It's no small task to find a bathroom vanity online that won't blow your credit card statement to smithereens at the end of the month. Nobody likes to see scary four-digit numbers added to their statement solely from the purchase of a vanity. After all, it's a dead-simple product: a box with doors that sometimes includes a countertop. How hard can this be?
Shipping a Single Item, But a Heavy One
One issue is that you're stuck in a limbo revolving around shipping costs.
Unlike purchasing a door knob or towel bar online, a bathroom vanity is large and heavy enough to push your shipping costs higher than you'd like. When shipping costs come to 50% or more of the cost of the item, it's not worth buying online.
Yet you're not buying in big enough quantities to qualify for free or reduced shipping rates. Ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinet companies often absorb--or at least cleverly disguise--shipping costs because you're buying thousands of dollars worth of cabinets.
Read: Introduction to Bathroom Sinks and Vanities
Parcel vs. Truck Freight
Even though the bathroom vanity arrives flat-packed (disassembled and in relatively flat boxes, ready for you to put together), it usually is not small or light enough for cheaper parcel shipping (UPS, USPS, or FedEx). Instead, vanities tend to be shipped "Truck Delivery Only," a slow form of transit with vague arrival estimates.
In the review below, quoted costs do not include sales tax, as the application of sales taxes still varies from state to state. The "pick up in store" option is not included in my factors, since not all retailers offer this service. I looked at vanities in common sizings, from around 20" to 48". Finally, I have selected only online retailers with some reputability, not shopping aggregators like Bizrate or Alibaba.
Most of us think of Home Depot as the familiar orange box store occupying several city blocks in suburbia. But online ordering?
Home Depot has vastly improved their online shopping site, so maybe it's something you should check out. They offer far more bathroom vanities than Lowe's, and far larger units that fall under that much-desired free shipping umbrella.
Sample Unit
Our sample item is this 48 Inch Foremost Ashburn Mahogany Vanity.
Product and Shipping Costs
Product cost is $299.40.
Free curbside truck shipping is included, with a somewhat mushy one week-long delivery timeframe.
Home Depot offers four shipping options for bathroom vanities: Curbside Truck, Basic Truck, Threshold, and White Glove, starting with free and ramping up to $115 for White Glove. By the way, if you think White Glove means "assembly," you're dead wrong. All they will do is take the item into your house, remove from boxes, and take the boxes away.
Summary
Home Depot's site is definitely a viable option for ordering bathroom vanities online. The site is a big jumble of products, so be sure to liberally use the filters in the left-hand column. The way to find the free shipping option is under the "How to Get It" filter.
Wayfair is a Boston MA-based online-only retailer that offers a large selection of stylish vanities, especially modern and contemporary.
Sample Unit
24 3/4" vanity finished in Java Oak. This includes the solid surface top and brushed nickel cabinet hardware, but not the faucet.
Product and Shipping Costs
$297.52 for the product itself.
Wayfair does offer free shipping for orders over $49. However, free shipping means that you take the box off the truck yourself. With bathroom vanities, this should not be a problem to handle by yourself, and certainly not with two people. Gatelift delivery--in which the driver takes the product down for you--will cost an extra $50.
Summary
This well-organized site lets you search by vanity size. Prices are decent. And the company seems intent on dealing honestly with its customers.
DecorPlanet's site has a jumbled, shifty look to it, but it's actually a reputable dealer with three brick-and-mortar showrooms.
Sample Unit
This Dreamline Modern Vanity unit is 16 1/4" wide and it hangs from the wall. It comes with the vanity top and the medicine cabinet, but not fixtures.
Product and Shipping Costs
$331.80. This was the rock-bottom cheapest bathroom vanity at Decor Planet, making it three times more expensive than the cheapest at Home Depot and Lowe's.
Summary
Great style with lots of modern designs. But you pay the price for it.
Anyone who is a member of Amazon Prime knows the delicious pleasure of ordering up a huge item and having it delivered for free. That's one of the main features of this $79/year service. Any item designated as Prime Eligible gets shipped to you free. But are there any bathroom vanities that fall in this category? Well...that's a different story.
Sample Unit
Pegasus 30" Bathroom Vanity. Sides are plywood. Black "birdcage-style" hardware is included. Not included: top, faucet, sink, toothbrush holder and backsplash.
Product and Shipping Costs
$516.04 for the product. Shipping is free.
Summary
No bargains here. Amazon is anything but a vast river of low-priced bathroom vanities. Selection is limited and searching is hard. It takes awhile to set the right filters to call up the right results. Tip: search under the Tools and Home Improvement category, not Home and Kitchen.
Amazon is a surprising disappointment. Pass on Amazon.
Who ever thinks about ordering online from Lowe's? I sure don't. When I have two Lowe's stores within five miles of me, it's not my first online destination. With 1,825 stores across the U.S., there's probably a Lowe's near you, too. How do they do with online orders?
Sample Unit
This bathroom vanity unit is about as barebones as it gets. If you have a little-used powder room or guest bathroom or maybe even an RV, and you want to go cheap--and you don't care much about style--you might like the paradoxically named Style Selections 20 Inch (wide) Euro Style unit. It's the whole kit and kaboodle, vitreous china top and hardware included.
Product and Shipping Costs
Product cost is $99.
It's the only Lowe's online vanity that qualifies for parcel shipping. Orders over $49 get free parcel shipping. Truck delivery would cost $79, which is 80% the cost of the unit itself.
What's so odd about the pricing structure is that, should you dare to desire an extra four inches' width to your unit, you blow your chances for free shipping. That's because the added size throws you out of the cheaper parcel shipping category and into the truck shipping category, which isn't free.
Summary
An embarrassing mess. No style, no selection, a site that is difficult to navigate. Basically, Lowe's online service is a vehicle for getting you to come into a store. Forget Lowes.com.
Shipping a Single Item, But a Heavy One
One issue is that you're stuck in a limbo revolving around shipping costs.
Unlike purchasing a door knob or towel bar online, a bathroom vanity is large and heavy enough to push your shipping costs higher than you'd like. When shipping costs come to 50% or more of the cost of the item, it's not worth buying online.
Yet you're not buying in big enough quantities to qualify for free or reduced shipping rates. Ready-to-assemble (RTA) cabinet companies often absorb--or at least cleverly disguise--shipping costs because you're buying thousands of dollars worth of cabinets.
Read: Introduction to Bathroom Sinks and Vanities
Parcel vs. Truck Freight
Even though the bathroom vanity arrives flat-packed (disassembled and in relatively flat boxes, ready for you to put together), it usually is not small or light enough for cheaper parcel shipping (UPS, USPS, or FedEx). Instead, vanities tend to be shipped "Truck Delivery Only," a slow form of transit with vague arrival estimates.
In the review below, quoted costs do not include sales tax, as the application of sales taxes still varies from state to state. The "pick up in store" option is not included in my factors, since not all retailers offer this service. I looked at vanities in common sizings, from around 20" to 48". Finally, I have selected only online retailers with some reputability, not shopping aggregators like Bizrate or Alibaba.
1. $300 For 48" Vanity: HomeDepot.com
Most of us think of Home Depot as the familiar orange box store occupying several city blocks in suburbia. But online ordering?
Home Depot has vastly improved their online shopping site, so maybe it's something you should check out. They offer far more bathroom vanities than Lowe's, and far larger units that fall under that much-desired free shipping umbrella.
Sample Unit
Our sample item is this 48 Inch Foremost Ashburn Mahogany Vanity.
Product and Shipping Costs
Product cost is $299.40.
Free curbside truck shipping is included, with a somewhat mushy one week-long delivery timeframe.
Home Depot offers four shipping options for bathroom vanities: Curbside Truck, Basic Truck, Threshold, and White Glove, starting with free and ramping up to $115 for White Glove. By the way, if you think White Glove means "assembly," you're dead wrong. All they will do is take the item into your house, remove from boxes, and take the boxes away.
Summary
Home Depot's site is definitely a viable option for ordering bathroom vanities online. The site is a big jumble of products, so be sure to liberally use the filters in the left-hand column. The way to find the free shipping option is under the "How to Get It" filter.
2. $300 For 24.75" Vanity: Wayfair
Wayfair is a Boston MA-based online-only retailer that offers a large selection of stylish vanities, especially modern and contemporary.
Sample Unit
24 3/4" vanity finished in Java Oak. This includes the solid surface top and brushed nickel cabinet hardware, but not the faucet.
Product and Shipping Costs
$297.52 for the product itself.
Wayfair does offer free shipping for orders over $49. However, free shipping means that you take the box off the truck yourself. With bathroom vanities, this should not be a problem to handle by yourself, and certainly not with two people. Gatelift delivery--in which the driver takes the product down for you--will cost an extra $50.
Summary
This well-organized site lets you search by vanity size. Prices are decent. And the company seems intent on dealing honestly with its customers.
3. $332 For 16.25" Vanity: DecorPlanet
DecorPlanet's site has a jumbled, shifty look to it, but it's actually a reputable dealer with three brick-and-mortar showrooms.
Sample Unit
This Dreamline Modern Vanity unit is 16 1/4" wide and it hangs from the wall. It comes with the vanity top and the medicine cabinet, but not fixtures.
Product and Shipping Costs
$331.80. This was the rock-bottom cheapest bathroom vanity at Decor Planet, making it three times more expensive than the cheapest at Home Depot and Lowe's.
Summary
Great style with lots of modern designs. But you pay the price for it.
4. $516 For 30" Vanity: Amazon Prime
Anyone who is a member of Amazon Prime knows the delicious pleasure of ordering up a huge item and having it delivered for free. That's one of the main features of this $79/year service. Any item designated as Prime Eligible gets shipped to you free. But are there any bathroom vanities that fall in this category? Well...that's a different story.
Sample Unit
Pegasus 30" Bathroom Vanity. Sides are plywood. Black "birdcage-style" hardware is included. Not included: top, faucet, sink, toothbrush holder and backsplash.
Product and Shipping Costs
$516.04 for the product. Shipping is free.
Summary
No bargains here. Amazon is anything but a vast river of low-priced bathroom vanities. Selection is limited and searching is hard. It takes awhile to set the right filters to call up the right results. Tip: search under the Tools and Home Improvement category, not Home and Kitchen.
Amazon is a surprising disappointment. Pass on Amazon.
5. $99 For 20" Vanity: Lowes.com
Who ever thinks about ordering online from Lowe's? I sure don't. When I have two Lowe's stores within five miles of me, it's not my first online destination. With 1,825 stores across the U.S., there's probably a Lowe's near you, too. How do they do with online orders?
Sample Unit
This bathroom vanity unit is about as barebones as it gets. If you have a little-used powder room or guest bathroom or maybe even an RV, and you want to go cheap--and you don't care much about style--you might like the paradoxically named Style Selections 20 Inch (wide) Euro Style unit. It's the whole kit and kaboodle, vitreous china top and hardware included.
Product and Shipping Costs
Product cost is $99.
It's the only Lowe's online vanity that qualifies for parcel shipping. Orders over $49 get free parcel shipping. Truck delivery would cost $79, which is 80% the cost of the unit itself.
What's so odd about the pricing structure is that, should you dare to desire an extra four inches' width to your unit, you blow your chances for free shipping. That's because the added size throws you out of the cheaper parcel shipping category and into the truck shipping category, which isn't free.
Summary
An embarrassing mess. No style, no selection, a site that is difficult to navigate. Basically, Lowe's online service is a vehicle for getting you to come into a store. Forget Lowes.com.
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