Just like love, flowers can be delicate and unique—which is why getting them delivered just right can be difficult.
Over five years of testing, we’ve found that online flower delivery can be hit-or-miss. Issues like shipping delays, rough handling, extreme weather, and the unpredictable timing of flower blooms are common. Plus, online flower deliveries often cost more than you expect.
Because of these challenges, we believe most people are better off using a trusted local florist who can deliver fresh, well-timed arrangements without shipping problems. But if you don’t have a local florist, online flower delivery services can still be a practical and easy option.
We’ve tried more than a dozen services throughout the year, ordering different types of arrangements and having them sent across the country. Only one service—UrbanStems—has consistently met our expectations for dependable service, long-lasting flowers, and attractive bouquets. We also recommend BloomsyBox.com and Costco, which provides classic flowers at great prices.
What We Found
Best modern bouquets with reliable delivery: UrbanStems
Ordering from UrbanStems was simple. Their website is cheerful and easy to use, their deliveries usually arrive on time, and their arrangements fit well in most vases. The designs feel fresh and high-quality—comparable to what you’d expect from a skilled local florist. The flowers are rich in color, variety, and texture, and they don’t look like the basic bunches sold by larger flower chains.
For Valentine’s Day 2025, we ordered several bouquets, including the “Margot” and seasonal options. Our testers praised their beauty and uniqueness, saying they closely matched the photos online. Past favorites have included the “Firecracker” and “Selene” bouquets.
The arrangements arrived protected by mesh and zip ties, with little to no damage—even with less packaging than competitors.
One tester in Chicago noted, “The flowers themselves were beautiful, and the shapes and textures made the bouquet feel full of life.”
UrbanStems designs its arrangements with care, using special flowers like garden roses and anemones, and pairing them with refined fillers such as eucalyptus and eryngium. Even common flowers are arranged in creative ways that feel fresh and upscale.
Bouquets usually start opening the day after arrival, and transferring them to a vase was simple. In cold weather, like the sub-10°F day in Detroit, the flowers still arrived in excellent condition—though they didn’t last as long in extreme temperatures.
Their website allows you to filter by delivery date, location, price, occasion, and even color. There are about 50 arrangements available, which we found helpful—less scrolling and easier decision-making.
UrbanStems uses carriers like FedEx and UPS. Over the last two years, all of our test deliveries arrived on time, even during busy holidays or poor weather.
What Could Be Better
In 2022, we removed UrbanStems from our top spot because of a series of disappointing deliveries. But in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the service bounced back with much better results.
The number of arrangements is smaller compared to other flower services, but we liked the curated feel.
Same-day delivery is only available in eight large cities. That limits last-minute options but helps ensure better quality.
Shipping costs are added at checkout, ranging from $10 to $25. Vases are sold separately for $15 to $32, though some bouquets include one in the base price.
Best Value for Traditional Arrangements: Costco
Costco’s flowers are not as modern or trendy as UrbanStems’, but they are fresh, attractive, and sometimes feature unexpected touches like pincushion flowers or hypericum berries. With free delivery included, these bouquets cost around 30% less than more upscale services.
Several of our team members have used Costco to send flowers to friends and family and found it dependable. Delivery services vary by area, but some bouquets are eligible for next-day delivery.
During the winter 2023–24 test, we ordered several arrangements like “Sunset Bliss,” “Warm Wishes,” and the now-unavailable “Inspire Floral.” We also tried a 50-stem rose set that offered impressive value.
The flowers came well-wrapped in plastic and zip ties, along with instructions for trimming, feeding, and watering.
While the designs were more traditional, the flowers looked healthy. A few bunches had bruised flowers, but the bouquets were full enough to hide any damage after trimming.
The website is simple but gets the job done. You can search by flower type, occasion, color, price, and delivery option. One downside is that it still shows out-of-stock items by default.
Prices are clear and reasonable. Shipping is usually included, and although a Costco membership isn’t required to order, non-members pay a 5% extra fee.
What Could Be Better
Costco doesn’t deliver on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays. When we tried ordering for Valentine’s Day 2025 (a Friday), the date was unavailable.
Some arrangements didn’t match their online photos. Others needed minor trimming on arrival. One vase was slightly uneven.
The site layout is cluttered, and there’s no option to view all bouquets at once. But given the value, we found these issues acceptable.
Other Services to Consider
Teleflora offers same-day delivery through local florists. But the results vary. In 2025, we saw price hikes of $20–$30 around Valentine’s Day—making some arrangements more expensive than those from UrbanStems. One tester had a frustrating customer service experience and got flooded with marketing emails.
Still, some testers have received great flowers from Teleflora, like the “Lavender Meadow Basket,” “Citrus Kissed,” and “Desert Sunrise.” In a few cases, the arrangements exceeded expectations.
Unwilted is a unique option that creates beautiful paper flower bouquets from hand-painted Italian crepe paper. These last for years and make a lovely gift. They’re expensive, but one recipient said their Unwilted bouquet stood out even more than their fresh flowers. We’ll continue testing for long-term results.
Why You Can Trust Us
This review was a team effort by Wirecutter’s style team. Our editors have backgrounds in home and lifestyle media, including work at Martha Stewart and Architectural Digest. We’ve reviewed arrangements over multiple years, across various locations, and during different seasons.
How We Picked and Tested
We reviewed dozens of online flower delivery companies and asked around for staff recommendations. We ordered from 14 of the most popular services, judging by the freshness, style, delivery time, website experience, and how well the bouquets matched their online images.
In 2020, we ordered flowers from eight vendors to our New York office. We watched how they looked, lasted, and held up over time. Later, we ordered bouquets for testers across the country and gathered feedback.
In 2022, we reordered top picks to new cities. In 2023 and 2024, we expanded testing in rural areas. In 2025, we retested on Valentine’s Day, one of the busiest delivery days of the year. We also included reader feedback.
One important note: Results can vary by location and weather. Cold and heat can both damage flowers in transit. Lighter-colored roses and hydrangeas tend to be more fragile. Even the best companies can have different results depending on the season or city.
How to Keep Your Flowers Fresh
Nicole Cavender from The Huntington Botanical Gardens shared these helpful tips:
- Trim the stems: Cut about half an inch off the stems when you first receive the flowers, and again every few days. Cut at a diagonal angle to help the flowers absorb more water.
- Change the water: Every two to three days, use clean, lukewarm water. This helps prevent bacteria and unpleasant smells.
- Pick the right spot: Keep your flowers away from sunlight, heat, and ripening fruit. Ethylene gas from fruit can shorten their life.
- Feed the flowers: Use the provided flower food, or mix your own with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon bleach, and 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice in a quart of water.
The Competition
- Bouqs impressed us in 2023 with beautiful arrangements, but delivery problems became an issue. Some flowers didn’t open or wilted quickly.
- BloomsyBox looked promising at first but let us down during Valentine’s Day testing with wilted, short-lived bouquets.
- Benchmark Bouquets had stock issues in 2020 and underwhelming arrangements in 2023.
- BloomNation allows you to choose your florist, but our bouquet wilted quickly and had unclear pricing.
- FTD sent us a pretty bouquet, but with some minor damage and plain fillers.
- 1-800-Flowers.com delivered average-looking flowers and dated vases.
Farmgirl Flowers had high prices, uneven stem lengths, and poor packaging during our 2023 test.
