RainbowSprinkles Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I finally live close enough to be able to go shopping at Ikea! I can't wait!! We are in need of furniture and I was wondering how Ikea furniture holds up? If you have some piece of furniture from there, what is it and how long have you had and does it still look great? We are mostly looking at beds and dressers. I'd also like to get a sectional couch from them. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have 2 dressers from Ikea- one I've had for 5 years and the other for just over a year. They seem to be holding up well and still looking great. The one I've had for a year, I use in my dining/school room to hold paper, ink cartridges, office supplies, tablecloths, etc. It gets a lot of use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have 2 dressers from Ikea- one I've had for 5 years and the other for just over a year. They seem to be holding up well and still looking great. The one I've had for a year, I use in my dining/school room to hold paper, ink cartridges, office supplies, tablecloths, etc. It gets a lot of use. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have bunkbeds and dresses for several years that are holding up fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have a bunk bed that I bought used from someone else. It originally came from Ikea, but I have no idea how old it is. We've had it about 4 years. The veneer is peeling off in some places. I think my kids have "helped" it peel off. Other than that, I'm pleased with it. We also have some Billy bookcases that we've had for a couple of years. The shelves are starting to sag. I think it would take some heavy-duty construction to have bookshelves that didn't sag when you fill them totally full of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We like their kids' furniture a lot. I prefer the wooden items over the particle board, and think they hold up better over the long haul. We've used our Trofast bins and cabinets for 7 years, and they still look new. And we just gave away a 12 year old wooden loft bed - it was in perfect shape. The Ivar wooden shelves in our garage have survived since my college years, through 2 cross country moves, and a lot of abuse. We've added on to the system to line our garage with shelving. I have no idea about their upholstered furniture though. We looked at it fairly recently, and went with another store. Have fun in Ikea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have an Ikea couch that's 12 years old. It's great. All the dressers we've had began to fall apart after 3 years, though we could make them last longer through a bit of creativity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have IKEA furniture and love it. We have Ivar book cases, a sofa and arm chairs, and a coffee table. We have had everything for 15 years, moved several times, even overseas - and everything holds up really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) We have the metal loft bed that is holding up very well. Our Billy bookcases last a few years then they start to lean and the flimsy backside comes off a bit. The daybed with trundle underneath was great, but the trundle frame got loose and wobbly after a year or so. Ikea mattresses (even the really cheap ones) are surprisingly ok. My girls have beautiful cubby shelves that are holding up very well. I have a floor mat, kitchen stuff, decorative stuff, lamps, and organizational stuff that I absolutely love. Ikea stuff is really great for the price. We're just not gentle folks on our stuff so it doesn't last as long as it could. Edited August 1, 2011 by Abkjw01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I love the Hemnes dresser, we bought two of them. The kids' beds and mattresses are from there, our sofa is from there and we have 4 bookcases too. So far everything has held up nicely. I like that the dressers and beds are made from wood not particle board. They also don't use any glue with formaldehyde in the joints of their furniture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I finally live close enough to be able to go shopping at Ikea! I can't wait!! We are in need of furniture and I was wondering how Ikea furniture holds up? If you have some piece of furniture from there, what is it and how long have you had and does it still look great? We are mostly looking at beds and dressers. I'd also like to get a sectional couch from them. Thanks!! I have bookshelves and dressers that I've owned since we lived in our first house in Germany (we lived in 2 different places). So, we've had them around 12-13 years. They have been moved by our friends to our second Germany house, to NC, to Hawaii and back to NC. They are still holding together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 Thanks everyone! Sounds like their furniture is pretty good. :) I can't wait to go. Do they deliver furniture if you buy it directly at the store? We do have trailer that we could take... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 In my experience, the quality varies. We have some pieces we have had for nearly 10 years and they take hard use (kids). Other pieces are long gone because they were just too flimsy. One TV stand we had had a joint in the pieces right where the stress was applied so the door broke several times. We glued it repeatedly. Then we decided to just get a "new" one off Craigslist, but all the ones we looked at were broken there or had glue there, so it apparently wasn't just our rough kids. That said, I still buy there. It is affordable and except for a few things I'm not one to keep a piece forever. I don't feel bad getting rid of IKEA stuff if our decor or our needs change and we need a different solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 They'll deliver for a fee. You're *probably* better off using your trailer. I definitely agree that, for the most part, the *wood* furniture holds up far better than anything made with particle board. And the furniture is usually quite good compared to other furniture of the same price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainbowSprinkles Posted August 1, 2011 Author Share Posted August 1, 2011 They'll deliver for a fee. You're *probably* better off using your trailer. I definitely agree that, for the most part, the *wood* furniture holds up far better than anything made with particle board. And the furniture is usually quite good compared to other furniture of the same price. Thanks! We are definitely not interested in buying anything particle board anymore... We're ready for the "real" thing, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxanne23 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) . Edited January 4, 2023 by roxanne23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 (edited) I finally live close enough to be able to go shopping at Ikea! I can't wait!! We are in need of furniture and I was wondering how Ikea furniture holds up? If you have some piece of furniture from there, what is it and how long have you had and does it still look great? We are mostly looking at beds and dressers. I'd also like to get a sectional couch from them. Thanks!! It *really* depends upon what it is, and what it's made from. I picked up a used IKEA wardrobe for my son, and it still looks great. (the sucker is real birch wood, and very heavy). I have a wood preschool table/chair set I picked up used for my little one, and one chair broke (unrepairable) as it couldn't handle adults. I do like the billy bookcases and benno towers, but they do have cardboard backs and are particle board with veneer. (but then so is the uber expensive dania? tv stand, that matches the wardrobe perfectly, that I picked up off craigslist that the guy was assuring me was solid wood. ha! but for $50 it was perfect - then he offered me $200 to sell it back to him. seriously.) don't move the billys around and don't overload them and they'll last. I picked up mine used, and some have faded from sun exposure with previous owners, but otherwise all are in good condition. My tomatis provider has an office full of IKEA (and two of the same wood preschool tables as mine). the Poang chairs have nice spring, but the fabric is faded and worn, and the head cushion doesn't cush. she has "cushions" that go on the chairs, and they look worn. I would never buy upholstered furniture from them, they just aren't comfortable and don't last as long as something better quailty. My mom had an IKEA leather loveseat, and no one wanted to sit in it - so it looked like new. I tried out their office chairs, and they were all uncomfortable. the wood chairs tend to have "flat" seats and aren't comfortable. Edited August 1, 2011 by gardenmom5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Do they deliver furniture if you buy it directly at the store? We do have trailer that we could take... For a price ugarte. take your trailer and haul it home that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajudy Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have 2 Ektorp sofas that I'm pretty happy with. I have only had them for about a year and a half, though. We'll see how they hold up. They aren't soft and cushiony; they're what I would call firm. But that's what I wanted. I also have 2 Hemnes night stands and a Hemnes end table, all of which I'm happy with. I'm considering the Hemnes bookcases, since they are solid wood as opposed to particle board.(Our bookshelves always end up sagging.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have a table that spent several years standing in for an entertainment system, a wooden stepstool, one of those big 5X5 cubby bookshelves, one hardwood bookcase, and one less expensive particleboard type bookcase. I love all of them. Even the "cheap" bookcase has endured a good deal of overstuffing; it's much sturdier than the outwardly similar one I bought at Wal-mart for about the same price. We also have a twin/full bunk bed and one mattress bought there; we've had them less than a year, but so far they seem quite sturdy and comfortable. Probably the item that's had the hardest use is the stepstool; I've tightened a few fasteners on it once (need to do that to the table, too), but other than that it's still in very good shape. I plan on buying two more bookshelves there soon. Our main problem now is running out of places to PUT bookshelves. :tongue_smilie:In our next place I may put in some along upper spots above other furniture, wall-mounted. We'll hopefully only be here until next spring, so trying to stick to things we can carry away with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have a paong chair with the black leather upholstery. It looks brand new and gets heavy use. Our dog's claws are allays too long (he's afraid of the clippers) and he has never punctured the chair. He's on and off it twenty times a day. Our bookcases have held up for years, but I don't remember the type. Not Billy. We've had the square, wooden preschool table and chairs for 12 years. We've used it for everything and the chairs held up to me sitting in them. Both of my kids have outgrown the set, but it was our first school table :-) I bought a futon there that was horrible. It looked like a lumpy mattress on a pallet and felt like it too. I don't know what I was thinking. We still use it as a love seat in a bedroom, but nobody ever sleeps on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have a loveseat that has stood up well to 3 years of moderate use. I am surprised because the wood frame is very lightweight but it seems very sturdy. I have washed the slipcovers once and they came out looking great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I have tons of Ikea. My Leksvik book cases, big hooks/cubbies than hang in my entry, and shoe bench (also in entry) are 4ish years old and in perfect condition. My Lack coffee table is about 2 years old and is showing wear, but it's one of the cheapest pieces they sell, so I'm not surprised or disappointed. My expedit cube storage in the playroom is pretty new (2 months?) but I'm thrilled with it. I don't see how it could possibly be harmed. It's solid as a rock. My LARGE hemnes dresser in the twins' room didn't survive our recent move well. I don't know what the contributing factors were, but it is now not at all square. Still functions, but a couple of the drawers are little sticky and it looks off-kilter. I love Ikea. We recently moved away from ours, and I'm so sad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We just bought the Trofast system. That sucker is SOLID. We also have a couple of end tables/bed side tables that I've had for over 10 years. They're still in excellent shape. I also have a futon... the one with the big wheels/mattress that folds over the back. I've had it for 10 years and it's still in great (except for the stains my daughter has added to the cream fabric). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 we just got a KIVAK sofa, we have only had it 1 week so of course I don't know how it will hold up but it is the most comfortable sofa we have ever had. The cushions are memory foam. We mainly got it for the fitted removable slipcovers, with 8 cats I can just remove and wash the slipcovers when needed or if necessary just replace them. I just had to throw out 3 expensive (not Ikea) sofas because over the years my cats have destroyed them. I tried using slipcovers on my non Ikea sofas but they never looked good. The Kivak covers look great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtney.byrum Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 We have a MALM bed, and almost from the beginning there was a problem with the slats falling through. This is a design problem IMO. We remedied it with two pieces of plywood that fit snuggly into the frame under the slats. We had a HEMNES coffee table that fell apart within a few months. It was used frequently and DH often pushed it over using his foot rather than moving it with his hands, so I'm sure our rough use contributed to its demise. The side table we got at the same time is still just fine. We have a large EXPEDIT bookcase that I love. LOVE. It's held up well. We also have a large EXPEDIT bookcase and it is still in great shape. We've had it now for almost 5 years and it's made 3 moves and is still in almost perfect shape I would say. We had a wardrobe but did sell it when we moved out of that house so I can't attest to how well it would have lasted - seemed great for the year we had it though. The TV stand we still have but use for legos instead but it did quite well for 3 years with a quite heavy tv on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 :bigear: We finally got one near us last week. I plan to buy a few Billy bookcases and Trofast systems. We are very gentle with our belongings and I won't overload them, so I think they'll do fine for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I love the Hemnes dresser, we bought two of them. The kids' beds and mattresses are from there, our sofa is from there and we have 4 bookcases too. So far everything has held up nicely. I like that the dressers and beds are made from wood not particle board. They also don't use any glue with formaldehyde in the joints of their furniture. We are really pleased with the Hemnes bed (black finish). It has held up for several years; very solid frame. I had initially chosen a different bed by looking online, but when we got to the store the one I thought I wanted was rather rickety. Nothing beats seeing the furniture in person, and giving it the 'ol shake test! PS: Now I want a Hemnes dresser. Rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Almost all of the Ikea furniture we have, we've been very pleased with. My favorites are our Leksvik bookshelves which are very loaded with books and not a bendy shelf in sight. Love them! We also have a big TV entertainment center that's been in our children's playroom for years, with big tub drawers underneath. It's been climbed on in every manner possible and seems to be indestructible. We also have an older generation expedit shelf and it's great too. One of the inner shelves was stepped on once by a climbing child and broke :glare:, but the newer ones have thicker inner shelves. We use ours on it's side now and it's perfect for rubbermaid bins of toys. The only Ikea furniture item we have that's worse for wear is a particle board wardrobe. But even that would be fine if we'd hadn't moved it so many times. It still does it's job well though, which is to close and hide lots of school clutter. :D Oh, and not furniture, but worth an honorable mention: the picture shelves are wonderful for "rain gutter" bookshelves. MUCH cheaper than the pottery barn ones and much easier than real rain gutters. We have them by every bed, in the restroom and in the school room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I have an Ikea couch that's 12 years old. It's great. All the dressers we've had began to fall apart after 3 years, though we could make them last longer through a bit of creativity. This has been my experience. Although I haven't bought any upholstered items from IKEA, I've liked the solid wood items (a bookcase and a dining table). I wouldn't buy anything with moving parts, however; some dressers we had were just awful--parts didn't line up properly, drawers were extremely flimsy. (This was 18 years ago, though; perhaps they're better now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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