5 Home Depot Finds That Outshine Ace Hardware In Price And Quality

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Home Depot and Ace Hardware are two of the biggest hardware retailers in America. Both offer an incredible range of tools, supplies, and home goods that can be used for everything from basic maintenance and repairs to professional trade work and massive renovations. But while you might be able to find most everything you need at either one of these stores, it's worth considering that you might sometimes find items that are simultaneously of higher quality and more affordable than alternatives sold by the other outlet.

Overall, Ace is primarily known for its small size and local convenience. It's a lot easier to pop into one of the company's smaller hardware stores for a few fasteners or a tube of caulk than it is to search through one of the orange big box stores' massive warehouses. Home Depot, on the other hand, is generally known as the more cost-effective retailer while also offering a much larger selection of products. The Ryobi, Husky, Ridgid, and HDX house brands are all well-regarded by users for offering well-designed products that are also easy on the wallet.

By taking a look at some of the top-rated budget options from Home Depot's house brands and comparing them to the alternatives made by Ace Hardware's house brands, you might discover some of these products to be equivalent or better in value, despite their lower price point. One of the better ways to verify this is to take a look at what critics (when possible) and customers have had to say about them.

One of the most important tools in any kit is the humble tape measure. This handy little device might seem simple, but factors like readability, locking strength, and retraction can all have a big effect on your experience. Neither Husky nor Ace are usually ranked among the best tape measure brands, like Stanley, but both are often seen as solid value options. Husky sells an entire line of tape measures, but for the sake of comparison, let's take a look at two of the more popular sizes and how they stack up against those offered by the Ace house brand.

The Husky 16-foot Tape Measure is one of the smaller models that the company sells, one step above the miniature, keychain measures. This little guy goes for just $7.97 and boasts a 4.7 out of 5 on the Home Depot website, with customers noting its accuracy, compact form factor, and general sturdiness. By comparison, the Ace 16-foot Tape Measure retails for $9.99 and currently only has a 3-star review score. The next step up in size would be the Ace 25-foot Tape Measure. This one goes for $11.99 on the Ace website and has a 4.4-star rating. Meanwhile, the Husky 25-foot equivalent is only $9.97 and has a 4.7-star rating.

It isn't just users who like the Husky tape measures, either. Dan Ward of MotorTrend extensively tested six different models. "The Husky tape measure consistently placed near the top of every test category," Ward said. "Feature rich, the Husky makes the most out of its magnetic dual hook, belt clip, and solid ergonomics. [...] Large, easy-to-read numbers (on both sides) and a coated blade made the Husky an easy First Place choice."

A solid adjustable wrench is another staple, and it's one of the few hand tools with a mechanical component that can really make or break the quality. An adjustable wrench with a dial that can't hold its grip is about as useful as flip flops in a blizzard.

Husky sells a 10-inch Adjustable Wrench that has a 4.4 out of 5 star rating and which retails for $17.99 on the Home Depot site, but has been seen in stores for as low as $12.97. The Ace-affiliated Steel Grip brand 10-inch adjustable wrench is $18.99 and has a flat 4.0 out of 5. The retailer also sells a new Ace-brand 10-inch Adjustable Wrench that hasn't yet received any reviews on the company site, but this model is another step up in price at $19.99.

There are a few instances of customers complaining about the Husky wrench slipping that have dragged its score down a bit, but the vast majority of reviewers seem to think that it's a quality tool. Most claim that it has a good weight, easy adjustability, and that it locks in place well. One Tool Guyd argued that the slippage some are experiencing might be due to the tools "Double Speed" adjustability. "In theory the design might make the adjustable wrench weaker than standard adjustable wrenches, but in practice these types of wrenches should not be used in high-torque applications anyways." This makes sense, as those using it in heavier applications would be better off with a combination wrench than an adjustable one. "Perfect tool. Well made. No complaints." YouTuber Jay Rules said in his review. "On a scale of one to a hundred, I recommend it 95%, all day, every day."

Both Home Depot and Ace Hardware have brands that specialize in home plumbing fixtures. Both have a few models that are rated more highly than others, but one example where the Home Depot pick seems to have the edge is the Glacier Bay Constructor 2-Handle 1-Spray Tub and Shower Faucet combo. This is a very budget-oriented set with a 1.8GPM flow rate that retails for just $48.23. Nevertheless, it has a 4 out of 5 on the Home Depot website. 

There are some complaints about the limiters on the water flow and the logo being printed on the outside. Even so, the faucet set received high marks for ease of installation, finish, and value. The fact that the newer Glacier Bay Constructor kits use solid brass valve bodies and ceramic disc valves while being WaterSense certified is a big boon to their longevity. The Oakbrook Collection model from Ace, on the other hand, makes no such claims. It retails for $74.99 and only has 3 stars, with complaints of dripping and leaks.

There aren't a lot of pro reviews for this specific Glacier Bay kit, but there are plenty of comments about the overall quality of the brand's low-end kits. "Glacier bay is not terrible, but don't buy it if longevity is important," one Redditor stated. "I have used them because they are cheap, perform well and look pretty good for a little while but will need to be replaced much sooner than a similar moen faucet." The general consensus seems to be that while it's generally worth springing for a quality brand like Moen, Glacier Bay is one of the better budget options.

Those who are interested in getting some outdoor furniture might be curious to learn what these two hardware stores have to offer. The Home Depot StyleWell brand and the Ace-affiliated Living Accents brand are both fairly well-regarded. Both of them offer a wide selection of patio furniture, and most of the items from both brands are fairly well rated, but there's one instance where one of the Home Depot products is both higher rated and a much better deal.

The StyleWell Folding Zero Gravity Steel Outdoor Patio Sling Chaise Lounge Chair is an impressive bargain at just $69.00. It has a sturdy steel frame, a fabric seat and back, a built-in cup holder, reclining functionality, and folds up for easy storage. This chair doesn't appear to have any professional reviews as of yet, but it has a 4.7 out of 5 on the Home Depot site with customers regularly citing its sturdiness, light weight, and portable design as key reasons for their positive review. "These chairs are awesome, very nice to kick back in on the patio," one reviewer wrote. "The foot of the chair can be used to ease back leaning with very little effort, and the locks underneath the armrests are great for holding your preferred angle. I remain quite impressed by the quality and support of the fabric backrest, one could certainly doze off in this chair."

The Living Accents Zero Gravity Folding Chair at Ace is very similar in terms of design and specifications, but it costs $89.99 and has a 4.5 on the site. People seem to generally like this chair as well, but a $20 premium for a lower-rated chair is less than ideal.

There are a lot of projects where it might be worthwhile to spend a few extra dollars to get a good quality can of spray paint. You don't want to cheap out when painting furniture or home decor, for instance. But there are also about a million situations where you're looking to get as cheap a can of paint as possible.

The HDX Paint and Primer rattle cans aren't particularly fancy. They have a weighted review score of 3.6 out of 5. The majority of customers seem to think that this spray paint works well, but a few have had issues with thin-layer quality and sputtering. It certainly doesn't compare to Home Depot's premium Behr line, which runs $6.98 a can, but it comes in 10 different colors, and five different finishes. What's more, you can get it for just $4.98 a can. The Ace brand version of this spray paint, on the other hand, is $5.99 a can, only comes in two colors, and has a marginally weaker 3.2 out of 5 score, with customers complaining that uneven coverage, sputtering, dripping, and clogging were all extremely common.

"The first thing that you're going to notice is that it's not going to have that overspray like the ColorPlace does," said YouTuber ArtPrimo. "It lays down a very nice line. Very thick, like it wants to drip but it's not quite dripping. It's almost on the verge, but it's holding it together." So it seems like a solid option for those seeking an affordable spray paint brand. Just make sure you're aware of the health risks associated with spray paint and know what to do if you experience them, whatever brand you choose.

Home Depot and Ace Hardware are both popular home goods retailers that own or have exclusivity deals with a wide range of brands. The purpose of this piece is not to suggest that all Home Depot products are superior or more affordable than Ace products, but rather, to highlight specific instances in which prospective shoppers might find a better deal at Home Depot than Ace.

To achieve this, we started by taking a look at some of the highest-rated store-brand products at Home Depot and some of the lowest-rated ones at Ace Hardware. We then searched for comparable products at the opposing retailer, highlighting instances where the Home Depot product was both more affordable and higher rated.

Once we had our list, we broke down the specs, explained differences in pricing and customer opinion, and provided information about what professional reviewers have had to say about them when possible. There aren't an abundance of professional reviews for store-brand products. In instances where pro reviews couldn't be found, we supplemented with information gathered from consumer and forum feedback.