I went through this exact nightmare when I was furnishing my first studio. My girlfriend and I had fifty tabs open and kept buying duplicates because the sync was so bad. I tried a few different ones, and honestly, the experience varies depending on the site. Some extensions are buggy with specific retailers while others are rock solid.

• Look for tools that generate a simple URL instead of requiring a login.
• Check if it works on specific sites like IKEA or Wayfair since their checkout pages are notorious for crashing extensions.
• Test it with one item first to see if the quantity stays the same. Most of these are free which is nice. Basically just avoid the ones that force you to create a whole account just to send one list. Honestly, I just use Easy Cart Share whenever I need to show someone what's in my cart without giving out my login info.

Ive used several of these and agree that session timeouts are the main hurdle. One practical point to consider is the browser permissions. Some extensions request access to all site data, which is excessive honestly. Using Share-A-Cart is a decent option for furniture, but you should both stay active on the page to prevent the sync from failing. Its a fairly reliable method for simple lists.

> Share-A-Cart: Been my go-to for years because it is super reliable on old-school sites, but the UI is so clunky and ugly! Building on the earlier suggestion, that clunky UI is really just a byproduct of how it interacts with the DOM. Most of these modern tools fail because they cant handle state changes in React apps without a massive performance hit. I actually dealt with something similar when I was building my home lab last summer. Spent way too much time trying to optimize the cooling in my rack because the intake fans were pulling in too much dust from the dryer vent next door. Ended up installing these custom HEPA filters and monitoring the RPM curves on my phone while I was supposed to be at dinner. My cable management is still a disaster tho, honestly its like a spaghetti factory back there despite all the velcro ties I bought. Anywho sorry kinda went off topic there...

Regarding what #1 said about "I went through this exact nightmare when I..." - it really is a mess when extensions fight with site code. I once spent forever trying to sync a cart for a gift and it kept clearing sessions. Be careful with tools that try to auto-apply coupons while sharing.

• Watch for session timeouts
• Check site compatibility You might want to consider Share-A-Cart as it seems way more stable.

> Share-A-Cart: Generally stable for basic HTML sites but the UI is dated and it fails on complex checkout flows. That's pretty spot on about the UI, honestly. Functionality usually beats aesthetics when you're trying to coordinate a move though. Compatibility is the real killer because if the extension can't read the site's session data properly, you're stuck. I've had good luck using this tool for sharing carts specifically for sites that use heavy scripts. One tiny tip: if you use a script blocker, disable it for the store page or the sync might fail halfway through. It makes a huge difference in keeping the cart items synced up without those annoying glitches. Good luck with the move to Chicago!

Most of these extensions are unfortunately built on fragile scraping scripts that break the moment a site updates its code. It is really disappointing how most devs dont account for React-heavy sites that refresh state constantly...

• Share-A-Cart: Generally stable for basic HTML sites but the UI is dated and it fails on complex checkout flows.
• CartShare: Slightly better interface but has terrible latency issues that can lead to cart timeouts. I was actually digging into these specs while trying to source a new PDU for my server rack. My home lab project is becoming a massive headache because I cant get the airflow right in the basement and the heat sink on my main switch is already hitting 60C. I might just have to vent the whole thing out a window honestly. I spent three hours just trying to mount the rails and they didnt even fit. But yeah, those tools are all kinda hit or miss.

Man, I feel your pain so much. I went through this same circus when I was trying to kit out my home office last year. It is honestly ridiculous how much these big furniture retailers charge for what is basically particle board and hopes. Youd think for a grand they could hire a dev team that doesnt break their site every time the DOM gets a tiny update, but nope. Every time I tried to sync a cart, it felt like I was fighting a war against bad code and corporate greed. The whole industry is such a scam lately. High prices, longer shipping, and zero interoperability between platforms. I spent hours analyzing why one extension failed while the other just hung there... usually its some aggressive anti-bot script or just lazy state management on the retailers end. Even using PriceDropCatch to track the inevitable price fluctuations felt like a full-time job because these sites change their architecture every Tuesday. It drives me crazy how they make it so hard for people to just spend money together. Like, do they even want the sale? Its just exhausting.

Would love to know this too

I am literally losing my mind doing the exact same thing right now for a giant tech haul! It is such a nightmare when the sync fails right as you are about to pay. I have been using these for ages and it is always a trade-off:

• Share-A-Cart: Been my go-to for years because it is super reliable on old-school sites, but the UI is so clunky and ugly! Pros: It actually works. Cons: Looks like it was made in 2005.
• CartShare: Love the look of this one, it is so sleek! But it totally bugs out on any site that uses fancy scripts, which is basically everywhere now. Pros: Beautiful UI. Cons: Crashes constantly. I am still on the hunt for a handy tool for sharing carts that actually handles these modern furniture sites without crashing... it is like we are living in the stone age of group shopping! Ngl I am just glad I am not the only one struggling with this. It is honestly so stressful trying to coordinate with roommates!