For decades, Flexsteel has been one of the most recognizable names in American furniture. The company has been around for more than a century, and its Blue Steel Spring™ foundation helped establish a reputation for durable, comfortable upholstered furniture. However, with newer changes to construction methods and overseas manufacturing, the range of furniture varies across different collections.
So, is Flexsteel still good quality and worth the money? And what brand is comparable to Flexsteel if you want something built to a higher standard? For shoppers looking for a fully American-made alternative to Flexsteel, Smith Brothers of Berne deserves a serious look. Let’s explore some key similarities (and differences) between the two.
Flexsteel vs. Smith Brothers: Top Features
At first glance, Smith Brothers and Flexsteel can seem like natural competitors. Both are established furniture manufacturers with a long history (Flexsteel was founded in 1893, while Smith Brothers recently reached its 100-year anniversary, having been founded in 1926). Both furniture brands offer similarly-styled upholstered sofas and sectionals, and both have traditionally appealed to shoppers who are looking for something a step above “mass-market” furniture. However, there are some critical differences between the two furniture brands that are worth noting if you are seeking a valuable long-term furniture purchase.
American-Made vs. Global Manufacturing
One of the biggest differences between Smith Brothers furniture and Flexsteel is how and where their products are manufactured.
Smith Brothers furniture is all American-made, with its upholstered furniture manufacturing headquartered in Indiana. At Room Concepts, we are particularly selective about exclusively carrying furniture products that are fully manufactured in the United States and Canada. We have worked with Smith Brothers for more than 25 years and can vouch for their high quality, sourcing integrity, and extensive variety of customization options.
Historically, Flexsteel was only manufactured in the US; however, this shifted later in the 20th century as they began offshoring production. Today, Flexsteel is transparent about the fact that its furniture comes from both the United States and other countries around the world. Manufacturing does vary depending on the particular collection; some simple products are still manufactured in the US, while other collections contain US-manufactured components that are shipped out and assembled in other countries. Finally, some products are completely manufactured overseas. The bottom line is that shoppers cannot necessarily assume that every Flexsteel piece is made domestically.
Why is this important? Among other things, purchasing all American-made furniture means the furniture is held to stricter quality and sustainability standards and workers are protected under fair labor laws. If buying all American-made furniture is important to you, Smith Brothers is the better alternative. With Smith Brothers, American manufacturing is central to the product rather than something you have to determine collection by collection.
Frame Construction
While sourcing is a factor, most shoppers’ primary concern is with the product itself. And when it comes to the product, a furniture frame is one of the most important things to consider when comparing brands. Upholstery, cushions and styling are the part of the product you see, but the frame is the structure supporting everything else.
This is one area in which independent furniture-industry analysis has been particularly favorable toward Smith Brothers. In a 2021 article published on the Insider’s Guide to Furniture, furniture-industry veteran Jeff Frank, who possesses over 45 years of experience in the industry, specifically compared Smith Brothers and Flexsteel and found Smith Brothers’ hardwood frame construction objectively superior to the plywood construction used in the Flexsteel models examined.
This assessment does not mean that every Flexsteel frame is “poorly made,” nor does it mean plywood is automatically a bad furniture material. Unlike low-cost “alternative” woods like particle board and MDF, plywood is still 100% real wood and can be perfectly appropriate for some furniture components when properly designed and constructed; in fact, many other brands we carry at Room Concepts do utilize plywood for selective parts, at no compromise to the product’s quality – often, quite the opposite, as plywood has been shown to have its practical uses.
However, Smith Brothers has always been committed to the exclusive use of 100% kiln-dried solid maple hardwood lumber, even for the smallest of structural components within its products. The point of this distinction is that through and through, Smith Brothers places a greater emphasis on traditional, heavy-duty hardwood frame construction. The result is a thoroughly uncompromising product. The brand’s consistent commitment to only the best, even for the parts of the product you cannot see, gives shoppers looking for heirloom-quality upholstered furniture a compelling reason to step up.
Cushion Quality and Replaceability
Cushions are another important consideration that comes up repeatedly in Flexsteel furniture reviews. Flexsteel’s Blue Steel Spring™ foundation remains one of the brand’s biggest strengths. The company describes its patented steel ribbon spring as a durable foundation designed to provide long-lasting support.
However, furniture-industry reviews have historically identified Flexsteel’s cushions as one of the brand’s weaker areas. The Insider’s Guide to Furniture has also specifically critiqued lower-density and composite foam constructions used in some Flexsteel upholstery, noting that cushion performance can vary considerably depending on the model and cushion option. Once again, not all Flexsteel products are consistent in this regard, which means that shoppers will need to explore options individually.
Smith Brothers uses Qualux Ultra foam (one of the best in the industry) as well as spring edging for its cushions, which helps reduce compression on the foam and extend its useful life. Smith Brothers also offers removable, rotatable seat cushions on many pieces, making it possible to replace cushion cores rather than replacing an entire sofa when cushions eventually wear out. So, if you are shopping for furniture intended to last for many years, Smith Brothers product owners consistently love its products and can verify that they are in fact heirloom-quality and built-to-last.
Customization Options
Both brands offer customization, but Smith Brothers is particularly well suited to shoppers who don’t want to settle for an off-the-floor configuration.
Room Concepts offers Smith Brothers furniture in a wide variety of fabrics and leathers, with many pieces offering more than 1,000 upholstery options. Depending on the model, shoppers can choose details such as arm styles, leg styles, back cushions, nailheads and sectional configurations.
The Smith Brothers 5000 and 8000 series are particularly popular, highly customizable models. The 5000 series lets you build a sofa or sectional around your preferred arm, leg and back styles, with or without nailheads. The 8000 series offers a contemporary aesthetic with multiple arm and finish options while maintaining Smith Brothers’ trademark American-made construction.
For shoppers comparing Flexsteel vs. Smith Brothers, this makes Smith Brothers especially attractive when the goal is to purchase one piece of furniture that feels genuinely tailored to your home rather than choosing from a limited number of predetermined configurations.
Warranty and Long-Term Value
A good warranty cannot make poorly-constructed furniture good, but it does tell you something about how a manufacturer stands behind its work.
Flexsteel offers limited warranties covering various components of its upholstered furniture, with coverage differing by component. Its current warranty information notes that products purchased from authorized retailers are covered against certain manufacturing and material defects, while labor and shipping can become the purchaser’s responsibility after the first year.
Smith Brothers offers a notably strong warranty on key structural components. Its current warranty information states that frames are warranted against warping or breakage for the lifetime of the product, and that pre-engineered seat spring coil units are covered against failure and loss of resiliency for the lifetime of the product.
Compared to many furniture manufacturers, Flexsteel’s warranty would still be considered above-average. However, Smith Brothers goes a step farther by warranting their Qualux foam cores against loss of resiliency for life. Also, Smith Brothers’ all American-made sourcing and manufacturing suggests that replacement parts for their products will face fewer logistical delays than Flexsteel’s globally dispersed manufacturing. For a piece of furniture you expect to keep for a decade or longer, these fine warranty details are worth considering.
What Happened to Flexsteel?
So, why are there so many questions about Flexsteel quality among consumers today?
Flexsteel remains a major furniture company with legitimate strengths, including its Blue Steel Spring™ technology and a broad selection of stationary and motion furniture. The company also continues to manufacture some products domestically.
What has changed since the company’s inception is the consistency of the Flexsteel brand. Over the years, Flexsteel has changed its manufacturing footprint and expanded its product offerings across different price points. The company has publicly described itself as a manufacturer, importer and marketer of furniture, and more recent restructuring efforts have included changes to its manufacturing footprint and supply chain.
Today, Flexsteel’s own FAQ acknowledges that its furniture comes from both the United States and other countries. Its current product portfolio includes multiple programs and collections, including Latitudes, a budget collection which is positioned and sold as entry-tier, and their higher-end South Haven products, as well as products exclusively made for and sold through channels such as Costco. While this variety isn’t a problem, it does mean that the Flexsteel name alone doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about a particular piece of furniture. Rather, Flexsteel expands its name to include products specifically designed for varying markets, resulting in more potential variation in customer experience.
It’s important to acknowledge that customer experiences with Smith Brothers products might vary as well. Furniture is affected not only by the specific model, materials, and upholstery, but also by household use and maintenance. Clearly, shoppers need to look beyond the brand name.
Furniture Shopping Considerations
Regardless of brand, if you’re paying several thousand dollars for a sofa or sectional, it’s worth asking the following questions before you buy:
- Where was it manufactured?
- What materials are used in the frame?
- What type of cushion construction does it have?
- Are the cushions removable and replaceable?
- What parts are covered by the warranty?
- How customizable is the furniture?
- Is the manufacturer building the piece for long-term use, or primarily competing at a particular price point?
Those questions can reveal significant differences between two pieces that may look comparable in a showroom.
Benefits of Shopping Smith Brothers as an American-Made Furniture Brand
If you’re researching Flexsteel alternatives, Smith Brothers offers many of the qualities shoppers traditionally associated with premium Flexsteel furniture, while taking a more traditional and consistent approach to construction and customization.
Built for Long-Term Use
Smith Brothers has been manufacturing furniture in Berne, Indiana for generations, and the company’s construction philosophy consistently emphasizes durability rather than simply keeping the initial purchase price down.
In the 25+ years that Room Concepts has worked with Smith Brothers, we have come to immediately recognize several of the construction details that distinguish their products from the rest of the pack, including quality foam, spring edging and individually wrapped foam and arms. These “small” design details are critical to their furniture and are an enormous part of why their pieces can be used every day and still be kept for years longer than the average furniture piece.
Custom Furniture Without Starting From Scratch
One of the biggest advantages of Smith Brothers is that the “custom” label doesn’t mean you have to commission an entirely new piece of furniture. Customizing Smith Brothers furniture is easy, especially through our simple design process at Room Concepts, where you can choose a build-your-own piece, and we can walk you through choosing all sorts of details including arm styles, leg styles, back cushion style, fabric options, and finishing details. Two of our most popular build-your-own options are the 5000 and 8000 series mentioned earlier. Both series include sofa or sectional options and are excellent alternatives to many of Flexsteel’s popular products.
A Stronger Case for Investing in Quality
Is Smith Brothers considered “high-end?” In terms of construction, customization and positioning, Smith Brothers belongs firmly in the higher-quality segment of upholstered furniture. It isn’t competing primarily on being the cheapest sofa in the showroom. Instead, their value proposition is that you pay more upfront for a piece that is built with better materials, extensive customization and long-term use in mind. Like a Toyota, Smith Brothers owners recognize the value they bring through long term use over decades.
That doesn’t mean Smith Brothers is automatically the right choice for every shopper. If your top priority is the lowest possible price, a mass-market or entry-level collection may make more sense. If you are looking for extensive reclining and motion options, Flexsteel also has a broader selection in that category, as acknowledged by the Insider’s Guide comparison.
However, if your priority is high-quality stationary upholstered furniture, American manufacturing, customization options, and long-term value, Smith Brothers is a particularly strong alternative.
So, Is Smith Brothers Better Than Flexsteel?
Flexsteel has many legitimate strengths worth acknowledging. Its Blue Steel Spring™ foundation is a proven design, the company offers a wide selection of styles, and some owners continue to have excellent experiences with their furniture. However, today’s Flexsteel lineup spans different manufacturing locations around the globe, with various collections and price points.
Smith Brothers offers objectively more consistency for shoppers who want to know that their furniture is being made in America and who place a premium on traditional construction, customization and long-term serviceability. In other words, we would recommend Smith Brothers as a great alternative for shoppers who want the quality that made brands like Flexsteel famous in the first place.
Shop Smith Brothers Furniture in Pittsburgh at Room Concepts
Whether you are just beginning to explore brand alternatives or ready to start designing your own furniture piece, furniture shopping is best done in person.
At Room Concepts, we offer a wide selection of customizable Smith Brothers sofas, sectionals and chairs, including the 5000 and 8000 series we highlighted earlier. Visit either of our Pittsburgh-area showrooms to explore our full Smith Brothers collection. Our enthusiastic design store team can help you compare fabrics, leathers, configurations, cushion options and other details to create furniture that fits your home and your lifestyle.
We strongly believe that a significant investment to your home, such as high-quality furniture, should not be selected based on familiar names alone. Rather, consider what’s underneath, where it’s made, how it’s constructed and how well the manufacturer stands behind it with warranties. And for customers looking for a high-quality Flexsteel alternative, Smith Brothers is a name worth knowing.
