Top 8 Furniture Websites with Product Visualization

Why review furniture websites?

While reviewing furniture apps, we realized that we had high expectations for comprehensive product visualization experiences while using a web browser to shop. Mobile devices are more convenient and offer cool features like Augmented Reality, but larger screens make it easier and more comfortable to interact with 3D visualization and configuration experiences. If you’re looking to attract and retain new customers, mobile is important, but web-based online shopping experiences still dominate when it comes to product configuration. Features like 360-degree product spins and 3D room planning software will entice people to purchase big-ticket items online – sight unseen.

How we tested furniture websites

We tested all the websites using Google Chrome on an Apple MacBook Pro. We went through all the welcome prompts. Most sites wanted location information and offered discounts if we signed up to receive specials.

We selected multiple products from every category and followed the prompts on product detail pages. When testing 3D features, we focused on couches as they always seem to have the most product visualization features. For example, if it said View in a Room, we viewed in a room. If it said Share, we shared. If it said, Other customers viewed, we checked out their picks. You get the gist. While it was tempting to buy furniture from all of the sites we reviewed, we did everything but check out. Our scope was to see how well retailer websites delivered on pre-purchase product visualization features, so this evaluation does not include reviews of the checkout process or post-purchase experience.

Some websites had more features than others, and some even offered AR which required the supplemental use of a smartphone. In terms of mobile apps, check out our Top Mobile Furniture Shopping Apps article to see how well some of these companies performed. In that article, the furniture shopping apps with the best overall experience are at the top of the list. That’s not to say the ones at the bottom didn’t provide a good experience; they just didn’t offer as many features.  Let’s get started!

#1 Raymour & Flanigan furniture website

Raymour & Flanigan is a family-owned furniture store chain with stores throughout the Northeastern U.S. The website’s straightforward interface and filtering options make perusing it a delight. There are so many ways to shop and see an item that customers will have no problem deciding to buy a big-ticket item online.

Pros:

• Impressive sort and filter categories
• 3D room planner is easy to use
• Measure for delivery
• Delivery status
• Download images
• 360-degree view works well
• Create a wish list

Cons:

• “Shop the look” serves up products not in the “look”

Features:

• Buy online
• Order tracking
• Financing
• Delivery
• 3D room planner
• Appointments for free design consultation
• 360 view
• View in space
• View-in-room planner
• Customer photos
• Multiple product images
• Access account online
• Favorites

Categories: Indoor and outdoor furniture and décor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Raymour & Flanigan website has a clean layout and doesn’t immediately request your information in exchange for a discount code. It informs you about cookies with a small pop-up at the bottom of the screen to not disrupt the view of the company’s offerings. The site is well organized, highlights current specials, and lists the categories by name with a corresponding image. Once you click on the site, you’re prompted to provide an email address in exchange for a discount on your purchase.

The top of the screen links to the outlet, baby & kids, blog, log in/sign up, free design consultation, business to business, 3D room planner, and contact. The row just below includes the search bar, the company’s logo that you can press to return to the home page, the closest store (based on where your web browser thinks you are), account, favorites, and cart. Next, the site lists the main categories: living room, bedroom, dining, mattresses, office, outdoor, rugs, décor & lighting, baby & kids, outlet, and sale. Mouse over any of those for an extensive list of items in that category, and click any of those to go to the corresponding page. The rest of the content is a carousel with product images of specials, a financing banner, featured offers, a chatbot, categories, more product ads, their Instagram photo feed, and recently viewed and recommended products.

Clicking on these options typically takes you to a product listing page. The left side features an option to see it in-store, and everything you can filter and sort by depending on the category. For example, sofas and couches have options for fabric, color, reclining features, price, dimensions, seating capacity, seat depth, back style, trending styles, type, arm style, addition features, availability, brand, and weight capacity. The filtering and sorting are quite thorough. The product overview cards include an image of the item, a heart for favoriting, product name, price tag icon denoting a deal or savings, user rating, price, available colors (if it’s an option), expected delivery, and quick view. The quick view option provides all pertinent details: multiple product images, finance pricing, ratings, add to cart, description, product specs, SKU, and click for full details.

The product detail page offers more specs, products with measurements, and options to view it in 360, in a space, or using a room planner. There’s also a nifty “measure for delivery” feature that shows you all the areas to measure in your home to see if it will fit. The page also includes features, reviews, product recommendations you may also like, customer photos, and a Q&A section.

So many furniture views

We appreciated the many different ways that we could view their furniture online. Use your mouse in the 360-degree view to grab and turn the item to see it from multiple angles. Make the item larger or smaller by pressing the + or —buttons. Click the three dots in the lower right corner of the image to see dimensions, more ways to turn the furniture, and an image download (PNG or JPG).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view-in-space feature uses augmented reality (AR), so you’ll need to scan a QR code to open the app on your phone and use that to place it in your room.

The 3D room planner app lets you draw a floorplan and place 3D models of real products in it. Choose from four options to begin:

• Design from a photo.
• Use a template.
• Build a floor plan.
• Scan a room (which requires an iOS device but not an app download).

Room templates are pre-drawn spaces in common room dimensions such as 10×10, 15×15, or 14×18. It’s a fast and easy way to get started with designing without taking the time to measure your space.

If you start by using a room template, you can either search the catalog for products that you like or switch to “design from photo” mode which allows you to add 3D versions of the products featured in photos into the room template. Even if you start in template mode, you can always modify the layout to match specific dimensions and built-in design features like windows, openings, doors, and ceiling options.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you add doors, windows, and other openings to the template room, you can add furniture, wall paint, flooring, and lighting. The room planner tool provides the design-from-photo option to get started, or you can shop by product category. It’s extremely easy to pick items, move them around the room with a drag of your mouse, add items to a cart, and see how much the selected furniture and décor will cost. Like your creation? Save the project or share it (screenshot or copy a project link). You’ll need to create an account to use these features.

The final takeaway for Raymour & Flannigan furniture website:

The Raymour & Flannigan website offers so many ways to view furniture on the site and in your home that it fosters confidence when shopping online for big-ticket items (beds, dining sets, sofas, etc.). You can see a potential purchase in so many 3D views that you’ll know exactly what you are buying will look like if you can’t make it to the store. Best of all, the company provides you with all the information you need to see if the furniture you love will fit in your home.

#2 Ikea website

The Ikea website presents an enormous amount of furniture and décor in an easily searchable website. Even if you have just an inkling of what you’re looking for you’ll be able to find something that fits the bill. They also have plenty of 3D visualization features to help you visualize how various pieces will look in your space and what whole rooms of furniture will cost.

Pros:

• Photo search
• Create 3D renderings using your space or existing rooms
• Add to Cart is on the product listing page
• Favorites and lists
• TaskRabbit price estimates

Cons:

• Need to create an account to use the room scans you create

Features:

• Photo search 3D renderings (existing and upload available)
• Shop in app
• Delivery tracker
• Product reviews
• TaskRabbit price estimates
• Access account online
• Favorites and lists
• Calculates the cost of rooms you build as you go

Categories: Furniture and décor for inside and outside the home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you arrive at the Ikea website, it asks about cookie preferences and highlights various elements. These include corporate initiatives, product collections, international highlights, and even the company’s artist-in-residence program. When I visited, the artist-in-residence was Annie Leibowitz. One of the first squares on the page is aptly named Go Shopping. I wanted to go shopping, so that’s what I clicked on.

The web design aesthetic reflects the Ikea brand — that interesting dichotomy of a minimalist approach to a maximum amount of goods. The top black banner of the site provides links to current promotions and the option to create an account. Next, you’ll find the Ikea logo, search bar with a camera, closest store, delivery zip code, log in/sign up, track order, favorite, and cart. Below that are top-level categories products (new & trending, furniture, storage & organization, outdoor, kitchen & appliances, beds & mattresses, lighting, home textiles, home décor & accessories, kitchenware & tableware, and baby & kids), rooms, ready for college, home accessories, ideas & inspiration, design & planning, deals, and service & support. Click on one of those categories and the subcategories with relevant images dropdown to get to what you want. There’s a main promotional banner and a listing of specific deals. The more you scroll, the more shopping options you’ll find until you reach the bottom of the page, ending with a collection of popular categories.

Pick a category and subcategory to get to couches. Once there, the top navigation will highlight different types (fabric sofas, leather & faux leather sofas, sectionals, sleeper sofas & sofa beds, ottomans, chaise lounges, sofa parts & accessories, and sofa & armchair covers). Unlike other furniture sites, the list of couches is pushed below the fold because there are two big Ikea sale ads first. Once you get to the listing, you can sort by type, price, color, category, size, number of seats, firmness, material, customer rating, and more filters (of course, the preselected filters will change by product category). Each product card highlights if it’s a best-seller, product image, name, price, rating, favorite, add to cart, delivery and in-stock options, and available colors.

The product detail page has the above information, plus ways to pay, more photos and videos, how much it would cost someone on TaskRabbit to assemble, details, measurements, what’s included in the box, warranty details (if relevant), related products, recommended goods, the look (see it in a room and buy the other items from the picture), collection accessories, more from the series, and recently viewed items. You’ll also find a design-it-yourself section if the product is customizable using the KIVIK planner.

So many angles: View in room, 3D custom creations, and photo search

The first thing that tipped us off that Ikea would have many tech features was seeing a camera icon in the search bar. Click on that, and you can either take a photo or upload one to find the item or something similar. We took a picture of an Ikea cabinet we got a decade ago, uploaded it to the site (just a few clicks), and it generated a few similar products. We didn’t expect to see the same item, but its suggestions were solid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For customizable items, use the KIVIK planner to visualize how the end item will look and what it will cost. We tried this feature out on a sectional. We could pick a fabric color, add an element to it — like a chaise —view the dimensions and spin it around using the rotate button for a 3D view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like the mobile app, the website also sports the Ikea Kreativ, an interactive room design experience. You can upload a picture of your space, start with an Ikea-designed room (anything from a contemporary living room to an office or dorm room), or add Ikea furniture to one of their empty spaces.

There are two ways to create a room in the Ikea Kreativ room design app: Upload an image of your space or use one of the inspiration rooms. If using one of Ikea’s inspiration rooms, you’re stuck with the layout provided and usually a stationary item like a bookcase or rug you can design over but not remove. Either way, you must create an account to save and use the feature. Once you create an account and do 3D rendering, you can work on the design on the app or the web.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The app walks you through every step necessary to create a 3D rendering. Adding items to a room is just searching for what you want, clicking on it, and then adding it to the virtual space. Use the mouse to move items around the room and turn them in any direction. As you add and remove items from the virtual room, the price changes, so you always know how expensive your taste is – and what the total cost of your room will be. You do need to add any items you want to the cart, but you can do it from inside the newly designed room. Best of all, using this feature is fast and fluid. It’s so easy to use.

Final takeaway for Ikea furniture website:

Overall, the Ikea website has everything you’d expect and some things you wouldn’t. The 3D and virtual experiences are a delight to use because they are intuitive and work well.

#3 Living Spaces furniture website

The Living Spaces website has a clean look and feel that highlights stylish and livable rooms. It offers a variety of furniture styles, including modern, Scandinavian, mid-century, rustic, and boho.

Pros:

• Clean look
• Delivery fit guide
• Build your own sectional
• Customize fabrics
• Virtual room views
• Create a wish list

Cons:

• 3D room designer fell short

Features:

• Secure financing
• Create a wish list
• Multiple product images
• Access account online
• Favorites
• Help site with customer service phone numbers
• Delivery fit guide

Categories: Indoor and outdoor furniture and décor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Living Spaces website will ask for your location and provide information about cookies as a tiny banner across the bottom of the site, which we appreciate. The top of the screen has a thin banner that links to design appointments, all furniture, help, financing, find a store, and delivery options. The next row has the company logo, search bar, zip code, and icons for accounts, favorites, and carts. Below are categories: living room, bedroom, mattresses, dining, home office, kids & teens, outdoor, rugs, décor, inspiration, and clearance.

Mouse over a category for a list of items or click it to visit the corresponding category. The rest of the content on the page is a large running furniture video, specials, room types, and images of product categories. You can also shop by style, collections, editor picks, ideas for your home, and images from the company’s Instagram feed. The bottom right corner features a chat icon and a top arrow icon to return to the top of the page.

Clicking on an option typically takes you to a product listing page where you’ll see product categories. Click on a category to see a collection of product overview cards that include an image of the item; a heart for favoriting, a product name; a star rating with the number of reviews; price; shipping details; special tags such as outlet, clearance, etc.; a quick-look option; and compare boxes. You can filter by style, earliest delivery date, color, features, price, and more. Mouse over the product image to see the item in a room. The quick-look option shows more images, dimensions, style, material, price, name, add to cart, and more details.

The product detail page includes all the information on the overview card, plus more detailed delivery information, features, in-depth details, care instructions, add to cart, similar items, products in the collection, customers also viewed and bought, compare similar items, reviews, and in-home pictures, related categories and advice, and recently viewed items. There’s also a view in a virtual room where you can change the items and view them in a different virtual room, a comparison feature that superimposes a person with their height

Delivering all the 3D options

There are quite a few 3D implementations on the Living Spaces website. For example, you can build a sectional. Select the feature, select a sectional, and start creating. As you assemble the pieces, the price updates. It does take a little time for the feature to load, but when it does, it works quickly — making it easier to click and drag to rotate and view from different angles. Next, select the fabric for the couch and the throw pillows. You can add a selection to the cart or share your creation when finished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say you like a couch but want to customize the fabric. There’s a 3D view for that, too. Select a sofa, choose the colors, and even adjust the floor and wall colors. Granted, there aren’t a lot of choices for the walls and floors, but it is an impressive option. Like what you see? Request a free fabric sample.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s also a basic 3D room designer. It’s quick and easy to get started but not great for building a highly customized space. Name your design, pick the room types (living room, dining room, or bedroom), select imperial (feet) or metric (meters) measurements, and get started. Select a room shape, add dimensions, and move doors and windows to the appropriate space. Unfortunately, you can’t add doors and windows. Pick a style from three choices, which will power the options for what to put in the room. You can select an item from the catalog, choose a room style, and click magic layout, and the app will place items in the room. The restyle option moves items around the room.

You need to make all the changes in the 2D view. However, while we can change items in the room, we couldn’t find an easy way to add more. Switch to the 3D room and use the camera feature to zoom in on a particular item.

We did find this last feature a bit buggy and sometimes slow to load. Slow sites can be frustrating for users and negatively impact conversion rates. We didn’t have nearly as much control over the room-building experience as we did with other sites. The other sites in this roundup were smoother and easier to use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final takeaway for Living Spaces website:

We loved all the virtual views on product pages. Building a sectional and picking fabric choices elevated the online experience. Unfortunately, the 3D room designer fell short of our expectations, especially compared to how well the other sites did with this feature. That said, the website delivers an impressive customer experience overall.

#4 American Furniture Warehouse Web

American Furniture Warehouse (AFW) is a regional retailer with stores in Colorado, Arizona, and Texas. Those who want to know how the furniture will look in their space will appreciate the site’s 3D room planner.

Pros:

• Straightforward navigation
• 3D room planner
• Favorite items without creating an account
• Interactive 360-degree photos
• User reviews with photos
• Shop-similar feature

Cons:

• Shop-a-look could have more product detail options

Features:

• 3D room planner
• View in 3D
• Multiple product images
• QR codes to access the app
• Account access
• Favorite
• Customer reviews
• Shop similar
• Product suggestions
• Email to a friend

Categories: Indoor and outdoor furniture and décor for the home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When first arriving at American Furniture Warehouse’s website, a note about privacy and using personal data appears, as well as a prompt from Chrome that the company would like to know our location. At first glance, the site’s clean interface is inviting. It includes a well-paced carousel touting different sales and site highlights.

Like the company’s mobile app, the website sports a similar red, white, and blue color scheme synonymous with the American flag. The top navigation has links to a pop-up for setting your zip code to set your local store, stores, weekly ads, financing, help center, and about us sections. The following navigation bar has the company’s logo which returns you to the home page, shop-by-category drop-down menu. It includes home, furniture, sleep center, home décor, what’s new, inspiration, resources, about us, planner, room planner, deals, search bar, user account icon, and cart with the corresponding number of items in it.

Navigating to a category is straightforward. However, the tiny pictures of the product types aren’t especially inviting. Once you get to the category listing page for an actual product, there’s a lot we love —mainly the filters. The left nav features a filter list where you can narrow choices by selecting details such as fabric, mattress size (if relevant), style, manufacturer, material, small spaces, color, availability, price, and view-in-a-room (see more below). The product cards on a listing page are minimalistic, showing a picture of the piece, its name, price, review rating, total, and a heart to favorite. We especially liked that it is not necessary to create an account in order to save an item to a wish list.

Product detail pages feature similar functionality, multiple images, product names, reviews, price, favorite, share via email, select a store, view in 3D (when available, which is often – even for rugs), a view-in-room banner QR code (see more below), description, dimensions/specs, similar items, other items in this collection, and recently viewed pieces. Click the shop-similar button, and you’ll see similar options. Click on one of the pluses in the inspiration picture, and it will list options that will work with the original selected items. For example, when looking at a couch, similar options include a rug, small couch, recliner, end table, and wall art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D views and planning rooms

Many products on the site offer a 360-degree view that displays the product from multiple angles. Click the View in 3D button, and you can use your mouse to turn the item in various ways, including on its side. An extended menu provides options for dimensions, and an icon of a box with an eye lets you click the view you want to see and download it as a PNG or JPEG.

The View in Room feature prompts you to scan a QR code with your phone’s camera. It launches the mobile site product page and from there you can view the AR product in real space. This feature requires use of a mobile phone camera to view the 3D product in real space.

Next up, the AFW Room Planner. Design a space using the room planner feature in one of three ways: room collection, standard room sizes, or from scratch. The collections option launches a complete, designed 3D room with furniture and décor; the other options offer the same features but start with a blank canvas. Starting from scratch gives even more options, like adding a room, L-shape, door, window, opening, draw, and ceiling options. You’ll need to input room measurements in order to start from scratch, so plan to invest more time in this option.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the collections option, pick the image of a space that speaks to you, for example, a mid-century modern living room. The site loads the room with furniture, and then you can tap on products directly in the 2D inspirational photos and place these into the 3D floor plan. You can modify the layout, lock or delete your changes, and add lighting. Once you place an item, you can rotate, duplicate, replace, zoom, lock, or delete it. The features worked smoothly. Playing with the room layout and changing paint colors and flooring made us feel a bit like interior designers, which was fun! When done with your design project, you can save it, share it, and add items to the shopping cart. In order to save a project or add items to the cart, you will need to create an account.

Final takeaway on the American Furniture Warehouse Visualizer website:

What the American Furniture Warehouse website is utilitarian and purposeful. It is easy to find and visualize products and offers a lot of 3D visualization options. Though the product listings could use some zip, everything you can do (find similar, room planner, 3D view) is more than enough to make up for that.

#5 Bob’s Discount Furniture Website

The Bob’s Discount Furniture website is well-designed for its customer base. The red, orange, and green color scheme and family-friendly product photos give the impression of finding items built for the way we live at an affordable price.

Pros:

• Help via chat or phone is always present
• Reviews with customer images
• 360-degree views
• 3D room planner has a ton of functionality
• Favorites

Cons:

• Not obvious which items have a 360-degree view

Features:

• 360-degree product views
• Create an account
• Delivery options
• 3D Room planner
• Favorites
• Financing details
• Screenshots in the 3D room planner

Categories: Furniture and décor for inside and outside the home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bob’s Discount Furniture website requests knowing your location, but it doesn’t require you to provide an email address or phone number for a discount. However, once you click on the site, you get a pop-up asking for an email address to receive promotions, but no discount is offered. Like the mobile app, the site provides multiple ways to get help, and there’s a phone number at the top of the screen and an always-visible chat online feature. A chat icon and a return-to-top icon stay stationary regardless of scrolling up, down, or side-to-side.

The website presents the retailer’s merchandise in a straightforward and organized design. The top right corner has quick links to stores, orders, financing, and help. The next row features their log-in, search, nearest store, delivery zip code, and icons for account, favorites, and cart. The category options are furniture, mattresses, kids & teens, home office, outdoor, rugs, home décor, outlet, new arrivals, and inspiration. Scroll through a carousel of images or click on a banner dedicated to a room type (in this case, small spaces). Financing information is more prominent than on most of the sites in this roundup. Scroll through the rest of the page to find categories depicted with small images, competitor pricing, and various room configurations.

Product listings include star ratings, pictures, pricing, heart icon, financing if it’s new or fits a particular space, and available colors. You can filter by product type, color, finish, material, size, features, collection, and more (like other sites, filter options vary by category). Expanded listings show everything on the thumbnail and more images from multiple angles (including the item placed in a room), dimensions, protection options, financing, add to cart, delivery, returns, compare to similar items, reviews, you might also like, and options to complete a room. Depending on the item, there is a 360-degree view and AR. To use the AR feature, you need to download an app from either the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.

Exploring 360-degree views

The 360-degree view works quite well. Use the arrows to turn the product from multiple angles and the plus and minus buttons to enlarge or shrink an item. Add dimensions, expand and change the view, and download a JPEG or PNG image.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob’s Discount Furniture also has a 3D room designer that you can find by clicking on Inspirations in the top nav bar. Start your design by picking a photo inspiration, an empty room, or building a floor plan. The photo inspiration options create a room with furniture and décor; the other two options start with a blank canvas in which you either pick a template of standard types of rooms or create yourself. Starting from scratch adds even more options like adding rooms, L-shapes, door, window, opening, draw, and ceiling type. You’ll also need to add measurements to the space, so plan to invest more time in this option.

Using the photo inspiration setup, we picked a room, got a virtual tour of how to use the tool, and then got to work on the design, removing products and adding wall paint and flooring. You can also modify the layout, lock or delete your changes, and add lighting. Once you place an item, you can rotate, duplicate, replace, zoom, lock, or delete it. You can also take photos of your creation and share them. The features worked smoothly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did like the designer tools for adding accent and décor pieces like the vase on the desk or the statue of the dog in the corner. Playing with the room layout and changing paint colors and flooring was fluid and intuitive. When done with your creation, you can save it, share it, and add items to the cart. Use the camera icon to see any portion of the room at scale instead of overhead, and then take a screenshot by clicking the camera button and by save it to your gallery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike some of the other room planners in this roundup, it doesn’t show you how much your creation will cost before you add it to the cart. You need to create an account to save the project or add items to the cart.

Final takeaway for Bob’s Discount Furniture website:

The website has everything a furniture shopper wants, and the 3D planner is just plain fun to use. We wish we could see how much our creation costs without creating an account, though it’s not hard to do.

#6 Crate & Barrel furniture website

The Crate & Barrel website reads like its catalog, with well-curated images and suggestions. It supports some high-end features like AR (you’ll need to use that feature on your phone), 360-degree views, and the ability to request help from an interior designer in creating a 3D room plan.

Pros:

• Shop the room
• Registry
• Favorites
• 360-degree view
• Well-curated pictures and suggestions

Cons:

• Can’t create 3D renderings on the site

Features:

• Shop the room
• Multiple product images
• Access account online
• Favorites & lists
• Registry
• 3D renderings
• 360-degree view
• Customer reviews with pictures
• Virtual and in-person design consultations

Categories: Furniture and décor for inside and outside the home, and small kitchen appliances

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like other furniture websites in this roundup, when you arrive at the Crate & Barrel home page, there is a prompt to sign up for new items and sales alerts in exchange for a percentage off your purchase. The site’s top bar has links to the company’s other offerings: Crate&kids, CB@, Hudson | Grace, a country flag, and financing information. The next row is a search bar with its logo, account sign-in, location, how many items your favorites are, and a cart with the corresponding number. That row is followed by two that provide quick links to new items, wedding registries, free design services, trade programs, dorm shops, collaborations, and best sellers and categories: furniture, outdoor, tabletop & bar, kitchen, bedding, bath, décor & pillows, rugs, lighting, window, gifts, sale, and Crate&kids.

The rest of the page resembles the company’s catalogs, with large images featuring different room setups and a barcode to get the app where you’ll find exclusive first looks and pictures from customers on Instagram. You’ll also be able to “shop the room.” Clicking that button reveals a listing of all the products on the page. Click on a category to view a dropdown of product subcategories.

The product listing page includes a filter option, buttons for viewing all and in stock, a chat-with-us button, and product overviews. The furniture cards have product images and names with overall dimensions, pricing info, available colors, if it’s a best seller or @FSC certified (if relevant), and a heart to favorite it. And you can favorite it and save it to a list. You don’t have to create an account to favorite an item or to create a list. In addition to everything you see on the catalog listing, the product detail page has more images (and sometimes short videos), configurations (if applicable), dimensions, add to list or registry, delivery options, reviews, available colors, options, items to pair it with, other goods in a collection, people also viewed, and add to cart. With many products, there are options for a 360-degree view and AR View in Room.

View furniture from every angle

The 360-degree view is intuitive to use with your mouse. Grab the item and move it around the screen. You can easily zoom in and out and add dimensions. Not all products have a 360-degree view, and you won’t know if that feature is available until you visit a product detail page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crate & Barrel does offer 3D room renderings, but you can’t do them yourself on the website. Instead, you’ll need to set up a free appointment with one of their interior designers, who will create them for you, complete with recommended furniture and décor.

Final takeaway for Crate & Barrel website:

The Crate & Barrel website is quite polished. Perusing items gives you the same feeling as walking through one of their stores. The company does offer 360-degree views and 3D room planning. However, for the latter, you’ll need to set up a free interior design appointment, which has pros and cons. You probably will end up with a well thought out design that highlights products you might not have discovered on your own. If you like playing with tools online first, that’s not an option with this retailer.

#7 Ballard Designs furniture website

Ballard Designs offers upscale, stylish furniture with a European influence, and its website has a similar feel. The company is known for putting a contemporary twist on classic designs. Ballard Designs also offers customers the option to customize some of their pieces.

Pros:

• Easy to navigate and well-organized
• Delivery status
• Download images
• 360-degree view works well when available
• Easy-to-use share features
• Add to wish list or registry

Cons:

• Hard to tell if there’s a 360-degree view

Features:

• Buy online
• Order tracking
• Share with others
• Upload photos to reviews
• Create a wish list
• Multiple product images
• Access account online
• 360-degree view
• Create registry
• Favorites
• Free standard shipping
• Virtual and in-person design consultations

Categories: Indoor and outdoor furniture and décor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you arrive at the Ballard Designs site, there isn’t an immediate pop-up window asking you to sign up for anything, which we appreciate. However, after clicking through a few pages, you do get the prompt asking you to sign up for mobile texts in exchange for 20% off now and alerts about future deals. We appreciate this approach — it’s a bit like the salesperson waiting to see how interested you are before coming to ask if you need help.

A narrow strip at the top of the website features rotating messages about sales and credit card benefits. There’s a pause button in the top left corner, so you can stop it when you find an option you like and click on it. The top nav has the Ballard Designs logo (which links to the home page), search bar, stores, orders, account, and cart with corresponding item count. General categorization comes next with options for new outdoor furniture, mirrors & art, décor & more, rugs & drapery, lighting, bed & bath, fabric, holiday & gifts, and sale. Highlight any of the categories in this bar to see a dropdown of more options. Below are featured events such as sales and free design services (virtual, email, phone, or in-store).

Click on any category to go to a page featuring a big image with price tag icons; click on something you like in the scene, and you’ll see its name and a shop-now button that will take you to that product page. Left-side navigation reveals a breakdown of all product types in that category. For example, lighting has shop-all (in stock), indoor lighting (chandeliers, table & task lamps, pendants, ceiling & flush mount, scones, floor lamps, bath & vanity, ceiling fan lighting), outdoor lighting, shades (lampshades, chandelier shades, buffet shades), and accessories & adapters (lighting accessories, can light adapters, light bulbs).

The category product listing pages are clean and easy to navigate. The top of the page has types, filters, and sorting options. Each product card has an image of the item, available colors, product name, reviews (stars and how many), and price details. Mouse over the item to see its dimensions or see a picture of it in a room (varies by product type). The product detail page features images, fabric and finish customizations (if available), price, share options (email, Facebook, Pinterest), add to wish list or registry (account required), features, dimensions, shipping info, customers also viewed, return policy, and reviews.

More angles: 360-degree view

Like other sites in this roundup, determining when a product is available with a 360-degree view is a head-scratcher. For the most part, you’ll find out if that’s an option when you land on the product detail page. You can see it from different angles by clicking on the item with your mouse and dragging it around or using the rotate feature or the camera angle option. You can download a picture of the item as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final takeaway for Ballard Designs website:

Perhaps one of the most well-organized furniture websites on this list, Ballard Designs makes it easy for customers to find what they want and visualize any customizations they want to make. The 360-degree view is well done and intuitive to use. We just wish it was available for more items.

 

#8 Ashley Home Furniture website

Ashley Home Furniture is well-known around the world. While you don’t need to enter your location to peruse the site and make purchases, it does rely on location to serve relevant content, like nearby stores and if an item is available for nearby pick-up or delivery. We applaud the app for its straightforward interface and easy navigation.

Pros:

• Easy to navigate
• Delivery status
• Download images
• 360-degree view works well when available
• Create a wish list

Cons:

• Hard to tell if there’s a 360-degree view

Features:

• Order tracking
• Secure financing
• Create a wish list
• Multiple product images
• Access account online
• Favorites
• Help site with customer service phone numbers

Categories: Indoor and outdoor furniture and décor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you arrive at the Ashley Furniture website for the first time, you’ll encounter a similar experience: accept/reject cookies (standard practice) and a promotional opportunity. One half could be a seasonal sale, and the other could prompt you to sign up for the company’s newsletter. In return, you’ll receive a promo code for a set discount on future purchases. The very top of the screen provides:

• Links to additional Ashley experiences (Baby & Kids and Ashley Outlet).
• Links to current specials such as hot buys and mattress deals.
• Financing details and qualifications.

The row just below has the Ashley logo that you can press at any time to return to the home page, the closest store (based on where your web browser thinks you are), search bar, my account, order tracking, financing, help, and cart (with the corresponding number of items in it.) Next, the site lists the main categories: living room, bedroom, dining, mattresses, outdoor, kids & baby, home office décor, rugs, organization, seasonal, inspiration, and deals. Click on any of those to take you to the corresponding category. The rest of the content on the page is a furniture image, another financing banner, a chatbot, top deals, more banner ads, and furniture collections.

Clicking on any of these options typically takes you to a product listing page where the product overview cards include an image of the item, a heart for favoriting, product name, user rating, price, and, of course, more financing details and any available deal information. Depending on the item, you’ll also see if the product is new or an Ashley exclusive.

Hover over the item, and a quick-view option will appear, revealing the product name, item number, images, price, finish option, add to cart, details & overview, and measurements. However, browsing through the pictures in this view doesn’t identify if there’s an option to see it from 360 degrees. Click through to the product detail page to find more specifics, such as images, details & overview, dimensions, product reviews, closest store, protection plan, add to cart, available colors, additional pieces in the collection (if applicable), and suggested furniture you might like.

In short, there are many ways to navigate the site, but none of them easily let you know if an item you want is available in a 360-degree view.

It’s not immediately obvious or easy to find, but Ashley does offer an interactive 360-degree view of some of its pieces. The only way to find out if the item you’re considering has this option is to click through to the product detail page, where there’s a 360-degree icon as one of the picture options. In that view, you can zoom in and zoom out.

Furniture in a 360-degree view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we appreciate about this feature is that you can see the items from all angles and their exact measurements. When in the 360-degree view, click on the item and drag it around. If you don’t want to turn the dresser using your mouse, click the box icon with an eye and click the view you want to see to reposition the dresser to that view. You can also download an image of the piece as a JPEG or PNG file.

Final takeaway for Ashley Home Furniture website:

The Ashley Home Furniture website’s straightforward interface makes it a breeze to navigate. The product details offer all the information expected. While there are plenty of images for each item on the site, we wish it was easier to determine from the product listing pages if there were more advanced views available, such as 360-degree. However, when we spotted it, the feature worked flawlessly.

The bottom line on furniture websites

In our testing, the websites at the top of our list had more obvious 3D visualization features for more products and were easier to use than the ones at the bottom. Additionally, the ones at the top of the list all feature a 3D room builder, contributing to their ranking. How well they executed that feature also determined their placement. The top two furniture websites—Raymour & Flanigan and Ikea — provide everything a shopper needs to know to feel confident buying a big-ticket furnish item online.

The use of 3D technology makes shopping for furniture way more fun and engaging, and it enables shoppers to visualize how new furnishings will look in their homes before making a purchase.

Create a comprehensive 3D product page experience with 3D Cloud

Furniture websites and apps with advanced product visualization can provide the edge you need to ensure that customers who shop with you, buy with you. The 3D Cloud platform and solutions are purpose-built for furniture, contract furniture, and home improvement e-commerce.

3D Cloud offers the only complete suite of web-based  3D product visualization solutions for large catalogs of configurable furniture products. 3D Cloud Product Configurators, 3D Cloud WebAR, 3D Cloud Product Renders, and 3D Cloud Room Planners are easy to deploy, manage, and integrate into e-commerce websites.  3D Cloud product visualization projects can go live in as little as 8 to 12 weeks.

The performance of a furniture website is crucial, with every second of delay potentially leading to lost sales. 3D Cloud’s augmented reality content ensures rapid rendering, enhancing the overall customer experience and driving sales. With 3D Cloud-powered WebAR, customers can seamlessly navigate between product pages and add items to their shopping cart within seconds. This technology has resulted in a fivefold increase in products viewed and a threefold increase in add-to-cart rates for 3D Cloud WebAR users.

Join top furniture retailers like Ashley, Macy’s, La-Z-Boy, and Design Within Reach in harnessing the power of 3D product visualization. Request a demo today and learn how 3D Cloud enterprise 3D digital asset management for 3D product visualization can make immersive 3D product experiences easier to deliver and manage at scale.