Flowers, much like love, are delicate and special. That’s why both can be hard to get just right.
After five years of testing for this guide, we’ve learned that many online flower delivery services can be unreliable. Delays, rough handling during shipping, extreme temperatures, and the unpredictable timing of when flowers bloom all affect the experience. On top of that, the cost can be high.
Because of this, we believe most people would be better off ordering from a dependable local florist who can hand-deliver fresh flowers at their best, avoiding shipping issues and extra fees. But if you don’t know of a local florist, or if you simply need Next Day Flower Delivery, using an online service can still be helpful and easy.
Over the years, we’ve tested more than a dozen services at different times of the year, shipping a variety of arrangements to different places across the country. Only one service—our top choice, UrbanStems—consistently met our expectations for reliability, flower life, and a wide range of attractive arrangements. We also suggest Costco, which is a dependable option that offers more traditional flowers at a great price.
How We Selected and Tested the Services
Looks
We chose services that offered a wide variety of bouquet styles. We gave lower marks for wilted or damaged flowers, too much filler, or arrangements that didn’t match their pictures online.
Ordering Experience
We gave preference to services with easy-to-use websites that allow customers to filter results by helpful features.
Delivery Timing
We looked for services that delivered on time, were available most days of the week, and could handle next-day delivery.
Packaging
We liked flowers that arrived in secure and neat packaging, whether in a vase or a box.
UrbanStems: Our Top Pick
Ordering from UrbanStems was simple. The website is bright, well-organized, and easy to use. Deliveries usually arrived on time, and the flowers were easy to place in a vase at home. The modern and creative designs reminded us of arrangements from a skilled local florist. The bouquets looked full, colorful, and thoughtfully put together.
For Valentine’s Day 2025, we ordered the single-size Margot bouquet and several seasonal ones to different addresses. All of our testers were impressed. The flowers matched their photos and had creative arrangements. Past favorites included the Firecracker and Selene bouquets (available seasonally).
The bouquets arrived tied with zip ties and some blooms were protected with mesh netting. Even with less packaging than other services, they arrived in great shape.
One of our testers in Chicago shared, “The flowers were beautiful, and the colors, shapes, and textures made the bouquet feel lively and special.”
UrbanStems clearly puts more care into its arrangements than other services like 1-800-Flowers. Their bouquets often include special flowers like garden roses or anemones and elegant filler like eucalyptus. Even common flowers, like roses in the Sorbet bouquet, are arranged in a way that makes them look more refined.
The flowers look great as soon as you open the box. While many blooms opened fully the day after delivery, one tester said transferring them to a vase was “foolproof.” In January 2024, one bouquet even arrived in Detroit in perfect shape despite freezing temperatures, though it didn’t last as long as others sent to warmer places. We noticed that bouquets across the country looked very similar and true to their pictures—something many services struggle with.
The website makes ordering easy. It’s modern and allows shoppers to sort by zip code, date, price, occasion, and color. Most arrangements come in three sizes. At the time we tested, there were about 50 options available. We actually found the smaller selection helpful—it made it easier to choose quickly without being overwhelmed.
You can rely on UrbanStems to deliver on time. Over the past two years, all of our orders arrived when expected, even on holidays and during bad weather—times when other services had trouble.
Some Drawbacks to Know
In 2022, we removed UrbanStems from our top spot after several bouquets arrived in poor shape, and some readers had similar complaints. However, our experience in 2023, 2024, and 2025 showed clear improvement. The flower delivery industry can be unpredictable, and no service gets perfect reviews.
UrbanStems offers around 50 arrangements at a time. This is fewer than some other companies, but it avoids overwhelming shoppers with dozens of similar-looking options like Teleflora does.
Same-day delivery is only available in eight big cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. This limits last-minute options but helps the company keep quality consistent.
Shipping is added at checkout, so the total cost is higher than the listed price. This is common with most flower services.
- Shipping: $10 to $25
- Vase (optional): $15 to $32; some arrangements include a vase
Costco: Classic Flowers at a Great Price
Costco’s flower arrangements are not as modern or stylish as those from UrbanStems, but they’re fresh and lovely. Some even have unique touches like pincushion flowers and hypericum. Since delivery is included, they cost about 30% less than bouquets from higher-end vendors. Many of our staff have sent Costco flowers to family and friends.
Costco uses various carriers for delivery, depending on where you live, and may offer next-day shipping on some arrangements.
In winter 2023–24, our testers were surprised by how nice the flowers were for the price. We ordered the Sunset Bliss, Inspire Floral (now sold out), and Warm Wishes bouquets across the country. We also tried a 50-stem rose order, which looked amazing and was a great deal. While the website isn’t very polished, and some flowers needed trimming, the quality was still solid.
The bouquets were full and attractive. They looked more traditional but were still good quality. A few had some bruised flowers, but because the bouquets were large, removing a few damaged ones didn’t affect the look. They arrived in a cardboard box with the vase and bouquet secured in plastic, plus instructions on how to care for them.
Ordering is simple. Costco’s flower page is basic in design but easy to browse. You can choose categories like Roses, Bouquets, or Weddings & Event Flowers, and filter by price, color, flower type, or delivery date. However, the site defaults to showing out-of-stock items, which is not very helpful.
Costco’s prices are clear and low. Arrangements generally cost about 30% less than most competitors, and delivery is included. You don’t need a membership to buy, but nonmembers pay a 5% fee, which we think is reasonable.
- Shipping: free
- Vase: $5
Other Flower Services to Consider
For last-minute needs:
Teleflora works with local florists, so it can often deliver flowers the same day. But the size, quality, and flower types may vary widely from what’s shown online. In 2025, we noticed a big jump in prices for Valentine’s Day—$20 to $30 more than usual. It was the only service we tested that raised prices for the holiday. One tester had to spend 45 minutes on the phone after his order was canceled twice, and then received dozens of marketing emails afterward.
Still, some testers liked the local florist arrangements from Teleflora. Bouquets like Lavender Meadow Basket, Citrus Kissed, and Desert Sunrise have been well received. In certain cities, Teleflora even delivered very impressive bouquets from top-tier florists.
For something long-lasting and different:
Unwilted makes handmade paper flowers that are incredibly realistic. The company uses Italian crepe paper to shape and paint each flower by hand. They sell both individual stems and full bouquets, with seasonal collections keeping the choices fresh. One editor sent a paper bouquet to a colleague recovering from surgery, and it was their favorite out of all the flowers received. The only downside is the price, but for a bouquet that lasts years, it can be worth it. We’re continuing to test this service to see how well the flowers hold up over time.
Why You Can Trust Our Review
Several members of Wirecutter’s style team helped test flower arrangements for this guide. We have editors on both coasts with more than 30 years of combined experience in print and digital media, including work at Martha Stewart and Architectural Digest. We know what looks good and what’s worth the price.
We started by researching flower services online, reading reviews, and polling staff for their favorites. We ordered from 14 popular services and tested eight in our Long Island City, New York office. We looked at delivery timing, website ease of use, packaging, flower freshness, and how closely the bouquets matched their pictures.
We continued to test over the years, sending flowers to staff in different cities. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, we placed new orders for past favorites and newer options in both city and rural locations. For Valentine’s Day 2025, we tested again in three new areas. We also took into account feedback from readers.
One thing to remember: The quality of each delivery can vary depending on where it’s going and the weather. Heat and cold both caused problems for some bouquets, and certain flowers (like white or pink roses, or hydrangeas) were more likely to get damaged in transit. While we tested in different locations, no flower delivery service is perfect. The results can vary with each order.
Tips to Keep Flowers Fresh
Nothing is more frustrating than a beautiful bouquet wilting after just a few days. To help your flowers last longer, we got advice from Nicole Cavender, director of The Huntington Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles.
- Trim the stems: Cut at least half an inch off the stems when you receive the bouquet, and do it again every two or three days. Cutting at a slant helps the stems absorb more water.
- Change the water: Change the water every two or three days using lukewarm water. This helps prevent bacteria, which can block the stems and make the bouquet smell bad.
- Choose a good spot: Keep flowers out of direct sunlight and away from heat. Also, don’t place them near fruit like apples, which give off gas that shortens flower life.
- Feed them: Many bouquets come with flower food. If yours doesn’t, you can make your own by mixing 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of bleach, and 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice in a quart of water.
The Competition
Bouqs, our top pick in 2023, made stylish and long-lasting bouquets. However, in recent testing, the company had trouble with on-time delivery. In our 2023–24 round, three out of five orders arrived late and without any notice.