Whether you’re wishing a friend a 'happy birthday' or letting a special someone in your life know you're thinking of them, it’s important to know that the flowers you’re sending are the most beautiful that your money can buy.
We put a lot of trust into online florists, especially in lockdown, which is why we made it our duty to find the very best. From Bloom & Wild to Interflora, there’s a flower delivery service to suit all needs on our list, whether its timely deliveries or colourful blooms. They all offer next-day UK delivery, so you can share the love right now.
How we test for the best flower delivery
Our three discerning mystery shoppers tested identical bouquets from 18 online florists. They judged each company on how intuitive, helpful and clear its website was to browse and how fast and easy it was to order from. They assessed the convenience and price of its delivery options and the care and promptness of the delivery service.
Finally, they rated the ‘wow factor’ of each bouquet, from the packaging to the arrangement, and noted how well the flowers lasted in their vase.
Here’s our pick of the best flower delivery services in the UK now:
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Best range of flowers
Bloom & WildUS$23.00
Bloom & Wild is best known for its letterbox flowers, and deservedly so, as we were very impressed with ours. The ordering process proved incredibly slick and there’s a handy free app for shopping on the go.
Our testers received a generous variety of flowers that lived up to the marketing imagery. They found the care tips and arrangement guide particularly comprehensive and appreciated the inclusion of two sachets of flower food, which helped them last exceptionally well - for nearly three weeks.
This company’s extensive range also includes hand-tied bouquets and house plants, but its delivery options are limited. Our flowers arrived on the delivery day, with the delicate alstroemeria heads protected by recyclable mesh, but a narrowed-down time slot wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Key specifications:
Price range: £23 to £88
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day, free; guaranteed, £5; Sunday, £6
Best for personal touch
Interflora£35.00
Buying through Interflora is a faff-free way to support independent florists at a time when they need your business more than ever. Your choice of 25 bouquets will be hand-arranged and hand-delivered by the closest local florist to your recipient’s postcode. Even the gift messages are handwritten for that heartwarming personal touch.
Our neutral bunch took mere minutes to order on the easy-to-navigate website, which has helpful filters, including one for pet owners. It arrived on the delivery day, but we’d have liked a narrowed-down time slot, especially as the delivery fees are noticeably steeper than average.
Key specifications:
Price range: £30 to £200
Letterbox options: No
Delivery options: Next-day or nominated day, £7; same-day, from £9; within three hours, £14; specified time slot, from £11; click and collect if offered by the local florist, free
Best for presentation
Flowerbx£40.00
Flowerbx stands out from the crowd by only offering single-variety bouquets, but don’t let this put you off - they look elegant in their simplicity and you’re bound to find your loved one’s favourite flower among the ample range. When we ordered, there were 17 types of rose available, for starters! You can choose the number of stems, giving you control over the price, but note that some species can only be delivered to London addresses.
Our testers loved their snapdragons, which arrived in a classy carrier bag looking just as magical as the marketing imagery (note: the candle is bought separately). However, the packaging is delicate, and as no narrowed-down time slot was given on delivery day, they might struggle if left outside in rain.
Key specifications:
Price range: £30 to £115
Letterbox options: No
Delivery options: Standard delivery, free; same-day, from £10 (order before 12pm)
Best letterbox flowers
Marks & Spencer£22.00
If your recipient is self-isolating or you’re worried about them missing a delivery, order flowers that will slot through their letterbox contact-free. In our experience, Marks & Spencer does these best. Ordering couldn’t be simpler and there’s an app for added convenience.
On the delivery day, our testers received a one-hour time slot and confirmation of safe delivery. Our flowers were attractively presented, wrapped in brown paper with ribbon, and every stem was in tiptop condition. Most blooms came in bud, which reduced the initial impact but greatly boosted their longevity.
The flowers also included flower food and care tips helped our displays last for an extremely impressive two to three weeks. The letterbox range is limited, but there are over 100 pre-arranged bouquets and plants to browse from.
Key specifications:
Price range: £20 to £100
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day or nominated day, free; Sunday, free on selected bouquets
Best online florist
Haute£25.00
Haute’s service proved second to none in our trials. We enjoyed browsing the huge range of sweet hand-tied bouquets, letterbox flowers and hat boxes, and couldn't get enough of the choice of luxury add-ons, from champagne to soaps. Ordering was a breeze and we loved that most options were available for Sunday delivery.
Our testers received a four-hour time slot on the delivery day, meaning they didn’t need to wait in needlessly. Their bouquets arrived promptly, having been carefully packaged to prevent damage en route, and there was flower food and care tips inside. The blooms matched the marketing imagery, but note that the promotional photos tend to show a medium bouquet, which costs £5 more than the standard size.
Key specifications:
Price range: £25 to £100
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day, free; Sunday tracked, £2.99
Best loyalty scheme
Bunches£27.00
It’s not unusual to order a bouquet and feel cheated by what you receive, but Bunches offers excellent value for money, with prices starting at just £16. There are over 60 bouquets, letterbox flowers and house plants to browse, with optional extras including hampers.
Despite no guarantee that your bouquets will arrive on the delivery day (the company uses Royal Mail’s first class post), ours all did, with everybody agreeing that they looked charming and had been well-protected in transit. They even came with complementary sweet pea seeds, which put a smile on our faces! There’s another unique plus to mention, too - the loyalty scheme that’s well worth signing up for.
Key specifications:
Price range: £16 to £46
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Standard, free; tracked, £1.99, next-day or nominated day, £5.99; nominated day before 1pm, £7.99
Best delivery service
Serenata Flowers£39.99
For a rock-solid delivery service, look to Serenata Flowers. The ordering process is simple and, unlike any other brand we tried, guaranteed delivery is free, even on Sundays. It’s reliable, too, with all our bouquets arriving on time and looking lovely. The dispatch confirmation email and tracking link for updates got the thumbs up, but don’t expect a narrowed-down time slot.
Though fresh and smartly-packaged, our testers felt that the price of their bunch was a little too high given the dominance of foliage over blooms. The letterbox range offers better value for money. Still, we liked that the thorns had been removed from the roses for scratch-free arranging, and the included care tips and flower food boosted our bouquet’s longevity to a respectable two weeks.
Key specifications:
Price range: £24.99 to £99.99
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Guaranteed any day, free
Best for secure packaging
Appleyard London£39.99
These classy bouquets were delivered in perfect condition, thanks to thoughtful packaging that kept them safe during transit. They looked wonderful on arrival, and there was flower food included, but their longevity was a mixed bag. One of our bunches began wilting after only a couple of days and we had to ask for a replacement. The second lasted eight days and the third, a solid two weeks. We found the ordering process intuitive but there are no delivery time slots, unless you pay for premium delivery.
Key specifications:
Price range: £22.99 to £204.99
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Standard, £5.99; premium with a two-hour time slot, £7.99
Best for longevity
Floom£45.00
Like Interflora, Floom is a network of independent florists, but your choice of bouquets depends on where your recipient lives. The website is simple to navigate and order from, as is its convenient app.
Our white roses were delivered promptly, but one bunch had been addressed wrongly by the courier and we had to fetch it from a neighbour. There was flower food inside the box and we liked the personal touch of a handwritten gift message. They looked fabulous on arrival - mostly in bud, but blooming enough to make the desired impact - and lasted for an exceptional two weeks. The only downside is the expensive delivery fees, which start from £6.99.
Key specifications:
Price range: £28 to £499, depending on postcode
Letterbox options: No
Delivery options: Standard, £6.99; same-day, £9.99 (order by 1pm)
Best value for money
Moonpig£26.00
Moonpig might be best known as an online card retailer, but it also offers a sizeable range of flowers. Our three bouquets looked attractive on arrival, with a decent level of 'wow' factor for under £30. They looked fresh, bar slight browning to one of the roses, and had been kept safe in robust packaging en route. They arrived on their expected days and came with flower food and a care guide.
We were pleased that the flowers looked the same in real life as they did online and were impressed that they lasted for a week and a half before starting to fade. We would happily use this delivery service again after feeling well-satisfied with the value for money that it offers.
Key specifications:
Price range: £18 to 85
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next working day, £2.99
Best for guaranteed freshness
eflorist£34.99
If you’re fed up with ordering flowers that immediately start wilting, then eflorist, with its seven-day freshness guarantee, might appeal. It prides itself on its extensive affordable range, but there are some pricier options available too.
Ordering our bouquets was straightforward, and there’s a handy app for on-the-go gifting. They arrived on our chosen day, with text updates and a two-hour time slot provided, but didn’t look as full as the marketing imagery. One was missing its freesia, thus lacking scent, and another was missing its flower food and care tips. Despite this, they were attractively presented, had been safely packaged to prevent damage, and still looked lovely 10 days later.
Key specifications:
Price range: £12.99 to £109.99
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day, £5.99
Best for Sunday delivery
Waitrose & Partners Florist£35.00
You’ll already know and love Waitrose & Partners for its foodie delights, but its flowers are worth a look, too. Its easily navigable website features a range of over 40 bouquets and plants, most of which are available for Sunday delivery.
We loved our elegant white roses from the Foundation collection, which helps support the Kenyan flower farmers who grow them. They looked fresh on arrival and a special offer meant we received more than the promised 32 stems - always a bonus, so keep an eye out for others. They arrived on time, but no narrowed-down delivery slot was given, meaning they could have rocked up as early as 7am.
Key specifications:
Price range: £19 to £150
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day, free; nominated day, including Sunday, £4.95
Best for London delivery
Flower Station£40.24
The Flower Station website is easy to navigate and order from - you don't have to set up an account either, making one-off purchases simple. Our bouquets all arrived on their allotted delivery days, and if you live in London, there are plenty of convenient delivery options.
The flowers were attractively presented and on a par with website imagery. In one bouquet, one of the rose heads had snapped off en route due to the bouquet being left a little loose in its box, but overall we were pleased with our orders. Longevity-wise, they lasted around a week.
Key specifications:
Price range: £34.49 to £339.99
Letterbox options: No
Delivery options: Next-day, £7.99; nominated day or same-day in London (order by 6pm), £7.99; within 3 hours in London (order by 6pm), £12.95
Best for add-ons
Flying Flowers£24.99
These reasonably priced bouquets were well-presented overall, although one had been slightly damaged in transit and another was missing one of its two flower food sachets. Despite this, the roses lasted an impressive two weeks, with the stocks fading a little quicker.
Ordering is as easy as can be, and we received an accurate one-hour time slot on the delivery day. There are lots of nice add-ons available too, and there's a free chocolates offer running at the moment. Letterbox flowers are also available.
Key specifications:
Price range: £19.99 to £34.99
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Standard, free; next-day or nominated day, £7; same-day, £9
Best for ethics
Arena Flowers£16.99
We rated this ethical company’s letterbox blooms more highly than its hand-tied bouquets, but there are currently only two of the former available. Eco-conscious gifters will like that there are no single-use plastics in sight. What’s more, for every bouquet you buy, Arena Flowers plants a tree in a country that’s suffering from deforestation.
The order process is straightforward, but there’s no app. We received an email telling us that our alstroemerias were on their way, and another once they had been delivered, but no narrowed-down time slot was given. The stems looked pretty wrapped in brown paper with ribbon, despite mostly being in bud. Flower food and care tips were provided, but our longevity results varied wildly from an average eight to an outstanding 19 days.
Key specifications:
Price range: £16.99 to £80
Letterbox options: Yes
Delivery options: Next-day, £4; Saturday, £8.99
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January 29, 2021 at 11:45PM
https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/g35309887/best-flower-delivery/
Best Flower Delivery 2021 - Best Online Flowers, Tried And Tested - elle.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Flower&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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