King Hickory is an American manufacturer focused on high-quality, handcrafted upholstered furniture with a timeless, traditional aesthetic at a mid-to-high price point. In contrast, Ethan Allen offers a broader range of whole-home furnishings with a classic-yet-refined style, extensive customization options, a strong emphasis on sustainability, and a premium showroom experience.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
King Hickory: The American-Made Craftsmanship Choice
King Hickory is a well-regarded American furniture brand celebrated for its durable, handcrafted upholstered pieces. The brand’s identity is built on traditional craftsmanship and quality materials, appealing to shoppers who want timeless furniture that is built to last. Their collections are often characterized by classic silhouettes and exceptional comfort, making them a staple for cozy and elegant living spaces.
- Product mix: Specializes in high-quality upholstered furniture including sofas, sectionals, chairs, loveseats, and ottomans.
- Style/vibe: Traditional and transitional. Expect comfortable profiles, rolled arms, skirted bases, and detailed wood accents that suit classic home decor.
- Price point: Mid-to-high range. Sofas generally begin around $2,000, while larger or custom-upholstered pieces can cost $4,000 or more.
- Quality: A core selling point. Features solid, kiln-dried hardwood frames, high-density foam cushions, and meticulous hand-craftsmanship in their North Carolina facilities.
- Customization: Extensive options are available, allowing customers to choose from a wide variety of high-quality fabrics and leathers to create a personalized piece.
- Shopping Experience: Primarily sold through a network of authorized local dealers and showrooms. This allows customers to see and feel the furniture in person before buying.
- Delivery & Assembly: Varies by the individual dealer, but white-glove delivery is a common standard for furniture of this caliber.
- Sales: Less frequent direct sales from the brand itself, pricing and promotions are typically managed by individual retail partners.
King Hickory is an excellent option for buyers who prioritize American-made quality and durability in traditionally styled upholstered furniture.
Shop King Hickory: kinghickory.com
Ethan Allen: The Classic Design & Customization Showroom
Ethan Allen is a globally recognized furniture and home decor brand with a long history of providing quality craftsmanship and classic design. They offer a comprehensive selection of furnishings for the entire home, combining timeless aesthetics with extensive personalization. Ethan Allen is known for its curated showroom experience, offering complimentary design services to help customers create a cohesive and sophisticated space.
- Product mix: Full home furnishings, including living room furniture, dining sets, bedroom collections, home office pieces, lighting, rugs, and decor.
- Style/vibe: Rooted in traditional and transitional styles, but with a broader range that includes modern and eclectic accents. The overall aesthetic is refined, elegant, and versatile.
- Price point: Mid-to-high end. Sofas typically start around $2,000 but can easily exceed $5,000 depending on the frame, fabric, and customizations chosen.
- Quality: Uses high-quality materials including kiln-dried hardwood frames, high-resiliency foam cushions, and premium upholstery. Many pieces are manufactured in their own North American workshops.
- Customization: A hallmark of the brand. Ethan Allen offers a vast library of fabrics, leathers, wood finishes, and hardware options for most of its furniture.
- Shopping Experience: An omnichannel approach combines a strong network of showrooms with professional design consultants and a user-friendly website featuring virtual design tools.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers premium in-home delivery service, which typically includes assembly, inspection, and placement of furniture.
- Sustainability: Strong commitment to eco-friendly practices, including using FSC-certified wood and low-emission, GREENGUARD Gold certified products.
Ethan Allen appeals to homeowners looking for a guided shopping experience, deep customization, and sustainably-made furniture that balances classic style with modern sensibility.
Shop Ethan Allen: ethanallen.com
King Hickory vs. Ethan Allen Comparison
Price Comparison
Both King Hickory and Ethan Allen operate in the mid-to-high end of the market, with sofa starting prices beginning around $2,000. However, the upper limits differ. King Hickory tends to top out around the $4,000 mark for custom pieces, offering strong value for its handcrafted quality.
Ethan Allen's prices can climb significantly higher, often exceeding $5,000 for fully customized sofas with premium fabrics. This higher ceiling reflects their wide range of luxury textiles and extensive personalization. For shoppers on a tighter budget, Ethan Allen frequently runs seasonal sales and promotional events, whereas King Hickory's pricing is more stable and set by individual dealers.
Style & Aesthetic
King Hickory's aesthetic is firmly rooted in traditional and transitional designs that emphasize comfort and classic silhouettes. You'll find more rolled arms, skirted bases, and plush, inviting seating that lend a warm, timeless feel to a room. It’s an ideal choice for someone looking to create a cozy, classically American living space.
Ethan Allen also builds on a classic foundation but offers a wider stylistic vocabulary. Their collections feel more polished and refined, with cleaner lines and versatile designs that can adapt to both formal and casual interiors. While an Ethan Allen piece is timeless, it often has subtle contemporary influences that make it feel at home alongside more modern decor.
Quality & Construction
Both brands are renowned for their commitment to quality construction, and both utilize durable kiln-dried hardwood frames as the foundation for their upholstered furniture. The primary difference lies in the narrative around their manufacturing. King Hickory places a strong emphasis on its heritage of traditional, American hand-craftsmanship in North Carolina.
Ethan Allen emphasizes precision and consistency within its own North American factories. They focus on high-quality components like high-resiliency foam and certified materials. In essence, King Hickory is about the art of the craft, while Ethan Allen is about the science of high-quality, scalable production. Both result in long-lasting, durable furniture.
Product Selection
This is a major point of difference between the two brands. King Hickory is a specialist, focusing almost exclusively on producing exceptional upholstered seating like sofas, sectionals, and chairs. Their expertise is deep but narrow.
Ethan Allen is a comprehensive home furnishing brand. Beyond seating, they offer everything you need to furnish a home, from dining tables and beds to lighting, rugs, and window treatments. This makes them a one-stop shop for anyone looking to create a fully coordinated interior.
Shopping Experience
The experience of buying from each brand is distinctly different. Buying from King Hickory is a tactile, in-person process. You'll work with a local dealer, allowing you to sit on the furniture, feel the fabric samples, and benefit from the expertise of a local retailer. Online purchasing options are limited.
Ethan Allen offers a much more curated, full-service experience. Their showrooms are staffed with design consultants who provide free guidance, and their website is a robust sales and planning channel with visualization tools. This omnichannel approach caters to shoppers who want expert help as well as the convenience of browsing and buying online.
Sustainability & Ethics
Ethan Allen has a clear advantage in this area. The company has made public commitments to sustainability, with transparent policies around responsible wood sourcing, using eco-friendly finishes, and achieving certifications like GREENGUARD Gold for low chemical emissions. They operate with an explicit focus on environmental stewardship in their manufacturing plants.
King Hickory's sustainability proposition is centered on the idea of longevity - by making durable, high-quality furniture that lasts for decades, they reduce waste. However, they provide less detailed public information about their material sourcing and specific environmental certifications.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both of these brands offer excellent furniture, but they cater to different shoppers with distinct priorities.
Choose King Hickory if:
- You prioritize traditional, American-made craftsmanship and high-quality construction.
- You prefer a classic, comfortable, and cozy aesthetic for your living spaces.
- You want to see, touch, and test out furniture in person at a local showroom before buying.
- You are looking specifically for upholstered seating and want to buy from a specialist.
Choose Ethan Allen if:
- You are furnishing an entire room or home and want a cohesive look from one brand.
- You desire extensive customization options for fabrics, finishes, and configurations.
- A premium, guided shopping experience with professional design services is important to you.
- Sustainability and certified eco-friendly materials are a major factor in your decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is King Hickory or Ethan Allen cheaper?
Their starting prices for a sofa are comparable, typically beginning around $2,000. However, Ethan Allen's prices for fully customized or premium-fabric pieces can be significantly higher than King Hickory's top-end prices.
Which furniture brand has better quality?
Both brands are known for exceptional quality. The difference is philosophical: King Hickory emphasizes traditional American hand-craftsmanship, while Ethan Allen focuses on precision manufacturing with high-quality, often eco-certified materials. You can't go wrong with either in terms of durability.
Is King Hickory furniture made in the USA?
Yes, King Hickory prides itself on its American manufacturing. Their furniture is handcrafted in Hickory, North Carolina, a historic center for American furniture production.
Does Ethan Allen offer design services?
Yes, this is a core part of their service. Ethan Allen offers complimentary design services with professional designers in their showrooms and online to help customers with space planning, furniture selection, and creating a cohesive design.
Are these brands good for families?
Absolutely. Both brands build their furniture on durable, kiln-dried hardwood frames that are meant to last. They also offer a wide selection of performance fabrics designed to resist stains and withstand heavy use, making them excellent choices for busy households.
Where can I buy King Hickory furniture?
King Hickory furniture is sold exclusively through a network of authorized showrooms and independent furniture dealers across the United States. You can use the dealer locator on their website to find a retailer near you.
Which brand is more sustainable?
Ethan Allen has a more public and robust sustainability program. They are transparent about their vertical integration, responsible sourcing of materials, and certifications for low chemical emissions (GREENGUARD Gold), making them the clearer choice for eco-conscious shoppers.
How often does Ethan Allen have sales?
Ethan Allen holds sales several times a year, often aligning with major holidays like Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, and Black Friday. They also offer financing opportunities and have a loyalty program.
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