A floral splurge that will last up to a year
Venus Et Fleurs preserved roses
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What’s the best flower delivery service for 2024?
The holiday shopping season is here, and we’re all on the hunt for the perfect gift. While there are countless options out there, only a few can rival the emotional depth that comes with flowers. Whether you’re celebrating a milestone, wishing someone a speedy recovery or sending some passive-aggresssive love, you’ll find a bouquet that fits the occasion.
However, quality matters, and it’s easy to get flowers that are wilted or not well-arranged. Finding good flowers means picking the right source, whether it’s a simple bouquet of roses or a complicated yet beautiful arrangement of diverse blooms.
If you’re looking for places online that can offer a wide variety of flowers, we’ve got just the guide for you. We’ve done extensive testing to find six online flower shops for you. Out of the six, The Bouqs Co. proved the best overall flower delivery, with vibrant blooms that showed little to no wilt. We also appreciated Bouqs’ elegant yet simple style, and its bounty of bouquets available for next-day delivery — and same-day delivery in some locations. Now, while The Bouqs Co. is our top pick overall, we’d recommend going with FTD Flowers for truly last-minute orders, since it has arrangements ready to go for same-day delivery.
Read more: How to Keep Flowers Fresh for Longer: Tips That Work
There are countless online flower delivery services, so it can be difficult to pick one to get the right kind of flowers, at the right price, and delivered within the right time frame. All of them look incredible and are often accompanied by pages of glitzy glamor shots. So we wanted to see how those highly-styled floral images compare with the blooms actually delivered to your door. We ordered flowers from major national online florists with classic styles and fast shipping. We also ordered flowers from more niche vendors specializing in rustic bouquets, modern flower groupings and unusual arrangements.
While Bouqs impressed us most, the truth is that the best online flower delivery service for you may differ based on personal taste and budget. With that in mind, we dug up flower ordering options in every category and price range, ensuring top quality and bargain prices. You can even find cheap flowers online from popular online florists if you know where to look. (Don’t worry — we know where to look. We gathered all the best deals here.)
And if the person you’re sending something to happens to be more of a houseplant person or gardener type, these are the best online plant delivery services and best garden box and seed delivery services for 2024.
Best flower delivery services
Beyond the fun name, this online flower delivery service offers an impressive variety of floral arrangements, plants and other beautiful blooms and a gorgeous floral design for Mother’s Day, birthdays or any special occasion.
Bouqs sources its flowers and plants from eco-friendly sustainable farms and offers same-day and next-day delivery if needed. This service also offers seasonal arrangements of fresh blooms like the Tropical Love arrangement, as well as more traditional bouquets like the Angels, which feature dozens of light pink roses.
What we liked and didn’t like: Bouqs lands on our list of best flower delivery service options not just for having a large selection, which it does, but also because so many of them looked really cool and creatively designed, including several select bouquets. It was by far the hardest service to choose just one beautiful flower arrangement from — which I suppose could be a bad thing, too. I ordered the Wild About U bouquet which arrived on time, fresh and fragrant to my delivery area.
Beyond the classic picks, Bouqs also sells succulents, cacti, plants and potted flowers like this orchid. The cleverly assembled Wild About U is a unique arrangement that has both freshly cut flowers and succulent plants that can be potted or planted.
Insider tip: In an admittedly unscientific experiment, we found that Bouqs’ flowers last a lot longer if you don’t use the vase that comes with them, which is made from powder-coated metal. In the Bouqs’ vase, flowers lasted about three days before they started to wilt — versus about a week in a glass vase.
Bouqs also offers fresh flower subscriptions, starting at $44 per month (plus free shipping), to have fresh flowers delivered to your door regularly. It’s the thoughtful floral gift that keeps on giving and you’ll save roughly 30% off over a one-time purchase price.
For some, the best flower delivery service is the one that doesn’t break the bank. And you can find cheap flower arrangements that don’t look cheap. Let’s call them budget-friendly bouquets, shall we?
Truth be told, you’re probably not going to find rock-bottom flowers online on or around a major flower-giving holiday such as Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day (unless you grow them yourself), so it may be a fool’s errand to try. That said, 1-800-Flowers has solid deals on flowers if you’re trying not to spend a fortune. We found flower bouquets on sale from this popular delivery service, including two dozen roses starting at around $40.
What we liked and didn’t like: Arrangements from 1-800-Flowers may not have the same wow factor as other delivery services on our list, but for someone with classic taste, you can’t go wrong ordering beautiful flowers from this tried-and-true online florist. The flowers I ordered showed up bright and fresh, although not terribly fragrant.
We really appreciate the bargain bouquets, including some bunches as low as $30. 1-800-Flowers also offers same-day delivery and other gifting options such as plants, keepsakes, fruit bouquets and a number of other eats and trinkets you can add to your purchase.
Insider tip: Check the sale section before you decide on a full-price bouquet.
Some bouquets that caught our eye include the $40 assortment of roses and Peruvian lilies and the Lovely Lavender Medley made up of white roses and carnations, lavender and Peruvian lilies.
If you think a single bouquet of flowers isn’t enough, how about a monthly delivery of fresh flowers or arrangements? Flower subscription services are becoming increasingly popular, ensuring the delivery of beautiful blooms month after month, and that’s what sets BloomsyBox apart. You can order a flower subscription service of hand-tied bouquets from sustainable farms to be delivered on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.
What we liked and didn’t like: BloomsyBox flowers are high-quality. When mine arrived they seemed a little sad but perked up in a vase of water and stayed perky for nearly a week. On the downside, I’ll say it was one of my least favorite ordering experiences of the bunch. Things like adding a note were not very intuitive, and when I tried to track my order, there was almost no information available. I had to start a chat with the chatbot to get any sort of update.
Insider tip: Use our exclusive discount code CNET20 at checkout for 20% off your order.
BloomsyBox subscriptions start at $45 a month, but you can spring for the deluxe and premium bouquets. The more expensive plans feature more flowers per delivery. BloomsyBox also has a full inventory of bouquets that you can order and send as a one-time gift, starting at $55.
Between my own positive experiences and those of a handful of others from the CNET team, Farmgirl Flowers is our pick for the best presentation by a flower delivery service.
This popular San Francisco-based flower delivery service is known for its ethically grown flowers and burlap-wrapped bouquets, and they’re all extremely Instagram- or Pinterest-ready, bursting with flowers. The overall selection is not as vast as some of the other online florists but what it does, it does well. There’s a specific rustic look to Farmgirl’s bountiful arrangements, too, that is underscored by the burlap wrap each beautiful bouquet is swathed in.
What we liked and didn’t like: Something about my Farmgirl Flowers bouquet just felt more special than most of the others. Maybe it was that burlap wrap or that the fresh bouquet itself seemed more full, but in terms of overall presentation, it was the clear winner of the services we tested. My bouquet also seemed to get quite a bit more lively when given water and flower food as the friendly instructions directed me to and kept form for a solid week.
Other members of the CNET team had similar positive experiences, with one recalling how much her mother “loved the packaging and raved about how beautiful the floral bouquet was.” Another remembers the “super healthy flowers and cool combinations they had to choose from.” Bouquets start at around $50 and go up from there.
If you’re in a pinch and need flowers, like, yesterday, FTD is my pick for last-minute delivery. FTD Flowers has a whole bunch of arrangements available at a moment’s notice along with categories including floral centerpieces such as the Smiles and Sunshine Arrangement that includes a vase, all for just $55. There are also potted plants and edible add-ons to choose from such as chocolates and candies. You can opt for same- or next-day delivery on many of these products too.
What we liked and didn’t like: I wasn’t bowled over by the overall selection of flowers from FTD — the arrangements seemed a bit boring — but I was impressed with how many bouquets and flowers it had available for same-day and next-day delivery. There are as many as 48 bouquets you can order and have delivered within 24 hours, so it’s an ideal flower delivery option for any last-minute Larrys.
I ordered the Hello Sunshine bouquet, which indeed came the next day, and the fresh flowers were in great shape — some of the most vibrant of any I received. Plus, all the arrangements come with a vase so there’s no work to be done for the giftee!
Insider tip: Despite FTD’s speedy service, be warned, it’s always better to place your order in advance if you need the flowers for a major holiday like Valentine’s or Mother’s Day.
In addition to the great subscription service mentioned above, BloomsyBox offers some seriously cool tropical flower bouquet options. I had one sent to my mom this past Mother’s Day and she loved it, calling it “very sci-fi” and “like nothing she’d ever been sent before” (see photo). BloomsyBox has about six tropical bouquets using flowers sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and they start at around $50.
What we liked and didn’t like: These fiery tropical flowers showed up incredibly fresh and fragrant. Of all the arrangements, they looked like they had been cut most recently and they lasted a solid week. Some other bouquets I ordered seemed a bit more full but it was by no means sad or scraggly.
If you’re looking for a modern arrangement with unique blooms and contemporary colors, our flower delivery service of choice is UrbanStems. This online florist works with sustainable farms to offer a wide selection of chic floral arrangements and potted plants.
What we liked and didn’t like: The sleek modern bouquets are what set this service apart from the rest. The classic bouquets are fine but nothing special or out of the ordinary — although mine did last longer than some other bouquets. UrbanStems also has great add-on treats. The ordering interface is simple, and the flowers I ordered arrived on time and were fresh and healthy, although not very fragrant. Of note, few other national services offer chic and modern dried floral arrangements like The Icon or The Rory, which both make use of dried flowers.
Insider tip: UrbanStems has some solid add-ons like Belgian Neuhaus chocolate truffles and fancy Sugarfina candies. I added both and enjoyed them while staring at my flowers.
UrbanStems delivers anywhere in the country, and products run the gamut from classic lush bouquets such as The Bold with roses, ranunculus and stock to the more modern style we touched on earlier. The service also offers delivery on a selection of plants. The Cathy, for instance, is a low-maintenance xerographic air plant that might make a better pick for someone without a green thumb.
Bouquets start at $45 with most arrangements hovering in the $60 to $80 range. Some are so delicate that they require hand delivery, while others are shipped through more traditional methods. Delivery date options are listed for each bouquet.
It’s always nice to support local businesses when you can, and Floom pulls from a network of independent florists in a few major US cities to fulfill orders. You can currently order Floom flowers from local businesses in New York City, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and a few other major US cities. A talented local florist will put together your arrangement to have it delivered when you need it.
Because it’s somewhat location-based, your flower options will depend on where you’re having the bouquet delivered. Floom also has same-day delivery options if you lost track of Mother’s Day, Easter or another holiday and can’t get to the flower shop in time.
Let’s start by saying Venus Et Fleurs’ flowers are definitely a vibe and perhaps not the right pick for everyone, especially considering their price. If these boxes of roses look familiar, it’s probably because they’re always popping up on celebrity social media accounts, including the Kardashians. The big draw is that they’re preserved to last as long as a full year before wilting. They’re also treated with synthetic scents to give them an olfactory edge over the competition.
If you’re looking for something truly luxe, take a browse through the sleek brand’s floral inventory. Small boxes with a single rose start at $44 (yes, for one rose), while more lavish displays can cost a whole lot more, upward of $1,000. You can also choose from a variety of rose colors and containers, including bold metallic and rainbow varieties.
We love supporting local businesses and if there’s a flower shop near you that can get bushels of blooms where you need them, we say go for it. But if you’re sending roses across state or even city lines, it might be an easier option to use one of these online flower shops since they specialize in mail-order flowers. That includes ensuring that they arrive looking as fresh as a dozen daisies.
Buying flowers online means more variety
Most online flower markets also have an incredible variety; certainly more than most grocery stores. If you have a very specific idea of what types of flowers or flower arrangements you’d like to send, online flower delivery is likely your best bet. We’re talking rare and exotic flowers, fresh-cut flowers, potted plants, floral-inspired gift baskets bursting with fruits and sweets or simple bunches of roses, dahlias and sunflowers.
Online options include various floral arrangement styles: ultramodern flower arrangements, natural and rustic bouquets and bunches of rare and preserved roses… If you want flowers on the regular, there are even flower subscription services that’ll ship freshly cut flowers to someone every month for three, six or 12 months.
Read more: Best Places to Buy Plants Online
1-800-Flowers and FTD offer cheap flower delivery
The flower delivery category has evolved into offerings for every budget and taste. If you peruse some of the top online flower delivery you can find deals on cheap flowers, including bouquets starting at $30 or $40. Flowers are generally pretty expensive so we say take a look at the sale section for some of these vendors before deciding on a full-priced bouquet.
You can order flowers online from local florists, too
You can order flowers online from a local florist (even if you live far away from your recipient) with services such as Teleflora, Floom, Letterbox Flowers, Serenata Flowers and Benchmark Bouquets.
Can I get flowers delivered within 24 hours?
Which is the cheapest online flower delivery service?
How long does flower delivery take?
Can you order flowers online from local florists?
To make online bouquet buying a breeze, we’ve tested a few of the most popular flower delivery services to weed out the duds and help you find the perfect gift for whoever you think deserves a bushel of blooms (even if that’s you!). While we didn’t have a chance to try every flower delivery service, we’ve noted the ones we did try and what we liked or didn’t like about them.
We considered things such as the overall flower type, ordering process, delivery fee, tracking and how the blooms looked, smelled and held up over time after arriving. We included our picks for specific types, too, such as the best flower delivery for last-minute gifts, the best flower subscription and best online flower shop for modern bouquets.
We tested the first six flower delivery services on this list, among a few others that didn’t make the cut. We’re including the latter group because they have unique offerings that might appeal to you. We’ll update this best flower delivery service article with our thoughts on the others when we’ve had a chance to try them.