Hi mamas! I have a question for those of you who own an Ikea sofa. I'm looking at purchasing the Karlstad sectional a) because it is cheap! and b) because it's cushion covers are removable & washable. I have 3 little rugrats and a yellow lab! My concerns are a) is it so cheap that it will fall apart in a matter of months? And b) is it uncomfortable? It will be in our living room, and will get a LOT of use. I have been looking at local furniture stores and was getting ready to purchase a similar configuration for about $3500. Need less to say, the $1200 price tag on the Karlstad is a lot more attractive. The closest Ikea to me is about 400 miles away, so I can't exactly run down the street and try it out. I can buy this online, but then I would be truly flying blind. I need help! Do any of you mamas have this sofa? If so, what are your pros/cons? Thank you SOOO much!!!
Here is a link to the one I want:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S29840638/
Probably in brown.
I don't.
But it's always smart when you have little ones to buy for practicality, not break the bank on O. you will feel the need to be married to! LOL
I wouldn't think that any sofa will fall apart in a matter of months. Would you be happy to get 5 years out of it? Then go for the Ikea!
We do not have that particular couch, but we do have an IKEA couch. Actually, we have the cheapest one you can get! We have had it for almost 7 years, and not had a single problem. We have purchased an extra cover, because they are really nice to have. We have an IKEA really close, and go there pretty often. I have actually sat on that couch you are looking at, it's super comfy!! It seems much more well made then ours, and ours has lasted this long!! We have two very big dogs and a 2 1/2 year old, and it's still great!
P.S.
If you do get the sofa, a little advice. If there is anyway you can not put the cover in the dryer...that's really the best way. The cover does not really shrink, but it gets tight. It becomes a little harder to put the cover on. We started hang drying our cover after the first time when we dried it...it's much easier to put on.
I bought the Ikea corner sofa in 2003, with 2 sets of slipcovers. The sofa itself held up pretty well but lost a "leg" when it was about 5 years old. The slipcover fabric was nice and sturdy but they use something that looks like interfacing on the main slipcover under the cushions where it doesn't show. That "fabric" doesn't hold up to heat and when my iron accidentally touched it, it melted. I also made the mistake of putting the slipcovers in the dryer and they shrunk, then when I stretched them onto the cushions, 2 of the zippers broke. That said, I love Ikea and love their styling. They have a nice choice of fabrics for their slipcovers and if you buy a popular piece, you should be able to find replacement slipcovers for the sofa in the future.
I also bought a sofa and 2 matching chairs from Lands End at the same time. They were more expensive than the Ikea sofa and were also slipcovered since I have 4 kids and a cat. These slipcovers are of better quality fabric, the foam on the cushions is more firm and the sofa itself is holding up better and will probably be worth re-upolstering when the time comes. However, my cat clawed the slipcovers and they look tacky. And Lands End no longer sells these pieces so I'll have to buy new custom slipcovers or upholstery, and it will probably end up costing as much as it would to just replace them with new furniture from Ikea.
So if you have kids and pets, it might be worth it to spend less and get an Ikea sofa that will serve you well for now, and that can be replaced when it looks bad.
So....as a huge IKEA fan (and, I'll admit it, the sales manager of the home office department @ IKEA Seattle ;) ,I LOVE KARLSTAD!!! The covers are awesome and hold up to washing well, and you can also often find them on ebay if you want a new color. The karlstad is super comfortable, but keep in mind because of it's modern lines, its not super "fluffy". Does that make sense? Good luck with your purchase!
I've nothing but praise for IKEA items... we are saving up to redo our kitchen, office and living rooms with IKEA stuff
I don't know about this sofa. My experience with Ikea is the Lack line of side tables and coffee table. They are decent quality but not sturdy enough for everyday use of kids.
I can reccomend Conns. I bought a great sofa and love seat for $900 and they have stood the test of time with my very rugged kids and husband. I bought a black leather-ish set and the 5 yr warranty. I've had them 4 yrs and had them come out and replace the cushions and refluff them for free. They are wipe clean and take all my sons jumping back and forth all over them. Very Sturdy, always look perfectly clean and they are very comfortable. They look similar to this
http://www.conns.com/jackson-424603-jetson-sofa.html
Have you ever looked at overstock.com for furniture?
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Delano-Sectional-Sof...
You can read reviews and they ship to your home for $1 right now.... you can't beat that!
Sorry... not exactly what you were asking... :)
My husband bought an Ikea sectional 10 years ago and we love it. It is navy blue so when we moved it didn't go with the rest of our furniture so we bought brown leather for our living room and put the Ikea sofa in the gameroom. However, as far as comfort we still go upstairs just to sit on the ikea sofa. Not sure what the name is but it is not a Karlstad. We have washed the covers a few times in the wash and they come out fine (no fading, etc.) Hope this helps.
