Building your dream house?
Plan ready, bought the new appliances, finished doing the walls, next are the windows. For windows, you need to determine which factors are vital for you in case of choice.
Pella windows are affordable but lack longevity. Also, it can be critical to install due to its rolled aluminum cladding.
On the other hand, Marvin offers a wide range of window options and is built with a more robust material than any other brand. If budget is not an issue, go for it.
Andersen has been there as your old friend since 1903 and sells traditional windows. This brand doesn’t have much to offer, but quality and budget-friendly.
These brands have door collections too. Pella vs Andersen storm doors is at a hype now.
Getting confused? I have compared Pella vs. Marvin vs. Andersen in 9 ways.
Keep reading –
9 Comparison Factors Between Pella Vs Marvin Vs Andersen
| Factor | Pella | Marvin | Andersen | Winner |
| Interior Material | Mahogany, Pine, White Oak, Cherry, Red Oak, Douglas Fir or Maple wood | Black Walnut, Cherry, Honduran Mahogany, Pine, Mixed Grain Douglas Fir, Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, and White Oak wood | Pine wood | Marvin |
| Exterior Material | Roll Form Aluminum Cladding | Extruded Aluminum Cladding | Vinyl Cladding | Marvin & Andersen |
| Glass | Dual or triple pane glass with argon or krypton | Dual Pane with Low E & Argon | Dual Pane Low E/ Low E4 | Marvin |
| Strength & Durability | Not very strong, 10+ years | Very strong, 20 years | Strong enough, 10-20 years | Marvin & Andersen |
| Color | 27 factory colors | 19 exterior finished colors | 7 colors | Marvin |
| Types | Double Hung, Casement, Awning, and Single Hung | Single Hung, Double Hung, Bay & Bow, Casement, Casement Swing, Awning, Glider, Round Top, European Style Tilt-Turn, Picture Frame | Double Hung, Casement, Awning, Glider, Bay & Bow, Specialty Shapes | Marvin |
| Finishing | 7 stains or 3 paint colors finishing | 7 factory stains & 3 painted wood finishing | 3 paint colors finishing | Pella & Marvin |
| Appearance & Construction | Mitered corners | Butt joints in corners | Mitered & welded corners | Marvin |
| Price | Check the price | Check the price | Check the price |
1 of 9: Interior Material
This may not be a major issue for you, but the interior material of a window is significant. Pella brand uses 3 types of wood as their interior material- Mahogany, Douglas Fir, and Pine. But if you want to customize, they provide White Oak, Cherry, Red Oak, or Maple wood.
Andersen provides only pine wood interior material. So, in the case of interior material, Andersen is not versatile at all.
Marvin uses 8 different types of wood as the internal material of windows. They are- Black Walnut, Cherry, Mixed Grain Douglas Fir, Honduran Mahogany, Pine, Vertical Grain Douglas Fir, and White Oak wood. So, you have plenty of options to choose between.
So, here is a clear winner, Marvin.
2 of 9: Exterior Material
Exterior materials are essential for the strength and durability of your window. Pella windows have roll-form aluminum cladding. This cladding is not sustainable and is not strong enough because of its thin structure.
Marvin uses extruded aluminum cladding which is thicker than the rolled one. It is suitable for a design because of its thickness. It is perfect for protection from the outside.
Andersen’s windows have Vinyl Cladding, which is durable and easy to install and maintain. Vinyl cladding never rusts and is very cost-effective.
Here, Marvin and Andersen are both winners.
3 of 9: Glass
Glass is the main focal point of a window. If the glass material is not good, the window loses 50% of its efficiency.
Pella windows have a dual or triple-pane glass with argon or krypton, which is suitable for heat transfer and energy efficiency.
Marvin windows have a double pane with low E & argon that blocks UV rays, filters a small amount of light, and reduces infrared light and heat from the outside. This is energy-saving and keeps your house warm.
Andersen uses similar category glass like Marvin, dual pane Low E/ Low E4. These glasses are very suitable for cold countries as they keep the heat inside the room and give a comfortable feeling during winter.
Additionally, Andersen glasses provide SmartSun, Sun Glass & Passive Sun Glass, Obscure & Art Glass options.
So, undoubtedly, both Marvin and Andersen are winners.
4 of 9: Strength & Durability
Pella, Marvin, and Andersen- these 3 brands provide a minimum 10 years warranty. They claim that their windows are durable due to their quality. But are they?
Marvin windows have interlocks that the Pella windows lack. These interlocks make the window frame and structure stronger. Also, Marvin uses Ultrex fiberglass in the windows, which is a more durable option than Pella’s pane glasses.
In the case of durability and strength, Andersen is not lagging. This, too, has powerful features like fiberglass, Vinyl cladding, and welded corners. Andersen is old school, but they are durable.
Here, Marvin and Andersen are both winners.
5 of 9: Color
You may have a specific taste in choosing the color of your windows. Let me tell you Marvin provides 19 exterior finished colors that are American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 2605 Standard approved. You can also customize the color matching.
On the other hand, its biggest competitor Pella has 27 factory colors. And Andersen has only 7 variants of colors.
So, for the most color available, Marvin wins.
6 of 9: Types
Among these three brands, Marvin makes the highest number of window types.
Marvin makes 10 types of windows as per your choice- Single Hung, Double Hung, Casement, Casement Swing, Awning, Glider, Bay & Bow, Round Top, European Style Tilt-Turn, and Picture Frame.
On the other hand, Pella and Andersen don’t have that much variety. Pella windows are of 4 types- Double Hung, Casement, Awning, and Single Hung. And Andersen windows are of 6 kinds- Double Hung, Casement, Awning, Glider, Bay & Bow, Specialty Shapes.
So, the Winner is- Marvin.
7 of 9: Finishing
Marvin and Pella windows have similar finishing. Both offer you the choice of 7 factory stains & 3 painted wood finishes.
On the contrary, Andersen has only 3 colors- white, black, or bronze available with coordinating exterior colors.
Here I’d say Pella and Marvin are both winners.
8 of 9: Appearance & Construction
To talk about the appearance and construction, I must mention Marvin windows have butt joints in corners.
On the other hand, both Pella and Andersen use Mitered joints in corners.
Butt joints are way stronger and smarter than Mitered joints. Mitered joints are traditional and aesthetic but can be naturally destroyed when the woods expand. If you need something sustainable, you should go for butt joint windows.
Again, Marvin is the winner.
9 of 9: Price
In the case of price, it is visible in the chart above. Marvin windows are double in price in comparison to Pella and Andersen. Andersen aims to provide quality on a budget, and so does Pella. But if you want quality and versatile options in a product, it would cost more obviously.
Here is a chart of Pella vs. Marvin vs. Andersen average price –
| Brand name | Only window | Window with installation |
| Pella | On average $400 to $1200 per window | On average $550-$2500 per window |
| Marvin | On average $600 to $2000 per window | On average $750 to $2500 per window |
| Andersen | On average $300 to $700 per window | On average $450 to $1500 per window |
*All prices are subject to change according to time, availability and labor cost.
So, the most affordable one is Andersen.
Pella vs Marvin vs Andersen- Which is for Whom?
The article has described Pella vs. Marvin vs. Andersen’s comparison of different factors. Now, it’s your turn to choose wisely according to your choice and need. But before saying goodbye, here is my suggestion on which one you should buy-
Buy Pella if-
- You don’t live in a freezing country
- Your house is not so fancy
- You have a budget issue
- Other brands aren’t available in your locality
- You don’t need versatile collection
Buy Marvin if-
- You live in a cold country
- Budget is not an issue
- You need windows for commercial or big home projects
- You have tried other low-quality windows and want upgrade
- You need color and material variations
Buy Andersen if-
- Budget is your main concern
- You need quality in budget
- Traditional and aesthetic windows are your favorite
- You live in a moderately cold country
Final words
After all the discussion on Pella vs. Marvin vs. Andersen, it should be clear for you to decide on the window purchase.
Pella and Marvin brands are pretty premium. Andersen is a lot cheaper than both of them. So, if a budget is not your concern, look for which brand provides better quality and service. In my opinion, if you are paying much, you should get the best window.
But if you don’t need anything super-premium and don’t want to invest a lot of money in your windows, you better go for Andersen, an excellent quality product on a budget. They have been sustaining the market for quite a long time, so they must have customer satisfaction.
Last but not least, every company will claim their products are the best, so choose wisely before purchasing.
FAQ
Which one is better: Andersen e series vs. Marvin ultimate?
At first, if you look for prices, you’d see the Andersen E series and Marvin Ultimate series are pretty much the same prices, around $1400-$1500. If you ask for quality, Marvin uses Extruded Aluminum Cladding, and Andersen also uses the same Cladding in their E series collection. So, the Andersen E series is better as its price is lower than Marvin.
Which one should I pick: Jeld Wen vs. Pella vs. Andersen?
Pella brand’s windows and doors are made of premium fiberglass, and Jeld Wen and Andersen use vinyl. So, the quality is quite different. In the case of pricing, both Andersen and Jeld Wen are cheaper. Pella is a bit costly. So, it’d be better to invest a bit more in the Pella brand to have a quality product.
Which one is the best: Marvin Ultrex vs. Andersen Fibrex?
Marvin Ultrex is one of their popular collections and bestsellers. It has fiberglass which is better than vinyl, used in Andersen Fibrex. It is swelling, sticking, and warping-proof. Andersen Fibrex is also a strong option for your window. But the Andersen Fibrex seems more overpriced than the quality it provides in comparison with Marvin.
