When it comes to buying a new bathroom countertop there are many options available to you. Whether you want to purchase it online or through a retail location, here are the most common choices available:
Wayfair
An extensive online marketplace for all home goods, Wayfair hosts a large selection of bathroom countertops in nearly every material and style available. They carry regular, sink, double sink, and vanity-style countertops, ensuring that there’s always something you can find. Their countertop materials include stone, granite, solid surface, marble, quartz, ceramic, metal, composite, plastic, wood, and glass. The advantage of shopping with Wayfair is selection, but returns can be difficult when compared to other vendors.
Home Depot
A well-known pillar in home improvement, Home Depot offers an incredible selection of all things home-related. Among their diverse catalog, they carry a wide range of bathroom countertops such as stone resin, cultured marble, acrylic, and engineered quartz. The primary advantage of shopping at home depot for your countertop is that you can physically touch and inspect it before purchasing. Also, with so many physical locations to purchase your countertop, it is also highly convenient.
Lowes
Similar to Home Depot, Lowes is another large home improvement retail chain. They offer a diverse catalog of bathroom countertops and vanities. From acrylic, solid surface, marble, quartz, glass, and granite, Lowes has a wide variety of countertop options. The advantage of shopping at Lowes is that you get to physically preview your countertop material before purchasing. This allows you to verify the quality level and feel before it enters your home. With a plethora of locations,. Lowes offers a convenient option for bathroom purchases.
Joss and Main
A company under the Wayfair umbrella, Joss and Main offers both vanities and bathroom countertops. They have similar stock with Wayfair and offer regular, single-sink, double-sink, and no-sink countertop options. These countertops are available in stone, granite, solid surface, marble, quartz, ceramic, metal, composite, plastic, wood, and glass, giving you a diverse range of materials to choose from. In addition to their diverse catalog, Joss and Main offer yearly sales, making it a great place to ensure a good bargain.
Amazon
An incredibly large online marketplace, Amazon offers a wide range of bathroom countertop options although their materials are limited to ceramic, copper, and glass. The benefit of shopping through Amazon is that with so many vendors, you can easily locate a countertop that appeals to you. However, since Amazon is an open market, it may be difficult to return your countertop or get a refund if you are dissatisfied with it.
Ikea
A Swedish multinational conglomerate that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture and home goods, Ikea is a great place to hunt for an affordable countertop. Ikea furniture will certainly add stylish flair to your bathroom, but your countertop will be of lower quality. Ikea furniture is ideal for achieving a luxury look at an affordable rate, allowing you to invest your money on other fixtures in your bathroom.
Pottery Barn
An upscale home furnishing store chain, Pottery Barn offers high-quality bathroom vanities and countertops. You can purchase an incredible selection of modern and classic designs that match any bathroom you dream of, but they are incredibly pricey. Pottery Barn does have many retail locations for you to inspect their countertops but expect to pay a fair bit for their designs.
AllModern
AllModern is a specialty brand of Wayfair and, as such, offers a wide selection of vanities and countertops. Similar to Wayfair, their selection and affordable prices are a great options for diverse price ranges, ensuring that you can always get something you want. However, just like the namesake, AllModern specializes in modern designs, making it ideal if you have modern decor in your bathroom. Their countertops have more streamlined appearances and complement any modern bathroom.
Custom Order
If you are not satisfied with the current options on the market, you can always opt to create your own bathroom countertop.
Pros and Cons of Buying In-Store vs Online
Buying In-Store
Purchasing items in the store allows you to fully inspect the item before purchasing. Many in-store and online vendors have showrooms that help provide inspiration and a preview of how your countertop looks in relation to other items in your bathroom.
For example, Badeloft offers showroom locations to look at their bathtub and countertops to see how they look and feel before online purchases. This prevents you from having to deal with shipping and return costs. On the other hand, you have to figure out how to bring your product home, which can be inconvenient, and their stock is limited, so you might not find the product you are looking for.
Pros
- You can physically inspect and preview the countertop
- Professionals can provide advice on your countertop
- No shipping costs
- Can account for size
- Easier to inspect quality
Cons
- Not Convenient
- Requires physical transportation
- Travel costs
Buying Online
Online locations provide more flexibility in terms of stock and convenience. Because you don’t have to go to a location physically, you can wait for the item to be in stock and order it. The item will arrive at your door without any complications, but if you have any issues with your item such as weight, size, or quality, you are at the mercy of each individual online vendor. Some have flexible return policies, whereas others do not, so there is an associated risk with purchasing a countertop online.
Pros
- Convenience
- No travel costs
- Time-saving
Cons
- Cannot inspect item fully
- Quality variable
Tips on Buying Bathroom Countertops
Consider your budget
Your budget will determine what options are available to you. Materials, size, weight, and installation method will all center around your budget, so it’s important to plan and select a countertop that fits your budget because installation costs and maintenance will swiftly follow.
Always measure
Before purchasing your countertop, measure your space and understand how much available space you have to work with. This will save you from the hassle of having your counter be too small or too big.
Account for weight
Countertops are made from materials that can be quite hefty. Consider the weight of the material you choose carefully. If you have a heavy material, reinforce your foundation to support the extra weight.
Don’t be afraid to take inspiration
Show rooms are readily available and provide a great starting point in giving you ideas. Take inspirations from multiple online sources and have a general idea of what you want before shopping.
Consider color
Ensure that the color you choose pairs well with the rest of your bathroom. Select materials such as stone or marble as they pair well with any bathroom aesthetic.
When buying a new countertop, you have many options available. Whether it’s custom or retail, ensure that the countertop you choose is the right fit for your home.
Eric is the founder and president of Badeloft USA. He has been the president of Badeloft’s US division for over ten years and oversees all marketing and branding aspects of Badeloftusa.com.
His expertise lies in small business development, sales, and home and bathroom industry trends and information.
Contact us with any business related inquiries.