Numerous faucet brands crowd the market, each attempting to surge to the forefront of the scene. Of course, a few stick out to potential buyers, including Moen, Delta, and Kohler, some of the best-known brands in the industry. However, other brands, such as Glacier Bay, Peerless, and Pfister, offer tantalizing deals for similar-looking faucets.
Today, we’ll focus on Glacier Bay and Moen. There’s a clear separation in pricing, but many of the designs are similar. So, is one better than the other, or is there even a noticeable difference? Let’s find out.
Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay is Home Depot’s in-house brand and is a solid option for entry-level plumbing fixtures. While the quality of Glacier Bay’s faucets is far from impressive, the company does an excellent job with the presentation. These faucets are relatively inexpensive, with most models costing $100 or less.
The products are easy to install and user-friendly, making them an excellent choice for DIYers new to the plumbing scene. Many folks can’t afford to splurge on numerous several-hundred-dollar faucets, so if you’re upgrading your home on a budget, Glacier Bay is an excellent choice. Although the taps won’t last decades, they hold up well enough.
Is Glacier Bay A Good Brand?
Glacier Bay offers dozens of no-frills inexpensive faucets that are ideal for entry-level scenarios. While these products are suitable for entry-level applications, that’s where it ends. The products are designed well, with solid aesthetic appeal, yet aren’t the best quality available on the market.
That said, if you’re looking for inexpensive products (and don’t expect exceptional quality for the price), Glacier Bay is a good brand. However, keep in mind you get what you pay for.
> Shop Glacier Products at Home Depot
Moen
Moen is a familiar face in the faucet industry. The company has been on the scene since 1956 and is headquartered in North Olmsted, Ohio. Moen is an industry leader in innovation and technology, producing an extensive lineup of high-end and smart kitchen and bathroom faucets.
Moen is recognized for the quality, durability, and longevity of its products, each of which is backed by a solid warranty (for residential use). While the company is an exceptional choice, it doesn’t offer budget-friendly options. Most of its faucets start around $200 and climb from there.
The high price range is primarily due to the tech and innovation that goes into these faucets, so you pay for what you get. Although these faucets are pricey, Moen doesn’t skimp on options, as it offers dozens of models to meet nearly any aesthetic preference.
Is Moen A Good Brand?
Moen is widely known as a good brand for kitchen and bathroom fixtures. The products are made with good quality components that will last for years with proper care. In addition, Moen offers excellent product warranty coverage, so purchasers can be confident in their purchase.
> Shop Moen Products on Amazon
Glacier Bay vs. Moen: Head To Head
With each brand’s information in mind, let’s take a look at the two in a direct comparison. We’ll examine major areas to consider, including pricing, durability, warranties, and quality.
Price
Glacier Bay and Moen feature drastically different pricing. Most Glacier Bay faucets are priced below $200, with some as inexpensive as $20 (certain bathroom faucets). On the flip side, Moen faucets feature much higher price tags.
Most Moen faucets cost several hundred dollars, although some cheaper models cost as low as about $100. On the expensive end of the spectrum, Moen faucets can cost upwards of $1,200, although they are usually their higher-end models with fancy tech additions.
Variety
Both brands of faucets offer a solid lineup of kitchen and bathroom faucets. Glacier Bay offers a slightly more limited range than Moen, although both have plenty to offer. You can find single-handle, two-handle, touch, touchless, and voice control faucets from Moen, while Glacier Bay offers single-handle, two-handle, and touchless configurations.
Both brands offer several designs and finishes to match various aesthetics, so you shouldn’t have an issue finding something to meet your preferences.
Quality
In terms of quality, Moen takes the cake. While Glacier Bay faucets offer decent quality, Moen faucets are known for their solid construction. Glacier Bay faucets are made of cheaper materials, hence the overall cost, while Moen products are made of better materials, leading to higher costs.
Moen is your better option if you’re looking for a high-quality faucet. Although you’ll have to pay more for the tap, you get what you pay for.
Warranty
Both faucet brands offer limited lifetime warranties on their products. However, Moen outlines a much more specific warranty than Glacier Bay. According to Home Depot’s website, Glacier Bay products are warranted to the original consumer purchaser to be free of defects in materials or workmanship. The company will replace the product or parts that prove defective free of charge.
On the flip side, Moen offers a very specific warranty outlining what is covered. Moen warrants to the original purchaser for as long as the purchaser owns the home that the faucet will be leak and drip-free during everyday residential use.
Additionally, Moen guarantees all parts and finishes will be free from defects in material and manufacturing workmanship. If the faucet experiences issues in these areas, Moen will replace the necessary components to return the faucet to working condition, all free of charge.
Technology
Both brands offer some degree of tech features in certain faucets, although Moen’s lineup tends to be more extensive than Glacier Bay’s. Moen offers touch and touchless faucets, making it easier to operate the faucet without moving the handle. Glacier Bay also offers touchless faucets, although the quality is much lower than that of a Moen touchless faucet.
Glacier Bay’s tech faucets are pretty straightforward in operation. However, Moen’s faucets are a bit more high-tech, with some models featuring tech that allows the user to regulate water temperature and flow with their voice.
Aside from basic tech, Moen offers other features to improve the user experience. For example, Moen’s Power Boost faucets offer a four-function pulldown spray featuring a standard stream and spray, as well as other stream and spray options for boosted function.
Durability
In terms of durability, Moen is the better choice. Moen uses higher quality products in its faucets, which tend to hold up better than Glacier Bay’s. Moen faucets feature mostly metal components, from internal cartridges to furnishings. They hold up well under regular use and offer a better aesthetic appeal.
On the flip side, Glacier Bay primarily uses reinforced plastic and metal furnishings. While the appearance can mimic certain metals, such as stainless steel, the fixture doesn’t hold up as well as a metal faucet.
Longevity
Given the composition of a Moen faucet compared to a Glacier Bay faucet, it’s no surprise that Moen faucets last considerably longer. On average, Glacier Bay faucets wear out after a few years of regular use. Since they’re made of less durable materials, they’re more prone to wear and tear, which requires more maintenance and checkups.
On the other hand, Moen faucets can last well over a decade with proper care. The metal components in these faucets extend their lifespan, as they hold up well under typical residential use. On top of that, Moen faucets are covered by a solid warranty. So, even if the tap gives out before its time, you can proceed with peace of mind knowing the product is backed by an excellent warranty.
Which One Is Better?
For the most part, we think Moen is the better choice here. However, there are some exceptions. For example, let’s say you’re working with a limited budget. Moen isn’t the best option in this case, as its faucets start fairly high. While you won’t get the quality of a Moen faucet, the pricing of a Glacier Bay faucet is the better choice.
Ultimately, the choice is yours – if you have a bit more leeway with your budget and are looking for a high-quality faucet that will last for many years, Moen might be your best choice between the two. On the flip side, if you’re working with a limited budget or are looking for an inexpensive replacement for a broken faucet, a Glacier Bay faucet might be your best bet.
Some folks swear by Glacier Bay products, while others argue the superiority of Moen faucets. Again, the choice is yours! While we think Moen is the better choice (better quality, warranty coverage, durability, and longevity), its products are pricey.
Hopefully, you can use this information to make a clear decision as to which faucet brand is better for your home!
Two years ago we remodeled our kitchen and included a Glacier Bay sink and faucet deal. Last week the nozzle volume suddenly was reduced by like 90% (plugged?) compared to that without the nozzle. I contacted HD about getting a replacement nozzle and have gotten nowhere, 7 day later. Glacier Bay asked for a short video of water flow with and without the errant nozzle, which I immediately sent. After numerous emails with my HD customer care contact, I’ve heard nothing from GB. How hard is it to just order a new nozzle?? GB’s customer service is several magnitudes beyond terrible! I would never recommend this company’s faucets just on their poor service alone. Meanwhile, still waiting on how to order a new or replacement nozzle as of today, 4-13-23.
The Home Depot store and its employees are fine. This review is for their Glacier Bay brand kitchen faucets. Just FYI, Home Depot cannot carry all the various replacement items for everything they sell. So of course, they tell me to call Glacier Bay directly. After a long 45 minutes hold to get to GB customer rep, I was informed they will not sell replacement parts for out of warranty products. Period. I needed a replacement for an aerator that was cracked, not a new faucet. Its proprietary sized aerator is not available anywhere, not even on Amazon.