When it comes to exterior doors, two brands stand out from the crowd: Feather River doors and Pella doors.
But which one is right for your home? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare these popular exterior door brands across important categories like materials, styles, warranties, customer reviews and more. Read on to see how Feather River and Pella stack up.
Overview Comparison
| Aspects | Feather River | Pella |
| Materials | Pine, Mahogany, Alder, Cherry, Vertical Grain Douglas Fir | Wood, Fiberglass, Steel, Vinyl |
| Styles | French doors, pivot doors, multi-slide doors, bi-fold doors, swing doors | Hinged patio doors, sliding patio doors, swing doors, specialty shapes |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty | 10 years on wood doors, 5 years on fiberglass and vinyl doors, 1 year on decorative glass |
| Manufacturer | Privately owned company based in California | Major manufacturer founded in 1925 based in Iowa |
| Best For | Custom designs and configurations | Wide selection of stylish options |
As you can see, both Feather River and Pella offer high-quality exterior doors but have some differences when it comes to materials, specialty options, warranties and more. Keep reading our detailed comparison to help decide if hardy Feather River doors or stylish Pella doors are the best match for your exterior project.
Key Differences Between Pella And Feather River Doors
- Door Materials
Feather River doors shines when it comes to quality wood species offerings and custom design capabilities.
They handcraft doors from solid wood, not veneers, in species like Mahogany, Alder and Vertical Grain Douglas fir.
These woods offer natural beauty, durability and insulation.
In contrast, Pella focuses more on low maintenance materials like fiberglass, steel and vinyl. While light and dent-resistant, some customers feel these options from Pella lack the visual warmth and character of real wood.
Pella offers a wider range of materials overall, while Feather River is limited to wood species. But when it comes to wood quality, Feather River is virtually unmatched with their solid, thick planks and durable build.
- Door Styles
Both brands provide an ample selection of exterior door configurations to meet various needs and tastes.
Feather River doors focuses on specialty options that take wood doors to the next level, like smoothly gliding multi-slide systems, space-saving bi-folds, and eyecatching curved doors.
Their innovative pivot door is an especially unique choice combining graceful movement with modern appeal. If you have an open concept home blurring indoor and outdoor boundaries, their custom styles can help you perfectly accentuate the spaces.
Pella also offers standard patio doors and hinged designs, but have many classically styled decorative options as well. From sidelights and transoms to carved details and arched shapes, they have refinement covered. So if boosting your home’s curb appeal with pretty period details is your goal, Pella hits that high note.
No matter your desired aesthetic or functionality requirements, either brand has appealing door styles at the ready to elevate your home. Pella simply leads in classical elegance, while Feather River takes custom, ultra-sleek wood designs to the next level.
- Durability and Protection
Hands down, Feather River takes durability honors with their solid, sustainable woods and precision craftsmanship. Mahogany and Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, for example, have natural resistance to insects, warping and weather fluctuations.
Paired with mortise and tenon joinery built to last generations, you can’t go wrong durability-wise.
Pella doors are still resilient performers, albeit with a few caveats. For instance, many Pella wood doors feature laminated veneers rather than solid planks. Their fiberglass and steel options rate impressively for low maintenance, but vinyl doors may expand and contract with temperature changes.
For climates with more extreme weather swings, Feather River’s incredibly strong real wood construction prevents against cracks or movement issues better.
Their patented finishing system offering UV protection and water resistance provides defense across seasons too.
And they stock doors purpose built to withstand coastal humidity or high altitude snow loads.
While both brands ensure a quality final product, Feather River pulls ahead on construction innovations that stand the true test of time.
Their solid doors designed for your unique environmental stressors help explain the superior warranty they can stand behind.
- Warranties
When investing in a quality exterior door, especially wood, long-term protection brings peace of mind. Here Feather River doors excels with one of the strongest warranties around.
They offer a limited lifetime warranty on door structure and 20 years on hardware and finishes. This shows immense confidence in longevity and performance. Even better, their customer service reputation means they actually follow through if any manufacturing issues arise.
In comparison, Pella provides a basic 10 year warranty that covers defects on wood doors and 5 years on other options. Though decent coverage, some customer reviews mention frustrating experiences getting them to honor claims.
And the shorter time frames just don’t match Feather River’s virtually unlimited protection against defects.
For a big purchase expected to last for decades without hassle, Feather River’s comprehensive warranty sets the standard. Knowing both your investment and satisfaction are covered for life brings big value.
- Customization Capabilities
When it comes to tailoring doors to your exact tastes or challenging spaces, both companies can assist but Feather River pulls ahead. With made to order doors in special dimensions or custom finishes, they help you problem solve unique challenges.
Their Sales Engineers can walk you through possibilities to accentuate openings with real flair too.
Pella also offers modifications to size, glass styles, hardware finishes and design elements. But feedback indicates custom work with Pella aligns more with cookie cutter alterations. Simple swaps don’t provide the true bespoke experience Feather River delivers through unified manufacturing.
Keen to install eye catching curved doors or daring modern pivots? Want a textured finish matching your interior designs? Have a wall of glass doors joining impossible dimensions? Feather River makes dreams reality with their custom creations.
- Pricing Considerations
Given the ultra high-end woods and workmanship Feather River invests in their doors, their price tags run on the luxury end. But fans feel the unparalleled quality, custom capabilities and lifespans justify costs ranging from $3,000 up to $20,000+.
Pella provides far more budget flexibility with options starting around $300.
Even their most premium decorative wood doors with intricate detailing rarely exceed $7,000.
So if keeping project costs down is essential, Pella will be the pocketbook pleaser.
Just remember with entryways, first impressions matter so quality and aesthetic should still rank high in decision making.
Weigh what design elements hold the most value for you, rather than fixating on bottom line numbers alone. In the big picture, Feather River’s special doors may still prove worthwhile despite steep initial investments.
- Customer Satisfaction Reviews
Both companies earn strong satisfaction marks, but Feather River pulls ahead based on in-depth buyer feedback and service reputation.
Across various review sites, Feather River earns consistent 5 star ratings with particular praise for quality, style choices, helpfulness and reliability. Many share stories of the customized dream doors Feather River created for tricky home situations where competitors failed.
Pella also scores well for premium window and door offerings. But you may encounter more mixed impressions depending on location and authorized installer professionalism. Some customers struggle with getting warranty support too or wish Pella offered more color choices.
Bottom line, both companies earn consumer trust and positive reviews overall. But Feather River edges out Pella with their incredible service ethic and more consistent happiness measures.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
With exceptional wood quality, custom capabilities and leading warranties, Feather River doors come highly rated as a premium exterior door brand. If investing in remarkable craftsmanship and lifelong performance matters most, they deliver exceptional products.
The “best” door depends on your budget, design tastes, environmental conditions and desired features. Overall Feather River takes top marks if you seek wood, customization and durability. For lower maintenance and more classic styling on a budget, Pella excels.
Feather River uses only the highest grade solid wood species for unbeatable structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. Standard plank options include Mahogany, Alder, Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, Pine and they also craft specialty doors in Cherry, African Mahogany, Bamboo and more.
Hallmarks of superb entry doors include solid plank construction, weather stripping, durable finishes, quality hardware, security features and good warranties. Feather River checks all those boxes with hardwoods planks, rot-proofing, patented finishes and lifetime warranties. For fiberglass and vinyl, Pella meets durability and security standards too.
Final Thoughts
In summary, while both Feather River and Pella make excellent high end exterior doors, Feather River pulls ahead in critical areas. Their unparalleled wood quality, total customization talents, and exceptional service earn them prime status for discerning homeowners.
If a smart upgrade project with timeless curb appeal matters, splurging on special doors from Feather River is undoubtedly worth considering.
My original Feather River door warped. They promptly replaced it and this one is warping. I do not recommend it.