5 Best Shopify Themes
If you're looking for the best Shopify themes for your online store, you've come to the right place!
Choosing the Shopify theme that's right for your site can be a bit overwhelming—so, we've pulled together this list of themes that we personally use in the majority of our projects.
In this post, we'll take a look at some of the top themes available in 2022 and discuss why they are great for your eCommerce website. We'll also provide links to download these themes so that you can get started right away!
Shopify's theme store
What are Shopify themes and why are they important?
A Shopify theme is a template that determines the feel as well as the functionality of your online store.
Themes are important because they can help you create a unique and visually appealing store that will stand out from the competition in your customers' eyes.
There are both free and paid Shopify themes available, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Free options are often less customizable than paid themes, but are still good options if you're working with a tighter budget upfront.
Why is it important to choose the right Shopify theme? Well, the right theme can make or break your online store—so read below to learn more about how to pick the right theme for your page.
What should I look for in a Shopify theme?
The best Shopify themes will help you to create a professional-looking website that is easy to navigate for your customers and looks great on all devices.
They will also be responsive, meaning that they will adjust to different screen sizes so that your customers can always see your products clearly.
It's important that your page is mobile-friendly because 55% of worldwide online visits come from mobile.
Finally, the right Shopify theme will have the types of functionalities that you're looking to implement in your store, which will reduce the need for paid apps.
The best paid themes for 2022
Impulse Shopify Theme
Impulse is my go-to Shopify theme. It has a ton of beautiful sections, lots of store customizations, and just looks good. It features big, beautiful images and is very mobile-friendly for your customers.
It’s great for stores that:
- Have lots of products (and want a mega menu)
- Run lots of seasonal promotions and sales
- Want a high-end feel with parallax effects, animations, and video backgrounds
- Want advanced product customizations built into their theme such as dropdown boxes under product descriptions
When in doubt, check out Impulse! I'd venture to say that it's the best Shopify theme in my arsenal.
Flex Shopify Theme
Flex is the cream of the crop when it comes to Shopify themes (and, its price tag reflects it).
There’s no theme out there that compares when it comes to the number of customizations that Flex offers.
It’s great for stores that:
- Want to have a lot of power over the design of their store while minimizing the need for a developer
- Are going for a more robust, custom-looking store with lots of options for the header/footer, comprehensive icon library, + product page layouts
- Want a lot of pre-built layouts built into their theme to choose from
- Want the ability to write custom CSS in Shopify’s “Customize” section rather than having a stylesheet in the backend code
Prestige Shopify Theme
Prestige is one of the most popular paid Shopify themes and for good reason. Its features include a wide variety of tools that can save money on apps such as color swatches, mega menus, and pop-ups.
It’s great for stores that:
- Want a minimalistic, luxurious feel
- Want standout features on their page such as a slide-out cart, image hotspot linking, and a timeline
- Have beautiful, responsive imagery that they want to show off/have as the star of the show on their website
The best free themes for 2022
Sense Shopify Theme
When I first came across this theme, I was shocked to find out that it’s a freebie from Shopify! It has so much more personality than a lot of free themes you’ll find with swoon-worthy gradients, rounded corners, and drop shadows.
It’s great for stores that:
- Are on a budget but want a plug-and-play, eye-catching theme
- Have a bit more youthful of a target market
- Have bright and vibrant brand colors and want to show them off in a fun way
Dawn Shopify Theme
When Shopify launched its (amazing) new 2.0 platform, Dawn was introduced as their next-generation, open-source free theme. It’s speedy to load and has more sections than Debut (their 1.0 default theme) does.
Because of this, it's one of the best Shopify themes for stores that are just starting out but want a lot of room for customization in the future.
It’s great for stores that:
- Want to start with a clean slate and customize from there
- Have the ability to style via CSS to overcome some customization limitations
- Are using SEO as a primary marketing channel and therefore want a fast site speed
4. How to choose the best Shopify theme for your brand
Now that we've gone over our top picks for the best Shopify themes in 2022, let's discuss how to choose the right one for your store.
There are a few things that you'll need to keep in mind when making your decision:
Look and feel for your eCommerce store
First, consider the overall look and feel that you're going for on your Shopify website. Do you want a sleek and modern design, or something more rustic?
There are plenty of themes available for every type of brand. Check out the different homepage layouts that your theme offers to get an idea of what you're working with.
However, keep in mind that it's really easy to totally change the look of a Shopify theme by changing its colors, typography, and photos, so don't get TOO caught up on the style of a theme when choosing it.
The most important consideration is next!
Shopify theme functionality + key features
The most important thing to consider when choosing a theme for Shopify is its on-page layouts and functionalities.
You can always change the colors and fonts easily, but adding extra sections and features that your theme doesn't offer to your page requires an extra app or hiring a developer.
The best Shopify themes will have a wide variety of section layouts and features to use on your website.
Some useful features to note if a theme has/if you'll need it for your store are:
- Mega Menu
- Video Background
- Email Popup
- Product Page Dropdowns
- Product Filtering
- Animations
- Different Nav Bar Layouts
- Side Cart
- Image Switching on Hover
- Color Swatches
- Recently Viewed Products
- Related Products
- FAQ Section
Make sure to check out the features of each theme before making your decision.
You also want to double-check that the eCommerce theme you're going with looks great on mobile devices and is fully responsive before committing to it. This will help not only with user experience but also make your online shop SEO friendly.
Your website budget
Finally, consider the budget you're working with for your eCommerce site.
Paid themes usually have more features than free ones, but they can also be more expensive (although, in the end, they can actually save you money by removing the need to hire a developer).
If you're working with a tight budget, there are still some great free options available!
Keep in mind that even paid Shopify themes have free trials so that you can give them a test run and see if they'll be right for your online store—so don't be afraid to experiment.
Final thoughts
There you have it—our top picks for the best Shopify themes in 2022.
Remember to keep in mind your store's overall look and feel, functionality, and budget when making your decision.
We hope this guide has helped you to narrow down your options and choose the perfect Shopify theme for your store.
And if you're still undecided, we recommend giving one of our top picks a try!
Happy shopping!
Need help with your Shopify store? Get in touch to learn about how we can help you get your site up and running in just a week.