensive?
Their starting prices are similar, but Crate & Barrel's premium collections and solid wood pieces can reach a higher price point. Joybird's final cost is highly dependent on your customization choices, as higher-grade fabrics will increase the price significantly from its base models.
Which furniture is better quality?
Both brands offer high-quality furniture, but they excel in different areas. Crate & Barrel is renowned for its durability, use of premium materials like solid hardwood, and classic construction techniques. Joybird offers solid, well-built custom furniture with reliable frames and a strong focus on trendy and performance fabrics.
Does Joybird have physical stores?
Joybird has a limited number of physical showroom locations in major cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. However, it is primarily an online brand, whereas Crate & Barrel has an extensive network of large retail stores across North America.
Which brand is better for mid-century modern design?
Joybird is the clear winner for mid-century modern style. Its entire brand aesthetic is built around this design movement, offering iconic silhouettes, tapered legs, and a rich palette of retro-inspired colors.
Can you customize furniture at Crate & Barrel?
Yes, Crate & Barrel offers customization on many of its upholstered pieces, such as sofas, sectionals, and chairs. However, the range of fabric options is more curated and less extensive than a brand like Joybird, which makes hyper-personalization its main selling point.
Which brand is better for families with kids or pets?
Both brands are strong contenders. Joybird offers a huge range of durable, stain-resistant performance fabrics perfect for handling spills and wear. Crate & Barrel focuses on robust, sturdy construction designed to last for years, with many items available in durable fabrics and finishes.
Is Crate & Barrel just a furniture store?
No, Crate & Barrel is a comprehensive home goods retailer. While furniture is a major category, they are equally famous for their extensive selection of kitchenware, dinnerware, glassware, lighting, textiles, bath accessories, and seasonal decor.
Which company is more sustainable?
Both are leaders in sustainability. Joybird focuses on eco-friendly manufacturing and responsibly sourced materials, while Crate & Barrel uses FSC-certified and reclaimed woods and holds environmental certifications like GREENGUARD. You can make an eco-conscious choice at either retailer.
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