I just purchased Andersen Woodwright Insert windows - installation starts today. So I've been through all the decisions. These are the "400 Series" - I thought that Renewal by Andersen windows were the lesser "200 Series" - but I'm not sure. I assume that you are looking at "insert" replacement windows and not sash replacements nor new construction windows. I looked at Pella, Marvin, Harvey (a regional brand?), and Andersen - I didn't look at Renewal by Andersen because I just didn't want to deal with any pushy, franchise salesperson. For looks, build-quality it came down to this for me - Marvin, Andersen, Pella, and then Harvey. Harvey was a lot cheaper but I just didn't like the look/quality. I didn't get a price from Pella - seemed like they wanted to send a sales person to the house. Marvin - of course - turned out to be the most expensive - about $150/window more than Andersen. I just couldn't justify the extra expense for something I only liked marginally better. But you should compare prices since they vary by size and options. I would start by going to a good window/door distributor - who should have sample units on display. You can price installation separately. Andersen "Sun" glass is just darker - lets in less light as far as I know. "Terratone" is just a color - brown. TruScene is just a more transparent screen - nice but expensive - for me it was about $50/window. Hope that helps!

Yes, I know about the springs. The fact that the screens need springs in the first place is the design flaw. I have to push very hard on the top frame to compress those springs enough. It is not just a matter of pushing up on the top screen frame with my thumbs. It is pushing really really hard, and if you get the spring on the left to compress enough, the one on the right is not compressed enough, and vice versa. Then you have the "finger indents" at the bottom of the screen. I am a woman with small hands, yet my fingertips are too big to get any purchase in those shallow indents to fit enough so that I can lift the screen up and out. Then you have to put the screens back in. They have to be lined up "just so", and then you have to push up against those springs again. Very very difficult to compress the two springs enough at the same time so that both are compressed enough to push the screen up so that then you can, you hope, then push the bottom of the screen into place. I have 7 of these screens, and 5 were installed at different time from the other 2. They are all equally difficult, so I didn't get a lemon. It should not be that hard. My cheap-o old horrible windows had screens that came out and could be put back in easy as can be. My neighbor has brand new Pellas, and while I detest Pellas, and would never buy Pella windows in a million years, the Pella screens are pretty normal and effortless.

See I really don't get comments like yours winkster. First of we are not claiming Pella or Andersen 200s are top of the line. My folks have Andersen 200s in their custom $650k home and never had issues with air leakage (living in MD so fairly cold winters and pretty hot/humid summers) from the windows. A couple of the windows did fog/glaze up, but Andersen sent out replacements in a matter of days. I got a quote on the 400 series and they are about $950 each. I'm sorry but I don't have $12k to blow on some top of the line window. There is a rational to buying quality windows, but there is a point of diminishing returns when you just end up paying for options you don't need. The average customer just wants a good solid window that won't blow the budget. I ended up buying the 200 series windows and putting them in myself, was careful to properly seal and insulate around windows while installing. Paid about $3000 for 10 windows (Model # DH3049), with grille and bug screens (had a 10% off coupon HD honored and used my 5% discount with card). temps have been in the mid/upper 90s for two weeks and we just had a MASSIVE rain storm a week ago with winds up to 50 mph. No discernible water or air leakage. AC is running noticeably less too, and I don't notice a temp difference when I pass by a window like I could before! Its early still but I'm very happy with my Andersen 200s. I have to replace a double exterior french door and am thinking about trying the 200 series for that too.

We had our windows replaced a few years ago with Milgard fiberglass frames and the highest UV protection we could get (since we live in Hawaii). Yes, the UV filtering seems to be pretty good and the fiberglass frames don't warp in the heat like vinyl has a tendency to do. The house is wonderfully quiet when the windows are closed. However, I'm disappointed with the overall purchase for several reasons: The quality of the workmanship is very poor. The joints on all the windows have glue sticking out that is impossible to remove. After these few years, that glue has attracted dirt that makes the window corners look very poor. I tried GOOP and several other cleaners before I wrote to Milgard asking for hints on any ways to clean it up but never received an answer. The screens on some of the fiberglass frames are very tight and difficult to get in and out. After accidentally bending two of the screen frames, I had a local screen pro come in to build new ones and he told us that the tightness was OK for vinyl frames but should not be that tight for fiberglass. Finally, the lifetime warranty does not apply to Hawaii (and if I remember correctly - nor within 2 miles of any ocean).