The top 5 lazy loading libraries for React in 2023
Blog post from LogRocket
Lazy loading is a method employed in React applications to enhance performance by deferring the loading of non-essential parts of a webpage until they are needed, thus improving initial load times and user experience. This technique, also known as code splitting or data fetching, involves breaking down app bundles into smaller chunks, loading the critical ones first and the rest on demand. Various libraries facilitate lazy loading in React, such as react-lazyload, which focuses on components and images; React Lazy Load Image Component, which supports the Intersection Observer API for viewport detection; React Lazy Load, known for its small bundle size; gatsby-plugin-image, which optimizes image loading in Gatsby projects; and uselazy, which supports dynamic and named imports. Additionally, React provides built-in support for lazy loading using the lazy and Suspense components, allowing developers to specify fallback content while components are being loaded. Each library has its own strengths and limitations, making them suitable for different project needs, from optimizing image galleries to handling dynamic imports in complex React applications.