When to use Attribute Sets

Question

I'm setting up a Magento site and am so far we're only using the default attribute set which has several configurable attributes.

• size
• hat size
• table cloth size

Size and hat size relate to products which fall into our clothing category while table cloth size is for products which fall into our linen category.

We have several other examples like this and I'm wondering if I should create different attribute sets for clothing and linen? What would be the advantage of doing this? It seems simpler to just use the default attribute set for all or am I missing the benefit of splitting them by attribute set. I'm thinking of creating an attribute for product type, e.g. cloths and linen.

Answer 1

Attribute set is very good for different type of Products. You can make different attribute set for different types of products.

Consider the example, there are two types of different products one is Apparel and other is Electronics. So yo can make two different attribute set for both types of product and you can add related attribute to product into the attribute set.

Also you can make attribute set based on default attribute set. So you can use attributes of default attribute set and you need to add new attributes into attribute set according to product for which you making attribute set.

Answer 2

You should use different attribute set for different category of products. It will give lot of facility when your store have lot of products with same type of category. It will also help to filter these products in admin "Manage Products" grid and It also help to show different category of product on fronted with the help of attribute set filter

Answer 3

Right method is to use different 'Attribute sets' for different types of 'Products'

For example if you have Clothing and Furniture as product types for your store, they should have different Attribute sets, even if they have only 1 attribute differing.

When you create a new attribute set, it asks if you want your new attribute set to be based on 'Default' attribute set? This way you will still have default attributes and only need to add new attribute(s) to the set.

I think this is what the whole purpose of Attribute sets is.