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Sometimes finding the best online deals is more stressful than exciting. Depending on what you’re trying to buy and where, shopping can be less “thrill of the hunt” and more of a slog. At a major chain like Wayfair, though, there are a few tricks we’ve found for finding the best products and snagging the best deals.
Wayfair, an online furniture and home décor emporium with a seemingly infinite supply of items for sale, can be a shopper’s paradise. But it can also be a bit overwhelming. Let us walk you through three tactics you can use to make your shopping experience on Wayfair as joyful and stress-free as possible, from an advanced filtering technique to a money-saving trick.
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Read more: Best office chairs and desks of 2022
For more shopping advice, here’s a tip for saving money at Amazon, and a little-known Best Buy trick that helps you score electronics for less. Plus, everything to know about the Oct. 11 Prime Day sales and how to shop Prime Day deals even without a Prime membership.
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1. Use advanced filtering
If you don’t know how to filter on Wayfair, start by selecting a category. Wayfair will pull up all of the subcategories; then you can narrow the search down to what you’re looking for and all the products from that category will appear. But, you can do even more filtering to save time browsing through thousands of items that may or may not meet your household’s needs. So what are your options?
Filter by smaller subcategories
Screenshot by Robin Mosley/CNET
You’ll see even more categories on the left side of the website after selecting the first subcategory or at the top of the page.
Filter by features
When you narrow things down on Wayfair by factors such as color, size, material or availability, things get even easier and you’ll get closer to what you want.
Filter by the ‘sort by’ area
Screenshot by Robin Mosley/CNET
One of the features I think most people miss is the “sort by” option, which allows you to search for items based on the recommended products, customer rating and price per item: high and low and vice versa. The best course of action when filtering is to combine ‘sort by’ elements for the best outcome. This is essentially “triangulation,” which is a way to gather data from several areas to make an informed decision.
Shop on Wayfair as though you were conducting an in-depth study by filtering through each area to get the information you are looking for. Is the price range you’ve set for “suggested” items in line with your actual budget? And does the product truly work? Taking a look at the worst reviews is a great place to start. If you know the worst reviews aren’t a deal-breaker, then you can move on to the higher rated reviews.
Filter by assembled products
You might want to assemble your furniture yourself if you’re handy, but not everyone has the time or desire to do so. Thankfully, you can show only assembled products when you shop. Read about this Wayfair trick that can help save hours for the full details.
2. Learn to compare products
Before you even begin comparing two or more items, it’s sometimes necessary to make sure you have a basic understanding of the product you want. We can’t know everything, and if you’re like me, you probably want to, but taking the time to learn specific terms for the product you’re searching for may save you a lot of time and money simply by making the effort to learn more.
Use the lists feature
Screenshot by Robin Mosley/CNET
This feature is all about picking and choosing what you like most. Even if you believe you’ll remember to return to an item later and compare it with something else, the probability that you will is quite low — especially if you’re scrolling through a long set of options. Use the list feature and save everything you’re interested in taking a closer look at.
Have a list of must-haves
While you can shop without a plan, having a comprehensive list of what you want is a better idea. For example, when looking for new food storage containers, do you prefer glass or plastic? Do you want a disperser? Regardless of what you’re looking for, having a list of must-haves so you can rule items out as you go is essential.
Use the room idea tool
If you want to make sure everything fits together, trying the room idea tool is your next stop. Each picture is an idea of how you can mix and match Wayfair furniture. What’s cool is that if there is an item that speaks to you, you can click on it and learn the name and price.
3D room planner
Now that 3D room planners are widely available online, you can use them to see how your house will appear based on factors like room size, color and more. You can use this 3D room planner to get a better idea of how your space will look because using it is easy, with everything separated by item, room features and room customization.
3. Check for savings
When shopping on Wayfair, don’t miss out on opportunities to save money or be rewarded for doing so. This is especially key if you spend a lot of money on the site.
Sign up for the Wayfair credit card
Screenshot by Robin Mosley/CNET
A Wayfair credit card is great if you want to get rewards or no-interest financing. Obviously a credit card isn’t for everyone, but if you know your way around one, it won’t hurt.
Coupons
Wayfair often has a good number of coupon codes. It’s one of many stores that CNET highlights in its coupon center.
Don’t miss our other Shopping Tips, including another Wayfair trick that can save you hours. Plus, don’t shop for outdoor furniture without reading this first, and 6 Wayfair Basics home essentials that will make your life easier.
