10 Amazing Responsive WordPress Themes

By Scott Stanton | 6 comments | Programming, Roundups, Web Development

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Responsive web design is a web development philosophy that has rapidly spread through the design community.  A responsive web site is one that is built using W3C and CSS3 media queries to allow the site to perform optimally across various platforms and screen resolutions.  Meaning the site will look correct and function easily whether you are viewing it on a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile device.  If you have a WordPress website and are interested in switching your site to a responsive design, let’s take a look at 10 examples of responsive WordPress themes.

Modulo

Modulo is a clean, responsive WordPress theme that features three different kinds of sliders.  Flex Slider, is 100% flexible, can display images or videos, and works on mobile devices.  Or you can choose between the carousel and nivo slider as alternatives, though they will not display on a mobile device.  Modulo also comes with may background patterns to choose from and an advanced admin panel with over 120 options to customize your site just the way you want it.

PhotoNote

PhotoNote is a great option for photographers looking to display their portfolio in a nice, responsive, WordPress layout.  One of the more notable features of this theme is the fact that the slideshow on the homepage is touch-enabled, meaning you can easily navigate it from a touch-screen mobile device.  Facebook comments are integrated in to the theme, keeping you from having to install a plugin to combine your website with your facebook page.

Steamline

Steamline (link: http://www.studiopress.com/themes/streamline) is a perfect solution for a news or business style WordPress site that is looking for a responsive design solution.  Featuring three color styles and three layout options, Streamline also offers custom background, header, and menu options, along with featured images and threaded comments.

Buro

Buro is another responsive design option for your WordPress site.  The custom homepage has options for a jQuery slider with pagination, blog module, and testimonial module.  Buro also features custom typography and widgets to help set it apart from other responsive WordPress themes.

Super Skeleton

Super Skeleton is a nice option because you get the WordPress theme along with the straight HTML template.  The theme also includes three minimal skins and two fontstacks, along with individual skinnable PSD files for all of the major UI elements.  Super Skeleton also works nicely in older browsers thanks to some clever CSS3 coding.

Reveal

Reveal is a perfect solution for a photographer or designer who is looking for a responsive WordPress theme to display their portfolio.  This highly visual theme let’s the images capture your attention and keeps the text tucked away, unless the viewer chooses to see it.  Reveal also features threaded comments, post thumbnails, easy portfolio management, built-in light box, and integration with both Twitter and Flickr.

Rising

Rising is another responsive WordPress theme from themeforest (link: http://themeforest.net/).  Rising degrades nicely across multiple platforms, with the navigation switching from a standard navigation bar in the desktop and tablet versions to a handy dropdown menu for mobile phones.  This SEO friendly theme was also built with HTML5 and CSS3 and allows you to choose between three portfolio styles.

Foxy

Foxy is a perfect example of the biggest debate over responsive web design.  This is an incredible theme that allows you to have a gorgeous, full-page, background image.  However, once you get to the mobile version you will see that you’ve lost access to a lot of the content.  Some argue that you don’t need all of that content when browsing on a mobile device, so spare the viewer the load time.  Others want everything on every platform.  With the Foxy theme all you lose is the full-screen, slideshow background, no content.

Olya

Olya is another fully responsive design with powerful portfolio management.  FlexSlider, the custom homepage slider, allows you to display your finest work in video or image format.  A handy contact page allows you to display a Google Map location, your latest tweet, and an easy to use contact form.  Custom typography and custom widgets help give the Olya theme a unique look that allows it to stand out from the rest.

 Clean

Clean is a clean and versatile design that was built to look good on any device, on any platform, and at any resolution.  Built with Twitter and Flickr integration, this theme also features a touch swipe slideshow that allows for easy navigation on a touch screen tablet or mobile phone.  Clean theme is also designed with Google web font integration, allowing you to use custom fonts to help make your site even more aesthetically pleasing.

With the growing number of people now browsing the web from their tablets and mobile phones, making sure that your website caters to their platform and resolution is vital.  This is an easy fix for anyone with a WordPress site, thanks to the simple, easy-to-use, dynamic structure, it’s as easy as finding a responsive theme that you like, installing it, and activating it.  For anyone who doesn’t have a WordPress theme, you still should consider those mobile device users.  Whether that means developing a new site that is responsive, or simply adding a mobile version of your site to make browsing  your content easier, it could be the difference between landing a client or customer, and not.

About the author: with over ten years in the freelance web design and writing fields, Scott Stanton has had his finger on the beating pulse of the industry’s hottest design trends and bends for the past decade. Scott regularly writes for Wix.com the free website builder. Follow him on Twitter @TheScottStanton.