Andersen vs. Pella windows is a decision most homeowners have to face when buying replacement windows or installing windows for the first time. These two brands lead the industry, but which windows are better, Andersen or Pella?
Andersen and Pella are two premier window brands. Both produce high-quality windows. Andersen windows are better overall and are of higher quality and craftsmanship. Pella windows are durable, more affordable, and come in a wider variety of styles and sizes. Both companies offer better warranties than their competitors. You can’t go wrong with either brand. Therefore, you should choose which window best suits your budget and requirements.
There are many factors to consider when determining the better window brand for you, but making the right choice is vital. Let’s compare Andersen and Pella windows to find out which is better.
| Andersen | Pella | |
|---|---|---|
| Window Variety | Andersen produces a wide range of windows and window products | Pella offers a wider range of window styles compared to Andersen |
| Product Design | Andersen emphasizes quality rather than innovation focusing on function, style, and quality. | Pella focuses on product innovation offering standard window designs and provides unique and stylized designs that other major window brands do not produce. |
| Window Quality | emphasizes quality more than anything else | quality is important, but more effort is focused on innovation |
| Price | Andersen window prices are higher across the entire range. | Pella windows are substantially cheaper than Andersen windows. |
| Materials & Construction | Andersen offers wood, vinyl, aluminum-clad, and wood composites. | Pella produces windows made from vinyl, fiberglass, wood, wood composites, and aluminum. |
| Reliability & Durability | Andersen’s focus on quality produces a very durable and reliable window that costs more but is long-lasting. | Pella does use wood to make windows, but their primary materials are vinyl and fiberglass, which are both incredibly tough, inexpensive, and weatherproof. |
| Availability | Andersen is a larger, multinational company with a wider field of operation | Pella is a large company as well, but not as widespread as Andersen. Availability in some markets may be limitied. |
How Do Andersen And Pella Windows Compare?
Andersen and Pella are two of the biggest and best brands in the window and door manufacturing and installation industry.
Both brands offer high-quality windows from an extensive range, and both are a good choice when deciding on which windows to use.
However, between the two brands, which windows are better overall, and which windows are better for you?
This is a critical decision when deciding on windows, whether for replacements or a new building.
Let’s look at a broad comparison of Andersen and Pella windows to help make this critical decision:
Variety And Range
The variety and range of windows that a manufacturer produces is an essential factor to consider. When installing various types of windows, it is better to purchase all of the window types from one supplier.
When comparing range and variety, Pella has a more extensive range of windows compared to Andersen. Pella offers windows in many various styles. In addition, they are made using more material types than the windows produced by Andersen.
Pella has a more extensive, more innovative range of windows than Andersen does, but that does not mean that Andersen does not have an extensive range of products.
Andersen produces a wide range of windows and window products, albeit less extensive than Pella. Still, the range includes all popular types, styles, and designs of windows.
The only real difference between the Pella and Andersen window range is that Pella windows include a larger range of more innovative and unique window designs and features.
Overall, both brands produce windows that will meet the needs of any customer, but Pella offers more specialized window products.
Product Design
Product design is an important factor when comparing these two major window brands if the brand you choose must carry a window design that suits your style requirements.
The product design of Andersen and Pella windows is very similar. Both brands produce all the major styles and window types that you would expect, but there are some differences between the two brands regarding the design of their products.
Andersen emphasizes quality rather than innovation, which means that all of their windows are designed to be functional, stylish, and high-quality.
This means that the Andersen range of windows has very standard product designs, not much innovation, but excellent quality.
Pella, on the other hand, has applied much effort to the innovation of product design. Pella offers standard window designs and provides unique and stylized designs that other major window brands do not produce.
This means that if you are in the market for a unique window, or your style does not call for standard window designs, Pella is a better brand to consider for your requirements.
However, Andersen’s product design is solid and timeless. If you are looking for a classic window design, Andersen is the brand to use.
Quality
Quality is one of the most important comparisons between these two brands. This should ultimately decide which brand you to use, along with design and overall cost.
Between the two brands, Andersen emphasizes quality more than anything else. This is demonstrated by the high quality of every Andersen window product.
Andersen windows have few user complaints regarding quality. It seems that the vast majority of Andersen clients are happy with the quality of the product that they received.
The windows that Andersen makes are expensive, but the quality of the windows that the company produces is a cut above the rest.
Pella windows produce high-quality products, and the windows that this company produces are of an international standard. That being said, Pella is a smaller, younger company than Andersen, and more effort is focused on innovation rather than overall quality.
50% of the complaints received from Pella customers are related to the quality of Pella products. Pella does produce good quality windows, but they can not compete with the quality of Andersen windows.
Price
The most significant difference between Andersen and Pella is the overall price of windows and installation.
Installation price varies depending on the contractor, but there is always a clear difference between the price of Andersen and Pella windows.
Pella windows are substantially cheaper than Andersen windows. However, the price of Andersen windows is higher across the entire range, including windows that are the equivalent of those produced by Pella.
The main reason for the difference in cost is the windows’ materials, especially the window housings and window frames. Still, quality is also a factor in how the two companies price their windows.
Materials And Construction
The materials that these two companies use are also a point of difference between them.
Pella produces windows made from vinyl, fiberglass, wood, wood composites, and aluminum. Andersen produces windows primarily from wood, but they also have a proprietary material called Fibrex, a composite window material made of recycled pine and PVC.
Andersen has a much broader selection of wood for window material, but the range of other materials they use is not very broad. Some very modern Andersen windows can be made from vinyl, and some use aluminum outer panels, but most Andersen windows are made from various woods.
The windows that Andersen makes are renowned for construction quality, and this company has made a name for itself regarding reliable and sturdy construction.
Pella has a broader range of materials used to make windows, but the construction of the windows themselves has come into question in recent years.
That being said, the vinyl and fiberglass materials that Pella primarily uses for windows are far more robust and far less prone to damage than any windows produced by Andersen.
Reliability And Durability
The materials and construction of the windows produced by Andersen and Pella directly result in the reliability and durability of the products that these companies produce.
Andersen windows are more expensive, and they are made to a higher level of quality than Pella windows, but the materials that the windows are made from make them less durable than most Pella windows.
Andersen’s high-end windows are made from various types of wood, and while they are very well made and are worth the cost, wood is not the most durable material for window construction.
The more affordable windows that Andersen makes are made from Fibrex, which is Andersens’ proprietary material. Fibrex is made from a blend of wood fibers, primarily pine wood and PVC plastic.
This material is weatherproof and relatively inexpensive, but it is very susceptible to damage from impact. This means that a miss-hit with a hammer during window installation or an out-of-bounds baseball will easily damage the window frame beyond repair, causing the need for the window to be replaced entirely.
The materials that Pella uses to make windows are generally more durable than the materials used by Andersen.
Pella does use wood to make windows, but their primary materials are vinyl and fiberglass, which are both incredibly tough, inexpensive, and weatherproof.
Fiberglass is widely known as the most robust material to make windows from. Therefore, any hammer miss-hits or stray baseballs are very unlikely to cause any damage to this material whatsoever.
Availability
The availability of Andersen vs. Pella windows is an important consideration, as it is best to use a company that operates in your area in case there are any issues with orders or if any replacements are required.
Andersen is more accessible than Pella, as Andersen is a larger company with a more widespread field of operation. In addition, Andersen is a multinational company, and there is sure to be an Andersen branch or an accredited Andersen supplier near you.
Pella is a large company as well, but not as widespread as Andersen. This means that you may not have easy access to Pella windows in your town, so even if they produce the windows that you want to use, it may be better to use Andersen simply because the process will be easier due to proximity.
Which Windows Are Better, Andersen Or Pella?
After thoroughly comparing Andersen and Pella, it is now possible to decide which brand produces the better windows. So, which windows are better, Andersen or Pella?
Andersen windows are better than Pella windows regarding quality and customer satisfaction, but Pella produces more affordable and more durable windows. In addition, Andersen windows are classically styled, but Pella windows are more contemporary. Therefore, choose the best window for you based on your requirements.
When it comes down to it, Andersen arguably produces the better window products when compared with Pella. However, that is based on quality and workmanship without considering cost and individual requirements.
Andersen is a more established and more accountable brand, and this has led the company to produce some of the finest quality windows in the world. Andersen windows are made to a very high standard, and the windows that come from this company are overall better than Pella windows.
Even though Andersen produces a more high-quality product, Pella windows are still exceptional, and the best window to use may be relative to the individual.
It is best to choose which window brand to use based on your requirements. After all, there are some instances where Pella windows are a better choice.
Pros And Cons Of Andersen Vs. Pella Windows
When deciding which window brand is best for you, it is important to consider the advantages and drawbacks of each brand.
Below is a summary of the best and worst features of Andersen and Palla windows:
Andersen Windows Pros And Cons:
Pros:
- Andersen windows are very high quality.
- Andersen windows are very highly rated.
- Andersen has good customer satisfaction.
- Andersen windows are classically styled.
- Andersen windows are widely available.
- Andersen offers a wide variety of woods for window frames.
- Andersen windows are a safe choice.
Cons:
- Andersen windows are very expensive.
- Andersen primarily uses wood or Fibrex, not more durable materials.
- Andersen windows are not resistant to impact.
- Andersen has a smaller range than Pella.
- Andersen windows are less durable than Pella windows.
- Andersen windows come in a very limited range of designs.
Pella Windows Pros And Cons:
Pros:
- Pella windows are affordable.
- Penna windows are very durable.
- Pella uses tough materials such as vinyl and fiberglass for windows.
- Pella windows are inherently weatherproof.
- Pella windows come in many classic and contemporary designs.
- Pella has a very extensive range of windows and window designs.
Cons:
- Pella windows are not as well made and Andersen windows.
- Pella windows are often lower-quality.
- Pella windows are not as widely available as Andersen windows.
- Pela does not have consistent customer satisfaction ratings.
Which Is Best For You, Andersen Or Pella?
The overall quality of the windows that these two brands produce is only one factor to consider when deciding which window is best for you.
Andersen produces better overall windows, but Pella produces windows that may be better for the individual.
It is best to choose a window based on your requirements, rather than on which company is perceived to produce the better windows.
Choose the best window for you based on your budget, the environment you live in, the style of window you prefer, the number of windows you will be purchasing, the reliability of the windows, and the availability of the windows.
Conclusion
Andersen windows are far more expensive than Pella windows, but they are made to a higher standard of quality and use finer woods to make the windows.
Pella windows are not made to the same standard of quality as Andersen windows, but they are far more affordable, they are made from more durable materials, and they come in a much wider range of styles and designs.
Overall, Anderson makes the better windows of the two brands, but Pella windows are still exceptional products.
Choose the best window for you based on your overall requirements and budget, but choosing from either brand is a safe choice.
