After purchasing two gliders for my wife and myself to rock our twins to sleep, they both fell apart as they were purchased from a less-than-industrial toy store that shall remain nameless 🙂
However, some important points to my story are that when we bought the first round of gliders, they came with the standard springs that were placed within a cut-out of the main board used to hold the seat cushion. I suffer from back issues and needed to place a piece of plywood under the seat cushion to remain comfortable for more than 5 minutes. Also, both gliders began squeaking within weeks of regular use, causing the ability to rock our kids to sleep to be rather troublesome. However, I did fall in love with the glider-style chair, as we never had them before. But our babies became toddlers, the chairs became jungle-gyms, and thus both gliders have now moved on to glider heaven. So, in search of a new glider to replace the sub-standard version we started with, I came upon Amish Furniture Factory (AFF). Now at first glance, it seems like your basic furniture website, but I am writing this review to tell you about 3 VERY important components that may not seem as forthcoming from just glancing at the homepage.
First, AFF has options. When looking at their rocking chair or glider options, they have well over 100 styles, and that’s only for two chair models. Cushions and hardwood and colors, oh my! It seems that the limit to their options reaches the sky… Ok, enough with the rhyming. But seriously. I was very picky about what I specifically wanted (hardwood arms, not cushions that my toddlers could destroy, etc…), and it was very easy to find multiple chairs that would fit my needs. Also, they have free samples of both wood and materials that allow you to see what it would look like in your space. I visited a couple of furniture stores in town, and they had chairs in stock, but there was no way to know what the colors would look like under non-fluorescent lighting, and if it matched my current color palate of my home. They shipped the samples right away, and it was easy to figure out what fabric and color I wanted to go with.
Second, these suckers are HAND-MADE! In a world that’s driven by Amazon and IKEA in the need for simple, cheap and shippable dressers and end tables, most of what you’ll find around your friend’s homes are particle board furniture that is not very sturdy or high-quality. When I ordered this chair, it took 4 months to get delivered, but that’s what you get if you want hand crafted, attention to detail and built to last a lifetime furniture. Now when we talk shipping costs, you have to take a minute to catch your breath. This is not your amazon prime free version that shows up in 2 days, but you get what you pay for. And I must say… one of the coolest parts of this process is that it shows up already assembled and ready to go. In a short and to the point statement, it’s worth it. The driver even called me more than once to confirm the delivery time and date. They brought it into my house, set it in place, and violá! It was ready to go.
Third, but definitely not last, is their customer service. I do not like communicating via emails. Texting is even worse. What gets lost in the breakdown of communication is voice inflection. When I called, I spoke to the most LOVELY woman named Laura. She calmly walked me through my options, sent me the samples, then took my order over the phone to make sure it was right. I had to do that to guarantee that my request to NOT have springs mounted in the seat board was entered correctly. I wanted a flat, hard board underneath the seat cushion. I know… not normal, but extremely important for my order. She then followed up with an email to make sure the order arrived, and even called again to make sure I was happy with my order. The only thing that I care when looking for a company to work with is their customer service, and AFF set the bar for anyone looking to see how it’s done.
Summary: Tons of chair options, and I found a design I loved. Incredible craftsmanship that will last until my kids need to rock their grandchildren to sleep. Customer service that is proven through constant communication and follow through.
If you’re thinking about buying a chair, go through Amish Furniture Factory. Ask for Laura, and tell her Lucas sent you 😉
Lucas from Oregon