Andersen 100 vs Pella 250: Which Window Fits Your Project?

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Updated September 2026. Specifications come from each manufacturer. How we research products

Andersen 100 Series

Manufacturer
Andersen
Material
Fibrex composite: wood fibre in thermoplastic polymer
Positioning
Andersen’s value line
Warranty on sale
Owner-to-Owner, transfers with the house

Pella 250 Series

Manufacturer
Pella
Material
Vinyl, multichambered frame, welded sash
Positioning
Pella’s mainstream vinyl line, below Impervia
Warranty on sale
Lifetime non-glass becomes a transferable 10 years

Main difference: composite against vinyl, but what usually settles it is practical. Pella 250 offers double-hung windows and the Andersen 100 does not; Andersen’s warranty transfers on sale, while Pella’s lifetime coverage converts to 10 years. Illustrations are UpgradeWorth drawings, not product photographs. No winner is declared: it depends on your openings and how long you stay.

UpgradeWorth has not physically tested either product. This comparison is built from manufacturer product pages, warranty documentation and dealer material, with the source named beside anything that is not from the manufacturer.

These two lines compete for the same buyer: someone replacing a whole house who wants a national brand without paying fiberglass prices. They are not the same material, and three specific differences usually settle the choice long before price does.

Side by side

Andersen 100 SeriesPella 250 Series
Frame materialFibrex composite, not vinyl and not fiberglass. Andersen describes Fibrex as a proprietary composite of reclaimed wood fiber and thermoplastic polymer, stating it is composed of 40% reclaimed wood fiber by weight, most of it reclaimed from the manufacture of Andersen wood windows, and that it is twice as strong as vinylVinyl, multichambered frame with welded sash; optional foam-filled frame
StylesSingle-hung, casement, awning, gliding (sliding), picture and specialty shapes, each with its own product page on andersenwindows.com. Andersen also offers 100 Series gliding and hinged patio doorsAwning, casement, double-hung, single-hung, sliding, picture, bifold, bay and bow, as listed on Pella's own 250 Series page
U-factorNot published by Andersen as a single range. One dealer page cites a 0.29 U-factor with 0.21 SHGC for a configuration it sells; a third-party guide cites 0.27 to 0.30. Configuration dependent: check the NFRC label on your quoteNot published as a single range by Pella. NFRC-certified values are published per style and glazing option in Pella's Architectural Design Manual. A Pella dealer page cites U-factors as low as 0.27 for the configurations it sells
SHGCNot published by Andersen as a single range. Dealer-cited 0.21 for one configuration. Configuration dependentNot published as a single range by Pella. A Pella dealer page cites SHGC as low as 0.21. Check the NFRC label of the exact unit quoted
ENERGY STARAndersen states many 100 Series configurations are ENERGY STAR certified, and certification depends on the glass package and the climate zone rather than on the series as a wholePella states the line offers options that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR certification in all 50 states
WarrantyAndersen Owner-to-Owner limited warranty, which Andersen states is transferable when the home is sold. Dealers consistently describe the 100 Series terms as 20 years on glass and 10 years on non-glass components, with exterior finish covered against flaking, blistering, cracking, pitting, corrosion and loss of adhesion for 10 years. Read the current warranty document at andersenwindows.com/support/warranty before purchasePer Pella's vinyl window and patio door limited warranty: non-glass materials and workmanship carry a Limited Lifetime Warranty for the original purchaser in an owner-occupied single-family home; on transfer of ownership, or when the buyer stops occupying the home, it is replaced by a transferable 10-year limited warranty; labor is included only within two years of the date of sale; laminated glass carries a transferable 10-year term. Read the current written warranty before purchase
Price positionNot publicly specifiedNot publicly specified
InstallationReplacement (insert) and new construction; sold through Andersen dealers, certified contractors and the Andersen at Home Depot programInsert and full-frame replacement; also sold through the Pella at Lowe's program

Specifications from each manufacturer. Empty fields mean the value is not publicly specified, not that it is zero.

The material difference, stated accurately

The Andersen 100 Series is Fibrex composite: Andersen describes it as a proprietary mix of reclaimed wood fiber and thermoplastic polymer, 40% wood fiber by weight, and claims it is twice as strong as vinyl. The Pella 250 Series is vinyl, built on a multichambered frame with a welded sash, and Pella claims its profile is 52% stronger than ordinary vinyl based on the force needed to bend it.

Both claims are manufacturer tests with manufacturer definitions, and neither is independently verified. What you can take from them is the direction each company is arguing: Andersen is selling a material that behaves differently from vinyl, Pella is selling better vinyl. Composite is not automatically better, and vinyl is not automatically cheaper: these two lines overlap in price.

Three differences that usually decide it

1. Double-hung availability

Pella’s 250 Series includes double-hung windows. Andersen’s 100 Series does not: it offers single-hung, casement, awning, gliding, picture and specialty shapes. If your house has double-hung windows and you want both sashes operable, this comparison ends here.

2. What happens to the warranty when you sell

Andersen brands its coverage Owner-to-Owner and states it transfers with the house. Pella’s vinyl warranty is Limited Lifetime on non-glass components for the original purchaser in an owner-occupied single-family home, and on transfer of ownership it is replaced by a transferable 10-year limited warranty, with labor included only within two years of sale.

So the headline favors Pella and the transfer favors Andersen. Which matters depends on how long you intend to stay. Read both current documents: Andersen and Pella.

3. Dark exterior colors

Dark frames are where vinyl is most argued about, because of heat absorption and frame movement. Andersen offers the 100 Series in dark exteriors and warrants the finish for 10 years against flaking, blistering, cracking, pitting, corrosion and loss of adhesion. If you want black or bronze, ask each manufacturer what its warranty says about dark colors before you compare prices.

Energy performance

Neither company publishes a single U-factor range for these lines, because certification follows the glass package. Dealers cite figures in the same territory for both: 0.29 with a 0.21 SHGC for a 100 Series configuration, and as low as 0.27 with 0.21 for a 250 Series configuration.

The gap between those numbers is smaller than the gap between two glass packages within either line. Compare the NFRC labels on your actual quotes and check ENERGY STAR certification for your climate zone. Choosing between these two lines on energy grounds alone is choosing on noise.

Installation is the bigger variable

Both lines reach homes through more than one channel: Andersen through its dealers, certified contractors and Home Depot; Pella through its own showrooms and the Pella at Lowe’s program. The same window, installed by different companies, produces different outcomes and different prices.

Before comparing totals, confirm whether each quote is an insert or a full-frame replacement, since that alone moves the price by roughly $600 to $1,000 per window in markets where installers publish figures. See insert vs. full-frame and how to compare window quotes.

Price position

Neither manufacturer publishes installed prices. What exists is market evidence: two regional installers quote roughly $500 to $900 per window installed for the Pella 250 Series, and a third-party guide cites $350 to $550 for a 24 by 38 inch Andersen 100 single-hung unit only, before installation. Those two figures are not comparable, and anyone presenting them as a price difference is comparing a project with a box.

Get both quoted on the same scope, then divide by the number of openings. The Quote Analyzer does that arithmetic and flags what each quote leaves out.

Consider Andersen 100 when

  • You want dark exterior colors
  • You may sell within a decade and want coverage that transfers
  • Your openings are casement, gliding, picture or specialty shapes
  • You prefer a composite frame and the narrower sightlines it allows

Consider Pella 250 when

  • You need double-hung windows, which the 100 Series does not offer
  • You are staying put and value lifetime coverage on non-glass components
  • You want bay or bow units within the same line
  • The local Pella installer is the stronger of the two companies quoting you

Consider another option when

  • You are staying 20 years or more and want the longest published material lifespan: price fiberglass, such as Pella Impervia or Marvin Essential. See vinyl vs. fiberglass.
  • Budget is the binding constraint: a quality regional vinyl line is frequently quoted below both.
  • Your frames are rotted: the installation method matters more than the brand, and full-frame replacement is the decision to make first.

What we could not compare

Neither manufacturer publishes a like-for-like U-factor range, visible transmittance, or installed pricing, so those rows in the table above say so rather than being filled by estimate. We have not tested either window, and we do not publish satisfaction ratings, because we have no data that would support one.

Sources