Wow, this is a tough post to write, as there really are lots of great WordPress themes and they’re only getting better. But I am going to narrow my recommendations down to only those I highly recommend and would use myself. I use the following criteria when selecting a WordPress theme:
- Beautiful yet functional design;
- Well written code;
- Great support;
- Ease of use;
- Easily able to customize.
Just an fyi: None of the links on this page are affiliate links. Yes, I believe in affiliate accounts when it’s a product you use or would use yourself and that you totally love! But for this post, I want you to feel secure — knowing my recommendations are unbiased — so that you can comfortably explore the various WordPress themes [read > you don't have to wonder if I'm only recommending a certain theme because I have an affiliate account 
]
Ready, Set, Go…
01. WooThemes
WooThemes provides beautiful and highly functional themes built on a solid code framework. Each themes comes with multiple theme styles, as well as a WordPress backend that allows you to easily set the theme options.Spend some time in their demo section to experience first hand how the different themes look and work.
They offer a Standard ($70) and a Developer package ($150) for each theme. So what’s the difference? Well, if you like the design and styling of the theme as it is, then a standard package will work for you. But if you want to have the theme customized, I recommend you download a developer package as it comes with a fully layered Adobe Photoshop file.
02. Elegant Themes
Elegant Themes provides some really beautiful themes, all of course expertly coded in valid XTML/CSS. As the designer says:
I created this website to provide WordPress themes of quality and integrity. I craft my themes with a goal of simplicity and professionalism and strive to inject each design with a dose of modest elegance. I believe that your website is not just a tool, it is an integral part of your identity. My job is to respect each customer by providing attractive and userfriendly templates that will help you achieve your online goals.
And he really does all of that and more!
A 1 year membership costs $19.95 and you’ll then have access to his WordPress themes. Really worth exploring.
03. Frugal Theme
“The Ultra Clean WordPress Theme” as creator Eric Hamm says. This is an amazingly clean yet powerful theme/framework to build upon. I personally love it. Don’t let the minimalist appearance deceive you — there’s a lot of power under the hood.
You’ve got three options: Free, Premium, and Professional.
If you like the look, you can always start out with the free option and then upgrade later. And, yea, Eric provides amazing support even for the free version! I totally recommend that you spend some time exploring the Frugal theme.
04. Thematic
Thematic is what’s called a WordPress Framework. Essentially that means it’s a base from which to build other themes. And it is a powerful, elegant, and rock solid framework. Ok, so you may not be looking to build a theme on Thematic — which is totally cool — because others have already done that. So take a look at the Store to explore some of the child themes built with Thematic.
Ian offers fantastic support in his forums for the free Thematic framework, as well as for the child themes. OH, yea, and there are also some free child themes, so make sure you check those out as well.
05. Thesis
Thesis Theme for WordPress has unbelievable customization options, all from a totally user friendly WordPress backend. If you like the look and feel of Thesis, then you definitely want to consider it for your site. Go there… now… and check it out. It’s fabtastic!
To be continued…
I can’t really “conclude” this post, because the WordPress theme community is continually growing and expanding. But this will help you begin to explore the various themes available. I’ll update this list when I find other great themes. And, if you would like to recommend a theme, please leave a comment or contact me.
