Apples and oranges. Better worded: Crate and Barrel in contrast to IKEA.

Were I shopping for a comfortable, affordable, slip covered sofa, IKEA Ektorp would win hands down.

What if I were shopping for a keep-it-for-life sofa, which could be recovered again and again? Neither would be my choice. I would be shopping in the vintage mall, looking for Henredon, Kittinger, Baker, and reupholstering in my fabric of choice. This is Baker:

In my opinion, for the most part, yes, most of Crate & Barrel sofas are better quality than Ikea sofas. However, you really need to look at the construction details of the actual piece you are considering. Each one is going to be constructed differently and at least C&B has different manufacturers (some made in the USA and some overseas).

For example, I think the Crate & Barrel Axis II collection is pretty solid, mid-cost quality. If you look at the details on their site you'll see details like this.

• Frame is benchmade with hardwood that's kiln-dried to prevent warping
• Spring-up Flexolator foundation
• Fiber-down back cushion encased in downproof ticking

I believe that this particular Crate & Barrel sofa is made by McCreary Modern(but I'm not 100% positive) and is made in the US (North Carolina). This collection has been sold at Crate & Barrel for a long time and is quite popular. If you're able to sit on one in person, you can determine if you like the comfort. Personally I found it very comfortable: firm and solid feeling but still cushy and comfortable. I do not own one of these, but have seriously considered purchasing one as I am currently seeking sectional options. C&B also offers performance fabrics that describe the content and I bet you can get details on the double rubcount (durability measure).

One of the track arm options at Ikea is the KIVIK. (I'm choosing this as an example for comparison because I own one.) These are some of the details from the Ikea site.

• Back and seat frame: Fiberboard, Plywood, Solid wood, Particleboard
• Seat cushion: High-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft., Polyurethane memory foam 3.1 lb/cu.ft, Polyester wadding
• Back cushion: Polyester fiber balls

As I mentioned, I own a KIVIK in leather. When I sat on a fabric version in the store it was in terrible condition and looked cheap and rumpled. The leather looked better, so we opted to upgrade to the leather. The construction very much feels like a particle board or plywood box covered in inexpensive foam and leather. Once it's assembled it looks pretty nice, but the construction quality is obviously more budget than durable.

To me the first step is to understand what types of construction are available on upholstery these days and looking into those details on the pieces you are considering. Frame and springs/suspension are going to play a huge part in durability. And finally the fabric quality and durability and the cushion construction are going to be very important. But at the end of the day you have to decide whether budget is more important or durability.

I am not going to iterate @pricklypearcactus 's excellent advice but IKEA and Crate & Barrel are not comparable except both are sofas.

When shopping for a sofa you should learn what is involved in the actual construction of a sofa. Also what are you looking for and what is your budget. People with lower budgets will probably do well with IKEA because they offer acceptable quality for the price. Aside from differences in actual construction you are going to have limited style choices and probably your fabric choices will be beige, brown, gray and maybe blue 😂

However no one should buy a sofa without visiting sofas in person because at the very least you want a sofa that is comfortable and different sofas - even of the same "objective" quality will feel differently to different people. Your size - e.g. height will make a difference. Your mobility will make a difference as rising from a low seat without arms becomes more difficult as one ages or if one has older visiters. Depth of seat matters as does height of back. The type of filling and whether you have one seat cushion - pillows etc. will all change how an individual feels in a particular sofa. And of course how do you use the sofa - is this intended to be a sofa for lying down or is it going to be used in a more formal setting where people sit upright. Can you nap on it comfortably?

However Crate & Barrel objectively is not necessarily worth the price. The whole category of middle class retail furniture - Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware has declined in quality from when people bought mid level furniture and it lasted for years.

When I was remodeling and decorating I was shocked when my designer told me that these furniture brands had a life expectancy of about 7 to 8 years. I said you mean cheap furniture and she said - no - these kinds of brands.

So paying more isn't going to necessarily get you super high quality. There is still furniture being sold that is not intended to be disposable - or semi-disposable if that is the kind of quality you are looking for but that isn’t necessarily Crate & Barrel.

IMO both have cheap and better quaity and you need to provide more info as to what your idea of a good sofa is I look at warranties if that is important . Actually I would never own a fabric sofa I have always had italian made lether for all my sofas for ever. I had one that was 45yrs old our son took it 15 yrs ago and put new foam in the eat cushions and because it does not have springs it sits just like it always did. IMO that is as long as any sofe will last .