Anlin vs. Milgard Windows: Are These Two Brands Comparable?

As people who sell replacement windows in San Diego, we often get asked by people which brands are the best. This is not always a simple question to answer because different homes and different families have different needs and priorities. You may be looking for windows that will do the best job of keeping your home insulated from outside temperatures, while another family may be looking for windows that keep out noise. Still another homeowner may be looking for windows that come with an amazing warranty.

If you’re like most people, you want all of these things—at least to some extent. You may not need windows that are the absolute best in all these categories, but you likely want your new windows to improve your home in several different ways if you’re going to make the investment.

At BM Windows, one of the brands we sell and highly recommend to our San Diego customers is Anlin Windows and Doors. When we suggest this brand, we often get asked some version of this question: “How do Anlin windows compare to Milgard windows?”

This question isn’t surprising. Milgard is a very popular brand in the San Diego area. They are sold by many different distributors. You can often find them on the shelves of home improvement stores. And they were installed in many new builds in San Diego over the last few decades. Milgard is definitely one of the bigger players in the replacement industry.

There can be a bit of a misconception when it comes to the popularity of a brand and the quality of their products. Just because something is well known and widely available doesn’t mean it’s the best—or even among the best. We think this is the case with Milgard. Milgard windows are not necessarily bad products, but we would definitely not list them among the best replacement window products out there. With so many other great options out there, we highly suggest that you look beyond Milgard products for your San Diego home.

Anlin vs. Milgard on Price

Milgard charges a premium for their vinyl replacement windows—because they can! They know that they are one of the “household names” when it comes to windows. People ask for their products by name. We know this to be true because people often call our office asking if we sell Milgard windows.  When we tell them that we don’t sell Milgard windows, some of them promptly end the call—presumably to find a San Diego replacement window company that does sell them. However, sometimes, we are able to explain to the caller why we don’t sell Milgard windows and then present them with other brands, such as Anlin, that outperform Milgard at a lower price point.

In many cases, there is some truth to the statement, “You get what you pay for.” In other words, a higher price often indicates that a product is higher quality. This isn’t the case with Anlin vs. Milgard. Anlin products are typically less expensive than Milgard products, but we find Anlin windows to be much higher quality. Milgard is charging a premium for name recognition.

Anlin is able to keep their prices low largely because they focus on windows for a narrow region—the Western United States. They also don’t have a huge marketing budget like companies like Milgard do. Instead, they prefer to sell their products through authorized dealers who can tout their products’ benefits on the manufacturer’s behalf.

If value is a concern for you, as it is for many of our customers, Anlin definitely comes out on top! If you’re looking for an even more budget-friendly option, you can also consider the Monte Verde brand of windows, which we also sell at BM Windows.

Warranty and Customer Service

Both Milgard and Anlin offer customers a lifetime warranty on their vinyl replacement windows, which is designed to cover the windows in the case of manufacturing defects. Now, it should be said that every window manufacturer will put out defective products on occasion. No manufacturer is perfect. No matter what brand of windows you research online—Milgard, Anlin, or any other brand—you will find homeowners complaining about defective products. We’ve installed thousands of Anlin windows in San Diego homes over the years, and yes, we have come across some windows with defects.

Here’s what you need to look for: how a manufacturer responds to warranty claims. In our experience, Anlin is very responsive anytime one of our customers experiences a manufacturing defect. They will send someone out to repair or replace the window promptly, and they don’t give them the runaround trying to blame someone else or give a reason why the warranty doesn’t cover their issue. They just fix it. It appears that Milgard isn’t as responsive. Milgard is notorious for denying customer claims or taking many months to rectify issues.   

If you look at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), you can see evidence of this. BBB ratings are largely based on customer service, including how responsive a business is to customer complaints. Currently, Anlin has an A+ rating from the BBB, while Milgard has an F rating. As of this writing, Milgard has 17 complaints against them that were not resolved, and six complaints that received no response. On the other hand, all of the complaints against Anlin were resolved to the customers’ satisfaction, according to the BBB.

Don’t Forget about Installation

Here’s another distinguishing factor between Anlin and Milgard: who is doing the installation. Anlin windows can only be installed by authorized window companies—companies like BM Windows that have proven their expertise in proper window installation. On the other hand, anyone can install Milgard windows. This matters a great deal!

If your windows are improperly installed, you won’t see the performance you were probably hoping for. You will also void the manufacturer’s warranty.

At BM Windows, we offer our own installation warranty on every window we sell, including Anlin windows. If you experience a problem with your windows that is a result of improper installation, our company will fix it at no cost to you—even if it means completely replacing the window. We want our customers to be completely satisfied with their purchase from us!

Still Have Questions About Anlin vs. Milgard Windows?

The team at BM Windows would be happy to assist you with any other questions you might have about comparing Milgard and Anlin windows (or any other brand of windows sold in San Diego, for that matter). Our team is made up of replacement window experts who can help you select the best windows for your home and then expertly install them.

Contact our office to set up an in-home appointment or to schedule a time to speak with someone at our San Diego showroom. We look forward to hearing from you!