Wedgwood Review: China Dinnerware Stores

Wedgwood's story begins in the 1700s, making it one of the most historically significant names in ceramics. Founded in England and once produced completely in Staffordshire, the company built its reputation on craftsmanship, innovation, and aristocratic appeal. Owning Wedgwood was once considered by some to be a status symbol (and still may be). Today, buyers are still drawn in by that legacy and the brand's aesthetic, which ranges from ornate gold-trimmed collections to sleek contemporary designs.

Dinnerware is all bone china

Wedgwood sticks to using the best materials, with their sets being crafted from only bone china and their iconic Jasperware. Bone china is the most obvious choice with its delicate and translucent features. But Jasperware, a material created by their founder in the 1700s, was used by Queen Charlotte in the early days of the company and still holds a place in their high-end offerings today.

Average to expensive pieces

Pricewise, Wedgwood is on the higher end of the category. A 16-piece set for 4 will start at $560, but a single place setting can cost you the same amount, depending on the pattern and design. In fact, you can spend $500 on a single cup and saucer, with the matching teapot costing $1,500.

Formerly produced in England

One thing customers used to rave about was Wedgwood's English heritage: being founded, designed, and manufactured all in England. But in the early 2000s they, like many other companies, made the decision to move manufacturing overseas to Indonesia. Now your china dinnerware may include some hand-painted details finished in England, but the majority of their china is all produced elsewhere.

Substandard packaging and reports of inconsistent construction

From such a well-established company, we would expect very high quality and durability. However, some customers have reported cracking plates and glazing imperfections in their new dishes. There is an overwhelming number of users whose packages arrived broken due to extremely poor packaging. The company has stated they've reduced packaging to curtail waste, but when customers are paying thousands for fine china, we think a little extra bubblewrap goes a long way. We expect more from a premium company like Wedgwood.

Poor customer service

That leads us right to customer service. If you do experience a problem, we're not sure how long it might take to get it resolved. Customers complain of slow or even unresponsive customer service, glacially slow shipping, and nonfunctional contact forms on their website. Agents have even supposedly admitted that they are swamped with damage complaints and just can't keep up.

Replacement guarantee

Since our last review, Wedgwood has implemented a new breakage replacement program. If one of your pieces chips, they'll ship you a similar piece at no charge. But to qualify for this, you'll need to make sure and register your new china within 6 months of purchase and your china needs to have been purchased after January 2024.

Unknown return window and free shipping in some cases

We think you can return items to Wedgwood within 30 days, but their website is so outdated (showing their holiday policies from over a year ago, at the time of our review) that we can't be completely sure. If you choose to proceed with a return, you'll need to cover all shipping costs to return your items. We do know that if you order over $200, you'll get free shipping. Otherwise, it will cost you $20.

Beautiful but inconsistent

So where does that leave Wedgwood? It's still a brand with undeniable charm, history, and visual appeal. If you fall in love with a particular pattern, there's a good chance you'll enjoy using it and showing it off. But the buying experience, and sometimes the long-term reliability, may not always match the premium price tag. Wedgwood falls closer to the bottom of our list of best places to purchase china dinnerware and we think you'll likely have a better experience shopping elsewhere.

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On the Wedgwood website