Furniture Loans: Fill Your Space Without Emptying Your Wallet

If you've just bought a home, upsized to a bigger rental, or simply need to refresh your interior, a furniture loan can help you finance the expense. You've probably noticed that staples like a comfortable sofa and sturdy dining room table can be thousands of dollars, even if you choose affordable brands and shop sales.

A personal loan can be a great alternative or supplement to credit cards, BNPL, and even some 0% store financing offers, providing upfront cash to furnish one room or an entire home — especially if you want to shop multiple stores and need a long repayment term. We'll cover the pros and cons and help you compare options, so you can kick back on your chaise lounge without financial stress.

Best personal loans for buying furniture

Methodology

Credible evaluated 32 lenders across 1,216 data points to find the best furniture loans. We ranked lenders based on the following weighted categories:

• Rates and fees: 18.75%
• Eligibility and options for bad and no credit: 17.5%
• Availability: 12.5%
• Loan amounts and terms: 10%
• Customer satisfaction: 10%
• Customer service: 10%
• Efficiency and fund delivery: 10%
• Discounts: 7.5%
• Credible proprietary data: 3.75%

Credible's team of experts gathered information from each lender's website and from our partners directly. We also considered each of our partner lenders' statistics over a 12-month period — including average funding times, average credit scores for approved applicants, and average rates. Each data point is verified by a senior editor to make sure it's accurate at the time of publication. Learn more about how Credible rates lenders by exploring our personal loans lender rating methodology.

What is a furniture loan and how does it work?

A furniture loan isn't a specific type of loan, but rather any financing option you can use to buy furniture. That includes buy now, pay later (BNPL) agreements, store-branded and 0% APR promotional credit cards, furniture store loans offered by partner lenders, home equity loans, and other options that we'll cover later in this guide.

A personal loan for furniture is a type of installment loan that provides a lump sum of cash in exchange for equal monthly payments over several months or years. Rates on personal loans typically range from 6.49% APR to 35.99% APR.

Personal loan lenders typically require a credit check and proof of income. You can apply for a personal loan from an online lender, bank, or credit union and receive the money quickly, typically within a few business days.

How to compare personal loans for furniture

As you research personal loans, pay attention to the following:

• Loan amounts: Make sure the lender offers the amount you need. Some lenders require you to borrow a minimum of $5,000, while a few others may cap loan amounts at $10,000. Determine the total cost of the furniture you plan to buy, including tax, and your budget for repayment before choosing a lender.
• Eligibility requirements: Some lenders have more stringent requirements than others. Know your credit score before applying with any lender and, if possible, make sure you meet that lender's minimum credit score requirement. For example, LendingClub requires a minimum 660 FICO score for personal loans through Credible. You can check your credit score for free with Credible's credit-monitoring tool.
• Repayment terms: If you're taking out a large loan or have a tight budget, you might want a lender that offers extended repayment terms. For example, LightStream offers home improvement loans with repayment terms of up to 20 years that you can use to buy furniture. A longer repayment term lowers your monthly payment and gives you more time to repay, but you'll also pay more in interest over time. Shorter repayment terms are less costly.
• APR range: Most lenders advertise a range of annual percentage rates (APR), which tells you the annual cost of the loan as a percentage of the loan amount, including the interest rate and any upfront fees. But just because a lender has a low starting APR, doesn't mean you'll qualify for it. Generally, you need very good to excellent credit to qualify for a lender's lowest advertised APR.
• Fees: Many personal loans come with an origination fee, which is an upfront fee that often comes out of the loan funds. Most lenders also charge incidental fees, like late fees and returned check fees, though a few lenders like Discover don't charge any fees. 
• Total cost: Personal loans with low APRs and short repayment terms generally cost the least, but it's important to ensure you can afford the monthly payment. Evaluate your budget and compare the total repayment cost of the loan options you're considering along with the monthly payment — you can also use a personal loan calculator to compare loan costs and payments at different interest rates and repayment terms.
• Lender reputation: Evaluate the lender's reputation for customer service by reading customer reviews on third-party websites like Trustpilot, along with customer studies like J.D. Power's 2025 Consumer Lending Satisfaction Study.

Pros and cons of furniture personal loans

Pros

• Fixed repayment schedule: Since interest rates are fixed on personal loans, so are payments, unlike most credit cards and lines of credit.
• Lower APRs than credit cards, on average: A 2-year personal loan has an 11.57% APR on average, compared to 21.16% APR for the average credit card, according to the Federal Reserve.
• Quick funding: Unlike home equity financing, personal loans don't require a home appraisal or a lengthy underwriting process. Some lenders can issue the funds as soon as the same day you're approved.
• No collateral required: Most personal loans are unsecured, which means you don't need equity in your home or another valuable asset to offer as collateral.

Cons

• May be inaccessible if you have bad credit: Most personal loan borrowers have fair credit or better (a FICO score of at least 580). If you do get approved with bad credit, expect an APR above 30%.
• More expensive than short-term financing options: Some furniture financing options are interest-free, provided you can repay the full balance within one to two years. You might find these through an introductory APR on a new credit card, some BNPL plans, or store financing.
• Adds to your debt: Taking out a personal loan adds to your outstanding debt. This can affect your credit score, leave less wiggle room in your budget, and make it more difficult to save for the future.

How to get a personal loan for furniture

Lenders may differ slightly, but most have a similar process for applying for a personal loan:

1. Prequalify: Choose a few lenders that allow you to prequalify without damaging your credit. You can do this for free with multiple lenders at once through Credible. This process will provide you with an estimate of the APR and one or more repayment terms you might qualify for.
2. Compare options: Compare prequalification quotes to choose the best loan option that meets your needs.
3. Formally apply: Proceed with the formal application, answering additional questions and uploading required documents that prove your income and identity. Most lenders run a hard credit inquiry at this stage, which may cause your credit score to dip temporarily. 
4. Review and sign: If approved, read the terms and conditions carefully, checking the rate, fees, repayment term, and monthly payment. If everything looks good, e-sign your loan documents to initiate funding.
5. Get your cash: The lender will transfer the funds to your bank account within a few days or as soon as the same day, in some cases.

How to get a personal loan for furniture with bad credit

Getting a personal loan with bad credit can be a challenge, but there are a few strategies that might help:

• Research bad credit lenders: Some lenders have lower minimum credit score requirements than others. For example, Avant considers applicants with a credit score as low as 550 and OneMain Financial has no minimum credit score requirement.
• Look for secured personal loans: It may be easier to qualify for a personal loan if you offer collateral, or a valuable asset. Collateral reduces the lender's risk since the lender can take the asset if you fail to repay. For example, Oportun and OneMain Financial offer personal loans secured by the title to your car and may accept borrowers with bad credit.
• Apply with a cosigner or co-borrower: If you have a friend or family member with good credit, you could ask them to guarantee payment of the loan as a cosigner or co-applicant, which might help you qualify. A few lenders allow cosigners, and many allow co-borrowers — the difference is that a cosigner merely guarantees the loan, while a co-borrower has equal access to the funds.
• Improve your credit: If you can wait to buy furniture, make an effort to pay down debt and pay your monthly bills on time to improve your credit score. You could also try a credit improvement tool like Experian Boost.

Other financing options for new furniture

Depending on your financial situation and the furniture you plan to buy, a personal loan might not be optimal for your needs. Consider the following alternatives.

In-store financing and store-branded credit cards

Some furniture stores offer financing options like installment loans or lease-to-own contracts, typically through a third-party lender or leasing company. These options sometimes include unique features you won't find from a direct lender. For example, Bob's Discount Furniture offers a few options through its leasing and lending partners that don't require a credit score.

Many furniture retailers also offer deferred interest promotions when you apply for a store-branded credit card. This might be a good option if you plan to buy all your furniture from the same store and you're confident you can pay the balance in full within the promotional period. For example, the Wayfair credit card allows you to avoid interest for up to 24 months on purchases of $2,999 or more. But if you're unable to pay off the balance within that time frame, you'll be charged interest from the date of purchase at a high variable APR. Deferred financing promotions are common and typically have higher minimum purchase amounts for longer deferred interest periods.

0% APR credit card

Some credit card issuers offer a 0% APR promotional period for new cardholders. Unlike store credit cards, issuers like Wells Fargo and Chase allow you to buy furniture at any retailer that accepts that card brand, and you can avoid interest for up to 21 months. These promotions are typically zero-interest promotions rather than deferred interest promotions. This means you won't be charged interest on the full amount if you don't pay it off within the promotional period. Instead, interest starts accruing at the end of the promotional period and only on the remaining amount you owe.

BNPL

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) companies like Klarna and Affirm provide point-of-sale financing at many furniture retailers. You apply at checkout, the store fulfills your order, and you repay the BNPL provider. BNPL options have expanded: it used to be that you'd have to pay back the loan in four biweekly installments, including an upfront payment, to avoid interest. But you might qualify for a longer interest-free repayment term — like 12 months — depending on the provider and your credit.

Most BNPL providers won't run a hard credit check to see if you're eligible for short-term financing, but may run one if you need a years-long repayment term. Also, they previously haven't reported payments (or non-payments) to the major credit bureaus. But credit reporting rules are changing soon for BNPL plans. “FICO intends to factor BNPL loans into credit scores starting this fall,” says Lana Wear, founder and CEO at HomeWear Designs. “This means that bad BNPL repayment behavior will negatively impact your credit score.”

Home equity loan

A home equity loan is secured by your home equity, or the share of your home that you own outright. Home equity loans require closing costs, can take weeks to close, and nonpayment can lead to foreclosure. But they could be a good option for very large furniture purchases, since they typically have lower APRs than personal loans.

HELOC

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is similar to a home equity loan — it uses your home as collateral. The difference is that you can draw against your credit line on an ongoing basis and only pay interest on the funds you use. A HELOC can be helpful if you're furnishing your home little by little or you don't know how much you're going to spend.

Personal line of credit

Some banks and credit unions offer their customers a personal line of credit (PLOC), which is similar to a HELOC except that it's unsecured. A PLOC could have a higher APR than a personal loan, depending on your credit, but can be a good option if you plan to furnish your home in phases.

Savings

If your budget is tight, saving for your furniture purchase might be the best option. “If the purchase would strain your finances or you won't be able to pay a loan back per the terms of the agreement, wait,” says Wear. “It can actually be fun to build your space gradually — layers built over time give your home character and charm.” Some furniture stores also offer layaway programs that encourage you to deposit money in a dedicated savings account.