This. I really like the 3 of them for different reasons. In terms of style. 1. Crate and barrel : modern and elegant simple lines, sophisticated and quality 2. Pottery barn : compared to CB it is more traditional, larger/heavier furniture, has more farmehouse vibe items. Generally reliable quality. 3. West elm (but it's the same company as PB): little sis of PB. Target is urban younger adults. Modern MCM vibe. Trendier items than PB. A bit cheaper than PB and cheaper than CB but also several very flimsy pieces of furniture. I try to look at WE furniture in the shop before buying. I think they tend to have 2 categories of furniture: their popular signature pieces that are excellent (i have 2 west elm leather couches and very happy with them) and some diversity pieces that are only available online and can be a hit or miss in terms of quality. |
I dont know about that. I buy furniture from those 3 shops but have always done Ikea for kids because they outgrow things too quickly and the difference in price is stark whereas quality seems really good to me. I think the recall is becausee of sales volume. They just sell way more of each item around the world so you have more of a chance of an accident happening and because they are a global company with cheap- ish furniture i suspect their recall process is more systematic and thorough. The most famous ones are chest of drawers or bookshelves tipping over kids because people forget to attach them to the wall. I dont see why bookshelves from Ikea are more prone to tipping when a child climbs on them than any other basic bookshelf not attached to a wall... Ikea kid furniture is great IMO (especially HEMNES collection: real wood) |
+1 I thought I was just indulging my needlessly fussy side by insisting on Greenguard Gold -certified furniture, but was glad I did after baby started gnawing on the crib like crazy! Also glad I got the mini crib, so I could switch it out with a normal-sized one about the time they stopped gnawing. |
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In my experience the biggest beefs with PB and West Elm are the customer service and delivery experience, which remain abysmal.
That said, we bought a PB Kendall low profile crib for our first 12 years ago because I read the baby buys book or whatever bible was the locus of my prenatal anxiety. PB was highly rated for safety and low off-gassing. Also I'm 4'11 and needed something I could reach into, and it was between that and the IKEA crib, which looked a little clinical for my liking. Anyway it lasted through three children who gnawed it like rats with barely a tooth mark and we resold it on FB marketplace and I cried. I would recommend the FB marketplace route, actually. |
| Ethan Allen makes good quality furniture- a little more $ but it lasts. |
please. crate and barrel has a lot of solid wood pieces and many their other pieces are excellent quality. obviously not everything there is golden, but reviews are a pretty reliable guide. they also have excellent design, always current yet not too trendy (except for some pieces, obviously). |
| I rarely shop at these places but from what I hear from my friends and neighbors, Pottery Barn is pretty much a fancier IKEA or Target, without their low prices. "Designers" are basically commissioned salesmen trained to push sales. You can often find identical stuff at a cheaper price at Amazon, Wayfair etc. |
| Crate & Barrel is by far better style and quality among these three. |