2015-07-02

Parallax scrolling is one of the most popular web design trends because of the beautiful effects it contributes to the website as a whole.


Although the technique has been around for years, using it as a website effect was first used by Ian Coyle when he designed the Nike Better World website in 2011. It gained further popularity when Apple announced the iOS7 using parallax background. Here are our hand-picked best premium parallax WordPress themes, including their best features and why we like them.

1. Dynamix – Business / Corporate WordPress Theme ($58)

Dynamix is a beautiful WordPress theme with a powerful admin which allows you to customize each individual page of your website. This fully responsive theme runs beautifully across all devices including all the sliders and content with an option to disable. It is also very easy to install using the visual page builder where you can drag and drop all elements into the page as well as edit it. The theme is ideal for almost any type of website whether it is an eCommerce shop, a personal portfolio, or a one-page website. Dynamix Theme Best Features:

WordPress 4.0 compatible

Multi-site compatible

8 highly configurable stunning galleries

JW Player 6.x Integration with Audio / Video

WPML Multilingual Plugin + qTranslate compatible and Translation Ready

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

2. Parallax ($14)

This single page theme wins through lovely animations and beautiful design coupled with amazing features which include amazing features, such as custom header for each page and scrolling effect. There is also an infinite scroll option which allows you to load numerous posts in your blog. Another great feature is its expandable portfolio which enables you to showcase multiple images per portfolio item. On top of that, Parallax has six custom widgets where you can display your social media photos, posts, and more. Parallax Theme Best Features:

More than 600 Google fonts

Custom social icons

Drag and drop page builder

Compatible with multiple browsers and devices

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

3. Evolve – Multipurpose WordPress Theme ($58)

If you want to create corporate websites, eCommerce sales pages, portfolio galleries, or even a simple blog, Evolve is an ideal theme to use with its amazing and dynamic parallax scrolling effect. It is fully responsive as well, which means it works well on mobile devices, too. The theme has been created using the latest HTML5 and CSS3 techniques according to the latest coding standards set by WordPress. For more of its parallax features, Evolve allows you to use advanced parallax blocks and text rotation over parallax images to give your website a truly stunning and elegant look. Furthermore, its mega menu option allows you to add images, texts, widgets, and other items as well as split columns through the admin panel. Evolve Theme Best Features:

Unlimited colors and pattern variations

Drag and Drop web page builder

More than 2000 scalable vector icons

Google and Adobe fonts integration

5 Built-in sliders

Custom skin creator

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

4. Bridge – Creative Multi-Purpose WordPress Theme ($58)

At first look, Bridge theme seems like a very complicated theme. However, its dummy content and detailed documentation makes it easy for you to set up a web page using this theme. This highly customizable theme is ideal for education-related websites, but it can also be used to build websites for real estate, fashion, cafe, or an app landing page. With 24 layouts to choose from and other amazing features, the theme has more than 24K sales and has received a 4.76 percent 5-star rating. One of its users has this to say about the Bridge theme:

The design of this theme is very superior without question. On top of the nice layouts, the customer support team is very responsive and do everything they can to fix the issue or help you understand how to make the pages look exactly how you envision it.

~kqaglobal

Evolve Theme Best Features:

CSS3 animations

100 Demo sites and 24 layouts

Qode Slider

Powerful but easy-to-use admin panel

Fully customizable headers and title areas

One page sites

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

5. Vortex – One Page Parallax Flat WordPress Theme ($43)

Vortex is a flat-metro WordPress theme perfect for making a portfolio page, a personal blog, or a corporate website. This is a well-thought out one-page parallax WordPress theme with a smooth parallax scrolling effect that complements its smooth and modern layout. It a fully customizable theme which allows you to customize each section according to your preferences. Vortex Theme Best Features:

Supports image and video post types

Logo and background uploader

Flat design

Live color changer

3 layout headers

Google fonts

Flexslider

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

6. The Flavour – Restaurant WordPress Theme ($53)

The Flavour, as its name suggests, will surely bring justice to your restaurant, cafe, food cart, deli, or any food industry-related website. It has a clean and crisp layout that is highly customizable, 100% responsive, and retina-ready. To further make your food website standout, it is loaded with restaurant specific icons as well as reservation and events calendar. The Flavour Theme Best Features:

HTML5 animated slider

Automatic color picker

Sticky navigation menu

Mega menu

Built-in page layouts

Unlimited sidebars

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

7. CleanLab – Creative Multi-Purpose WordPress Theme ($58)

CleanLab is a multi-purpose theme which is great for creating agency or freelancer portfolios, eCommerce websites, and digital marketing agencies. It contains powerful features, such as 5 gorgeous header styles, fully integrated with Google fonts, 900+ icons, unlimited sidebars, and 10 amazing homepages. It also has a a front-end page builder that helps you arrange the position of certain theme elements using the drag and drop functionality as well as  History Timeline to arrange posts or contents in chronological order, so you won’t have difficulty tracking them. CleanLab Theme Best Features:

Front-end Pagebuilder

Unique Page Layouts

Maintenance mode page

404 Error Page

History Timeline

Over 900 icons included

More than 100 pages of documentation

Masonry galleries

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

8. Pond – Creative Portfolio / Agency WordPress Theme ($43)

Pond is a minimal yet very creative and well-designed WordPress theme with a demo importer, which allows you to easily build a professional creative portfolio. Pond has a multi-page or one-page option, so you don’t have to worry if you still have a limited portfolio. If you opt for a multi-page, two of its amazing features include impressive split sections and multiple header style options. The one-page option is in no way lesser with its amazing hover effect and a very distinct vertical orientation. Pond Theme Best Features:

Full typography control

Viewport Border

Background Parallax Video

Revolution Slider

Page Builder

Ready for WP 4.1+

Video / Audio support

Ajax Contact Form

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

9. Sonnet – One Page Parallax Multipurpose Portfolio ($14)

Sonnet is a minimal one-page WordPress theme loaded with a powerful core power, which includes easy customization, flat color, clean content placement, and professional coding. One stand-out feature is the Visual Composer, which is one of the best drag and drop layout builder on WordPress. Its modern and flat design is perfect for creating personal portfolios, product showcase, company profile, or product and photo gallery. Sonnet Theme Best Features:

Megafolio, a responsive grid portfolio plugin

Zilla shortcode

Pricing table manager

Automated plugin management

Demo importer

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

10. Kyte – Flat Onepage Responsive WordPress Theme ($43)

Kyte is the theme for creatives, combining the powerful code and awesome features of Twitter Bootstrap, coupled with an amazing parallax styling and other unique features. Fully responsive, Kyte looks awesome across different devices. One of the users have this to say about Kyte:

Without a doubt, best theme I’ve ever bought. And I’ve bought around 40 so far. Anyone thinking about buying this… just do it. Highly recommended.

~SwiftMed

Kyte Theme Best Features:

Drag and drop page builder

WP 4.2+ Ready

Localisation Ready, Comes with .PO file

Multipage and Onepage

Retina-ready graphics and icons

SEO-friendly

Filterable portfolio

Google Fonts

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

11. Expression Photography Responsive WordPress Theme ($58)

Expression is the theme for photographers and other creatives, but can also be used to build other types of websites. It is powered by Pexeto panel, which consists of powerful features to manage and modify every part of your website. Some of these options include  flexible AJAX gallery with awesome jQuery animations and effects. Expression Theme Best Features:

Unlimited skins

Font management

Advanced styling buttons

Extensive documentation

Additional sliders

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

12. Scalia Multi-Concept Business, Shop, One-Page, Blog Theme  ($58)

One client who gave Scalia a five-star rating have this to say about the theme:

Simply great. Well-coded, flexible, no bugs like I experienced with other themes, extensive documentation, and a lot of features. The support is also awesome, quick, and they went beyond their duty to solve my two requests. Without a doubt, I recommend it to everyone.

~slabejmare

Scalia is a very versatile parallax WordPress theme filled with innovative features and comprehensive documentation. It is also fully responsive, working seamlessly across different devices. Packed with 150 fully functional demo pages, which you can use to create your own stunning website. Customization is also easy since it is filled with numerous customization options which you can access on the Administration panel. Scalia Theme Best Features:

Beautiful Designs From Award-Winning Designer Kontramax

Over 150 Demo Samples With Awesome Sliders Included

More than 400 Customizable Font Icons Included

Lazy Loading Animation

Drag´n´drop Page Builder Visual Composer

More than 40 Custom Shortcodes

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

13. Epic – Responsive Multi-Purpose Theme ($48)

Epic is a sleek and modern WordPress theme with a one-page or multi-page option. Each graphic element of the theme is retina-ready, while the layouts are fully responsive and work flawlessly on different devices and screen sizes. The theme comes with 8 pre-made skins in various color schemes to maintain the uniqueness of each website you build. It also has 4 different header layouts to make your branding more unique, Ajax masonry on your portfolio, and parallax effects which you can add to every section of your page. Epic Theme Best Features:

PSD included

100% modular giving you full control over all contents

8 color schemes

Multiple home versions

Video parallax

Sticky navigation

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

14. Skrollex – Creative One Page Parallax ($16)

Skrollex is a modern and creative one-page parallax theme. Fully responsive and retina ready, it has a light and dark option which are both sleek and creative – perfect for freelance portfolios, landing pages, and many more. Some of its noteworthy features include animated parallax backgrounds as well as video backgrounds. Its scrolling animations and hover effects will also add more distinction to your website. Skrollex Theme Best Features:

Unlimited Color Customization

Slick Slider

Full screen menu and sections

LESS stylesheets

W3C Valid HTML Code

Fully responsive

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

15. Blink – Parallax One Page HTML Template ($16)

Blink is a one-page HTML template which has a modern and bold feel. Each detail is carefully designed for optimum user experience across all types of devices and browsers. Blink comes with a modern presentation grid and 5 projects variations to showcase your creativity and style. Aiming not just to become another ordinary template, Blink offers two main navigation styles – the regular menu and the full screen navigational menu powered by a trendy burger icon; parallax backgrounds which allow you to place image backgrounds in each section and enhance them using the parallax effects; and pure CSS content animations for your images, text blocks, heading, and video sections. Blink Theme Best Features:

Revolution slider

Parallax backgrounds

Modern navigation

Premium homepage slider

6 Predefined color schemes

CSS3 content animations

4 blog page styles

Ajax contact form

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

16. Parasponsive WooCommerce WordPress Parallax ($58)

Parasponsive is a WooCommerce WordpPress theme which has undergone many updates and is now in its version 5.0, loaded with powerful features to power up your eCommerce store or online shop. The theme has a powerful admin panel where you can access popular shortcodes, the homepage layout builder, the portfolio gallery, and many more. It is also multi-lingual ready, so you don’t have to worry wherever your customers come from. Parasponsive Theme Best Features:

Bootstrap framework

More than 650 Google fonts

Social sharing buttons

Isotope portfolio

Flexible settings

Custom widgets

Powerful admin panel

Parallax layer slider

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

17. JKreativ – Multilayer Parallax MultiPurpose Theme ($58)

With more than 2000 sales, JKreativ is one theme loaded with awesome effects that would surely liven up your website without compromising its professionalism. For one, JKreativ is considered as the first multi-layered parallax theme with unlimited layers of parallax for super smooth scroll effect as well as complete control. It also has different portfolio and gallery options including Masonry, Ajax, and Justified layout. Other noteworthy features include slider revolution, 360-degree image slider, and content animation effects. JKreative Theme Best Features:

3 Built-in fullscreen sliders – parallax slider, fullscreen text slider, split slider

Music background on every page

3 Types of page loader

Smooth scroll

Parallax video

Custom drag & drop builder with shortcode generator

WPML compatible

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

18. Status – Parallax and modular Theme ($43)

Status is a new parallax WordPress theme yet it has already reached more than a thousand sales with a 4.14% average of five-star ratings. What makes this theme popular is its features and functions which has been built on solid backend framework. Ideal for either business or portfolio websites, Status has parallax layout with scroll effect, layout shortcodes, modular layout sections, unlimited color schemes, 12 custom widgets, shortcode generator, and post sliders. Status Theme Best Features:

Theme can be used without scroll effect

Font selector/custom typography – 52 fonts available (web-safe fonts and Google webfonts)

Full width jQuery slider (Flex slider),

Custom posts: Layout, Services, Portfolio, Clients, Pricing tables,

Unique Mosaic section for Blog and/or Portfolio posts,

7 Posts formats: standard, video, audio, gallery, image, link, quote,

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

19. Nature Responsive WordPress Theme ($48)

Nature, like its namesake, is a clean and bold theme, fully responsive, and perfect for any types of websites, but focused solely on activism. The theme offers beautiful gallery pages, which uses masonry to display the images with directional rollovers and lightbox built in it. There is also a special section found in the donation homepage template which allows you to update or set up a target. You also have unlimited layout and styling options using the built-in color picker for unlimited color schemes and column short codes. Nature Theme Best Features:

Full suite of pages, including right side bar template, full width template, contact page, 404 page

Custom post types for events, slider, and photos/galleries

CSS-based bar for donations

Social icon integration

Fully localized with mo/po files

14 layered PSD files

Automated resizing and image galleries

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

20. Nonus Parallax WordPress Portfolio ($48)

Nonus is a fully-responsive, retina-ready WordPress portfolio built with the Bootstrap framework, HTML5, and CSS3. It is perfect for any types of website with a multi-page and one page options, and two types of layouts – boxed and full width. It comes with more than 55 shortcodes as well as a short code generator to make life much easier for you. For those who do not know how to code, Nonus has a 1-click demo install, allowing you to build a website in just a short time. Nonus Theme Best Features:

Nivo slider and Flex slider

More than 600 Google fonts

6 PSD files included

Portfolio custom elements

Unlimited sidebars

Font awesome

Automatic theme updates

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

21. Jarvis – Onepage Parallax WordPress Theme ($58)

Jarvis is the top-selling one-page parallax theme on ThemeForest with more than 8K in sales. Developed by Rock n Rolla Designs, Jarvis boasts of more than 14 home variations and other impressive features. Its latest version is packed with awesome features, such as unlimited parallax, Contact form 7, infinite scroll, and RTL support. Ronnie of Oddsoap.com and a Jarvis client, has this to say about the theme:

I simply love this theme. I’m a complete noob and my coding skills are almost non-existent. I found it very easy to set up. The author provided extensive help files to walk me through things that didn’t naturally come to me, like setting up a Twitter app. If you are interested in how many page has turned out, come and have a look at my website. Please continue to make this theme better and better. Well done and thank you.

Jarvis Theme Best Features:

WooCommerce ready

Revolution slider section

Widescreen support

Infinite scroll

Portfolio audio support

Pricing tables

Child theme ready

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

22. Singlet One Page Responsive WordPress Theme ($38)

Singlet is a one-page parallax WordPress theme developed by Quad Codes, the team who developed a number of WordPress themes on Theme Forest. Singlet is fully responsive and easy to configure using the “white label” theme option panel. Some of the features include four custom post types, a shortcode manager with a preview window, and two custom widgets. Singlet Theme Best Features:

WordPress 3.4 ready

Extensive PDF document

Cross-browser compatibility

8 Page templates

jQuery plugins and animations

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

23. Reversal – Responsive One-Page Template ($14)

Reversal is a fun and well-crafted one-page parallax theme. It is one of the unique themes on Theme Forest because it scrolls horizontally instead of vertically. It is minimalist and elegant at the same time as well as fully responsive and retina-ready. This is one theme that is very SERP-friendly because it loads up very fast. Thanks to the various powerful codes, like Javascript and CSS, compressed inside. Reversal Theme Best Features:

Horizontal One-Page

Based on Bootstrap Framework

Unlimited colors – Change the template color in few seconds only with a Search and Replace

Working PHP contact form – Any number of fields can be added

More than 600 Google Web Fonts

More than 200 icons from Font Awesome

Google Maps

Isotope filterable portfolio

Sticky navigation

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

24. Zephyr Material Design Theme ($58)

Zephyr is a very innovative WordPress theme, providing interactive viewing in your website. If you are looking for a theme to make an impressive business website with a very credible brand, Zephyr is your theme. Aside from its smooth and responsive layout, it also looks stunning in retina displays. Some of its noteworthy features include a Visual composer and a drag and drop page builder, which allows you to build an unlimited number of unique layouts for your website. Zephyr Theme Best Features:

8 appearance animations for columns and images at any pages

Quick Install & Demo Content Import

Automatic Theme Updater

Free Updates

Brief documentation

4 different layouts of the header

3 different header types (static, sticky, sticky transparent)

3 header heignt options for different cases

3 menu dropdown appearance animations

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

25. Notio – Deluxe Portfolio Theme ($58)

Notio is a clean and high quality theme filled with great customization features and options, allowing you to build an efficient website in just a short time. It strongly focuses on usability and typography as well as the ability to personalize every aspect of your theme. With the Visual Composer plugin bundled into this theme, you have the freedom to build every page layout you can imagine. Notio is WooCommerce ready so you can sell your products or services online through your website. Aside from its eCommerce support, it also comes with functionalities perfect for showcasing your professional portfolio. Notio Theme Best Features:

One-click installation set-up

Drag & drop elements

PSD files and assets included

SASS & Grunt files

Video background and elements

Custome widgets

More than 600 Google fonts

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

26. Morpheus – Ultimate One Page Parallax Theme ($48)

Morpheus users can attest why this theme is called the “ultimate one-page parallax theme.” One user has high praise for its code quality, saying:

Amazing. Simply the best WordPress theme. High quality coding, 101 features, and highly customizable. Well-made and well-planned theme. Works so well you can make many websites with just one theme.

~bteo

Morpheus Theme Best Features:

Shortcodes Manager

Buttons, Toggles, Tabs, Accordions

Price Tables

Clean Code

Demo contents

One-Page or Multi-Page ready

Mobile parallax enabled, including sliders, images and patterns

Blog and blog feed with multiple display options

Portfolio showcase with multiple display options

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

27. Osmosis – Responsive Multi-Purpose Theme ($58)

Osmosis multi-functional WordPress theme filled with superior aesthetics and customization options. Like a lot of WordPress themes, it also has a one-click dummy data which allows you to import any Osmosis demo and incorporate it to your website. Another stand-out feature is its built in options panel powered by Redux Framework, enabling you to change the appearance and functionality of your website. It also has a stylish camouflaged drop-down safe button which helps your users easily find the content they are searching for. Another feature is the Revolution Slider which allows you to create responsive and compelling slides for your website. Osmosis Theme Best Features:

Incomparable Manipulation of Header Elements (not just predefined headers)

Master Key Safe Button

Smooth Parallax Scroll Effect

Extra Sticky Anchor Menu per Page

One Page Version

Side Scrolling Dot Navigation

Detailed Case Studies

Various Backgrounds Sections Effects – Parallax, Fixed, Animated, Default

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

28. Eivissa – Responsive One Page Template ($43)

Eivissa is a modern one-page parallax theme perfect for a personal portfolio website. However it is loaded with powerful features which adapts to any types of parallax use. It has a powerful option panel which enables you to customize and make changes to your websites in just a short time. Eivissa Theme Best Features:

Three base styles

Isotope portfolio effect

Add multiple images per portfolio item

Working contact form

FontAwesome Icons

Custom Widgets

jQuery Features

Supports Blog Posts

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

29. Enfold – Responsive Multi-Purpose Theme ($58)

Enfold is a clean and flexible theme which is ideal for business or corporate websites, eCommerce shops, or personal portfolio websites. Built on the Avia framework, Enfold has a wide range of options and features which allow you to modify your layout, styling, colors and fonts directly from within the backend. Enfold Theme Best Features:

Wide and boxed layout options

Ajax instant search

WPML plugin ready

2D and 3D Layerslider slideshow

WooCommerce Ready

Free lifetime updates

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here

30. Jupiter – Multi-Purpose Responsive Theme ($58)

Like its namesake, Jupiter theme ha a huge variety of options and features to help you build an awesome website. With almost 20K users, Jupiter is now on its 4.1 version with 21 new features, 9 new improvements, and 55 debugs. Some of its improvements include a page section video center, Isotope pluin v2.2, and a third-level responsive menu. Jupiter Theme Best Features:

Lazy header style

Single employee page with 3 different

Visual composer

Header style customizer

Art background customizer

Multiple navigation and pagination styles

View Demo and Purchase Theme Here These are some of the parallax WordPress themes you can use and dabble with. If you are building your next project, try using one of them and see how the parallax effect can add more uniqueness to your website.

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