Is Ikea Furniture Any Good? (What To Expect)

Ikea has really tapped into the low-budget market by offering stylish furniture at a lower price point.

But, are you getting what you are paying for?

Ikea can sometimes get a bad reputation for having a few bad seeds among some really nice pieces. This has forced the question, is Ikea furniture actually a good deal?

Is Ikea Furniture Good Quality?

The quality of Ikea furniture is generally good. There have been several recalls over the years but if you assemble the pieces correctly they generally last as long as other furniture brands in the same price range.

Table of Contents

Here is the complete breakdown of what you can expect from Ikea furniture:

This way you can better know how to spend your precious furniture budget with no regrets!

3 Common Problems With Ikea Furniture

One of the best ways to know if Ikea furniture is right for you is to know what some of the common problems other people have.

However, it is important to remember that everyone’s experiences are going to be different. But, some common problems are pretty clear across the board.

This is a helpful way to know what to look out for as well as to know what to avoid. Here are the most common problems that people tend to have with Ikea furniture:

1) Difficult To Assemble

The number one thing you are going to hear about Ikea furniture is how hard it is to put together. There are several reasons for this. The first is that Ikea is a Swedish company, and while instructions have been translated into dozens of languages, sometimes things get lost in translation.

However, I personally have never found that the instructions of Ikea furniture are hard to follow simply because of the translation.

But, that doesn’t mean that others don’t have this problem. Along with written instructions, you will also find that there are step-by-step picture guides to help you along the way.

One thing to remember is that Ikea is able to keep the cost of furniture low because it is completely up to the customer to assemble their furniture. This means that you will have to put every single screw, bolt and support beam together on your own. One of the best ways to avoid problems when assembling Ikea furniture is to work with a friend.

This is especially true for larger pieces of furniture like bed frames and couches.

Yup – you will even have to assemble couches that you purchase from Ikea! Working with someone else can help streamline the process to make it easier. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes on confusing instructions!

2) Let Over Pieces

Along with hard to read instructions, people often find they are left with extra pieces after the finish putting together the furniture. But, leftover pieces doesn’t mean that you incorrectly assembled your furniture!

It’s commonly known that Ikea will often send more parts than is needed for assembly.

There are many theories as to why this may be. One is that because the furniture is shipped from across the world, they want to ensure that you just what you need. But, what do you do when you don’t have all the parts you need?

One thing that Ikea excels at is customer service.

You can order replacement parts online or even search through “spare part” bins at stores. Also, if you find that you don’t have a manual or lost yours, you can download a new one online. While you will often have all the pieces you need, I understand how having leftovers can cause some anxiety. One thing you should do is always take inventory of pieces before you even assemble.

This way you can be sure you have everything you need (plus a little extra) before you even put your first piece together.

3) Product Recalls

Another common problem that people find with Ikea furniture is knowing when it is safe to use. Ikea has been no stranger to controversy.

Most notably, when it comes to one of the more popular bedroom furniture lines. In fact, I’ve even owned several pieces from this line and have had to return them to the store.

Several years ago, it was discovered that the tall dressers that Ikea sells have a high risk of falling over. This has lead to several injuries and even a few deaths from the impact of a heavy dresser falling. In Ikea’s defense, they were quick to remedy the problem. But, it also should be noted that they still sell this particular line of dressers to this day.

In order to combat that weight problem, Ikea came up with a simple solution. This is to offer customers an anchor kit that would adhere the dresser to the wall to keep it from tipping. Customers had the option of securing the furniture to the wall or returning it for a full refund.

However, it isn’t only the dresser controversy that Ikea has had to deal with. They have had several products recalled over the years which has led people to not think that their furniture is as safe as it appears. But, Ikea has done a fairly decent job of staying on top of knowing what is safe and what isn’t.

If you still have concerns about the safety of a product, do some research before buying it!

Tips For Buying The Ikea Furniture

While there are many common problems with Ikea furniture, there is still a ton of good. Ikea by scaler is large company. They offer everything from furniture to frozen food. So, it is only normal to have a few bad apples in the bunch. So, the bad shouldn’t discourage you from enjoying some of their fresh modern designs. But, how can you be sure that you are getting a good deal?

Finding the best that Ikea has to offer takes a little bit of leg work. Here are some of my best tips for finding great Ikea furniture. This way you can be sure that what you are getting is quality and affordable!

1) Do Your Research!

One important thing to remember is that many of the issued people have with Ikea furniture comes down to user error.

So, this means that you won’t always have the same experience as others. The best way to know if the furniture is not being assembled properly due to human error or manufacturer error is to do some research!

You can read tons of reviews right from the Ikea website to help you know what is good and what isn’t. Along with the official Ikea website, there are a ton of fanatic sites too! People have dedicated blogs, Pinterest pages and even Instagram accounts to the popular retailer.

These resources are a great way to find tips and recommendations when it comes to Ikea furniture. You can also find unique ways that people have used their Ikea furniture. It is a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about what is safe and easy to use for Ikea furnishings.

2) Know What To Avoid

Another way to know your purchase is safe at Ikea is to know what to look out for. The first thing you want to do is stay up to date on any Ikea recalls. Luckily for you, Ikea is pretty diligent about letting customers know what has been recalled.

Most of the time you will find posters stating what is no longer safe for sale right in Ikea stores.

While Ikea may not be selling these items anymore, other secondhand stores may still have them. This is why it is so important to know what is safe and not!

3) Quality Check When Buying!

Another thing to keep an eye on is the quality of the furniture you want to purchase. Ikea has a ton of options for furniture ranging from low-cost to high-cost.

The biggest difference between the budget items and the higher-priced items is quality.

But, how can you tell what is high quality?

The best way to know the quality of the furniture is to see what it is made out of. A good rule of thumb is to avoid furniture that is made with particleboard. Particleboard is made out of sawdust and wood chips that have been processed down into a piece of wood. But, this wood is not solid and can often fall apart over time.

I also try to buy furniture from Ikea that is made only with solid wood like oak.

This way you know that the furniture will last and will hold up for a long time. I remember I once bought a dresser from Ikea that was made almost entirely out of particleboard. I had only had it for a couple of weeks before I was set to move and the whole thing fell apart in the moving truck.

So, when it comes to quality, stick with the real thing!

Wrapping It Up!

No company is perfect. This is especially true for Ikea. While Ikea has caught some bad press over the years, you have to weigh the positives with the negatives. There are plenty of things for sale at Ikea that is not only great quality but, have a decent price as well. This way you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other.

Still not convinced? Try taking a walk through an Ikea store.

While many people liken shopping at Ikea to a stressful experience, I love it. Seeing what trends are new that season and how furniture can transform a space is inspiring to me. But, you have to be smart about how you shop there. As long as you follow my tips and tricks you are in a pretty good place to find the perfect furniture for your home.

Good luck!

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