My Honest Review After Furnishing Half My House With Cox & Cox

I wouldn‘t normally consider myself a Cox & Cox "super-fan." But over the past decade, I‘ve gradually replaced half the furniture in my home with pieces from this UK-based retailer.

That span of time – and array of products – has given me an intimate understanding of the quality, style and pricing you can expect from Cox & Cox.

Having ordered everything from accent chairs to canopy beds and dealing with my fair share of delivery snafus and damaged items returns, I wanted to share my exhaustive experiences to help others decide if Cox & Cox is worth it.

Here‘s what you can look forward to in this painstakingly comprehensive review:

Overview: Quick Cox & Cox basics
Top Selling Cox & Cox Furniture Reviews
The Good, Bad & Ugly: My Cox & Cox Experiences
Pricing vs. Competitors: Is Cox & Cox Affordable?
Shipping, Returns & More Cox & Cox Policies
The Final Verdict: Would I Shop At Cox & Cox Again?

Sound good? Let‘s dive right in…

Overview: Quick Cox & Cox Basics

Before detailing my adventures in Cox & Cox furniture buying, allow me to introduce the company for anyone unfamiliar.

Background: Founded by interior design TV host Fiona Cox in 1999, Cox & Cox sells contemporary living room, bedroom and outdoor furniture solely online to UK shoppers. Following Fiona‘s passing, Richard Bell now heads operations as CEO.

Location: Headquarters in Frome, Somerset

Product Range: 2,500+ furniture pieces, plus home accents like mirrors, rugs and tableware

Price Points: Mid-range to luxury – higher than mass retailers like Wayfair but 20-60% under high-end brands

Styles: On-trend contemporary with luxe accents like velvet, leather and polished metal

Awareness & Reviews: 400k+ Instagram followers, 55k+ Trustpilot reviews averaging 4/5 stars

Now you know the Cox & Cox basics! Next let‘s explore some of the specific furniture items I‘ve ordered over the years…

Spotlight: My Top Cox & Cox Furniture Buys

To set the stage, below are 5 of my favorite Cox & Cox purchases along withreviews based on their real-world looks, quality and more:

Overly Plush Douglas Sofa

The too-soft Douglas remains a knockout looks-wise with its curved arms, tapered oak feet and floral printed linen fabric.

But with down-wrapped cushioning nearly swallowing guests whole, it‘s form over function. Still scores style points though!

My Rating: 👍👍👍💺 / 5

Cost: $1,400

Supremely Stylish Yet Wobbly Lorenza Canopy Bed

This ornate metal canopy bed evokes French aristocracy with its crystal finials and gauzy drapes.

But all that intricate metalwork connects to a surprisingly flimsy wooden frame underneath. Multiple slats have cracked and required replacement after less than 3 years.

Still, the Lorenza earns its name as the crown jewel of my master suite!

My Rating: 👑👑👑💺 / 5

Cost: $2,050

Decent Quality Burke Sideboard Holds Up Well

The midcentury-inspired Burke sideboard adds lots of storage to my dining room. And after 5 years shows only minor scratches on the wood finish.

Glides function smoothly and brass hardware maintains its brilliance. All in all, a quality piece at the price point.

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍 / 5

Cost: $980

Disappointing Claudette Jewelry Armoire Construction

With a name like Claudette, I expected an elegant jewelry storage experience. Unfortunately, the MDF construction feels flimsy and drawers stick frequently.

A slight indent appeared on the front after less than a year. But the mint green lacquer finish still looks vibrant.

My Rating: 👎👎💺 / 5

Cost: $850

Stunning Winnie Accent Chair Holds Up Beautifully

Of all my Cox & Cox buys, the dusty blue Winnie chair is hands-down my favorite. And after nearly 8 years in my sunroom, the color remains rich.

Seams, velvet and cushion maintain structural integrity despite years of use. It‘ll be passed down someday with certainty!

My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍 / 5

Cost: $700

Hopefully checking out some of my highest and lowest-rated Cox & Cox items gives you a feel for what to expect: mostly-stunning statement pieces that sometimes sacrifice a bit of construction quality.

Cox & Cox Review: The Good, Bad and Ugly

Beyond the quality of specific furniture products, I want to provide a comprehensive review of all aspects of the Cox & Cox customer experience – from purchasing and delivery to returns.

Here‘s an overview:

The Good

• Gorgeous styles not found anywhere else
• Fair pricing given the looks and materials
• Generous return policy (28 days no questions asked)
• Mostly positive customer service interactions

The Bad

• Lengthy delivery times, sometimes by months not weeks
• Spotty quality control resulting in flaws or damage
• Difficulty getting support for issues like missing pieces or returns

The Ugly

• Waiting over 4 months for lounge chair delivery during COVID-19
• Incorrect or incomplete items arriving requiring replacement parts
• Hours spent on hold trying to coordinate pickup of damaged goods

Let‘s explore some of my best – and most nightmarish – Cox & Cox experiences over the past 10 years…

The Good: Seamless Delivery & Assembly (When Items Are in Stock)

Cox & Cox items that ship from active stock flow wonderfully from order to delivery:

• Order confirmation arrives within 1 business day
• Shipping notification with carrier tracking info provided promptly once dispatched
• Assembly company contacts to schedule delivery/setup appointment
• Items arrive in pristine condition within estimated timeframe
• Professional teams install seamlessly, remove packaging debris

For example, my Burke sideboard – being a floor model – shipped just 2 days after my order. The 3rd party assemblers had it built and placed perfectly in my dining room within a week total.

No scrapes, scratches or issues whatsoever! 🙌

The Bad: Dealing with Defective or Faulty Furniture

Despite the best delivery and assembly experiences, quality issues do crop up now and then requiring attention – but resolving problems poses challenges:

• Getting support for damaged/defective items requires endless calls on hold
• Coordinating replacements involved weeks more of waiting and several calls
• Confusion ensues when wrong or incomplete parts arrive
• Reaching resolution often necessitates social media complaining

For instance, 3 slats on my canopy Lorenza bed frame split lengthwise within the first 2 months. Arranging the replacement parts spanned nearly 2 additional months – requiring 6 calls to customer service of which 4 disconnected after 15+ minute holds.

The parts eventually arrived but were the wrong dimensions. Only after posting on Facebook did corporate step in to overnight correct slats.

A small victory 3 months later but shouldn‘t have required that effort!

The Ugly: COVID-Era Inventory & Supply Chain Disasters

The global pandemic unleashed utter chaos on Cox & Cox‘s operations from product shortages to delivery mayhem:

• Items out of stock for 9+ months post order
• Zero updates or availability estimates provided
• Sudden delivery with 2 days notice, no confirmation if still wanted
• Complete shipping blackout with no couch delivery for entire UK spring 2020 lockdown

I genuinely waited over 4 months after placing my order just to receive an abrupt Friday morning notification that my lounge chair could only be delivered in 2 days on Sunday. Otherwise, it would be cancelled.

This after being told to expect 10-12 week shipping pre-order during COVID uncertainty!

To Cox & Cox‘s credit, they did offer a 20% discount plus throw pillows to make amends. But the chaos was astounding given their 2 decades in operation.

Clearly it‘s been a rollercoaster ride – but to be fair, supply chain disruptions impacted every business. And Cox & Cox did remedy issues reasonably given enough patience and persistence.

Now how about we shift gears to less emotionally charged territory – namely pricing and quality comparisons!

How Affordable Is Cox & Cox vs Competitors?

One of Cox & Cox‘s biggest value propositions is luxury furniture styling at accessible mid-range pricing rather than designer premium rates.

But does their pricing actually stand up?

I compared specs and costs for a handful of my Cox & Cox furniture purchases against similar items from 3 competitors:

Pricing Comparison Table

Furniture Item	Cox & Cox	Anthropologie	West Elm	Oak Furnitureland
Douglas Sofa	$1,400	$2,698	$1,899	n/a
Lorenza Canopy Bed	$2,050	2,500	$2,399	n/a
Winnie Accent Chair	$700	1,248	$999	n/a
Burke Sideboard	$980	1,500	$1,199	$850
Claudette Armoire	$850	1,100	$799	$725

Based on the head-to-head comparisons above, Cox & Cox does deliver on budget-friendly pricing for the style conscious. Their rates undercut luxury retailers like Anthropologie by 20-60% in most cases.

However, mass market furniture giants have closed the affordability gap. Mainstream brands like West Elm come in at just 10-20% savings less than Cox & Cox.

And big box stores like Oak Furnitureland match or even beat some Cox & Cox pricing, although their quality and styling sensibility lags significantly.

So while not always the absolute cheapest, Cox & Cox still delivers serious style at relatively affordable mid-tier price points compared to high-end designers.

The Nitty Gritty: Cox & Cox Shipping, Returns & More

Now that we‘ve covered pricing, how about we dig into the logistical considerations of shipping, returns and other Cox & Cox policies relevant to the customer experience?

Shipping

As outlined already, delivery timeframes range drastically based on inventory availability but standard estimates are:

• 3-5 business days: Small Parcels
• 5-10 business days: Large Items & Furniture

Delivery requires bringing items inside your home which does require being available to receive.

Rates & Options:

• Standard Parcel Delivery: $7
• Large Item Delivery: $17
• Next Day Delivery < 12 PM: $11
• Next Day Delivery by 5 PM: $10

Returns

Did your item arrive damaged or just not your style? No worries:

• 28 days from delivery to initiate return request
• Buyer pays return shipping
• Once received, refund in 5-10 business days

Payment & Financing

Checkout securely via:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Maestro
• PayPal

Financing Options:

• PayPal Credit 6-Month Deferred Interest
• Klarna Pay Later in 3 Installments

Contacting Support

Need assistance? Connect via:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 0330 333 2123
• Live Chat at CoxandCox.co.uk

Support Hours:

• Monday to Friday: 9 am – 6 pm
• Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Reaching a live human at Cox & Cox proves challenging with 30-60 minute hold times frequently reported. So emailing then following up persistently by phone is best.

Phew…that covers all the super exciting policies and operations folks need to consider before purchasing!

Now for the big question – given the pros, cons and otherwise uneven history, would I buy from Cox & Cox again?

The Final Verdict: Should You Actually Shop At Cox & Cox?

Even after furnishing nearly half my home over the past 10 years, deciding whether to ultimately recommend Cox & Cox requires careful consideration.

The Pros

• Unrivaled style blending contemporary and classic
• Premium materials like leather and solid oak wood
• Mid-range pricing 20-60% below designers
• Generous 28 day return window

The Cons

• Spotty construction quality means average 3 year lifespan
• Inventory shortages and supply unknowns
• Lengthy delivery timelines, even pre-pandemic
• Subpar customer service communication

For me, the breathtaking and unique design aesthetic Cox & Cox offers remains impossible to find elsewhere. And their prices beat competitors enough to offset occasional materials compromise.

So in my book, Cox & Cox furniture still merits purchasing – albeit with managed expectations.

Knowing pieces require care and maintenance to maximize longevity helps. And getting any delivery or quality commitments in writing provides insurance should issues arise.

Ultimately the wow-factor Cox & Cox brings visually outweighs logistical drawbacks that only mild diligence can negate anyway.

So if gorgeous interiors that look thrice their price matter most, I wholeheartedly recommend Cox & Cox for your home furnishing adventures!