Learn the truth about Elementor mobile-speed rumors.

This article is based on our experiments. If lazy load and Elementor work together or fail for you, please let us know your experience. Tell us some details about what theme and plugins you’re using. We want more information. There is no noise on the Internet about this. Why? Email us at: lazyload@steveteare.com

Using Elementor and lazy load plugins didn’t work under certain conditions. We want to figure out those parameters – and report the results. Prepare for a surprise. This also provided an opportunity to test the lazy load plugin introduced by WordPress. This is user preparation for adding lazy-load functions to WordPress core.

Temporary post under test:
10 fat images with some placeholder text to shove the images down the page.
http://sitedrag.com/test-lazy-load/

Pingdom testing to San Francisco, USA.

3 conditions

1. Lazy Load benchmarks for baseline without Elementor page builder activated

• No lazy load, no elementor
  pingdom 592ms, 477.8k, 19 requests
  WPT.org 1.67s, 447k, 16 requests
• lazy load – WP Rocket, no elementor
  pingdom 470ms, 477.8k, 19 requests
  WPT.org 646ms, 29k, 4 requests
• new WP lazy load, no elementor
  pingdom 470ms, 477.8k, 19 requests
  WPT.org 1.48s, 266k, 12 requests

Lazy Loading Feature Plugin

By The WordPress Team

This lazy load feature is to be added to WordPress core. The plugin is for user beta testing.

2. Does Elementor disable Lazy Load plugins if Elementor is not used on the page?

• No lazy load, w/ elementor activated but not used
  pingdom 691ms, 473.6k, 18 requests
  WPT.org 1.647s, 447k, 16 requests
• lazy load – WP Rocket, w/ elementor activated but not used
  pingdom 816ms, 477.8k, 19 requests
  WPT.org 699ms, 24k, 3 requests
• new WP lazy load, w/ elementor activated but not used
  pingdom 1.85s, 473.6k, 18 requests
  WPT.org 1.532s, 266k, 12 requests

3. Does any Lazy Load make a difference when Elementor is used?

• No lazy load, w/ elementor activated and used
  pingdom 653ms, 675.4k, 35 requests
  WPT.org 2.043s, 629k, 33 requests
• lazy load – WP Rocket, w/ elementor activated and used
  pingdom 769ms, 679.6k, 36 requests
  WPT.org 2.149s, 500k, 31 requests
• new WP lazy load, w/ elementor activated and used
  pingdom 735ms, 675.4k, 35 requests
  WPT.org 1.8s, 497k, 30 requests

SLIPSHOD CONCUSSIONS (no typo)

If Elementor is used on a page, it defeats Lazy Load.

If Elementor is activated but unused, then there is benefit from WP Rockets lazy load plugin.

New WP Lazy Load is garbage (mostly).

Elementor generally increases load time by 200 milliseconds minimum with WPT.org – and requests double (in this test setup).

Is lazy loading important? Yes. For mobile users.

4. BONUS TEST

For giggles, we activated Autoptimize plugin with only the lazy load feature selected – with Elementor activated – and used.

• Autoptimize Lazy Load, w/ elementor activated and used
  pingdom 723ms, 680.7k, 36 requests
  WPT.org 1.762s, 218k, 24 requests

Did it work with Elementor?
Doesn’t look like it? Turn off Elementor then:

• Autoptimize Lazy Load, no elementor activated
  pingdom 520ms, 478.2, 19 requests
  WPT.org 1.004s, 35k, 7 requests

Now Autoptimize lazy load works!

Elementor causes lazy load plugins to fail. Try it.

NOTE: This GoDaddy test site has Astra theme 2.3.5 installed, WordPress core v.5.4, and only two lightweight plugins: Limit Login Attempts Reloaded (for security) and Classic Editor (defeats Gutenberg).