It depends on whether you actually like Ikea furniture and how important quality is to you. There are worse sofas than Ikea, but many more with much better construction. If you don't really like the Ikea sofas and are just buying one because you don't like furniture sales people, yes, I think it's crazy. You deal with the sales people for only a few hours, but you are generally stuck with your furniture for years.

I agree with Sas. My DD used Ikea for her college apartments. The only comfortable piece was the Poag chair, IMHO. The sofa's arm broke. The coffee tables veneer came off. The dresser had one the bottom of a drawer that need to be repaired almost immediately. . She isn't one to abuse furniture, so this was everyday wear.

I would look for sales. My DD just bought a sofa bed from Raymor and Flanagan. I was surprised at the selection of sleepers and she waited for a good sale.

Unless you absolutely love something and you think it is really comfortable, then buy it. But, I think you can do better, and for the long haul, it makes sense to spend a bit more.

We can't afford much better than IKEA but we sat on quite a few $3000 sofas when shopping for cottage recently and came to the conclusion the kivik was most comfortable for us in the $1000-3000 range. Some IKEA furniture is trash and some is actually quite good.

I generally would not buy an ikea sofa if my budget allowed for better quality. Plenty of IKEA things are just fine, but not the sofas in my opinion

I should add...we got some Landskrona leather chairs and they look and feel great, but have only seen light use so far so I can't speak to the durability. The leather is nice and thick though and seems like it will hold up.

I think if you can afford a $5000-$10000 sofa, do that. But honestly most stuff in the under $3K range is not guaranteed to be durable IMO so it comes down to taste.

We bought a red leather Ikea sofa in 2003. No heavy use, but it still looks and feels perfect. I don't think that they have the colors any more, but the red is really pretty. And yes, I can afford "better".

i absolutely would buy a more inexpensive sofa even if i could afford much better if i liked it and if i thought it was comfortable...

(i don't have any ikea furniture except for a poang chair we bought years ago, so i don't know how comfortable and durable it is- but, the chair has been very durable!)

I don't find the Ikea sofas comfortable, although I like the look of the Ektop.

I got my sofas for my living area in Florida at Rooms to Go, even though I could afford better (and I did get Drexel Heritage and Kittinger for the formal rooms). I got the Rooms to Go sofas b/c they were the single most comfortable couches I've ever sat on and because the dogs sit on them when still damp from the pool on occasion, and this way I can replace them in 4 or 5 years and not care.

If you have a Rooms to Go I'd recommend them.

My sister has a few Ikea items that are going strong. But I'd recommend choosing one or two more stores to use as a comparison, just for your own peace of mind.

Like this Rooms to Go, as Beagles notes above, and this MGBW.

I just decorated two beach properties on a budget. I initially looked at Ikea but the quality and reviews concerned me. Esp. since one property is a rental property. No sense in buying things that need to be replaced in a couple of years. I ended up buying a lot of things from Crate and Barrel, CB2 and even the Crate and Barrel Outlet. If you look for sales their quality is excellent and their customer service is first rate. You could even find what you like and order from NC. I saved about 50% off some Bassett furniture that way.

Overstock also has some decent pieces, especially for side tables, occasional chairs.

I would for example buy a kitchen from Ikea. But I wouldn't go for their upholstered pieces. Unless I really like it and it is comfortable. Because there are exceptions to any rule-their Poang chair IS comfortable, for example. But a chair usually doesn't have to withstand the same abuse as a couch..usually..

And if you don't like to buy furniture-it makes more sense to do it as rarely as possible:) I'm not sure Ikea is the greatest place for not coming back in a three or five years or so...:)

But as I've said-every rule has an exception. Sit on it, try it first.

(Don't buy their mattresses though. Just don't. Real awful. Your back deserves better)

I'm a bit puzzled what's meant by "a store with semi-limited choice"..aren't they all? lol

Besides Ikea, there are other stores that carry that modern look, if you prefer it..let's say West Elm, CB2, Room and Board..

West Elm is kinda heavily overpriced, for most part..CB2-don't know..did read some good reviews though..Room and Board seems the best(and most expensive) of them all. Again, no personal experience here-just what I heard.

Around here we also have Plummers. (West Coast I mean. Never saw them on the East Coast, didn't know they exist until we moved). Also..nothing superspecial but not bad. and not cheap.

If you're ready to buy some things on Internet-Overstock and Wayfair seem to have a pretty decent service. Fast shipping, etc.

Allmodern is another site with lots of choice.

I myself mostly prefer Craigslist..because I do want the best I can afford..))) Upholstery is more tricky of course-you start worrying about bed bugs and such..

I wouldn't want my choices to be that limited. I'd rather shop around for a furniture store where the staff didn't annoy me. I believe they exist, although I understand your trepidation (recalling one absolutely horrid saleswoman at Ethan Allen that was a thorn in my side for awhile).

I understand your situation. I tried to find a sofa for months, and I hate it. Furniture people aren't even that bad usually--just say straight up front when they approach that you're just browsing and will find them if you have any questions.

(Eventually Thanksgiving approached and I had to order something sight unseen butt unsat that was in stock because I'd waited too long.)

If it's something you personally will sit in much, be sure it's comfy. And remember it's hard to get rid of a dead sofa.

I haven't purchased from them, but shopped with a friend at Room and Board and was really impressed with their furniture (most made in USA) and the sales approach was very low key. If you like the modern look, I'd definitely try them.

I've had sofas from Design Within Reach, Jonathan Adler, Room and Board, and IKEA. The DWR sofa is great and cost it. The Jonathan Adler and Room and Board sofas, on the other hand, were a pain in the a$$ - couldn't keep the tufted buttons on one and feathers constantly popping out of the other. The IKEA sofa was inexpensive (bonded leather), comfy, and really durable for the price. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if I didn't need a sofa that would last a decade of hard use, but no way to JA or R&B.

There are many good reasons to invest in a high quality piece of furniture. However, there are also good reasons to pick whatever you find comfortable and like, even if that's IKEA or a "lesser" brand and quality. We got a relatively inexpensive couch (from a furniture store) no "quality" name brand. It does not get super heavy use, and we have enjoyed it for more than 12 years without any issues, it's still comfy to sit on and looks fine. For me, that's a great value. If you plan to move, it costs money to move expensive quality furniture (that could otherwise be sold, etc.). If you want to change things up every now and then, do you want to reupholster the expensive furniture or just get something new?

DWR is very comfy..at least the pieces I tried to sit on in the store. But really really expensive too..

I have tried a lot of Ikea sofas and, like many of the other posters, have not found them comfortable. But if you find them comfortable, or if you don't care whether your sofa is comfortable, I say go ahead.

I visit West Elm and E3 fairly regularly (window shopping, usually), and other than a "Let me know if I can help you with anything," I've been free to browse and try out as many sofas, or open as many dresser drawers, as I care to. I think Crate and Barrel is similar.

I love DWR. Been to the ones here many times. They remind me of Restoration Modern (Restoration Hardware.) Like a step up from them.

Your sofa is one of the hardest-working pieces of furniture in your house. I think it's a splurge item.

Hmm. Thanks for the food for thought. FWIW, I never sit on the sofa which consequently looks perfect though outdated. It is for "company".

It depends. Do you like to change furniture often? Are you and your family hard on furniture? Do you prefer high end, to-the-trade fabrics? Only you know the answers to these questions!

I've only bought 2 pieces of furniture in the 50 years since I first married. Everything else was hand me downs from family. I've had them re-styled, slipcovered, re-upholstered. All is at least 70 years old and of a quality not found today, and no, it was not expensive furniture when purchased - furniture was built far better in the past. I constantly beg my grandsons not to ever sell it - just re-style or re-cover. Fingers crossed!

I'd like to differ a bit from April's opinion of Ikea mattresses. We have 6, 4 queens and 2 fulls, in our new to us retirement house in Arizona. We have Ikea beds and Ikea mattresses. They are wonderful. Mattresses range in quality and price from cheap-cheap, $79, to maybe $1000. Ours were about $400 and that is cheap. We searched and read reviews. Our company also loves our new beds.

We do have an American Leather (thats the name of the manufacturer) custom fabric sofa. It took us a year to find a sofa that has a short seat depth and doesn't need toss pillows behind your back. We are happy with Savino. I'd buy Ikea if I liked it the best based on comfort, looks and durability.

OK I'll put it this way: the ones we had were horrible..They were also in this price range as I remember correctly(400 or something). I'll add: it was maybe ten years ago?

Of course I can't say I tried all their mattresses..

Also: individual needs/wants play role. when I was a kid I could sleep anywhere. Then at some point I started being much more capricious. I think it happened after I spent 4 years in the dorms using their beds and mattresses..I seriously had to go to physical therapy at some point.

Since then I got (much) older and all that-so now, extra firm for me..

We love Ikea in our home. Most of it though is for the kids or home decor. We shopped for a sofa for quite some time less than a year ago and it came down to Ikea Stockholm sofa with a fabric cover on it or the Hadley from Rooms to Go. Neither super expensive but both fit the bill in style and size. Ended up with the RTG sofa, $200 less than the Stockholm and felt more comfortable. Less than a year into it we are having a tech come out Thursday because one of the tufted buttons on the back cushion popped off. You get what you pay for I guess.

Also, think about how the piece will get used, we all lay around watching TV and it seems comfortable enough. How important is it to not have to worry about replacing it or having to call for a repair? As far as pushy and annoying sales people, just tell them you are browsing for now and will get them once you need them.. if they have any sense they would take the hint. Not all are bad, I promise :)

Took my field trip to IKEA and learned its NMS. Thanks for all the input.

I'm sorry, Shari. A trip to IKEA is no small commitment and not for the faint of heart. At least you know now. Good luck in your search and keep us posted.

What does NMS mean?

Sjhockeyfan, I googled that acronym and came up with either a neurological disease, Network Management System, or not my style. My guess is the latter.

Thanks Lisa!

It was too late to read this thread. The photo is from a high-ended IKEA leather sofa we received 3 months ago.

The manufacturer dared to use a particleboard to suspend the plywood beam with very poor building quality. There have occurred cracks and holes at the particleboard part when assembling it, and the manufacturer just glued the big damage instead of replacing a new part.

The manufactured defect point on the particleboard with glue should be the starting point of all these cracks. It is clearly IKEA uses the manufacturer without qualified engineers. Cause sofa makers also wrongly put the strengthening triangle part on the beam instead of putting it under the beam to support it, building a rigid constrained self-destroyed structure that will bring a significant stress concentration and cause a serious structure damage once the system is failed.

We are IKEA's long-term clients in Australia, and we're clearly aware IKEA has changed it internal policy trying to deny its warranty these days globally. (Ikea’s 25-year kitchen warranty branded ‘worthless’ after doors develop fault | Money | The Guardian)

We have got another set of sofas bought at Melbourne's Furniture Galore with solid wood frame. Its price was just 3/4 of the IKEA one and it lasted for 14 years still with perfect conditions.

However, the IKEA assessor and customer service manager tried to be blind on the defect of its manufacturer. Even with the obvious defect of their manufacturer, they still chose to blame it was their clients’ fault so as to avoid its warranty at all.

Just see how it is going on. We have more photos to show people the poor building quality of the so-called high-ended IKEA sofa.