Bassett Vs. Ethan Allen Furniture: Which One Is Better?

When shopping for furniture, it can all kind of blend in. Home furnishings and décor come in a lot of similar styles and designs, making it difficult to discern one brand from another. But there are differences between them that make one stand out from the rest.

If you find yourself choosing between Bassett and Ethan Allen furniture, you will rest easy knowing that you are getting a great, quality product with accompanying customer service to match. The two are extremely similar from top to bottom. If push came to shove, Bassett has a slightly more durable couch and their delivery is much faster than Ethan Allen.

Most of us are not the most educated when it comes to the various furniture brands. We peruse the selections of our local vendors, or search online, looking for options that seemingly fit best for us. When it comes to Ethan Allen and Bassett, it may be difficult to really separate them.

Both have hundreds of showrooms throughout the United States. Both have online ordering. Not only that, they have very similar styles as well. The main difference with the latter is that Ethan Allen offers rustic looks while Bassett features something of a more classic appearance.

Let’s take a further look at the two furniture giants and see how they stack up against one another.

Aside from price (which we will get to later), the next most important aspect for furniture is the selection. Consumers need to have a diverse array of products to choose from because they each have their own specific aesthetic desires.

Both have an absolute ton of options. You can choose from bedroom, dining room, and living room options as well as bedding and mattresses. Pretty much any interior furnishing that you are looking for can be found at either manufacturer.

The major difference is that Ethan Allen has offerings for both home office and even outdoors. If you are looking for new furnishings for both inside and outside, then getting it all done with Ethan Allen may be the most convenient option to go with.

This may be where the largest discrepancy is between the two companies. What most people don’t realize is that, when you go shopping for furniture, you have to have it custom ordered. The company takes your order and then has to make it based on the color or materials that you choose.

Ethan Allen furniture generally takes anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks from order to delivery. That is because Ethan Allen furniture is custom created. Though it can be frustrating to have to wait that long, you can ensure that you are getting custom-crafted furniture.

Bassett, however, offers build to delivery in just 30 days in most places across the country. Given that Bassett is custom creations, that is pretty darn good. If you want your custom-created furniture without the wait, Bassett would be the better choice.

When you get past price and selection, the next most important aspect is durability. Your couch is an investment and needs to hold up over a long period of time. The good news is that both Barrett and Ethan Allen are made durably to stand the test of time.

Assuming that proper maintenance is involved, you can reasonably expect your Barrett sofa to last anywhere from 10-15 years. There are factors that play into the longevity of the sofa that you choose, but you know that Barrett is meant to last.

All that said, Ethan Allen is right there in terms of quality. The range is a bit wider than it is for Barrett, ranging anywhere from 7 to 15 years. If you provide proper maintenance and avoid spills or other detriments to the couch, it will skew closer to the longer end of the range.

The features are where you will start to see some major differences between the two brands. For one, Ethan Allen is more midcentury-inspired furniture. It has curved corners that match with accent buttons and angled track arms.

Ethan Allen furniture is also stain-resistant. That’s not to say that it is stain-proof, but it holds up against spills. For families or homes with pets, Ethan Allen furniture is a great choice to hold up over time even in the face of constant abuse.

Finally, they have two different finishes available for the legs. There is dark brown or umber, allowing for the optimal pairing and visual aesthetic for each of their furniture pieces.

Ethan Allen may be the more affordable option of the two but also have a much wider range of price points for their furniture. That makes Ethan Allen a much more versatile choice depending on available budgets.

Ethan Allen also has a superior selection. They have a massive inventory covering every aspect of the interior of your home as well as outdoor pieces. You can furnish your entire home, inside and out, with one Ethan Allen visit.

Finally, they offer in-home delivery. You can have your custom-made furniture ordered and delivered right to your home. That saves you the trouble of having to navigate a pickup, which can be a huge pain.

While Ethan Allen is a more cost-effective option compared to Bassett, it isn’t exactly cheap. That said, you have to pay to get quality and going with a low cost means that you are likely getting a lower level of quality, too.

Ethan Allen furniture is also not quite as durable as its counterpart. Even with proper maintenance and care, you are looking at 2-5 years less on the life span of your furniture compared to Bassett. That might not seem like so much, but it can mean needing to purchase a new couch sooner rather than later.

Finally, the shipping window is longer than some of the competitors. It generally takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks. While that isn’t a huge deal necessarily, it can be irritating to order furniture and have to wait nearly 2 months for it to show up.

The construction of Bassett sofas is what helps them stand the test of time. The body is a sterling fabric. The body and back are boxed edge with a large-tapered leg. The topstitching holds up even in the face of frequent use, looking just like the day you bought it for a long time to come.

The large nick nailhead trim gives Bassett furniture that contemporary look that is so much in style. The brindle finish pairs wonderfully with the rest of the piece providing the kind of high-end look that many love without the high-end price that can come with it.

Being a custom furniture maker, you can get any options that you want. Where factory warehouses have a massive selection, you have to tailor your selection to their offerings. With Bassett, you get a custom couch that works for you.

Despite the fact that they are custom-made, you don’t have to sit through long delivery times. The vast majority of Bassett pieces take 30 days from construction to delivery. Before you know it, you will be enjoying your new furniture.

Finally, Bassett has excellent durability and longevity. With proper maintenance and care, you can safely expect to get at least 10 years out of your Bassett furniture, if not more. Compared to many other brands out there, that means getting more life out of your furniture than ever.

The downside is two-fold with Barrett furniture. The first is that there is no warranty. That can be a major detriment for those looking to buy furniture. If you have pets or children, it can be especially worrying to get no warranty.

The lack of warranty is especially disappointing when you consider the price tag. Bassett furniture is a bit more costly than Ethan Allen and many other of the competitors out there. Buyers have to weigh the risk of something going wrong and not having a warranty to fall back on.

There is a lot to like about both Bassett and Ethan Allen furniture brands. They are both quite durable, have a huge array of choices and styles, and have a high-quality look. So, what are the differences and which is the best choice?

The best overall value goes to Bassett. With the proper level of maintenance and care, you can expect to get a few more years out of a Bassett couch than you would Ethan Allen. On top of that, their delivery times are drastically different. Whereas it would take 6-8 weeks to get your Ethan Allen furniture, you can get your delivery from Bassett in just 30 days.

That said, Ethan Allen is a fine option as well. There are plenty of options ranging across the spectrum, all of which are sturdily built. You would do just fine getting Ethan Allen furniture if that were more appealing to you.