When it comes to high-quality, American-made furniture, two names stand out from the pack – Bassett and Ethan Allen. These venerable furniture makers have been crafting stunning living spaces for generations of families.
But if you’re in the market for new furniture, how do you choose between these two iconic brands? While they have some similarities, Bassett and Ethan Allen also have key differences in their offerings.
Keep reading this in-depth comparison of Bassett vs Ethan Allen furniture to decide which is best for your home.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Bassett | Ethan Allen |
| More casual, relaxed styles | More traditional and formal aesthetics |
| Wide range of custom fabrics and finishes | Classic fabric and finish options |
| Lower and mid-range price points | Primarily high-end price points |
| More furniture for living spaces | Expansive offering for whole home |
The rest of this guide will explore Bassett and Ethan Allen’s key similarities and differences. Keep reading to learn which brand offers the right furniture styles, customization options, quality and value for your needs.
Comparison of Furniture Styles of Bassett Furniture and Ethan Allen
One of the biggest differences between Bassett and Ethan Allen is their furniture aesthetics and styles.
- Bassett Style
Bassett furniture emphasizes casual, relaxed styles perfect for family living.
You’ll find lots of cozy upholstered seating, sleek contemporary bedroom sets, and practical entertainment furnishings.
Much of their lineup has a simple, pared-down look with open frames and classic lines.
The focus is on comfort and functionality rather than ornate details. They use inviting, soft fabrics and surfaces for a relaxed feel.
Bassett’s aesthetic adapts easily to how real families live. Their sofas hold up to kids and pets while their unfussy styles work in laidback spaces. You’ll typically find more modern and transitional designs than extremely formal or traditional pieces.
- Ethan Allen Style
In contrast to Bassett’s casual vibe, Ethan Allen focuses on classic formal furniture with timeless elegance. Their furnishings skew towards more traditional and formal aesthetics, though they do offer some modern and transitional options as well.
Ethan Allen’s sofas and chairs feature tailored skirting, rolled arms, and intricate frames. Their casegoods often incorporate antique inspired details like crown molding tops, inset panels and carved legs.
Rich wood finishes, leather, velvet, and damask are commonly used materials. Overall, their trademark style is gracious and refined. This makes their furniture well-suited for formal living and dining rooms where you want an upscale ambiance.
While Bassett works well for relaxed family homes, Ethan Allen shines in sophisticated spaces that lean formal. Their respective aesthetics attract different tastes, so this is a key difference to consider.
Also Read: This Is Why Floyd Furniture So Expensive.
Customization Options Comparison
Both Bassett and Ethan Allen emphasize customized furniture you can tailor to your unique needs. However, Bassett offers a wider range of fabric and finish options to personalize their sofas, sectionals and chairs.
- Bassett Custom Options
One of Bassett’s biggest strengths is the seemingly endless customization available. Their sofas, loveseats, sectionals and chairs can be ordered in your ideal fabric and configuration.
Bassett has hundreds of fabric choices ranging from easygoing cottons and durable microfibers to luxurious velvets and performance fabrics. Whether you need kid-friendly or formal upholstery, you’ll find many options to suit your lifestyle.
Beyond fabrics, you can customize the cushions, frames, skirting and legs too. Order an extra chaise, swap metal feet for tapered wood legs or add contrast welting. Make the piece uniquely yours with the options you want.
Bassett’s bedroom sets and storage pieces can also be adapted with stains, finishes and hardware choices. Their custom program lets you match furniture to your needs and style.
- Ethan Allen Custom Options
Ethan Allen also offers ample customization for their lines.
You can order their premium sofas, chairs and sectionals in your preferred size, layout, leg style, fabric and cushion fill.
Rather than the vast range at Bassett, Ethan Allen has curated their fabric selection around their formal design aesthetic.
You’ll find classic linen, cotton, velvet and leather choices in elegant neutrals and tones. The fabrics skew higher-end but the palette is tightly edited.
For casegoods, you can customize finishes and hardware. Ethan Allen’s offerings stay on brand so you get quality tailoring but less variety than Bassett. Their focus is providing tasteful customization true to their traditional style rather than endless options.
Quality & Durability Comparison
With their premium American-made furniture, both brands prioritize quality construction and durability. However, Bassett offers a wider range of price points while Ethan Allen focuses on the high-end market.
- Bassett Quality
Bassett is known for well-made furniture designed to be lived in.
Even at lower price points their sofas and chairs are built to last thanks to quality hardwood frames, corner blocking and joint construction.
Their custom upholstery has features like no-sag spring supports, foam cushioning and removable/replaceable covers.
So while affordable, it’s made to withstand years of use.
Mid-tier offerings add even more durability with intricate frames, eight-way hand tied springs and down-blend fills. Top grain leathers and performance fabrics outlast budget options.
Bassett’s highest end furniture rivals luxury brands in quality. For a reasonable investment, you get customize sofas and bedroom sets made to become family heirlooms.
Across all price levels, smart construction ensures Bassett furniture will stay beautiful and functional for years of family living. It’s designed to offer quality at each budget.
- Ethan Allen Quality
As a high-end brand, Ethan Allen focuses exclusively on premium materials and painstaking craftsmanship. Their furniture, especially casegoods, skews towards heirloom investment pieces rather than fast fashion.
You’ll find features like solid hardwood frames, hand tied coil springs, and top-grain leathers on their sofas and chairs. Impeccable tailoring and detail work create sophisticated silhouettes built to last decades.
Ethan Allen’s casegoods collections use quality hardwood veneers over durable plywood cores rather than lower cost particleboard. Intricate finishing and carving give each piece unique character.
With their high standard of quality control, even entry level Ethan Allen furniture is made to become family treasures. And their top-tier offerings rival bespoke work at lower prices.
If your budget accommodates luxury furniture, Ethan Allen delivers exceptional craftsmanship and longevity that justifies the investment. Their focus stays on premium construction.
Also Read: Reasons For Ethan Allen Furniture Being So Expensive.
Value for Money
Due to differences in their typical price points, Bassett likely offers more value for money compared to Ethan Allen’s luxe pricing.
- Bassett Value
A major perk of Bassett is quality furniture at reasonable price points.
Thanks to their North Carolina manufacturing, they can control pricing while delivering USA-made products.
For about $1000-$1500, you can get a tailored custom sofa or sectional from Bassett – much less than most competitors.
Their bedroom sets start around $2000 for whole collections able to outfit an entire master suite or guest room.
Even their premium furniture with high-end leathers, ornate wood carving and luxury fabrics stays under luxury brand pricing. You get excellent value from their combination of quality, customization and cost.
For budget-friendly options under $1000, Bassett sacrifices some bells and whistles but keeps durable construction. So you can trust their products at very accessible price points.
Overall, Bassett provides impressive value across low, medium and high price ranges. You’ll get quality custom furniture tailored to your budget.
- Ethan Allen Value
As Ethan Allen positions itself as a luxury furniture maker, their products skew high-end without much budget-friendly options.
You can expect to spend $2000-3000 on most Ethan Allen sofas and sectionals. Leather options and ornate styles go up from there. For bedrooms, be prepared to spend $3000-5000+ for full collections.
Ethan Allen’s quality does support these premium prices. Compared to low cost disposable furniture, their pieces justify the investment with timeless construction.
However, at similar high price points, other luxury brands offer comparable quality. So while Ethan Allen furniture isn’t overpriced for what you get, it may not be the best value either.
Ethan Allen shines when you appreciate their classic styling and want true heirloom furniture. Yet for shoppers wanting quality at mid-tier pricing, the value isn’t quite as compelling. So make sure their look is worth the splurge.
Which Is Right For You?
Now that you know the core differences between these two made-in-America furniture brands, how do you choose what’s best for your home?
Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:
- Do you prefer a casual, relaxed style or more formal traditional look? Bassett excels at livable sofas and unfussy pieces while Ethan Allen defines gracious elegance.
- What is your budget? Bassett has a wide range from budget-friendly to luxe. Ethan Allen focuses solely on high-end investment furniture.
- How much customization do you need? Bassett offers seemingly endless fabric and style options. Ethan Allen provides tasteful tailored options curated to their brand style.
- Do you want furniture made to withstand family living? Bassett builds durable, kid-friendly upholstery able to weather real life in style.
- Are you seeking fine quality heirloom furniture? If luxurious craftsmanship is worth the splurge, Ethan Allen delivers.
Once you consider your priorities in terms of style, budget and personalizing, you can determine which brand best aligns with your needs.
While both deliver quality products with custom options, Bassett and Ethan Allen have distinct strengths. Evaluating their key differences helps narrow which is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Some furniture brands with a similar relaxed, customizable style as Bassett include:
1. Pottery Barn – Known for comfortable, casual furniture at approachable prices. Offers lots of customizable upholstery and sofas. More transitional style than Bassett.
2. Room & Board – Features unfussy modern furniture focusing on quality USA-made products. Less customization than Bassett but similar easygoing aesthetic.
3. Joybird – Direct-to-consumer brand with mid-century and contemporary collections. Offers custom fabrics and configurations like Bassett. More modern designs than Bassett.
4. BenchMade Modern – Custom sofas and chairs made in California. Mix and match configurations, frames and hundreds of fabrics for one-of-a-kind pieces.
For furniture with a similar formal, elegant style as Ethan Allen, some alternatives include:
1. Baker – Offers classically styled furniture with lots of customization options. Known for impressively crafted pieces made in America. Pricing on par with Ethan Allen.
2. Restoration Hardware – Carries high-end collections with ornate traditional detailing and luxe fabrics. Quality vintage-inspired and modern designs.
3. Hooker Furniture – Traditional luxury furniture made in Virginia with customizable options. Carries living room furniture, bedrooms and occasional pieces.
4. Bernhardt – Southern furniture company specializing in tasteful, upscale designs. Carries sofas, dining sets and casegoods comparable to Ethan Allen.
Yes, Ethan Allen is considered a high-end luxury furniture brand. Their products skew towards the premium end of the market in terms of both quality and pricing.
Ethan Allen furniture features top-quality materials like solid hardwoods and premium leathers, high-end customization and attention to detail that justifies luxury price points.
While not the priciest furniture on the market, Ethan Allen sits solidly in the high-end bracket. The quality craftsmanship and classically elegant styles match what buyers expect from luxury furniture.
Bassett is an excellent furniture brand offering customizable American-made products at reasonable prices.
A few reasons why Bassett furniture is a good choice:
1. Quality construction from hardwood frames to corner blocked upholstery – built to last
2. Mid-tier pricing provides value compared to competitors
3. Hundreds of fabric and customization options to fit your style
4. Relaxed styles made for family living rather than just special occasion rooms
5. Manufacturing in North Carolina facilitates quality control and cost savings
For shoppers wanting tailored sofas, bedroom sets and occasional furniture that can withstand real life, Bassett is an ideal brand. Their combination of quality, value and livable style makes their furniture a great choice for many needs.
Wrapping Up
Bassett and Ethan Allen both offer quality American-made furniture. However, upon closer comparison, distinct differences emerge in their offerings.
Bassett shines for customizable casual furniture with family-friendly durability. Ethan Allen excels at finely crafted heirloom collections with traditional elegance.
By weighing your budget, style and priorities against their key strengths and differences, you can determine which brand better suits your needs.
For relaxed spaces on a budget, Bassett provides great value. If you’re seeking timeless formality and luxury, Ethan Allen’s craftsmanship can justify the investment. Let your personal needs and style guide you to the right fit.
Whichever brand you choose, you can trust their commitment to creating better furniture made to become tomorrow’s heirlooms. Allowing you to relax and enjoy your home today, knowing it will stay beautiful for years to come.