Furniture in Singapore can be notoriously expensive if you’re on a budget – that is until you start shopping from the right places. While it may be worth investing in an expensive but high-quality sofa or mattress, you may not want to splurge out on a side table, for instance. That’s when these furniture stores (all available online!) come into play.
Be warned though, do check the latest reviews of these stores before making your purchase, and be wary of things like hidden fees. Before you start shopping, consider making a list of all the items you want to purchase and then compare websites to get the best deals.
Some designs might look a little generic but, if you’re after furnishings that serve their purpose more than being 100 per cent aesthetically pleasing, these are the best places to look for them.
Castlery is their own brand, but what they do is work with award-winning designers to keep their furniture modern and trendy yet affordable. While the prices are not dirt cheap – it’s not Taobao! – it’s definitely value for money. Online reviews on various platforms agree that the quality is impressive for the affordable price tag.
Delivery is $6.99 to $29.99, but it’s waived for orders $300 and up.
Established in 2007, FortyTwo is a great e-store to shop for cheap furniture online. On top of their affordable prices, the furniture store offers a price-match guarantee. So if you see the exact same shelf at another furniture store, you can write in the request a refund. There’s also a 100-day return policy, so shop away.
Make sure you check out their sale section, there are almost always good deals there.
Delivery fee is $5.90 to $19.90, but it’s waived for orders over $300. Self-collection is available at their Toh Guan office (free, but on an appointment basis).
True to its slogan, Comfort Design Furniture does sell “more than tables and chairs”. They’ve got a good range of furniture, including shelves, racks and even customisable sofas. But perhaps the thing that they’re the most famous for is their designer furniture replicas.
Although they claim to offer a variety of styles, we find that the items are mostly Scandinavian-inspired, featuring light-coloured wood and clean lines. During sales, you can score stylish dining tables for under $300 and three-seater faux leather sofas for $600+.
Delivery is $30 for orders under $500. If you want, you may also self-collect at their offices in Eunos.
Another super popular online furniture store is HipVan, which sells affordable “designer furniture”. That said, HipVan is not purely an outlet store. Other than on-sale branded sofas and dining sets, HipVan also offers chic house-brand furniture that are surprisingly stylish. Be warned though, what HipVan offers is not so much cheap, but instead, discounted furniture.
For the cheapest deals, head to the Display Piece sale – that’s where HipVan clears the stocks previously used for displays. Prices are slashed to as low as 85 per cent off the original prices.
Delivery is chargeable for orders under $250 ($14.99, with an additional $10 on weekends). Self-collection is available, but you must write in at least one day before any pre-scheduled delivery (if any).
Many of us spent our childhoods “testing” sofas and beds at Ikea. The mother of affordable furniture, this megastore sells everything from ready-to-assemble cabinets and tables to chic rugs and other furnishings. To be honest, Ikea is not as cheap as it used to be, but for the quality and convenience, their prices are still relatively reasonable.
If you’ve decided against a built-in wardrobe, Ikea sells simple wardrobes from just $190. Of course, those are very small (suitable for one person), but the bigger ones (suitable for couples) remain similarly affordable at the $350 to $800 range.
If you can’t afford genuine leather (usually $2,000 and up), opt for the coated fabric ones – you can get them from $800 at Ikea.
Note: All delivery prices have been reduced to $49, until further notice. While the physical stores and restaurants are now open, do check the updated operating hours on their website before going down.
If you want furniture with a little bit of character (and history), Hock Siong & Co is a treasure trove of secondhand goodies – and they’ve finally launched an online store!
The business is started by a family of karang guni traders who eventually decided to make a furniture business out of what they found. The prices largely depend on what you choose, but in general it’s definitely cheaper than getting something similar brand new.
There’s really no saying what you’ll find here, but that’s part of the fun.
Most of Furniture Sg‘s furniture designs are nothing to shout about. However, they do have an overwhelming selection for home owners to choose from, so you might be able to find hidden gems if you look hard enough. Their prices are super cheap though.
You can furnish your whole home for under $1,500 – a few clicks and we found a faux leather sofa at $88, a queen bed frame at $110, and a 4-piece dining set at $188. As expected of this price, these are all very cheap quality goods, but they’re functional (and great for use until you can afford that expensive sofa).
Furniture Sg does not charge for delivery and installations, but past customers have written online reviews about hidden charges when they tried to return or exchange the goods. There are also no showrooms and the website has limited descriptions so keep your expectations in check.
Text: Eugenia Liew/Moneysmart
