New bookcase + Oak furnitureland?

[dt97583]

So I want to buy a bookcase to start filling my new living room with stuff and thought one with a back panel would help reduce echos. Just took a walk around Oak furnitureland and I can't work out if they're good for the price, or if I'm being picky when they say 'hardwood' and 'no chipboard' yet the back panel especially felt rather thin.

Is there anywhere else people would suggest I look? Or for around the £500 mark are they all much of the same?

Thanks

 

[thezappa]

I like some of them on made.com, they come in a tiny bit over budget. There’s a few on there I’d definitely get if I was in the market.

https://www.made.com/storage/bookcases-and-shelves

 

[Derek W]

I got this a year or so back, probably smaller than the ones you've been looking at https://www.oakfurnitureland.co.uk/furniture/bevel-natural-solid-oak-small-bookcase/1452.html

It's sold enough. It does have a thinner lump for the backing as you've mentioned but still fine. One thing to note though is although delivered in one piece I did have to put a screw back in as one had come loose in transit so perhaps it wasn't built as carefully as it could have been. But it does the job and haven't had any issues with it

 

[Gray2233]

Just to give you an idea from the other end of the spectrum price-wise:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/vidaXL-6-t...iid=293070214933&var=591904671140#UserReviews

If you scroll down there's a couple of reviews, one with some pictures of the units built.

I personally find OFL a little expensive to be honest, although it is of a decent quality. There's a lot of solid wood furniture knocking around in places people wouldn't normally look that's just as good imo.

 

[Scrutinize]

Find your local equivalent of https://www.aworldoffurniture.co.uk/

A local furniture supplier will typically beat OFL on quality and pricing. Often the same (where UK made) UK joinery / manufacturer anyway with the independents just re-branded to the specific shop.

 

[panthro]

Look on Facebook marketplace. Oak furniture depreciates like mad and there's loads on there because people want to get rid of it but don't want the hassle of moving it themselves.
I spent £500 on a table for our flat from OFL and 5 years later sold it for £80 and it was in excellent condition.

 

[jpaul]

Oak furnitureland and I can't work out if they're good for the price, or if I'm being picky when they say 'hardwood' and 'no chipboard' yet the back panel especially felt rather thin

Yes I'm cynical, their TV adverts are ambiguous with the hardwood reference ... in the shop are they able to tell you definitively if they are oak veneer on a 'hardwood'/engineered wood substrate, like, the 'made' ones, specify

https://www.made.com/storage/bookcases-and-shelves

"Solid Oak, Oak Veneer, Engineered wood"

when looking at tv cabinets recently, if I can't afford oak/beech, I'm more inclined to go for solid pine, which is more honest, and for bookshelves might be stronger
eg https://www.cotswoldco.com/living-room-furniture/bookcases/oakley-pine-grand-bookcase/ ... it's similar to the S-line/AMG-line car models