When it comes to home furnishings, Regency and Ashley are two of the biggest names in the business. Both offer a wide selection of living room, bedroom, and dining room furniture at affordable prices.
But there are some key differences between these two furniture giants that are worth considering before you make a purchase.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare and contrast Regency and Ashley furniture, looking at the pros and cons of each brand. We’ll examine factors like quality, selection, pricing, and more.
Read on to learn which brand may be the better fit for your home and lifestyle.
At A Glance Comparison Table
| Category | Regency Furniture | Ashley Furniture |
| Founded | 1947 | 1945 |
| Headquarters | New Jersey | Wisconsin |
| Showrooms | 120+ | Over 700 |
| Manufacturing | Mostly imported | U.S.-based manufacturing |
| Styles | Traditional, contemporary | Traditional, contemporary |
| Strengths | Wide selection, customization options, affordable pricing | Huge selection across all categories, brand reputation |
| Weaknesses | Quality and comfort can be hit or miss | Quality and longevity varies |
This high-level overview shows that while both brands offer similar style and pricing options, Ashley Furniture edges out Regency when it comes to selection, manufacturing, and brand recognition. However, Regency offers more customization.
Key Differences Between Regency And Ashley Furniture
Now let’s take a deeper look at how the two brands compare across some of the most important categories for furniture buyers.
- Quality and Comfort
When buying furniture, quality and comfort are likely top priorities for most shoppers. You want pieces that will hold up well over years of use. Unfortunately, this is an area where both Regency and Ashley struggle compared to higher-end brands.
Regency Furniture
As a mass furniture producer relying heavily on imported products, Regency’s quality can be hit or miss. Some collections are better constructed than others. Reviews suggest that their upholstered pieces and mattresses may sag or lose support over time. But their products are very affordable given the large selection.
Ashley Furniture
Similar to Regency, Ashley Furniture quality can vary depending on the collection. Mid-range to higher-priced Ashley collections tend to use better materials and construction. But entry-level Ashley furniture is comparable to Regency in terms of mixed reviews on durability and comfort over years of use.
The Winner: Tie
Neither brand is a standout for exceptional quality and longevity. For the best quality, consumers may want to read reviews carefully for each collection or consider spending more on higher-end brands.
- Selection and Availability
When it comes to the breadth of selection, Ashley Furniture wins hands down. With over 700 stores, their selection is massive compared to Regency’s 120 locations.
Regency Furniture
Regency offers a large catalog of furniture across living room, bedroom, dining room and home office. Shoppers can find seating, tables, beds, storage and more in lots of styles. But selection is still limited compared to Ashley, especially for some specialty pieces like outdoor furniture or kids’ rooms.
Ashley Furniture
The sheer size of Ashley Furniture is their biggest asset when it comes to selection. They manufacture and sell just about every type of furniture imaginable, from couches and recliners to bunk beds and patio sets. No matter what you’re looking for, Ashley likely has lots of option at various price points.
The Winner: Ashley Furniture
Ashley comes out far ahead of Regency when it comes to the depth and breadth of their catalog. They offer a staggering array of furniture collections across all categories. For the biggest selection, Ashley can’t be beat.
- Customization
The ability to customize furniture is important for many shoppers. From fabric and color options to add-ons like power recliners, customization allows you to make pieces your own.
Regency Furniture
One advantage of Regency is the range of customization they offer. Many of their upholstered living room sets and bedroom collections come in a variety of fabric and color options. Regency makes it easy to customize to your tastes during the ordering process.
Ashley Furniture
Ashley also offers customization on many lines, but not to the same extent as Regency across all categories. Living room furniture can often be customized with fabric and features, but other categories like bedroom or dining room have fewer options.
The Winner: Regency Furniture
Regency wins when it comes to the ease of customizing most furniture to your preferences. Their wide range of available fabrics, colors, and add-ons for living room and bedrooms sets them apart from Ashley.
- Shopping Experience
The in-store shopping experience is another point of differentiation between these two brands. Ashley again comes out ahead based on their huge network of modern HomeStore locations.
Regency Furniture
Regency showrooms tend to be older and more warehouse-like. Their stores can feel cluttered with furniture crammed together. Finding sales associates for help can be difficult. The lack of updated stores takes away from the shopping experience.
Ashley Furniture
Ashley HomeStore locations are generally bright, modern, and spacious.
The large stores are neatly merchandised to showcase their vast selection.
Customers report better experiences finding help from sales staff.
Ashley also offers shop-at-home capabilities.
The Winner: Ashley Furniture
Ashley Furniture stores are more modern with better displays and sales staff, which make for a better overall shopping trip. Regency’s cramped, outdated stores are lacking.
Also Read: Reasons For Scully & Scully Being So Expensive.
- Price and Value
As two brands focused on affordability, price and value are closely linked when comparing Regency and Ashley.
Regency Furniture
Regency positions itself as a value furniture brand. Their prices are very affordable, especially given the customization options available. Reviews indicate Regency quality and comfort can be inconsistent, but the prices reflect the value.
Ashley Furniture
Ashley competes well on price and sales. Their massive buying power allows competitive pricing across good, better, and best quality tiers. Entry-level Ashley furniture offers similar value as Regency. Higher Ashley collections provide better quality for the money.
The Winner: Tie
For budget-minded shoppers, both brands offer solid value at their respective price points. Regency has better low-end prices while Ashley excels at the mid-high end. It depends on the quality you seek.
Pros and Cons of Regency And Ashley Furniture
To recap the key finding of our comparison:
Regency Furniture Pros:
- Wide selection across major categories
- Lots of customization options
- Very affordable and decent value
- Family-owned company since 1947
Regency Furniture Cons:
- Inconsistent quality and durability
- Smaller footprint than Ashley
- Dated showroom experiences
- Limited specialty offerings
Ashley Furniture Pros:
- Massive selection across all categories
- Good mix of budget to high-end offerings
- Large network of modern showrooms
- Strong brand recognition and reputation
Ashley Furniture Cons:
- Very large, corporate retailer
- Quality and comfort varies by collection
- More limited customization than Regency
- Some products made overseas
Also Read: How Big Lots And Ashley Furniture Compare Each Other?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
No, Regency and Ashley Furniture are not the same company. They are two competing furniture retailers that offer similar mass-produced, mid-priced furniture. Regency was founded in 1947 while Ashley was founded in 1945. They are two of the biggest furniture brands in the U.S. but are completely separate companies.
Rooms to Go, Raymour & Flanigan, Value City Furniture, and IKEA are all comparable furniture retailers that compete with Ashley Furniture in the mid-price furniture segment. Like Ashley, these brands provide a wide selection of living room, bedroom, dining and more imported and budget-friendly furniture options for the mass market.
No, Ashley Furniture is not considered high-end furniture. It is a mass furniture producer focused on the mid-price furniture segment. However, Ashley does offer some higher-priced collections with better materials and construction that can approach high-end quality and design – but their bread and butter is mid-range upholstered furniture, bedroom sets and more.
In a 2019 class action lawsuit, Ashley Furniture was accused of falsely advertising solid wood products that were actually made from medium density fiberboard (MDF) and other composite woods. Ashley settled the lawsuit in 2021 without admitting wrongdoing. Consumers complained Ashley’s “100% real wood” marketing was misleading. This lawsuit highlighted issues with quality and marketing for some Ashley collections.
Wrapping Up
In the battle of the furniture giants, Ashley Furniture clearly comes out ahead for their enormous selection, brand reputation, and store network. But savvy shoppers should still consider Regency, especially for better customization at very affordable price points.
Ultimately there is no universally “better” option. Each brand has strengths and weaknesses. Consider which factors – quality, selection, customization, shopping experience – matter most to you. Read furniture reviews carefully for any line you’re considering. And inspect products closely in person when possible.
With smart shopping, both Regency and Ashley can be great options for every room in your home. Define your priorities, understand the differences, and you can likely find quality furniture you’ll love from either retailer.