Check the dimensions, Ann. The one thing I notice about many Ikea pieces is a very low seat height. Some people aren't bothered by it and other's find it very uncomfortable, especially for the elderly trying to get up from the seat. If this is for teens to use, I'd snap it up in a heartbeat for all the reasons you mentioned.

I have never found their sofa to be comfortable. I love the looks fo many of their sofa. I always found them too hard.

My DH and I got the Ektorp sofa when we moved into our 1st apartment.

I found it to be quite comfortable and they have many slipcovers available for it. When we bought ours they didn't have the slipcover in stock and had to wait - so we had the bare material - which is cheap stuff and had sheets draped over it.

We couldn't beat the price since we were buying all furniture for the apartmnet. This particular couch we did not find to be as low as their others.

We got a new set when we bought a house (gift from parents) but we still have the sofa in one of the spare bedrooms that we have set up as a little den. I thought the couch was quite comfy.
Just my 2 cents..

:-)

If you like to change your sofa regularly and have teenage kids, then there's a lot to be said for buying one of the slipcovered styles of the IKEA sofas. True, they aren't the highest quality, but the cheap slip covers and inexpensive replacement cost help make up for that... and if you decide that you want something different again, then a handmedown EKTORP would make most young people starting out in a new home very happy indeed.

Thanks for all the responses

DLM, good point about the height-I checked and the IKEA sofa is a bit more than one inch lower than the MG couch. I sat on the MG one and it was fine but I'll keep that in mind when I do the 'sit test' for the IKEA.

Jerseygirl, firmer might be what I'm after--I found the MG couch to be a little mushy for my taste.

Roorezzi, this is EXACTLY the kind of feedback I'm after! I was hoping someone had actually had an Ektorp and could give me some details. Your post is very helpful.

And Windypoint, you are on target-this couch is going in our living room which really serves as the hub of our family. It's our gathering spot, and what I am after is something that looks simple but decent AND can be cleaned up easily. You are right too, in a few years if it is still in reasonable shape my son might be able to use it for an apartment. If not, the cost is low enough that I won't have a pang if I decide to replace it then.

I think I'll make another pilgr...visit to IKEA tomorrow and hopefully it will look and feel as nice in person. It will be good to be done with the couch hunt!

Thanks again to all who took the time to respond,
Ann

I wondered about this sofa, too. It looks so cute! One thing you might want to check is craigslist. I live near 2 IKEAS, so maybe that's why . . .but there are always IKEA sofas on CL here.

I'm going to be the negative one here. My Dh and I bought the Ektorp sofa and matching chair when we first got married. We needed something inexpensive and stylish and thought the price was right.

IKEA's delivery service was horrible. We took a day off from work the day the delivery was supposed to come and they never showed up. On Day 2, my FIL spent an entire day at our house and again, they didn't show up. On Day 3, my FIL was at our house again and at 5:00, when they still didn't show, we called up screaming. If we hadn't called they wouldn't have shown up. It left a bad taste in our mouth but at least we got our furniture.

However, the chair was in our house with limited use for 1 month and the leg sank in. The sofa pilows were a crumpled mess. The slipcover was dragging on the floor, not sure if it just didn't fit or if the cushions sank. I wasn't expecting much but it wasn't even worth the little amount that I paid. The frame was like cardboard and the cushions were the cheapest foam imaginable. Slipcovers faded after washing. After 1.5 years, the sofa looked beat up and we had to get a new one.

My advice is to invest in the Mitchell Gold, unless you're planning to switch out your sofa in 2 years. Its a good sofa for a kids playroom (which is where my sofa ended up while the chair went to the trash) because then you don't have to worry about it but I wouldn't recommend it for a living space. The price point isn't so appealing once you notice that its not even worth $100. I think that's why there are so many of them on CL. People buy them and then realize they need to get something better.

Others may have had a better experience but I learned my lesson. If I had known then what I know now, I wouldn't have spent my hard earned $$ on cheap junk. It's almost better to live with hand me downs until you can save $$ to purchase quality pieces that will last over 5 years.

Just my $.02. Good Luck with whatever you decide.

We had a pair of Ektorps and I did not get them in the divorce but they were fantastic! He still has them. I love love love this sofa and ours were comfortable and held up well. But perhaps they did not used to be so good, maybe they have improved the design or something. I wanted to get the corner L-shaped ektorp sectional ut it was too pricey for me (vvv limited budget) so I bought something similar used instead. Our Ektorps: one was a bed and one was not, and the one which was not seemed just a little less firm to sit on after a few yrs than the one that was.

I believe Ikea has a 10 year warranty on all their upholstery products - so if the leg sinks in or the arm falls off, you should be able to get it replaced for free.

Oh and Ann, the cardinal rule is never, ever, ever go to Ikea on a weekend - that's where you screwed up, LOL! The only exception is when there's a big hometown sports team game going on - I've been at Ikea on a Sunday afternoon when the Eagles are playing and it's been deserted. But otherwise, avoid Ikea on the weekends at all costs. Good luck!

We have 2 matching Ektorp chairs--bought one in the "as is" section and one on clearance, so definitely cheap. I've washed the slipcovers a couple times now, and they wash and clean up nicely, but remember to hang them to dry or they will shrink. The covers are a little long if you have carpet (not bad though), but fit very well otherwise and we think they're quite comfy. I got them as a quick fill-in until I found the perfect chairs, and they've been here now for over 2 yrs. I've thought of buying taller feet for them, but the feet would cost almost as much as the chair--so decided to just wait til I find the perfect chairs, and these will go into a bedroom then. I think it's a good way to try out the slipcover look and save the more expensive sofa for a different style.

I have a discontinued IKEA sofa that's very similar to the Ektorp. We've had it for six years and it's been through two long distance moves. Kids were 4 and 1 years old when we got it, now 10 and 7. They bounce, jump, climb on, and otherwise abuse the @#$%! out of it. Other than a stain or two (does ballpoint pen come out of ANYTHING?), it's in great condition. I will say that it has a pillow back (four large pillows) and they flattened some after a few years, but I just went to JoAnn's and bought new ones to plump them back up. The seat cushions haven't sagged at all.

Actually, I kind of wish it would fall apart so I'd have a good excuse to get a new sofa!