From Fred Albert,
Your Guide to Furniture.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Once upon a time, the notion of shopping for furniture over the internet seemed about as crazy as buying your clothing online. But now that apparel has outpaced computer equipment and software in online sales, the idea of buying furniture online doesn't seem so far-fetched.

Buying furniture online has its risks. The only way to truly know what you're getting is to examine a piece in person, so you can test its comfort, durability, scale and finish, then look for the identical object online. Barring that, your best bet is to buy from a reputable dealer, study the listing carefully, call and ask questions, then examine the return policy before you purchase.

While I haven't visted every furniture Web site in the world, there are a number that keep me coming back time and again, because of their quality, selection, ease of use and pricing. Here are 10 of my favorite places for buying furniture online, in alphabetical order:

The Conran Shop

A division of Sir Terence Conran's formidable style empire, The Conran Shop offers an inspirational blend of contemporary, classic, vintage and ethnic designs that are chic and refreshingly fashion-forward. You'll find products here you won't find elsewhere (many are exclusive to The Conran Shop), and the prices are more reasonable than you might expect. Even if you're not into buying furniture online, a stroll through their Web site is a great lesson in what's new and fresh in the design world.

Crate and Barrel

Crate and Barrel has been around for more than 40 years, so when you purchase a product from them, you can be assured that it will be well-made and smartly designed, with a clean, contemporary look and nice choices of materials. Their Web site is as tantalizing as their catalog: It's easy to navigate and features a good selection of merchandise, although the return policy is not as lenient as some of their competitors.

Design Within Reach

The name says it all: DWR takes classic contemporary design out of the realm of the über-rich and makes it accessible to anyone who wants it--without the snobbery that sometimes comes with modernist furniture. All of design's greatest stars are here--from Aalto and Eames to Le Corbusier and Starck--at prices that are a tad steep, but often less than what these pieces have commanded in the past. I like the detailed descriptions that accompany all the product listings, as well as DWR's low shipping fees. The company also has dozens of bricks-and-mortar stores--excuse me, "studios"--where you can take a test-drive before buying furniture online.

Highbrow Furniture

Hate the name; love the site. Founded in Nashville in 1985 and launched on the Web 14 years later, Highbrow offers an excellent selection of classic contemporary furnishings from companies such as Kartell, Vitra and Herman Miller for the Home. Whether you're looking for a Noguchi Coffee Table, Bertoia Side Chair or Nelson Marshmallow Sofa, you'll find it here in its authentic, authorized form--Highbrow doesn't carry knockoffs (and the prices reflect that). Still, prices are in line with what you'd pay elsewhere, and the company offers a full refund within 10 days if you're not happy with your order. Best of all: Shipping is free within the contiguous 48 states.

Horchow

Many furniture Web sites specialize in contemporary pieces. Not Horchow. The company's flavor is definitely Old World, with a strong European influence and a bracing celebration of ornament that's overlooked by most other merchants. Although much of the stuff isn't my taste, and the prices can be a bit daunting, I never fail to find something I love here--and that I haven't seen anywhere else. Plus every so often they surprise you with a great deal. The return policy is fairly generous, and they offer free fabric swatches for most of their upholstered goods when you're buying furniture online.