Klaussner is known for its mid-range, customizable furniture with a focus on American craftsmanship and durable quality, appealing to buyers looking for a long-term investment. In contrast, Ashley Furniture is a global giant that prioritizes affordability, accessibility, and a massive selection of trend-focused styles, making it a go-to for budget-conscious shoppers and first-time homeowners.
Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
Klaussner: The Customizable Craftsmanship Brand
Klaussner positions itself as a well-established American brand that balances traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. With over 50 years in the industry, it's a trusted source for buyers who value longevity and the ability to personalize their furniture. Their core appeal lies in producing comfortable, durable pieces that can be tailored to individual tastes through extensive fabric and finish options.
- Product mix: A wide range of furniture with a strong focus on upholstered pieces like sofas and sectionals, along with beds, dining sets, and accent furniture.
- Style/vibe: Versatile designs spanning traditional, transitional, and contemporary looks. The aesthetic leans toward timeless elegance rather than fleeting trends.
- Price point: Mid-range to slightly premium. Sofas typically start around $800 and can exceed $3,000 for high-end, customized sectionals.
- Quality: Emphasizes quality construction with high-quality hardwood frames and premium upholstery choices, designed for durability and long-term use.
- Customization: This is a major strength. Customers can select from a wide array of fabrics, leathers, finishes, and configurations to create pieces that fit their exact needs.
- Sales: Sold through a network of authorized furniture retailers, so sales and promotions vary by store.
- Return policy: Policies are determined by the authorized retailer where the furniture is purchased, so they can vary significantly.
- Delivery & Assembly: Arranged through local retailers, often including professional white-glove delivery options.
Klaussner is an ideal choice for homeowners wanting well-built, customizable furniture that will stand the test of time, and who are willing to invest a bit more for that quality.
Shop Klaussner: klaussner.com
Ashley Furniture: The Affordable & Accessible Option
As one of the world's largest furniture manufacturers, Ashley Furniture is a household name known for making stylish home decor accessible to everyone. The brand excels at offering a vast catalog of products for every room at very competitive prices. Its business model is built on volume, convenience, and keeping up with the latest interior design trends, which makes it incredibly popular with young families, renters, and anyone furnishing a space on a budget.
- Product mix: Extensive selection covering the entire home, including sofas, bedroom sets, mattresses, dining tables, outdoor furniture, home office, and decor.
- Style/vibe: Broad and trend-driven, offering everything from farmhouse and rustic to modern, glam, and traditional styles to a mass-market audience.
- Price point: Very affordable. Sofas generally start in the $400–$600 range, with most large pieces remaining under $1,500.
- Quality: Built for value, often using engineered woods, composite materials, and durable, easy-to-clean fabrics. The quality is a match for its price point but isn't intended to last for decades.
- Customization: Generally limited. Some pieces may offer a few color options, but deep customization of fabrics or finishes is not a feature.
- Sales: Extremely frequent. Ashley Furniture consistently runs promotions, holiday sales, and offers financing to make their products even more accessible.
- Return policy: Offers a straightforward return process for items purchased directly through their stores or website.
- Delivery & Assembly: A huge network provides various delivery options, from curbside drop-off to in-home assembly for an extra fee.
Ashley Furniture delivers on-trend styles at unbeatable prices, making it the perfect brand for anyone who needs functional, stylish furniture quickly and affordably.
Shop Ashley Furniture: ashleyfurniture.com
Klaussner vs. Ashley Furniture Comparison
Price Comparison
Ashley Furniture is the clear winner on price. It's one of the most budget-friendly furniture brands in the market, with sofas starting as low as $400. Their frequent sales provide additional value, making them an excellent choice for anyone prioritizing cost savings.
Klaussner operates in a mid-range to premium price bracket, with sofas typically starting around $800 and climbing past $3,000 with customization. This higher price reflects an investment in better materials, domestic manufacturing, and tailored options.
Style & Aesthetic
Ashley's collections are vast and trend-focused. They do an excellent job of capturing current looks - whether it's modern farmhouse, industrial, or mid-century modern - and making them accessible to a broad audience. Their catalog is constantly updated, so you can always find designs that feel fresh.
Klaussner's style is more classic and transitional. Their pieces are designed to be timeless rather than trendy, focusing on elegant silhouettes and refined details that won't feel dated in a few years. The ability to customize fabrics and finishes allows for greater personal expression within their established design language.
Quality & Construction
Klaussner generally offers superior build quality. They are known for using higher-quality materials like kiln-dried hardwood frames and premium cushioning, which contributes to greater comfort and longevity. This level of craftsmanship means their furniture is better suited to withstand years of heavy use.
Ashley Furniture focuses on providing value. To keep prices low, they often use engineered woods, composites, and more affordable fabrics. While their furniture is solidly constructed for its price category, it's not designed to be a lifetime investment and may show wear and tear sooner than more expensive brands.
Product Selection
With its massive scale, Ashley offers a wider overall selection of products for the entire home. You can furnish every single room - from the living room to the patio and home office - and buy decor and mattresses all in one place.
Klaussner is more specialized, with a strong emphasis on living room and bedroom furniture. While their catalog is smaller, they offer much deeper options within those categories, especially when it comes to customizing sofas, sectionals, and chairs.
Customization Options
This is where Klaussner has a significant advantage. Customization is a core part of their brand identity. Shoppers have extensive choices for upholstery, wood finishes, and modular configurations. This allows you to create a piece that perfectly matches your home's decor and spatial needs.
Conversely, customization is very limited at Ashley Furniture. What you see is generally what you get, with some items offering a handful of pre-selected colorways.
Shopping Experience
Ashley provides an incredibly convenient and accessible shopping experience through its huge network of brick-and-mortar stores, franchises, and a robust online platform. Financing options and frequent promotions make purchasing easy and straightforward.
Klaussner is sold primarily through authorized independent furniture retailers and showrooms. This results in a more personalized, service-oriented experience where you can get expert advice and see fabric swatches in person. However, it's less convenient than simply ordering from a website and lacks the widespread physical presence of Ashley.
Sustainability & Ethics
Both brands show a commitment to sustainable practices. They have initiatives for responsible wood sourcing and eco-friendly manufacturing, and many of their products hold certifications like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and GREENGUARD for low chemical emissions.
Klaussner’s focus on domestic handcrafted manufacturing may appeal slightly more to those prioritizing a smaller supply chain and American-made goods, but both companies are actively working to improve their environmental footprint.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice comes down to your personal budget, style, and how you prioritize longevity versus immediate affordability.
Choose Klaussner if:
- You want to invest in furniture that will last for many years.
- Customizing fabrics, finishes, and configurations is important to you.
- You prefer classic, timeless style over fast-fashion trends.
- Your budget is in the mid-range, and you value material quality and craftsmanship.
Choose Ashley Furniture if:
- You are decorating on a tight budget or furnishing your first home.
- You need stylish furniture quickly and want a simple shopping process.
- You enjoy following current design trends and might want to update your look in a few years.
- Convenience and finding everything for your home in one place is a priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Klaussner or Ashley Furniture cheaper?
Ashley Furniture is significantly cheaper than Klaussner. Ashley's business model is built around affordability and value, with sofas often starting under $500, whereas Klaussner is a mid-range brand with prices reflecting higher-quality materials and construction.
Which brand has better quality furniture?
Klaussner generally has better quality furniture. They are known for using more premium materials like solid hardwood frames and offering durable, high-performance fabrics, leading to longer-lasting pieces. Ashley's quality is good for its low price point but is not intended to last as long.
Is Ashley Furniture made of real wood?
Ashley Furniture often uses a mix of materials to keep costs down. This includes solid wood, veneers, and engineered wood (like MDF or particleboard). Higher-end pieces may feature more solid wood, while more affordable items heavily utilize engineered materials.
Does Klaussner offer more customization?
Yes, Klaussner offers far more customization. It's one of their main selling points. Customers can typically choose from hundreds of fabrics and leathers, various wood finishes, and different cushion and configuration options to create a truly personalized piece of furniture.
Where can I buy Klaussner furniture?
Klaussner furniture is sold through a national network of authorized independent furniture stores and showrooms. You can use the dealer locator on their website to find a retailer near you. Unlike Ashley, they do not operate their own branded national chain of stores.
Which brand is better for families with kids?
This depends on the family's priority. Klaussner's durable construction and performance fabric options make its furniture more resilient to wear and tear over the long run. However, Ashley's low prices can be very appealing for families who anticipate spills and damage and prefer not to invest heavily in furniture that might not survive childhood unscathed.
How often does Ashley Furniture have sales?
Very often. Ashley is known for running frequent sales and promotional events, especially around major holidays like President's Day, Memorial Day, and Black Friday. It's rare not to find some kind of discount or financing offer available.
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