The big blank space on the wall between my Tampa kitchen and family room practically begged for a piece of furniture – and I knew just what I wanted. I’d seen craftsman style cabinets in one of my favorite upscale furniture brand catalogs. Then I saw one that looked just like them for a fraction of the price from another source. The pictures and description were similar, so I placed an order for it. When the shipment arrived, I noticed that the hardware was poorly made, but got it assembled and set up in its new place of honor. I was looking forward to enjoying its style and functionality, but the cabinet off-gassed so strongly that I’d get migraines from its chemical fumes when I walked into the room. (You didn’t smell them, but you definitely felt them.) Various harms related to knockoff products are more common and hazardous than the influencers and websites peddling them would have you believe. Those short-term knockoff product savings can cost you in health, safety and repair issues. Here’s what you should know about buying home design and remodeling goods at prices that seem too good to be true.
Issue Background
Design industry trade magazine Business of Home cited more than 31,000 TikTok and 28,000 Instagram posts with a #chinesefactory hashtag. They’re promising consumers the chance to buy the premium, popular furniture lines you see in celebrity homes directly from the overseas factories that supposedly manufacture them for American brands. “If the influencers peddling these wares are difficult to pin down and fact-check, the sellers who supposedly have access to the same Chinese factories that manufacture brands like RH and Lululemon are even harder to verify,” a May 15, 2025 article revealed. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, is an upscale multi-branch retailer with stores in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Europe.
Sky Canaves, principal analyst with research firm eMarketer, one of the retail experts quoted in the article, shared with me that “Knockoffs of furniture and home goods have long been an issue for brands, but online marketplaces have allowed sellers to easily connect with buyers around the world without the type of vetting that exists in wholesale retail relationships.”
Changes from 2016 that raised the de minimis exemption on imports have led to the rise of mass low cost retailers like Shein and Temu. Both sites have expanded into home products, Canaves noted. “Broadly speaking, China remains the largest source of both counterfeit goods as well as of furniture and home furnishings coming into the U.S.. Given its enormous manufacturing base with very specialized production capabilities, it would be fair to say that most knockoffs across categories come from China, including furniture and home improvement goods.”
Issue Factors
“The rise of dupe culture via social media has had an enormous impact on fueling demand for furniture and home goods knockoffs,” Canaves observed. “At one end of the spectrum, we see the top-tier influencers displaying lavish lifestyles that their audiences may aspire to emulate, even if on a budget. On the end are the many influencers sharing tips on how to ‘get the look’ for less, often with affiliate links,” (which pay them a commission when fans click through and make a purchase). Much of the stigma has been removed from buying knockoffs. It’s been rebranded as savvy shopping, she noted.
Knockoff Dangers
“The social media emphasis on aesthetics also encourages consumers to prioritize how home products look over their quality or durability,” the analyst pointed out. “The recent recall of faucets from China for lead risk is a clear example of potential harm. I think this case highlights the challenge of keeping poor-quality and dangerous goods from making their way to consumers,” she added. The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an alert last month warning customers to immediately stop using and dispose of these faucets. If they need to keep using them until making a replacement, the CPSC recommends running the water for 15 seconds before consuming it.
One of the brands being knocked off is Moen, one of the most popular faucet and shower manufacturers in the country. Aaron Bores, executive vice president of parent company Fortune Brands Innovations, pointed out that “Consumers may be drawn to low-cost faucet options, but those savings can come at a dangerous price. Market data suggests that as many as 35 million non-certified faucets entered the U.S. between 2020 and 2024, meaning millions of households could unknowingly be at risk.” He’s referring to the knockoffs failing safe drinking water standards. “Many of the tested products were found to leach dangerously high levels of lead and other harmful substances, in some cases exceeding safety thresholds by as much as 591%. Families shouldn’t have to question what’s coming out of their faucets,” he declared.
High Price Of Low Cost Knockoffs
In addition to health risks, Bores commented on another potential issue for homeowners: “In addition to faucets, similar off-brand, foreign-made shower valves are a growing concern. These components are often installed behind walls, making it hard for homeowners to detect problems until it’s too late. When they fail, they can lead to hidden leaks, costly damage or worse — put families at risk for severe burns due to inconsistent temperature control.”
Those hidden leaks he mentioned can turn into mold remediation issues, along with the replacement cost of the shower set, shower cladding and labor to make the repairs. Suddenly, that knockoff goes from bargain basement brilliance to mind-bending budget buster.
Other home improvement product categories present knockoff opportunities and risks as well. For example, in February, Customs officials seized more than 10,000 cases of counterfeit vinyl floor tile. Substandard LVT, as it’s commonly called, can fade, curl and, worst of all, allow water penetration for potential sub-floor damage and mold issues. It may also contain chemicals banned in the U.S. for their toxicity. (I suspect that was a factor in my knockoff cabinet, which finally stopped off-gassing to the point of migraine-inducing, but didn’t make the move to San Diego with me.)
Last Words
As Business of Home warned, consumers should remain vigilant when browsing online channels outside of proven channels. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And if you forge ahead regardless, it could be impossible to get satisfaction from the vendor. Losing a hundred dollars or so might be the best case scenario. Illness, injury and damage to your home are far more serious potential consequences.
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Author’s Note: Interviews were conducted by email between June 12 and 16.
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