11 Pieces Of Costco Furniture To Avoid Buying Based On Real Reviews

If you're in need of new furnishings, then the wide selection of furniture brands at Costco can be a tempting prospect. Costco's ranges cover absolutely everything, from living room end tables and hallway shoe racks to makeup vanities and full-blown bedroom sets. Many of them are made to a high standard, too, and yet they can come at prices that undercut those of more custom solutions — often by substantial margins.

This all sounds great, and honestly, it is. But if you're new to shopping at the membership store, then there are certain things you should know about Costco's home products before you go ahead and start cramming your virtual cart with furniture. Perhaps the most important is that not all of Costco's ranges are born equal, in fact one of the biggest mistakes you can make when shopping at Costco is what we call "buying blind." That means purchasing a product based on how it looks in the pictures, without taking into account the reviews of others who have bought and tested the product.

By trawling the reviews, you can  identify patterns of specific problems, and try to identify whether things like bad design and poor-quality materials tend to affect more than just one or two users. If they do, then there's a chance they'll affect you, too. Fortunately, you don't have to comb through Costco's furniture listings manually to find those that are best avoided. As you'll see below, we've done the hard work for you. After analyzing reviews across Costco's website, we've curated a list of furniture products that, according to real users, are best left on the shelves. Find out more on our methodology at the end of this article.

If you're looking to outfit your lounge with Costco's best-rated living room furniture, then customer feedback would suggest you should steer clear of this particular product. The Brando Fabric Glider Recliner is rated just 3.4 stars. Admittedly, this is the result of just 25 reviews. But when you dive into them, it becomes clear that the issues are more than a once-off for one unlucky buyer.

Out of those 25 reviews, more than half refuse to give over three stars, and as for why, several cite issues with the footrest — namely that it won't stay up. Others say that the chair is hard to operate, and that once it's up, the footrest becomes incredibly difficult to put back down again. It should be said that several reviewers are surprisingly diplomatic in their feedback, even in spite of the fact that the chair's most important function is clearly flawed. One, who gives the product three stars, states that that "it is a very comfortable chair," but adds, "it is hard to open and close the recliner." Another, who agrees that it is an attractive piece of furniture, nevertheless states that the recliner function is clunky, loud, and hard to operate.

Looking for the perfect Costco furniture piece for small bedrooms? If yes, be sure to avoid the Lumina Murphy Bed. Murphy beds can be a smart solution for dual-use spaces, but this particular model seems like a dud. While there are a few happy buyers, it's hard to ignore the overall product rating of just 3.2 stars. Nor is it easy to overlook the raft of issues that contribute to this low score.

Almost 30% of reviews gave this Murphy bed a single-star rating. One customer says that the wood and hardware used to make the product are terrible, which is slightly disconcerting given their specific importance with folding beds. Another says that the bed has no good features whatsoever, which feels like a stark warning for anybody considering spending almost $1,800 on it. It's not the only warning, either, in fact several reviewers explicitly advise to avoid this bed at all costs. Material quality is a key issue, but so, too, is a pattern of damaged parts, missing items, and a seemingly impossible assembly process. As one particularly perturbed user says, "Don't put yourself through what we had to endure."

Nowadays, it's not entirely unreasonable to spend $1,800 on a quality dining table and chairs. Don't get us wrong, it's hardly the definition of "cheap." But for a quality set that's likely to last, you could argue quite strongly that such an investment would be worth it. In fact, there are plenty of similarly-priced dining sets available on Costco whose strong ratings would suggest that their buyers are, on the whole, rather pleased they decided to spring for them. Unfortunately, the Trivoli Dining Table and Chairs set is not one of these.

Admittedly, there are only 19 reviews for the set so far. But if those are anything to go by, it's hard to imagine that many more Costco members will risk falling foul of the same problems. Rated just 3.4 stars overall (and receiving a single star from 30% of reviewers), there are several reported issues with the materials used to make the table. One reviewer explains how the surface started to bubble after just five uses. Another says, "Really wanted to love this but the wood is terrible on the table. It bubbles and stains from water. After only a month of using this, we are returning it." As one frustrated customer puts it, the "Quality is not good for the price." 

Before we get into why you should avoid this set, we should explain that you can definitely find many a Costco dining room set that's worth buying, and that poor products like this are very much in the minority at the retailer. However, you may want to skip this particular offering. 

It has to be said that, in the product pictures at least, the Lancaster Dining Table Collection looks absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, it struggles to achieve more than 3.9 stars, and as you read the reviews, a raft of common issues make it abundantly clear why. Some buyers point out problems with unstable chairs, while many more cite frustrations with delivery issues, including two who both say that two chairs were missing. Even those whose sets came complete mention problems with structural quality. One, who noticed that their chairs were wobbly (due to one leg being shorter than the others), later found that the table was wobbly, too. Another, who admits that they love the look of their table, says that their table's legs are unstable and the tabletop moves with the slightest pressure.

You might expect a degree of negative feedback for a cheaper product. But that's hardly how we'd define this particular furniture set. The smallest, five-piece set is currently priced at $1,299, which itself is quite a substantial outlay. For the 10-piece set, you'd have to be willing to part ways with almost $3,200. That's a sizable sum for something that might wobble whenever you try to use it.

Whether you're starting a new job, shifting to a more remote style of work, or simply want to carve out some space at home for your creative personal projects, Costco's home office furniture products are definitely worth exploring. They represent serious potential to save compared to products bought from other retailers, and cover various different furnishings to suit an array of interior styles. But as with any piece of furniture, it pays to do your research and not just buy the first desk that catches your eye.

For example, if the Viva L-Shape Height Sit and Stand Adjustable Workstation seems to match your desire for a versatile way of working, then before you buy it, we would urge you to spend some time reading the reviews. Right now, it's struggling to break up above 3.6 stars. That's because over 30 reviewers (out of 128) have refused to give the desk more than two stars. As for why, the product is recurrently criticized for a range of quality and assembly issues.

Some reviewers say that you'll likely be overwhelmed by the countless parts and pieces that require putting together. Even when assembled, some users report that the desk's adjustable feature simply doesn't work — not ideal given that it's probably the very feature they bought it for! "This was the worst product I've ever purchased at Costco," says one user, who also adds, quite understandably, that, "For this price I expected a much better quality product." Speaking of quality, even buyers who didn't have issues with assembly or defects bring up this point, stating that the overall quality doesn't match the price tag. 

Rated just one star by more than 100 users, recommendations are surprisingly lacking for Bestar's Upstand Adjustable Height Desk. It's not that the design is inherently bad. What drops the product's rating to 3.8 stars is a pattern of issues with faulty, damaged, and missing parts. For example, there are customers who cite problems with the lift motor, including several who say that it doesn't work.

There are others who didn't get far enough to work out whether or not the product functioned as advertised, as they only received some of the parts required to build it. Even among those who received the full kit, some, after spending hours assembling the desk, found that not only was the motor faulty, but that several other parts were also damaged. One user, who titles their review "Never again!" says, "I wish I could say this desk was amazing because when I received it I was really excited. But not only were there missing parts [...], but then I found the top of the desk had major damages/chips on it."

There are several reasons why you should reconsider buying a complete bedroom set from Costco, or any other retailer. One comes down to style, as matching bedroom sets can feel quite dated. Although it must be said that if you're buying for your children, they're unlikely to care about the contemporary design world's thoughts on matching furniture. Another comes down to quality, and this, it's fair to say, is much more important to bear in mind regardless of who'll be using the furniture.

In the case of Costco's Landon Full Bed, Dresser and Night Stand set, it would appear that a lack of quality is the primary reason for its low, 3.2-star rating. In fact, there are several quality issues to bear in mind, some of which may even make it dangerous. Splinters in the drawers is a recurring complaint amounts reviewers, and one stated, "My daughter sticks her hands in the drawers to get items and ends up with splinters in her finger and even under her nails." Another says that the bed broke in their daughter's room within mere days of putting it together, while one tells of a frightening ordeal in which their mattress collapsed to the floor. If the reviews mentioned above are anything to go by, you're probably better off avoiding this set. More than 25% of reviewers refused to give this set more than a single star.

This side table might look luxe online, but not all buyers are dedazzled. Struggling to break above 3.9 stars, you don't need to look far in the reviews to see why many shoppers refuse to recommend the Thane End Table. For starters, there are plenty who feel that the table looks much cheaper in person than it does on the website. Some also report inherent quality issues, including a gold inlay that has a tendency to flake, plus misaligned screw holes and wonky parts that make assembly tricky.

"The table itself is nice, solid. The problem is the gold inlay is flaking off," says one user. "Poor quality ... I would NOT recommend this product." Another, who agrees that the table is of poor quality, says, "The table top has golden plated design that came off during the first few weeks." Other reviewers report that the "gold" legs look obviously spray painted. 

With its antique brown finish and pine veneers, the product pictures on the Costco website paint a rather attractive picture to those considering spending nearly $230 on the Colton Sofa Table. Really, it's hard upon first glance to fathom why it doesn't rate higher than four stars. Unfortunately, many of those who've already done so agree that, despite its beautiful presentation online, the table looks cheap and fake. Several also report issues with misaligned holes, which make assembling the table difficult.

"Just got this and spent an hour trying to put it together," says one buyer, who explains, "The cross bars won't fit properly so we now have to take the entire thing apart and return to Costco." They add, "P.S. It looks a bit cheaper than I had hoped for too." Another, who describes the table as "Cheap junk, not worth anywhere near $200," cites build quality issues, cheap materials, and the fact that nothing fits together as it should. "Bottom line this would be fine for $50, but unacceptable for $200+." While some buyers are happy with their purchase, nearly 30% didn't give the table a full marks, 5-star rating. In summary, if you're looking for an inlay piece that oozes quality, then this might not be the end table to choose. 

If the user reviews are anything to go by, then this Bestar Audrea Organize Storage Unit is far from being one of Costco's best storage solutions. It struggles to score higher than 3.7 stars, and the reasons seem to vary. Some buyers cite issues with poor-quality parts, including one who explains that the drawers on their unit won't stay closed. Several others reference problems with the product's assembly requirements, including one who describes the supplied guide as the "worst instructions in my long lifetime." Another warns that, if you do decide to buy this product, you'd "better have all day to assemble."

Of course, the difficulty of assembling flat-pack furniture is nothing if not subjective. Those with hundreds of hours' experience spent throwing IKEA furniture together will probably find this particular item easier to assemble than those who are new to the process. But it's still hard to recommend spending almost $600 on this unit when you consider the quality issues that arise in the comments. One, who advises that you "Don't purchase" it, says, "This product is not up to Costco's usual standards. The screws do not stay in the thin pressed wood sides. The inserts used to screw/attach the front facing panels on the drawers pull out so that the facing either hangs lopsided or comes off completely. Very poor quality."

Offering an easy, intuitive way to design your own bedroom storage, Serenity Closets' custom closets are a (seemingly) attractive option for customers hoping to bring their dream homes to life via Costco. The problem is, they don't always live up to expectations. In fact, in the ratings, these custom closets struggle to break above four stars, thanks to some poor reviews from customers who simply can't justify a stronger recommendation.

As for why, the issues vary. Some boil down to problems with closets that are made to either the wrong design or size, including one user whose closets were 6 inches out. Others have had issues with damaged parts, with one explaining that the manufacturer wouldn't help to resolve the issue. "I received my closet but was missing critical parts and a drawer," says another understandably frustrated customer. "As such, I've lost money with a handyman that couldn't install the closet." To sum things up: The Serenity Closet's offering via Costco doesn't have an abysmal star rating overall. But given the cost involved, the overall quality, and the disruption it can cause in your home to order a customized closet system that arrives fabricated improperly (and the inevitable hassle of getting it rectified) — overall, it might be worth thinking carefully before choosing this system. 

In order to find furniture products at Costco that are worth avoiding, we looked for those with overall ratings of four stars or less. We focused on products whose reviews show patterns of similar problems across multiple buyers. These range from product defects and issues with functionality, to shoddy craftsmanship, missing parts, and in some cases, poorly-specified and weak materials. We also zeroed in on products where most buyers would expect a higher level of quality for the price, and ones where the difficulty of assembly can be a significant factor — resulting in a purchase that requires a high upfront investment of both time and money, combined with risks around the product being defective, low-quality, or arriving damaged.