Urban Barn vs. La-Z-Boy: Comparison of Furniture Retailers

Furnishing a home is a big undertaking and there are many important decisions to make along the way! You will have to decide on a design style, a budget, and the particular pieces that you would like to fill your home.

Most importantly, you will have to choose from an endless selection of furniture retailers. Given that different retailers offer different products and services in terms of style, cost, and quality, it is important to find a retailer that will best suit your furniture needs and preferences.

More specifically, Eastern Ontario has a wide variety of furniture retailers to choose from. Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy Home Furnishing & Décor are two primary examples of successful and reputable furniture retailers in the Ottawa and Kingston area.

While they share similarities, Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy each have something unique to offer and appeal to a different type of consumer. So which retailer is right for you?

This article will provide you with a detailed comparison of both retailers based on various product and store aspects, plus what services are offered.

After reading this comparison, you will be able to make an informed decision about the retailer that best suits you!

About Each Retailer

Before we dive into a detailed comparison, let’s get to know each retailer!

Urban Barn was first founded in 1990, located in Manitoba, Canada. The first showroom resembled a rustic farmhouse right in the heart of the city.

Over the last 30 years, Urban Barn has expanded across Canada with 50 retail locations and 650 team members.

Urban Barn says they aim to “balance a range of designs from urban contemporary to modern rustic, for people who live in cities, suburbs, and lakeside towns”.

In comparison, La-Z-Boy is an American company, founded over 90 years ago in Monroe, Michigan, United States. The local Ottawa and Kingston La-Z-Boy locations have been locally owned and operated by the Maxwell family since 2011.

Most commonly known for inventing the iconic reclining chair, La-Z-Boy offers a wide variety of products with an emphasis on quality, comfort, and craftsmanship, specifically focusing on living room furniture. As a retailer, La-Z-Boy is committed to “enriching people’s lives by transforming houses into homes”.

La-Z-Boy History

Product Categories & Brands

Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy are both well-known retailers in the home furniture industry, offering a range of furniture and decor.

Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy both carry a wide selection of furniture and decor suited for the living room, dining room, bedroom, and home office. Further, both Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy have an extensive home decor and accessories selection.

It is also important to note that Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy both manufacture and sell their own products. In other words, neither Urban Barn nor La-Z-Boy carries furniture from external brands.

La-Z-Boy only carries company-branded and owned furniture, including subdivisions, Hammary, Kincaid, and American Drew that supply casegood items including occasional tables, dining, and home entertainment furnishings.

Further, the local Ottawa & Kingston La-Z-Boy businesses work very closely with Canadel in providing options for custom dining furniture. Canadel is Canadian-made and manufactured out of Louisville, Quebec and there is an affiliated Canadel showroom located in Kanata.

When it comes to decor, La-Z-Boy partners with suppliers to offer unique and fashionable home accessories, including area rugs by Surya.

With these similarities in mind, there are still some notable differences between Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy’s product selection in terms of emphasis, functionality, and style.

While Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy both offer furniture for many rooms in the home, La-Z-Boy places a stronger emphasis on living room furniture compared to Urban Barn.

You may notice this difference by comparing the layout of each supplier’s showroom floor.

La-Z-Boy’s showroom primarily consists of living room arrangements to showcase the upholstery selection, such as sofas, sectionals, and of course, the recliner chair. This upholstery furniture is offered in stationary, manual reclining, and power reclining.

At a La-Z-Boy showroom, you will find about one dresser and possibly a headboard from a given bedroom line. To browse La-Z-Boy’s full bedroom and case good selection, a design consultant will show you a catalogue.

In contrast, the Urban Barn showroom features living room arrangements, dining room furniture, and full bedroom sets. There is a relatively equal emphasis placed on all furniture.

Given that La-Z-Boy places a stronger emphasis on living room upholstery furniture, it is also important to note that La-Z-Boy offers much more in terms of functionality. La-Z-Boy offers a large selection of recliners, sofas, loveseats, and sectionals, in stationary and many with the ability to recline. The reclining furniture is available with many upgrades including power, heat & massage, an adjustable headrest & lumbar support.

While Urban Barn also features a large upholstery selection, they do not offer as much reclining furniture, with as many features, as La-Z-Boy.

Further, Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy have some differences in terms of style selection.

Urban Barn describes their furniture style as urban contemporary and modern rustic. With a limited selection of styles, you can easily create a consistent and cohesive design style by shopping at Urban Barn.

In contrast, La-Z-Boy furniture is offered in a wider range of styles, including Classics Revisited, Modern Retreat, Family Favourites, and Comfortably Casual.

Where it is Made

For some buyers, where the product is made can be a defining factor in making a purchasing decision.

Founded in Canada, much of Urban Barn’s furniture is assembled in Canada. With this being said, some Urban Barn products are imported and manufactured from outside of Canada.

La-Z-Boy is a global manufacturer with operations in North America, Asia, and Europe. La-Z-Boy’s products are primarily made in North America for North American markets. The global headquarters of La-Z-Boy is in Monroe, Michigan but the majority of our recliners, chairs, sofas, and sectionals that are sold in Ottawa and Kingston are manufactured in Dayton, Tennessee.

For more information, check out the article Where La-Z-Boy Furniture is Made.

Price

The price of furniture is very comparable at Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy. Both Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy products fall within the mid-high price range.

To compare prices, let’s take a look at some average costs of living room upholstery furniture!

Cost Range	Urban Barn	La-Z-Boy
Sofa	$1,699 - $3,999	$1,500 - $8,500
Sectional	$2,499 - $7,597	$3,899 - $12,000
Recliner Chair	$1,449 - $2,399	$629 - $3,689

*Urban Barn costs gathered through website research.

La-Z-Boy offers options to upgrade and customize your furniture of choice. With this, prices are subject to change or increase.

*All La-Z-Boy prices listed in this article are subject to change. Please visit lzb.com and select an Ottawa or Kingston La-Z-Boy store location to view the most up-to-date pricing.

Financing

Regardless of which retailer you are shopping with, furniture of any kind is often a significant investment. The option for furniture financing can take some strain off of your pocketbook and allow you to enjoy new furnishings while paying off the investment over time.

Urban Barn offers financing through PayBright.

PayBright is Canada’s leading installment payment provider. When you use PayBright to pay in-store at Urban Barn, you can split your purchase into automatic monthly payments. With monthly payments, client’s can pay over 6, 12, or 18 months. Purchases over $7,500 also qualify for 36, 48, or 60 monthly payments.

Similarly, La-Z-Boy has a partnership with Flexiti Financing in order to provide furniture financing options to clients.

With this, La-Z-Boy offers the opportunity to finance your purchase at a 0% interest rate as long as the purchase is paid off within a given period of time. Based on the plan you choose, there are different options available to pay off your investment over either 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months. Further, depending on the plan chosen, you may be required to pay a financing fee at the time of purchase.

To learn more about furniture financing, take a look at our article Furniture Financing: Everything you Need to Know.

Warranty

As previously mentioned, furniture is a significant investment. When making a big purchase on furniture, you want to be confident that your investment is protected and will stand the test of time.

Many furniture retailers offer a warranty on furniture in order to give you that extra peace of mind.

At Urban Barn, all furniture is sold with a manufacturer's warranty. The warranty covers elements of the structure and frame, as well as manufacturers’ defects.

Further, Urban Barn offers an additional warranty called the 5-year Diamond Kote Extended Protection Plan. This plan covers upholstered furniture, including repair costs for up to 5 years against most accidental stains, rips, tears, and burns.

This additional protection plan is only applied to products that cost $599 or more.

La-Z-Boy products carry a manufacturing warranty that covers some mechanical and frame parts for a lifetime while other parts for 1-3 years of damage caused by manufacturing error or workmanship. This warranty is applicable across all upholstery categories on a consistent basis.

Take a look at the article Are La-Z-Boy Recliners Guaranteed for Life for a detailed breakdown of the recliner warranty at La-Z-Boy.

For an extra cost, La-Z-Boy also offers a more comprehensive service protection plan that covers up to 5 years of accidental damage. The cost of this protection plan extension is relative to the price of the product.

For more information on La-Z-Boy’s warranty and protection plan take a look at the article Is La-Z-Boy Extended Warranty Worth it.

You may also find some useful tips on how to maintain the look of your furniture in the article 2020 Furniture Care Tips.

Interior Design

Furnishing a home can be overwhelming. Trying to coordinate furniture, choose colours, and mix patterns is not easy.

To combat this, many furniture retailers offer interior design services for their clients.

Urban Barn sales associates offer design advice at no additional cost.

Moreover, Urban Barn offers virtual interior design service, including one-on-one consultations with members of their interior design team. Throughout the design project, Urban Barn provides a design plan and a personalized shopping list.

Similarly, professional design assistance is complimentary with any purchase at La-Z-Boy. With a consultation appointment, an interior designer will meet with you either in person or virtually for consultation and interior design collaboration. Your consultant will make recommendations in furniture styles, colours, and textures based on your personal space and preferences.

Your La-Z-Boy interior designer will guide you through the design process using a 3D state-of-the-art rendering of your room. This will give you the unique advantage of every item shown in your space.

If you are unable to meet with a consultant, La-Z-Boy offers many free resources online for design inspiration. Take a look at our Before and After design blog posts and hear from our designers themselves. Finally, La-Z-Boy provides a free Augmented Reality app for your phone that will enable you to ‘see’ your frame and upholstery cover in your own room before you buy.

Interior Design/Custom

Custom Furniture

It is important that any furniture you purchase reflects your tastes and preferences. Customization allows you to make a piece of furniture uniquely yours.

Urban Barn offers customization of select products. Further, Urban Barn upholstery is customizable in an array of fabrics and leathers.

At La-Z-Boy, custom furniture is not only offered but it is encouraged. Given that our La-Z-Boy products are made and manufactured by La-Z-Boy, anything offered in-store or online is customizable to meet your individual taste.

More specifically, La-Z-Boy offers its selection of upholstery furniture in hundreds of colour, fabric, and leather options. Depending on the style, customizations include choice of textiles, accent pillows, welt trim, nailhead trim, wood finish, leg design options, and recliner optional add-ons.

When it comes to reclining furniture, most pieces are available in manual or power with additional power upgrades, including heat & massage, headrest & lumbar support, and remote controls.

To learn more about La-Z-Boy’s custom furniture options take a look at the article Custom Furniture at La-Z-Boy, What to Expect.

Delivery

Furniture requires some heavy lifting. It is often best that we leave this part of the process up to the furniture retailer.

Urban Barn offers a couple of delivery options.

They offer a white glove in-home delivery service that costs $199 within local designated delivery zones. Urban Barn also offers a threshold delivery service in which the furniture is dropped off at the front door for a fee of $89.

In contrast, La-Z-Boy offers only white glove delivery service at a flat fee of $99 (local Ottawa fee).

For orders delivered outside of Ottawa, our white glove delivery fee is $149.95. Given that our furniture is shipped out of our local Ottawa warehouse, $149.95 is the standard delivery price for furniture sold at our Kingston showroom.

The La-Z-Boy delivery service is an all-encompassing experience in which the delivery team will bring the furniture into your home, unpack it, assemble it, inspect it, set it in place, and remove all waste.

With La-Z-Boy delivery services, an existing piece of furniture can also be moved somewhere else in your home at no additional cost. Further, if you have taken advantage of the design services, the delivery men will set up your furniture based on your predetermined floor plan.

Additionally, we offer the option to dispose of any old furniture in a local landfill at an extra charge of $40 / per piece.

Our delivery team is hired and trained in-house. Given that our delivery people are trained to work specifically for La-Z-Boy, our white-glove service is standardized ensuring a high level of care with every delivery.

Typically at La-Z-Boy, we estimate delivery time to take between 1-2 weeks for furniture that is in stock in our warehouse. Alternatively, custom furniture orders take up to 90 days for delivery.

Due to Covid-19, and an increase in demand, custom orders have been delayed. In fact, you may want to learn about How COVID-19 is Affecting Furniture Delivery Delays and How to Plan Ahead.

To learn more about delivery at La-Z-Boy, check out our delivery service page: La-Z-Boy Ottawa and Kingston Furniture Delivery Service.

Where to Buy: Eastern Ontario Locations

Urban Barn

Urban Barn is located in both Ottawa and Kingston with a total of 4 locations.

71 Marketplace Ave L2, Barrhaven

590 Industrial Ave Unit #1, Ottawa

5487 Hazeldean Rd Unit 3, Stittsville

656 Gardiners Rd Unit 18, Kingston

La-Z-Boy

La-Z-Boy is located in both Ottawa and Kingston with a total of 4 locations.

8231-A Campeau Drive, Ottawa

290 West Hunt Club Road, Ottawa

1750 Cyrville Road, Ottawa

770 Gardiners Road Unit#3, Kingston

La-Z-Boy Showroom

What's Next?

Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy are both great choices. With a detailed comparison of each retailer’s products and services, the choice is now yours! You now have the information necessary to choose a retailer that best meets your specific needs and preferences when it comes to cost, time, style, protection, and personalization.

After reading this article, it is clear that the biggest differentiators between Urban Barn and La-Z-Boy are the style of furniture and options for customization & design.

La-Z-Boy produces quality furniture that is consistent in comfort and up-to-date style. The cost of La-Z-Boy products is ultimately reflected in a high-level of quality and durability.

We are also confident that our team of design consultants and interior designers at La-Z-Boy Ottawa & Kingston can help you find the furniture that suits your unique needs and preferences. Our team undergoes extensive product training and are trained on the best way to shop for furniture. They’ll be able to answer all of your questions as well as offer up additional information relevant to the products you consider purchasing.

Further, our customization options and complimentary design services take our product services to the next level by ensuring that the furniture you purchase fits seamlessly into the style and layout of your home.

If you are interested in furnishing your home with La-Z-Boy, visit us at one of our local Ottawa or Kingston locations to meet with a consultant today. If you prefer, you can also book a consultation online to get started.