20 gorgeous examples of websites with video backgrounds

Everything about having a background video seems to go against the basic rules of web usability.

It means the page might take longer to load, or the user might become distracted, and surely nobody thinks autoplay music is a good idea.

That may all be true, or it may not, I haven’t been able to find any stats to support either side of the argument.

What’s certainly true is that these moving images captivate the user and ensure the website stands out from the standard cookie-cutter formats we’re used to seeing.

I’ve rounded up 20 of these spectacular websites, many of which are also good examples of the trend towards using scrolling as a design feature.

If you have any thoughts on whether a background video is a good idea, let me know in the comments.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World

A niche website, and I’m not really sure what the lanterns have to do with luxury hotels. But it looks great.

JL Sawyer

This site is to promote A Bloom of Ruins by author JL Sawyer. The movement is very subtle but it works well with the overall aesthetic in my opinion.