Anybody Buy Furniture From IKEA?

[benflick]

ever since the new IKEA store opened up in April, (West Chester, Ohio) we have been buying stuff constantly. i recently bought a small SOLSTA sofa from there I was amazed by how terrible the quality is.:mad: the couch is fine, but when it's folded into a bed, is when i get pissed. the bed part is split into three sections. one of them is wood, are you f'ing serious? who makes a bed out of wood? Sleep on it every other day or so, and i do not sleep with knives so i dont know how the holes got there, i was wondering if anyone else has purchased things from IKEA, and doesn't like it.

[epochblue]

Have you not been around some of the setup threads? Mac people love IKEA, although most of what I see is desks and or small lamps.

That said...I've never had an IKEA anywhere near where I live, so I've never knowingly owned anything from IKEA, but it should be noted that IKEA is cheap for a reason.

[iShater]

We bought a desk, a small bookshelf and I numerous small items. We LOVE IKEA. But I would check with them on your bed, I doubt it is supposed to do that by design!

[11800506]

I really like Ikea furniture as well but you have to remember that there is a reason it's pretty cheap. However, I've found the quality to be pretty good and haven't had any trouble with it. I don't know what they'd do, but I would see if Ikea would replace it because that isn't normal.

[shecky]

there is a reason why Ikea stuff is so cheap.

the only things we really still buy from there are bookshelves and the occasional knicknack. we have started to get "real" furniture that is more expensive by 100x better made and will last longer.

[clancemasterj]

Ikea goes great with my Wii Fit.

[archesdevil]

Ikea is the Wal-Mart of Europe.

[benflick]

i guess i've learned my lesson for buying furniture from there, although i usually love going to IKEA to buy little things, but their furniture is just awful. and actually, it's not really that cheap

Ikea is the Wal-Mart of Europe.

sorry for double post, but that is exactly what my dad said and i have to agree

[jessica.]

i guess i've learned my lesson for buying furniture from there, although i usually love going to IKEA to buy little things, but their furniture is just awful. and actually, it's not really that cheap

No what you should have done was utilized the fact that they have that very piece out on the floor. I had a house guest who needed a bed. I didn't want to invest in an actual bed so I went ahead and went to Ikea for a sofa-bed. I pulled that thing out and the second sat down on it I noticed it was part wood.

Ikea isn't great, but it is decent enough when you need something inexpensive. Don't expect to get more than a few years out of any sofa or chair. That's my opinion. What you must do is test the products. Much of what they sell is out there for you to do just that.

[TSE]

I have had nothing but bad things from IKEA. Their furniture looks kickass, but the quality is horrible. Looks over function is something Apple users are used to I guess. :)

[thebassoonist]

I love Ikea (desks, coffee tables, chairs, lamps, bookshelves, etc). Thanks for posting the pictures of your sofa bed -- I've been looking around for one and now I know to check that off my list!

[rdowns]

They do sell some decent quality stuff but most is not. I am buying stuff from them to redo my loft (office). I look it at it as throwaway furniture. Having just moved into a new townhouse, I went Crate and Barrel for living room and dining room. Quality stuff that will last a long time.

[benflick]

the worst part of the wood part of the bed is that it's right where your feet are:(:mad:

[IJ Reilly]

Funny coincidence, this thread, since I visited an Ikea store for the first time just yesterday. I bought a small table for my iMac. I thought looked fairly well made considering the price, which was quite low. I've been using it for nearly 24 hours and it hasn't broken yet! Much of the stuff in Ikea impressed me as toy furniture, though -- but again, not too bad for the money.

We used to have a small chain of furniture stores around here selling really nice Scandinavian-style furniture, called Danica House. Out of business for years now. Not sure where else this style can be found now except at Ikea.

[raggedjimmi]

who makes a bed out of wood?

This sounds like one of the stupidest things I've heard... but it could just be a local thing.
All the beds in this house are wooden. Divan, single, double. Heck the foldout bed has wooden slots underneath.

I love Ikea stuff. Granted I only have 4 pieces of Ikea in my room now (lamp, 2 CD holder shelves and a bedside cabinet... oh and a hell load of cheap candles). My girlfriend hates the stuff though. I plan to fully furnish our future place with the stuff and she's dead set against it :D ho hum.

And no offense but that couch is fugly. Is Ikea different in the states?

[IJ Reilly]

I've always had beds made out of wood. In fact most of them are. I'm not sure I get the problem.

[benflick]

there's no padding on top of the wood

[LeahM]

I thought Ikea was swedish for crap? :P
I like the look of most their stuff but before I buy it I tend to push and pull on the displays, but I have a bookshelf, matching tv table and a dresser from them that I am fully satisfied with.

How long have you had the bed for? Maybe you could return it, because its crap. But I agree that its probably supposed to be used occasionally and not constantly

[benflick]

since early may, i believe. why would i want to take it back? theres no defect with it. I will probably just keep it folded in as a couch from now on

[bbotte]

Ikea is cheap crap in the furniture department, hardly what I would ever call durable. Kids beds are ok because kids don't weigh much. Anything adult in the furniture department is crap. I will say there is some cool stuff in there also, just not furniture. Last time we were there at the CInci one, we bought a nylon crawling tunnel for our daughter, it collapses into a ring and is one of my daughter's favorite things on a rainy day. Cost was $15. :)

[EricNau]

Let's see... I have a desk, file cabinet, two drawer sets, three book shelves, a bed, a side table, a lamp, and a large landscape wall-hanging all from Ikea. I've actually been extremely happy with the quality, so it must vary from product to product.

[yoyo5280]

we always buy from iKea. Quality is mediocre. Not great, but not worth complaining about.

[Sideonecincy]

The only stuff I will buy from Ikea is stuff that doesn't have to be built, stuff that can't be broken or like plates and small stuff.

OP, I've been to that ikea in West Chester. It is small compared to other Ikea stores and is way too packed typically.

[benflick]

yeah, i have been to two other ones and the west chester store although giant, is not as big as others, and it is FULL of people 10hrs a day

and if your lucky, you get to see touchdown jesus!


http://crosebrough.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/05/26/cantswimjesus.jpg

[Abstract]

When some of you say Ikea furniture isn't durable, or built to last, exactly how many pieces of Ikea furniture have broken on you through use?

The quality of the furniture isn't amazing or anything, but I certainly don't expect that even the cheaper Ikea models of furniture will just crack or split apart. It doesn't look or feel like high quality material, but it will certainly last for years, even decades. Besides, it depends more on what you buy from there. If you buy a desklamp, I don't think it'll be of low quality. Same with desks, end tables. Couches are a different story, because even expensive couches can be really crap.

[wronski]

Their general housewares like vases, silverware, lamps are pretty good products and there are a lot of neat creative solutions as well. Their low end furniture on the other hand are just that, low end. There's actually a whole culture associated with buying and modifying things from IKEA, discussion forums, websites, etc, kind of fun.

[IJ Reilly]

there's no padding on top of the wood

Meaning? I think you're saying that the base of the sofa is wood, and when the cushions are unfolded to make a bed, that the wood is now exposed? Maybe you're supposed to put a mattress over the entire thing when it's unfolded. This is how they show it being used in the catalog.

http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/57723_PE163358_S4.jpg

BTW, this sofa costs $149. What you expect for that kind of money?

[raggedjimmi]

Let's see... I have a desk, file cabinet, two drawer sets, three book shelves, a bed, a side table, a lamp, and a large landscape wall-hanging all from Ikea. I've actually been extremely happy with the quality, so it must vary from product to product.

Same. We originally fitted out our newly built house with expensive MFI/DFS all that kind of stuff. They lasted a while I'll give them that. Then they built a local Ikea store and we've had no problems at all with their products. We have 4 full rooms (library, study, gym and 1 bedroom) full of the stuff and no faults at all.
Maybe we're lucky. Also never had a problem with my Macs :)

[biker74]

I must admit, its ok.

Furnished my entire flat for about £600.

I did go to John Lewis for my bed though which did cost more than all the furniture, but I love sleeping.

[ScubaDuc]

I have to say I visited one of Ikea's suppliers of "non-wovens" and they told me (this is a world's class chemical giant) that Ikea differentiates on design and that only what can be readily seen by the purchaser is of decent quality. The inner layers of sofa's are made with the cheapest possible material with no regard for durability...

[alFR]

We've got quite a few bits of stuff from there and the quality's always been fine. It's not high end by any means, but for the price I wouldn't be expecting any of it to be showing up on Antiques Roadshow in 300 years anyway. :)

[OllyW]

I've had my Ikea computer desk for 12 years and it is still as solid as the day I bought it. It wasn't cheap though, it cost £229 and is made from solid pine. If you buy a £29 desk made from chipboard, don't expect the same sort of build quality.

It's the same with sofa beds. The one you have bought is bottom of the range and very basic but is ideal for occasional use. Their top of the range sofa beds will cost you 5-6 times as much but will have a fold out tubular steel framed sprung base and much better quality mattress.

Like most things in life, you get what you pay for with Ikea.

[edesignuk]

Totally depends what you buy with Ikea.

I have a wardrobe, some sets of draws and a desk, all of them are great and didn't break the bank.

A cheap crappy sofa bed will always be a cheap crappy sofa bed, no matter where it comes from.

[garybUK]

Same. We originally fitted out our newly built house with expensive MFI/DFS all that kind of stuff. They lasted a while I'll give them that. Then they built a local Ikea store and we've had no problems at all with their products. We have 4 full rooms (library, study, gym and 1 bedroom) full of the stuff and no faults at all.
Maybe we're lucky. Also never had a problem with my Macs :)


Let me guess... the Ashton-under-lyne store? I'm 1 town over from there :P driving down the hill you can see the big blue/yellow store :P

I love IKEA stuff, there's also a store called ILVA which is better service/products but costs more.

All our beds are wooden too, and like someone said, put a mattress on it :)

We have sofa beds from Marks & Spencer and they are wooden also.

[robbieduncan]

I love IKEA stuff, there's also a store called ILVA which is better service/products but costs more.

I'm really not convinced that some of the stuff at ILVA is any better. Was looking for some wardrobes a while back. Looked at both. The ILVA ones had an identical quality of construction (chipboard carcases with laminate veneers, standard hinges, drawer runners etc). The IKEA ones had decent doors (solid wood instead of chipboard). Not sure the ILVA ones did. But the ILVA ones were twice the price and I would have had to drive to a different building to actually get them as the warehouse is separate to the showroom. Went back to IKEA and bought from there instead...

[arkitect]

My home office desk is a dining table I bought from IKEA…

Solid Oak legs and a reasonable Oak veneer over the leaves etc. Extendable up to 262cm (I only use it 218cm long) by 95cm wide…

Enough space for a 24" screen, speakers, bits and bobs AND a A1 size drawing board. :D

Comes Christmas we take off all the electronics and it becomes a very handy dining table for 12 people…

It cost (if I remember) ±£300. It was available in the IKEA shop until last year but I see it is no longer in the catalogue.

[DigiCatRedux]

If I just need a crappy piece of furniture to throw in a corner somewhere, I buy Ikea - content in the knowledge that when it falls apart 12 months later, I can still use it for kindling in the fireplace.
Seriously, all I have to do after, is sweep out the small metal bits along with the ash.

What did you expect for a hundred dollar pre-fab piece of junk-in-a-box?
My end table made out of an old Apple eMac box shows better durability & quality of engineering than most anything from Ikea.

That said, people must still love Ikea frugality - otherwise Ingvar Kamprad wouldn't be a billionare, would he?

[robbieduncan]

That said, people must still love Ikea frugality - otherwise Ingvar Kamprad wouldn't be a billionare, would he?

I'm sure the "creative" (http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14675) corporate accounting helps...

[DigiCatRedux]

Oh, that was a delicious read, Robbieduncan. Thanks. *wipes sauce from chin*
Makes me love Ikea even more now.
:)

[OllyW]

I love IKEA stuff, there's also a store called ILVA which is better service/products but costs more.

Not for much longer, ILVA are in administration (http://www.ilva.co.uk/) and are closing their stores.

[IJ Reilly]

I'm sure the "creative" (http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/14675) corporate accounting helps...

Assuming this is entirely accurate, I wonder how it's legal. In Sweden perhaps it is, but it surely would not be in the US. Charitable corporations have to show that they are actively pursuing their chartered charitable purpose, or they risk losing their tax-free status.

[notjustjay]

I am not a fan of IKEA couches... sat in lots of them in the store and never found one I liked. I went to a real furniture store to by my couches, which involved several hours of haggling and waiting a few days for delivery, but they will hopefully last.

I have bought many IKEA Billy bookcases, dressers, desk lamps, desks, curtains and rods, kitchen stuff and dishware and other stuff with no problems at all. But you do get what you pay for. The $3 cutting boards were crap, but the $2 can opener was pretty good. I have a few chairs from them but nothing terribly comfortable. And the one time I rushed in there to pick up a $15 desk chair that was on sale, I had a parking lot scrape that cost me close to $800 to fix. I call that the most expensive chair I've ever purchased :P

Always check out the AS IS section first!

[robbieduncan]

Assuming this is entirely accurate, I wonder how it's legal. In Sweden perhaps it is, but it surely would not be in the US. Charitable corporations have to show that they are actively pursuing their chartered charitable purpose, or they risk losing their tax-free status.
I'm pretty sure it's accurate. I was first told about it by a friend who used to be employed in the chatty sector and now studies economics.

[IJ Reilly]

I'm pretty sure it's accurate. I was first told about it by a friend who used to be employed in the chatty sector and now studies economics.

It must be an incomplete explanation then. If it was so easy to avoid paying taxes by dumping assets into a dummy charity then everybody would do it. It's not like Sweden is a tax haven, like the Cayman Islands. I'm sure they have laws to prevent such things.

[RITZFit]

I got a futon from IKEA about 2 yrs ago. It creaks alot more than it used to...that about my only major complaint. Overall, the quality is decent for something of its price (but I wouldn't have minded paying a little extra for slightly better quality/feel), and it gets the job done so i'm happy.

[BoyBach]

there's no padding on top of the wood


Isn't that what the mattress is for? :p

[richardjames]

Let me guess... the Ashton-under-lyne store? I'm 1 town over from there :P driving down the hill you can see the big blue/yellow store :P

I love IKEA stuff, there's also a store called ILVA which is better service/products but costs more.

All our beds are wooden too, and like someone said, put a mattress on it :)

We have sofa beds from Marks & Spencer and they are wooden also.

ILVA is really struggling in Manchester. I think it might even have shut down now.

[dilailamams]

IKEA focuses more on design rather than quality

[nnfaris5]

IKEA is a cheap brand. dont expect much

[doubleohseven]

IKEA focuses more on design rather than quality

That's so true! Most of Ikea's furniture is made of particleboard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particleboard)- cheap and nasty :D. From that, it is cut in to shapes of the furniture, then wallpaper that looks like wood is glued on to the particleboard. Just some information on how most Ikea furniture is made these days. :)

Here's an example on how Ikea focuses more on design other than quality:
My sister got a furniture suite from Ikea. Within 2 years, she noticed that the 'particleboard' was starting to discolour and within 5 years, that wallpaper I was talking about started to peel off!

[dmr727]

We have some IKEA. We don't expect much from it, but then again it hasn't disappointed! :)

[IJ Reilly]

From that, it is cut in to shapes of the furniture, then wallpaper that looks like wood is glued on to the particleboard.

Veneer is actually wood. Very thin sheets of wood sometimes, but wood nonetheless -- not "wallpaper."

[tresbien]

I've gotten a bed frame from there, my brother has gotten a bed frame from there, and I've gotten a laundry hamper. All of these have broken, and within a year too! It made me really angry, because its not like the bed frames were super cheap. Ikea is better for there smaller things..like I have a desk chair that has worked wonderfully for me, and a step stool. Unless you are desperate for cheap furniture that looks good.