React’s styling landscape is rapidly evolving. With React 19, Tailwind v4, and major changes across the CSS ecosystem, the way we style components needs to be revisited, especially when performance, DX, and scalability are on the line.
In this talk, we’ll evaluate three of the most widely used approaches in modern React apps, CSS Modules, Tailwind CSS, and CSS-in-JS, and put them head-to-head against the realities of today’s frontend demands: server components, async rendering, scalable theming, and runtime performance.
You’ll walk away with a clear, practical framework for choosing the right styling approach for your project — one that balances developer experience, design system needs, and long-term maintainability.
We’ll break down:
- How React 19 and server components are reshaping styling decisions
- Trade-offs between utility-first, scoped CSS, and runtime CSS-in-JS
- Common pitfalls that surface at scale and how to future-proof your choice
Whether you're starting a new app or re-evaluating a legacy codebase, this talk will help you make informed, future-focused styling decisions.
This talk has been presented at React Summit US 2025, check out the latest edition of this React Conference.
