Is Ikea Sofa Good Quality? – Seek My Seat (2023)

FAQs

How can you tell if a sofa is high quality? ›

1) Unzip seat cushions.

Better-quality pieces have foam covered by batting enclosed in muslin. 2) Knead the frame along back, rail, corners and arms. If you feel hard or sharp edges, padding is skimpy. 3) The sofa back should be padded to give a finished look.

“Just add a few oversized, overstuffed pillows with different prints, colors and textures to give it some depth and coziness. Think leather, linen, and fur. Also, try draping a lightweight neutral throw blanket over the arm of the sofa.”

Comfort. The IKEA Vimle sofa is also very comfortable and cozy. The foam seat cushions are firm, with a good, comfortable depth. The back cushions are softer than the seat cushions, allowing you to sink into them comfortably.

In a statement, IKEA said the Uppland is essentially a new and improved version of the Ektorp. The models have a nearly identical look, but the Uppland sits higher and deeper, with taller backs and longer arms.

That means you'll want to shop toward the end of winter (January and February) or the end of summer (August and September). Retailers will be discounting their old stock during these months to make room for the new styles. Presidents Day and Labor Day weekends are especially good times for sales.

So here's your first tip: anything under $699 is considered an inexpensive sofa. $799–$1,999 is the average you'll pay for one sofa. Any sofa within the $2,000–$3,000 is considered “higher-end”.

You can find high-quality, mid-range sofas with polyester, velvet, and even leather upholstery for anywhere between $1,500 to $3,000. Even with this material upgrade, mid-range sofas are often larger than budget variants, encompassing pieces like 3-4 seat sectionals and sleeper sofas. High-End ($3,000 to $10,000).

When you shop at IKEA, you should not expect to find heirloom quality furniture. While most of the products are certainly affordable, longevity is not typically a common attribute. (Very often affordability and quality do not go hand in hand unless you are buying used furniture.)

Bulk Production. One of the big costs that furniture companies must contend with is the cost of production — the labor and machinery involved do not come cheaply. IKEA keeps its prices to consumers low by producing many of the components in bulk, according to House Digest.

Is the IKEA Stockholm sofa comfortable? ›

The seat and back cushions provide comfortable support for your body and easily regain their shape because they're filled with high resilience foam and polyester fibres.

IKEA Ektorp 2 seater Sofa Bed – Discontinued in 2010.

IKEA has (sort of) officially retired my beloved Ektorp Sofa and replaced it with the Uppland Sofa.

The Ektorp which wasn't the most squishy couch to begin with, so the Uppland is even more comfortable – both to sleep on and sit on.

"Even though there are cheap options for lounging areas in your space, a couch is one piece of furniture that, if you want to keep it for a long time, you should definitely spend some bucks on," they told Insider.

Sofas last from seven to 20 years, though most cap out at roughly 15. The same goes for loveseats, sectionals and sleepers. Couches with solid wood frames (even better if it's kiln-dried) and reinforced joinery hold up the longest. Genuine leather upholstery has a longer lifespan than fabric.

On average, a sofa should last anywhere between 7 to 15 years, providing it's properly maintained on a regular basis. While you can get it reupholstered or buy new cushions to give it a refresh, sometimes it's best to let it go and look for a new one.

Hardwood frames are the most durable, but most sofas are made from engineered wood. Avoid MDF or particleboard; furniture-grade plywood, engineered hardwood, or solid wood are all better choices.

Durability: The sofa fabrics with the most durability will be cotton, linen, wool, polyester, and olefin. Linen becomes stronger when wet and doesn't pill. All of these fabrics are prone to lasting longer and withstanding wear and tear better over time that other types of fabrics.

On average, a typical sofa lasts between 7 and 15 years.

How much does the average American spend on a couch? ›

Don't Be Afraid to Haggle

While you probably won't have much luck negotiating furniture prices at chains, independently owned shops are usually more open-minded. Haggling is an art form in its own right, but there are a few tricks anyone can successfully apply to their furniture-shopping experience.

Typically, the average markup of furniture ranges from 20% to 50% based on the furniture's wholesale cost. Furniture retailers use markup to cover their operating costs including employee salaries, rent, utilities, marketing costs, and other overheads, while leaving a portion for profit.

The sofa should be about two thirds the size of the entire room. If you decide to add in a coffee table too, that should then be two thirds the size of the sofa (if no chaise) or one third to half the size of the sofa if it has a chaise.

The average weight of a sofa is anywhere between 280 to 350 pounds. Of course, this will vary depending on the size, style, materials and added features, as with a sleeper sofa.

The way it is constructed

Good quality furniture will have joints that are screwed, or doweled. The very best joints are dovetailed, mortise-and tenon. Re-enforcing block attached at an angle should be used on corners. Indications of poor quality would be joints that are nailed, stapled, or will have visible glue.

First, fabric tends to be an overall softer, warmer material than leather; just like your leather car seats, leather sofas can feel hot and sticky in the summer and cold in the winter, and leather sofas tend to feel firmer than fabric sofas.

As mentioned earlier, if you are looking for a large sofa, then a U-shape will work best. An L-shaped sofa will work better for small to medium-sized couches while the modular sofa looks better in a larger size. That being said, there is room for flexibility.

Interior designers: They're just like us—meaning yes, they shop at IKEA. Why? Because the Swedish home decor superstore that everyone loves actually nails it on a lot of what they sell.

Navigating the store is no trouble at all if you have your wits about you. Assembling the furniture is no trouble at all if you have your wits about you. And the result is good-looking products at a very fair price. So yes, IKEA is excellent value-for-money and very much worth whatever effort you have to make.

Who are the top three competitors of IKEA? ›

Unique brands like Jysk, Kartell, and Williams-Sonoma are also IKEA's top competitors in 2021.

Over the years, Ikea products have been criticized for their poor quality and shoddy craftsmanship, which have resulted in allergic reactions, malfunctions, and in some cases, even tragic injuries. All told, it's enough to make even the most avid Ikea shopper think twice before buying certain products at the store.

IKEA has more than 1200 furniture suppliers around the world, as well as 100 food product suppliers and 275 transport service providers. The five countries that supply the majority of products and services to IKEA are China, Poland, Italy, Germany and Sweden.

Our sofas are rigorously tested to comply with our strict standards for quality and durability as well as with the highest standards for domestic use. This means that we can offer you a 10-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship that covers our sofas, armchairs, sofa-beds, and footstools.

Our lowest prices

By producing in high volumes with smarter designs and flat packaging, we can keep our costs down. That way, we can continue to offer affordable products at low prices without having to compromise on quality.

It depends on the item and how you handle it. IKEA furniture is generally made from particle board or MDF, which will last 10-20 years. It's great to have affordable furniture that doesn't look bad from IKEA, most of my furniture is from IKEA. Other IKEA items made from other materials could last up to eight years.

IKEA is renowned for being transparent about its production process and designs and creates simple, good-quality furniture. The company is also known for paying the employees a living wage at the least. Like we said, it's a brand that cares about more than just profits.

Due to industry-wide impacts of COVID-19 on the global supply chain, we are currently experiencing limited availability and significant delays for certain products in-store and online.

And due to supply holdups and lack of truck drivers some popular IKEA items take weeks to restock. This is especially true for home office desks, chairs, and furniture as the demand has soared in the past year as more people are working from home.

Our couches were so old and worn after all these years, it was definitely time to get new ones. We were planning on sticking with Ektorp but, in October 2020, Ikea replaced their beloved Ektorp sofas with the new Uppland series.

Can IKEA sofas be reupholstered? ›

Hear us out: Like any beloved IKEA product (think: Besta cabinets, Pax wardrobes), every single one of the company's sofas is hackable. Our trick of choice? Reupholster it.

Comfort. The Ektorp sofa is comfortable even after 2 years of use. The cushions have not lost their shape and it still provides a cozy spot to curl up. When it comes to the sofa with the chaise it is even more comfortable.

Many people refer to antique settees as the love seat, even though the two might be completely different pieces of furniture. It often has a high back, wooden legs, and sloped arms. A typical settee would have room for sitting only two people and is ideal for the bedroom, dressing room, and the master bath.

The 'New and Improved' Ektorp

But there's a reason to dry your eyes and not panic buy all the Ektorp slipcovers you can find—the sofa is being replaced with the Uppland, which is very similar to the Ektorp.

Fabric sofas are the most bought sofa sets as it is the most comfortable type of sofa and is available in a wide diversity of colours and sizes. Leather sofas are purely made up of leather making them long-lasting and easy to clean. Leatherette sofas are the cheapest of the lot and are most easy to clean.

This product comes as 2 packages.

The best quality sofa frames are made from dense kiln-dried hardwoods, like walnut, maple, oak, or ash. These also tend to be the most expensive type of frame construction, but these sofas will last the longest, so the expense is worth the investment.

The piece should feel solid - no wobbles or creaks if you sit down. The finish is smooth and even, with no bubbles - rub your hand over it. Even the inside of drawers should be smoothly sanded. The parts of the furniture that don't show should also look solid and finished.

Hardwood frames are the most durable, but most sofas are made from engineered wood. Avoid MDF or particleboard; furniture-grade plywood, engineered hardwood, or solid wood are all better choices.

What is a normal amount to spend on a sofa? ›

So here's your first tip: anything under $699 is considered an inexpensive sofa. $799–$1,999 is the average you'll pay for one sofa. Any sofa within the $2,000–$3,000 is considered “higher-end”.

As for the worst time to buy furniture, that's likely right after those sales end and prices shoot back up to their original list prices. Stores also typically introduce their new indoor-furniture styles in February and August, so prices are likely to be at their highest then.

Sofas: Consider replacing your sofa before the seats start sagging to the point of not supporting you, the fabric has become stained and worn, and the frame is breaking down or squeaking. How long should a couch last? On average, a typical sofa lasts between 7 and 15 years.

Upholstered furniture should have a seat foam density rating of at least 1.8 pounds or higher. If the chair or sofa has removable seat cushions, unzip them and take a look inside. The foam block should be wrapped in fiber. Very high end ones will probably have a protective inner cover.

Velvet sofas are known as a statement piece that brings glamor and style to every space. However, in addition to style, velvet is “soft to the touch, making it one of the most comfortable options for a sofa,” says Toussaint Derby.

A sturdy frame means a long-lasting sofa. Soft wood, such as pine, is low-cost, but it may warp or wobble after five years. Pricier hardwood (kiln-dried oak, ash, or beech, for example) is more durable. Avoid frames made of particleboard, plastic, or metal; they may warp and crack.

It's no secret that better quality pieces last longer, typically between 15-20 years.

How can you tell if it's a real leather sofa? For starters, by touch—real leather typically feels uneven, with “fat wrinkles” under the surface. Rough edges, a rich smell, and hide markings are other indicators that a leather piece is genuine.

Have the Furniture Appraised. The best way to learn the value of your vintage furniture is to get an appraisal. If you're in doubt about that value of your furniture or just want an expert opinion, a vintage furniture appraiser can provide the expertise you need.