The <select> element is hard to style properly and is something that easily ruins sleek designs. Many people have already realised this, which is why there are a couple of JavaScript replacements out there.

Here’s a quick list of those that I’m aware of—in no particular order.

• SelectBoxIt - Github
  Requires jQuery 1.6.1+ and jQueryUI Widget Factory 1.8.19+
• jQuery SelectBox plugin – Github
  (Obviously) requires jQuery, minimum version not listed.
  Has events you can tap into with callback functions
• Chosen – Github
  Requires jQuery 1.4+ or Prototype 1.7+
  Neat features like search input for long lists
• jQuery UI Autocomplete (combobox)
  Included in jQuery UI
  Focussed on searching rather than the dropdown

This post is mostly as a reference, so I don’t need to look up all the options (no pun intended) every time this situation arises. I hope it can help you quickly select (pun definitely intended this time) which one’s best for you.