Joybird is known for its highly customizable, mid-century modern furniture, offering extensive fabric and color options for a personalized, vintage-inspired look. In contrast, Poly and Bark focuses on a more modern minimalist and Scandinavian aesthetic at a more accessible price point, delivering sleek, stylish pieces that are durable and eco-friendly.
Let's compare these two popular furniture brands to help you decide which is the right fit for your home.
Joybird: The Customizable Mid-Century Modern Choice
Joybird has established itself as a go-to direct-to-consumer brand for those who love mid-century modern design and want the ability to personalize their furniture. They cater to shoppers who want to create a unique statement piece, offering an impressive array of fabric and finish options that go far beyond standard selections.
- Product mix: A full range of home furniture, including sofas, sectionals, beds, dining sets, accent chairs, and home decor like rugs and lighting.
- Style/vibe: Primarily mid-century modern with vintage inspiration. Expect clean lines, tapered legs, tufted details, and bold, expressive colors.
- Price point: Mid-range. Sofas generally run from $1,200 to $3,500, with sectionals going higher depending on the size and fabric choices.
- Quality: Known for durable construction, featuring kiln-dried hardwood frames and high-quality upholstery, including performance fabrics designed to resist stains and wear.
- Customization: This is Joybird's biggest strength. Customers can choose from dozens of fabrics (velvet, leather, performance weave) and colors, allowing for a truly bespoke piece.
- Sustainability: The company focuses on responsible sourcing, sustainable manufacturing processes, and holds GREENGUARD certifications for many of its products.
- Delivery & Assembly: White-glove delivery service is available, which includes room-of-choice placement, assembly, and packaging removal.
- Return policy: Joybird offers a generous return policy, allowing customers to return items within a specific window if they're not satisfied, though some custom-order restrictions may apply.
Joybird is ideal for the design-conscious consumer who wants to invest in a unique, high-quality piece that perfectly matches their personal style.
Shop Joybird: joybird.com
Poly and Bark: The Sleek & Affordable Modern Brand
Poly and Bark offers stylish, well-made contemporary furniture with an emphasis on affordability and sustainability. Their collection is perfect for those who appreciate modern, minimalist design and want durable, functional pieces without a steep price tag. The brand’s aesthetic feels clean, fresh, and versatile.
- Product mix: Offers a wide variety of sofas, sectionals, beds, dining tables, chairs, bar stools, and accessories.
- Style/vibe: Modern minimalist with strong Scandinavian influences. Their look is defined by clean lines, neutral color palettes, functional shapes, and understated elegance.
- Price point: Affordable to mid-range. Sofas typically start around $1,000 and most flagship pieces stay under $2,500.
- Quality: Solid construction with materials like FSC-certified wood frames, durable fabrics, and non-toxic finishes, focusing on delivering long-lasting value.
- Customization: While not as extensive as Joybird, Poly and Bark offers multiple fabric and finish options for most pieces, just in a more streamlined selection.
- Sustainability: Strongly committed to eco-friendly practices, using FSC-certified woods, recycled fabrics, and ensuring ethical manufacturing processes.
- Delivery & Assembly: Most orders include free shipping, with options to upgrade to white-glove delivery and assembly service for larger items.
- Return policy: They have a customer-friendly return policy, making it easier for shoppers to buy online with confidence.
Poly and Bark delivers exceptional style and sustainable quality for its price point, making modern design accessible to a broader audience.
Shop Poly and Bark: polyandbark.com
Joybird vs. Poly & Bark Comparison
Price Comparison
There is a clear difference in price between the two brands. Poly and Bark is the more budget-friendly option, with sofas often starting under $1,000 and sectionals rarely exceeding $2,500. This makes them a strong contender for first-time homeowners, renters, and anyone looking for stylish furniture without a major investment.
Joybird positions itself in the mid-range market, with prices reflecting its extensive customization, premium fabric options, and bespoke manufacturing. A basic sofa starts around $1,200 and can easily climb to over $3,500. While more expensive, the cost covers the ability to create a one-of-a-kind piece tailored to your home.
Style & Aesthetic
Style is the most significant differentiator. Joybird is unapologetically rooted in mid-century modern design. Its collections feature the vintage-inspired silhouettes, tapered legs, and expressive colors characteristic of the era. If you're specifically seeking that Atomic Age or Don Draper vibe, Joybird is your brand.
Poly and Bark's aesthetic is much more contemporary. It aligns with modern minimalism and Scandinavian design - think clean lines, neutral and earthy tones, and a focus on form and function. Their furniture is highly versatile and fits seamlessly into a wide range of modern home styles without overpowering the space.
Quality & Construction
Both brands deliver quality construction relative to their price points. Joybird uses premium materials like kiln-dried hardwood for its frames, which provides excellent durability and longevity. Their extensive range of performance fabrics is also a major plus for households with pets or children.
Poly and Bark also focuses on creating durable furniture, using solid, FSC-certified wood and reliable fabrics. While their material options may not be as luxuriously varied as Joybird’s, their pieces are built to withstand daily use, offering fantastic value and sturdiness for the cost.
Customization Options
Joybird is the undisputed winner in customization. With dozens of fabric types - from velvet to boucle to leather - and an expansive color palette, you can personalize almost every detail of your furniture. This is perfect for designers or homeowners with a very specific vision for their room.
Poly and Bark provides a more curated selection of choices. They offer a handful of popular, versatile fabric and color options for their main pieces. This simplifies the decision-making process and often means quicker shipping times, as items are less likely to be made from scratch.
Shopping Experience
The online shopping experience for both brands is excellent. Joybird’s website is highly interactive, allowing you to visualize your custom piece with different fabrics and providing free swatches to help you decide. They also offer design services to assist with making choices.
Poly and Bark’s site is clean, straightforward, and easy to navigate. The product pages clearly outline the available options without overwhelming the user. They focus on providing detailed information and a quick, transparent checkout process. Both brands are praised for responsive customer service.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands place a high priority on sustainability, which is a major advantage over many traditional furniture retailers. They both utilize materials like FSC-certified wood, which ensures responsible forest management, and work to minimize their environmental footprint.
Joybird highlights its made-in-the-USA approach and eco-friendly manufacturing credentials like its GREENGUARD certification. Poly and Bark is equally transparent about its commitment to recyclable materials and non-toxic finishes. For the eco-conscious shopper, both are excellent choices.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both brands offer great products, but they cater to different shoppers and design preferences.
Choose Joybird if:
- You are specifically looking for mid-century modern style furniture.
- Customization is a top priority, and you want to choose from dozens of fabrics and colors.
- You want to create a bold, unique statement piece for your home.
- You have a slightly larger budget and view furniture as a long-term investment.
Choose Poly and Bark if:
- You prefer a modern minimalist or Scandinavian aesthetic with clean lines.
- You are looking for the best combination of style, quality, and affordability.
- You want versatile, durable pieces in neutral colors that can adapt to evolving decor.
- You appreciate a simpler shopping process with curated options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joybird or Poly and Bark cheaper?
Poly and Bark is generally cheaper. Its furniture is priced in the affordable-to-mid-range category, focusing on providing great value. Joybird is a mid-range brand, with prices reflecting its extensive customization, premium materials, and bespoke manufacturing.
Which has better quality furniture?
Both brands offer good quality for their price points. Joybird leans toward more premium construction with kiln-dried hardwood frames and high-end upholstery options. Poly and Bark focuses on durable, practical construction using FSC-certified wood, delivering excellent longevity and sturdiness for its cost.
What is the style difference between Joybird and Poly and Bark?
Joybird's style is quintessentially mid-century modern, featuring vintage-inspired silhouettes, tapered legs, and bold colors. Poly and Bark's style is modern minimalist with a Scandinavian influence, defined by clean lines, neutral tones, and functional simplicity.
Which brand is more sustainable?
Both brands have strong sustainability commitments. Both use FSC-certified wood and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Your choice might depend on which specific certifications you value most, as Joybird advertises GREENGUARD Gold certification while Poly and Bark highlights recycled materials and transparency.
Which is better for small spaces?
Both brands offer apartment-friendly furniture. Poly and Bark's clean, minimalist designs often have a smaller visual weight and fit well in compact rooms. Joybird also offers loveseats and smaller-scale sofas, and its customization options allow you to tailor pieces for unique layouts.
Can you return furniture to both stores?
Yes, both companies have return policies that allow you to send back items you are not satisfied with, typically within a 30-day window. However, custom-made items from Joybird may have special restrictions, so it is important to check the terms before purchasing.
How long does delivery take for each brand?
Delivery times vary. Since many of Joybird's items are custom-made, lead times can be several weeks to months. Poly and Bark often keeps more inventory in stock, so their delivery times can be shorter. Both offer detailed tracking and a choice of delivery services.
Does either brand have physical stores?
Joybird has a few showrooms in major cities where you can view furniture in person. Poly and Bark primarily operates as an online-only retailer, which helps keep a large portion of their business's pricing competitive.
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