After searching the internet for flower delivery services, reading dozens of reviews, and asking Wire cutter staffers which ones they use, we found 14 of the most popular ones. The following criteria were especially important to us:
Because beauty is a matter of taste, we looked for flower delivery Auckland services that had a wide range of interesting, stylish flower arrangements. We also tried some bouquets from more traditional and classic brands. When the flowers came, we looked for full blooms that were the right size. We took points away from bouquets that had flowers that were wilting, crushed, or broken, or that had too much filler.
Easy to place an order: We especially liked services with clean, modern, and easy-to-use websites. Some sites let us sort by price, occasion, or even color, which made it easier to choose the right bouquet. Other sites were too much to handle, with flashing pop-ups and confusing menu options.
Even though you can plan flower deliveries for Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and other events far in advance, many people also need flowers they can send quickly (for births, injuries and illness, or the rare but inevitable times you piss off loved ones and need a grand gesture stat). With this in mind, we gave priority to services that can deliver most days of the week and can send packages the same day or the next.
Good packaging: We liked flowers that came in good packaging and didn’t have broken vases or squished flowers. Some services sent the flowers in gift boxes, while others, like UrbanStems, sent them in vases. No matter what, we gave extra points if the flower packaging made the flowers look better.
Flowers on their own are a nice gesture, but sometimes more is more: We looked at whether services offered extras like chocolates, candles, or balloons for an extra fee, and we also thought about whether those extras seemed tacky or nice.
There are flaws, but they are not deal-breakers.
Even though same-day delivery is a plus, the descriptions of those bouquets were not as clear. For example, they said “blooms in pink, red, and hot pink” instead of a specific list of flower names. That’s how it’s supposed to work, and most competitors’ sites do the same thing for most arrangements. In the end, though, we were glad for the honesty. The Bouqs Company’s same-day options are delivered and set up by local florists, so they can’t guarantee the variety of buds and blooms that are available. And if you want a close-to-immediate but more predictable arrangement, the options for the next day include The Bouqs Company’s standard arrangements and guaranteed composition.
Another thing to think about is that the prices you see at first on The Bouqs Company arrangements are not the same as the total price. Shipping costs between $15 and $25, which is a lot but also pretty standard among the services we looked at. A few things can make that price less: You can save $15 on the delivery fee if you create an account. Also, considering how big our arrangement is, the smaller Original size with 12 stems would bring just as much joy for $54.
