La-Z-Boy is known for its high-quality, ultra-comfortable recliners and sofas that prioritize durability and extensive customization options. In contrast, Ashley Furniture operates as one of the world's largest furniture retailers, offering a massive selection of trendy, budget-friendly furniture for every room of the home. Ashley wins on price and variety, while La-Z-Boy focuses on creating long-lasting, comfort-engineered seating.
Let's compare everything you need to know to choose the right furniture brand for your home.
La-Z-Boy: The Comfort and Durability Specialist
La-Z-Boy has built its name on crafting some of the most comfortable and durable seating available. It's a go-to brand for consumers who see furniture as a long-term investment in comfort and quality. Famous for their iconic recliners, La-Z-Boy extends its commitment to ergonomic design and high-grade materials across its entire line of sofas, sectionals, and chairs, targeting shoppers who are willing to pay a bit more for superior craftsmanship and longevity.
- Product mix: Primary focus is on upholstered seating like recliners, sofas, sectionals, lift chairs, and ottomans. Also offers some case goods like coffee tables and other living room furniture.
- Style/vibe: Designs lean towards classic, traditional, and transitional aesthetics. The overarching theme is plush, inviting comfort with features like rolled arms and deep cushions.
- Price point: Mid-range to premium. Recliners typically cost between $1,000–$2,500 depending on features and materials, while sofas start around $699 and can go well over $2,500 for custom pieces.
- Quality: Known for superior construction using kiln-dried hardwood frames, high-density foam, and premium fabrics and top-grain leathers. Renowned for durability and backed by strong warranties.
- Customization: A key strength. Offers hundreds of fabric and leather upholstery options, choices for wood finishes, and upgrades like power reclining, lumbar support, and headrest adjustments.
- Warranty: Famous for its lifetime warranty on key components like reclining mechanisms and frames, which signals confidence in its product's longevity.
- Delivery & Assembly: Most furniture is delivered fully assembled via residential delivery services, often with options for in-home setup. Custom orders have longer lead times.
Ultimately, La-Z-Boy is for the buyer who prioritizes exceptional comfort and is willing to invest in a piece of furniture that will last for a decade or more.
Shop La-Z-Boy: lazyboy.com
Ashley Furniture: The Affordable Style Authority
Ashley Furniture, also known as Ashley HomeStore, is a massive player in the furniture industry, focusing on providing a vast selection of on-trend pieces at highly competitive prices. It's a one-stop shop for furnishing an entire home on a budget, offering everything from living room sets and bedroom furniture to dining tables and home decor. The brand's target customers are budget-conscious shoppers, first-time homebuyers, and anyone looking for stylish, functional furniture without a significant financial commitment.
- Product mix: Extremely broad, covering every room of the house. This includes sofas, beds, dressers, dining sets, outdoor furniture, mattresses, rugs, and decor accessories.
- Style/vibe: Highly diverse and trend-focused. Collections span rustic farmhouse, sleek modern, industrial, and traditional styles to cater to a wide range of tastes.
- Price point: Affordable to mid-range. Sofas often cost between $399–$1,200, and full living room sets can be found for under $2,000, especially during one of their frequent sales.
- Quality: Built to a price point. Construction typically involves engineered woods, particleboard, and veneers with polyester or faux leather upholstery to keep costs accessible. Durability is adequate for the price but not intended as "forever" furniture.
- Product Selection: One of its biggest advantages. The enormous catalog provides thousands of options, making it easy to find pieces that fit specific sizes, styles, and budgets.
- Sales: Known for frequent and significant sales events, including holiday promotions and bundle deals that offer substantial savings.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers a variety of shipping options and has a large retail footprint for in-store pickup. Assembly is often required for case goods, with options for professional assembly at an additional cost.
Ashley Furniture is the perfect choice for shoppers who need stylish, functional furniture quickly and affordably, prioritizing a wide selection and current trends over lifetime durability.
Shop Ashley Furniture: ashleyfurniture.com
La-Z-Boy vs. Ashley Furniture Comparison
Price Comparison
There's a clear difference here. Ashley Furniture is the distinct winner on affordability. You can often furnish an entire living room at Ashley for the price of a single high-end La-Z-Boy sofa. An Ashley sofa might run you $500, while a comparably sized La-Z-Boy sofa starts closer to $1,000 and increases with customization.
However, the value proposition differs. A purchase from La-Z-Boy is an investment in long-term durability and comfort, backed by a strong warranty. Ashley provides incredible upfront value, allowing you to furnish a space stylishly for less money, but you may need to replace pieces sooner.
Style & Aesthetic
Ashley is more attuned to fast-fashion trends in home decor. Their collections are expansive, covering everything from modern farmhouse to glam and industrial, making it easy to find a piece that fits a very specific, current look. La-Z-Boy’s aesthetic is more timeless and comfort-driven. Their styles are primarily classic, traditional, and transitional, with plush silhouettes that prioritize a cozy, inviting feel over cutting-edge design.
If you're after a specific look you've seen on social media, Ashley is more likely to have an affordable version. If you want a comfortable, classic piece that won't look dated in a few years, La-Z-Boy is a safer bet.
Quality & Construction
La-Z-Boy built its reputation on quality. The brand uses superior materials like kiln-dried hardwood for frames and high-density foam for cushions. Their industry-leading reclining mechanisms are famously robust, and the brand backs this up with powerful lifetime warranties. This level of construction means their furniture holds its shape and support for many years.
Ashley Furniture uses more budget-friendly materials to maintain its low prices. Frames are often made of engineered wood and particleboard, and cushions use standard-density foam. While perfectly serviceable for everyday use, these materials are less resilient than those used by La-Z-Boy and may show wear more quickly over time.
Customization Options
La-Z-Boy is the clear champion of customization. Most of their seating can be ordered in hundreds of different fabrics and leathers. You can also add features like power recline, adjustable lumbar and headrest support, heated seats, and more. This allows you to create a piece of furniture that's perfectly tailored to your comfort needs and style preferences.
Ashley Furniture offers minimal customization. Generally, a product is available in one or occasionally two or three colors. What you see on the showroom floor or website is what's available, which facilitates their model of fast production and delivery.
Shopping Experience
Visiting a La-Z-Boy showroom is often a consultative experience. Staff are knowledgeable about the product features, and shoppers are encouraged to sit and test out different recline positions and comfort options. The smaller showroom environment focuses on personalized service.
An Ashley Furniture HomeStore is a large-format retail experience. It's designed for browsing a vast selection of complete room settings. The focus is more on volume, style, and sale prices, offering a convenient one-stop shop for a wide variety of household needs.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both of these furniture giants are popular for a reason, but they serve very different customers and priorities.
Choose La-Z-Boy if:
- Comfort is your absolute top priority and you're looking for best-in-class recliners.
- You view furniture as a long-term investment and want pieces that will last for 10-20 years.
- You want to fully customize your seating with specific fabrics, leathers, and comfort features.
- A strong, lifetime warranty on key components provides you with peace of mind.
Choose Ashley Furniture if:
- You have a tight budget or are furnishing your first home or apartment.
- You enjoy updating your decor with current trends and may not keep the furniture forever.
- You need to furnish multiple rooms and want a one-stop shop with a massive selection.
- You prioritize style and affordability over long-term durability and premium materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is La-Z-Boy or Ashley Furniture cheaper?
Ashley Furniture is significantly cheaper. Their business model is built around offering stylish furniture at low prices, with sofas frequently available for under $800. La-Z-Boy operates in a higher price bracket, with its sofas and recliners often costing two to three times as much as comparable Ashley pieces.
Which has better quality furniture?
La-Z-Boy has objectively higher quality furniture. It uses more durable materials like solid hardwood frames and high-density foam and is known for its robust construction, which is why it can offer extensive lifetime warranties on mechanisms and frames. Ashley uses more cost-effective materials like engineered wood to keep its prices low.
What is La-Z-Boy best known for?
La-Z-Boy is famous for inventing the recliner and continues to be the industry leader in comfort-focused, durable reclining chairs and sofas. Its brand is synonymous with relaxation and ergonomic support.
Can I customize furniture at Ashley or La-Z-Boy?
La-Z-Boy offers extensive customization, allowing you to choose from hundreds of fabrics and leathers, as well as add a variety of power and comfort upgrades. Ashley Furniture generally does not offer customization, the pieces are available as shown.
Which brand is better for families?
It depends on your needs. For families who value long-term durability and can invest more, La-Z-Boy’s sturdy construction holds up well to years of heavy use. For families on a budget who need affordable, stylish furniture without the worry of kids spilling on a pricey sofa, Ashley Furniture is an excellent choice.
How long does La-Z-Boy furniture last?
With proper care, La-Z-Boy furniture is built to last for a long time. Many customers report keeping their recliners and sofas for 10 to 20 years, making it a solid long-term investment.
Is Ashley Furniture good for a first apartment?
Absolutely. Ashley Furniture is one of the best options for furnishing a first apartment or home. Its combination of low prices, trendy styles, and wide selection of smaller-scale pieces makes it ideal for anyone starting out.
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