My wife and I own an IKEA Ektorp couch.
We have the matching ottoman for the sofa and the armchair.
Weve owned the sofa for over 7 years.
That alone is impressive.
While overall were happy with it, I do have some complaints.
However, this article is not solely about my IKEA couch complaints.
Generally, IKEA couch frames arent the strongest.
When looking, lift them up.
If it seems absurdly light compared to other options, you know the frame is not very sturdy.
Is a weak frame a deal breaker?
Its just something you better keep in mind.
Aside from our young kids being pretty tough on furniture, we arent, and its still fine.
Whether itll survive our kids when theyre 12, thats anyones guess.
Since then, theyve added many new models and designs while retaining older models.
Heres a list of current IKEA sofa models:
3.
Can you remove the upholstery fabric to clean it and/or buy another one?
This is handier than you think.
It comes off pretty easily and washes very nicely.
Its a bit of a hassle putting it back on, though, because its a tight fit.
While this shouldnt be a dealbreaker feature, its something to consider.
Not all of IKEAs sofas have removable upholstery fabric.
Is there a matching IKEA ottoman you could get?
Im so glad we also bought the matching white ottoman for the Ektorp.
It, too, has a removable outer fabric layer for washing.
Actually, the ottoman is a very solid piece of furniture.
Ours is a storage ottoman, and its heavy and solid.
Its a perfect height in relation to the sofa.
The ottoman gives me a lot more solid sitting space.
Some of the more modern designs have a deeper seat so if you like deep seats, get that.
If at all possible, visit an IKEA store and try out different sofas.
6. Who will deliver it?
Most IKEA stores (if not all) offer delivery.
However, its not cheap.
If youre only buying a sofa, you might be able to get into your vehicle.
If not, this is your chance to order more stuff.
If youre paying for delivery, you might as well get as much delivered as possible.
Thats how we bought IKEA furniture in the past.
We bought it in batches with all kinds of other furniture at the same time.
Yeah, we have more IKEA stuff than we should.
But we bought it because we believed our living arrangement was going to be temporary.
It seems they cant get the cushion firmness spot on.
Ours (Ektorp) is way too soft.
The deform and are like big soft sponges, especially the back cushions.
Actually, the seat cushions are decent.
Its the back cushions that are not very good.
On the flip side, Ive sat in other models where the seat and back cushions are too hard.
They simply arent, and its too bad.
Theyre pretty comfortable when you sit in them for 5 minutes in the store.
Im not saying theyre terrible.
Im just saying that compared to plusher, more expensive brands, they arent the most comfortable.
Its not heavy
This might be a big bonus for you.
Our Ektorp sofa is not heavy at all.
It has a light frame.
This could be good or bad, depending on whether heavy furniture is a problem for you.
No complaints about the fabric quality
Our white Ektorp and matching armchair look great still.
The fabric is still bright and maintained its texture.
Its amazing, actually.
Im impressed with the quality of the fabric used for this line of sofas.
I cant comment on IKEA leather couches, though, since Ive never had one.
Ive sat in some but never owned one.
That may just be the only piece of IKEA furniture I havent owned.
Consider an IKEA couch where the cushions are attached to the sofa
Some models have the back cushions attached.
Ours arent attached, and its a total nuisance, except its pretty easy to watch the covering.
They shift and twist, which means adjusting them every time I sit down.
That said, while our cushions are detached, they are soft (too soft).
Id rather be too soft than too hard.
They are kind of plush where I sink into them, assuming they arent askew.
If your closest IKEA doesnt have your preferred couch, check online
The IKEA website is good.
While these nifty online tools are cool, theres no substitute for sitting in them first.
We almost always get breakfast or lunch there.
The food is super good and cheap.
I suspect a lot of people go to IKEA for meals only.
After our bellies are full, we enter the famous IKEA maze and check out everything.
I dont think weve ever left empty-handed.
At the time, it was the Ektorp.
Im a big sectional sofa fan, but not my wife.
Since we already had a sectional, this needed to be a regular couch.
While IKEA offers delivery, its not cheap.
It sure was nice not having to cart out mountains of stuff to our car.
That said, whenever our purchases will fit in our vehicle, we take it ourselves.
Ill say this, though arranging the delivery is a hassle.
You do it after youve paid for it.
You then cart it to some customer service portal in the store and arrange for delivery.
Hire local IKEA assemblers
True story here.
I know someone who bought their daughter enough IKEA furniture to furnish an entire apartment.
When we heard that, my wife asked him, Were there no IKEA assembly contractors or services available?
He responded, there are such services?
Turns out there were all kinds of services that assemble IKEA furniture where he was.
Needless to say, he wasnt happy he didnt know that.
We hired assemblers through our local IKEA stores, and they did a fabulous job.
When you watch a professional IKEA assembly guy, youll never do it yourself again.
They have the right tools and can put this stuff together by memory.
They can do in 15 minutes what it takes us mere mortals 2 hours to assemble.
How much does it cost to hire someone to assemble an IKEA couch?
Err on the side of comfort
Seriously, while IKEA has some cool designs, they arent comfortable.
There are a good number of bothstylish and comfortablecouch options there.
That was a selling feature of the EKTORP for us its comfortable (for an IKEA couch).
Schedule time for an IKEA meal
Ha ha ha, I love the food at IKEA.
Whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner, for the money, its a great deal.
Ive been known to get two dishes.
Their in-store restaurants are cafeteria-style.
Sometimes you’ve got the option to find really great finds for very little money.
Even if you have to rent a truck or pay for a delivery, it can be worth it.
It doesnt cost much to rent a U-haul for a few hours, so consider this a viable option.
Check IKEAs discount room
We pop into IKEAs discount room on every visit.
I think its where they sell returned items.
Some may be slightly damaged from delivery.
The point is the stuff in this room is super, super cheap.
By value, I mean you get what you pay for and then some.
In IKEAs case, you get stylish home furnishings for not much money.
You even get somewhat okay quality for some of their product lines.
What you dont get is furniture that will last a lifetime.
But then you dont pay for that either.
You really need to be realistic about what youre getting.
Weve already had our Ektorp for four years, and Im happy about that.
If it falls apart in the next month, Im content I got my moneys worth.
How does this happen?
Its those very well-designed IKEA rooms showcasing their wares.
All Im saying is to have a plan, or youll end up buying way more than you intended.
I know from experience.
This means more and more people are looking for thistype of sofa.
If youre here, chances are youre seriously buying one.
They are very popular and getting more popular.
Do I regret buying an IKEA couch?
I think we paid $500 CAD.
Weve had it as our main sofa for 4 years.
I cant complain at all.
