New windows can make your home feel brighter and more inviting. But you must balance style with energy efficiency.
If you want both, consider ENERGY STAR® rated windows that have windowpanes coated with a Low-E glaze to block damaging UV rays and insulate the room better. They’re also available in a variety of styles to suit your aesthetic preferences.
1. Lifestyle Series Wood Windows
Pella’s Lifestyle Series offers traditional double hung and direct-set windows with a wood interior and aluminum-clad exterior. They are a top choice for homeowners who want to preserve architectural details while upgrading energy efficiency. They also offer between-the-glass blinds, allowing you to easily filter the amount of sunlight entering your home.
Lifestyle Series windows feature rolled-formed cladding, which helps simplify manufacturing and provides a sleeker look. They are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes, including oversized picture windows and unique geometric-shaped windows. The windows are also backed by high-end Baldwin hardware.
The windows are customizable with a wide variety of hardware options, paints, stains, and retractable screens. You can even choose a performance package to enhance energy efficiency, sound control, and value. They are also eco-friendly, as they use a preservative on the wood, and they break down into the soil rather than polluting the environment. Their upgraded Architect Series (previously ProLine) and Designer window models get great reviews from homeowners and contractors alike.
2. Marvin Ultimate Series
Marvin offers high-quality windows that are designed for American homes. They feature intentional craftsmanship and style, allowing you to design your home with the perfect aesthetic. They also offer unique features that strengthen your home’s underlying structure, making it more durable. This includes technologies like insulating glass and triplane glazing. They also provide a variety of limited warranty options on their windows.
For those looking for a window that is more budget-friendly, Marvin offers their Essential Series. This series is less expensive than the Ultimate Series and uses materials such as extruded aluminum and ultrex fiberglass. However, this series does not have as many advanced energy-saving features as the Ultimate Series.
Another option from Marvin is the Integrity Series, which is a wood-clad exterior with an Ultrex fiberglass interior. This hybrid material is virtually maintenance-free and is resistant to moisture absorption, so it does not expand or degrade as normal wood does. This is a great option for homeowners who want the look of traditional wood, but need a low-maintenance product that has a 20-year limited warranty.
3. Marvin Ultimate Series Plus
For those that want to go the extra mile in design, performance and customization, the Marvin Ultimate Series is a great choice. It has an extremely high energy rating and a variety of wood interior finishes with a commercial grade low maintenance aluminum exterior.
With an extensive selection of casing and sill options, this window can be made to fit a wide range of architectural styles. It also has six exterior color options and can have a bronze or ebony interior.
Besides the color options, the window has a number of other features that are not offered in other Marvin product lines. It has dimmable LED lights with different shade options to stylize your home and is compatible with smart home systems. It can also be used with an integrated home system to monitor water leaks and air quality. Lastly, the windows are protected by a double lifetime warranty. However, be sure to carefully read the warranties for special limitations and exclusions.
4. Marvin Ultimate Series Plus Plus
Marvin Ultimate clad windows are made from wood interiors and aluminum exteriors and are available as new construction or replacement windows. They are available as casement, awning, double-hung, and sliding window styles. They are available with dual-pane glass and argon insulation. They have low E coatings and are ENERGY STAR rated for different climate regions.
They offer nearly limitless customization options and designs that allow them to fit with a wide variety of architectural styles. The next step up is the Elevate series which has a wood interior and fiberglass exterior. This has more customization options but also costs a bit more than the Ultimate series.
Another option is Integrity windows which are all fiberglass. They are available as new construction or replacement windows in a wide variety of casement, awning, double-hung, single-hung and sliding window styles. They have dual-pane glass and argon insulated gas. They are ENERGY STAR rated and meet the stringent requirements of the Pella 250 series.