Opinions on IKEA? Had a 1st time visit yesterday

[Coventina]

I'm wondering what my fellow DUers think of IKEA.

I went for the first time yesterday, and came away with mixed feelings.

First, the good:

1. Swedish company. I'm slightly inclined in favor of European things, since I feel a more kindred spirit there, rather than the "hatriotism" of this country.

2. I like how they seem to be proud to be Swedish. I like that they don't seem to pander to the American market, and their stuff has Swedish names. This may be a phony veneer, I don't know, but it favorably impressed me at the time.

3. I like how they seem to encourage small, efficient spaces. Their mock-ups of homes under 800 square feet and such seem to promote a more rational approach to life than American McMansions. (Hubby and I are renovating a 900 square foot house we plan to move into in a month or so, so I appreciate their aesthetic in this area).

The bad:

1. I had a class with an Italian student last semester and he said that IKEA is the "Wal-Mart" of Europe and that enlightened Europeans hate it the way enlightened Americans hate Wal-Mart, for all the same reasons.

2. There is a "sameness" to all their designs that I would think would get boring after awhile.

3. I wonder about the quality of their merchandise.

Any DUers have opinions they would like to share? Should IKEA be shunned, embraced, or something in-between?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. i LOVE ikea

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. IKEA rocks!

:yourock:IKEA

[jellybelly]

3. I hate IKEA

you'd have to be stoned to find one of their couches attractive:crazy:

[BeTheChange]

60. Loved IKEA when I was in college.

Hate it now that I actually want to buy stuff that will last me, be functional and attractive.

[Sanity Claws]

4. Poor quality

Their stuff is low-priced and low quality. Don't know anything about their labor relations.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. i believe they are good

and that they invest in the third world countries that manufacture their stuff

[tk2kewl]

23. Throw away furniture

You cant take it with you when you move. If it hasn't fallen apart before you move it will definitely fall apart while you move. But if you want cheap, stylish, temporary furniture its ok.

[Shakespeare]

29. No, not all of it.

They obviously have budget-priced items, but have just as many very nice (and more expensive) pieces.

[EOTE]

38. Exactly.....

Yeah, you could buy a 100 dollar recliner and it will be worthless, but what $100 recliner isn't? I bought a $500 couch at their scratch and dent section and got a $200 dollar new cover for it and it's as good as new. The couch is super comfortable and can even act as a bed. It's also rock solid, I'm a large guy and I'm very hard on furniture, my Ikea couch doesn't show any signs of wear after 1 year. So, if you don't go for the bargain basement furniture, I think you'll be really well off. I think the comparisons to Walmart are really off base.

[Shakespeare]

40. Comparisons to Wal-Mart are WAY off base. And one other thing...

After assembling a fair amount of IKEA furniture over the years, I only really appreciated how good their assembly process and instructions are when I purchased a piece of unassembled furniture at another store.

It was written in horriblly bad "Engrish," and was much more difficult to assemble than the IKEA pieces, which are all designed to be put together fairly easily.

And you cannot beat their BILLY bookcases. Beautiful veneer, and very sturdy.

**By the way, particle board is not always a bad thing--it has levels of quality, just like everything else. In some cases, high-quality particle board is preferable to solid wood (won't warp, crack, etc.).

[dr.strangelove]

43. I had the opposite experience

My wife and I bought a couch. It was a piece of garbage and after 18 months the wood inside had cracked. We gave IKEA another chance with the next couch. It was damaged on arrival (fabric tear), had to fight to get them to take it back or give us back a discount (we took a discount) then the same problem with the wood inside breaking.

Both couches were in teh $1200-$1500 range, which I think should give you a fine quality couch. I went to a North Carolina online store and got a new couch for about $900 with shipping. Now it is 5 years old without any problems.

[sbj405]

44. The cheap stuff is poor quality, they have some more expensive lines that

are ok.

I got a cheap set of dressers. The runners are plastic which haven't held up too well. They barely made it through one of my moves. Then again I've had them for almost 6 years. So I guess I got my money's worth.

Their solid wood pieces and the more expensive ones have metal runners.

In general, I say not a bad place to buy furniture if you are on a budget, like to get new stuff fairly frequently, or for kids/dorm room, etc. Obviously, you're not buying stuff that's going to last a lifetime.

And those cinnamon rolls are rather yummy.

[rndmprsn]

5. the walmart of europe?

i think not...ive been there 4 times in the last year and have never heard anyone refer to ikea in such a way...perhaps just one persons oppinion.

you should go to ikea becuase you want to...not based on its popularity with europeans.

[NewJeffCT]

28. My wife's boss is from Europe

He said that most Europeans are bemused by Americans' love of Ikea, as they consider it low quality stuff.

[Lex]

34. IKEA is pretty damn popular in Europe.

So it's not just the Americans who are fond of IKEA.

[mr blur]

41. I'd say he was right.

I have a friend in Sweden who says that no Swedish person with taste would ever buy anything from IKEA. On the other hand I have a Swedish-born friend who lives in NYC and loves IKEA.
Did you see that the guy who started IKEA just overtook Bill Gates as the richest man in the world?

[Rick Myers]

7. The desk I'm at right now is from IKEA

Most of there stuff is pretty high quality. I like IKEA.

[mopinko]

8. their stuff is crap

particle board crap. you might as well furnish your home with legos. ok, things that don't take any kind of load, silverware trays or napkin rings or whatever, fine. but we bought some stuff there a couple of years ago. the chairs are still ok, but the table is a mess. the veneer on the particle board top buckled the first time it got damp, and the legs came loose. it is still standing, cuz i haven't replaced it. but i can't wait.

[Sanity Claws]

12. I agree

My post above regarding its poor quality drew a reply. I just don't like their stuff. I guess it's a matter of taste and what you expect.

[smbolisnch]

26. I swear my husband said that very same thing to me about the legos!

We have one about an hour away that my friend goes to a lot, so I go along. I like their stuff for aesthetic reasons, but it never seemed like it was very durable.

[LynzM]

9. I don't think they're comparable to Wal-Mart

You're right that they are efficiency-conscious. They do it in their shipping and design, too, so that things can be shipped/stocked in smaller spaces. For example, they will design things to be stacked within each other to ship them more efficiently. It's the same reason the furniture doesn't come pre-built, because it's easier to ship it while it's flat. They also are responsible about where they get their building materials for their furniture from.

You can request a copy of their catalogue here: http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/virtual_catalogue/catalog_splash2.html

They do some explaining in there of what I said above, but more in-depth (mine is from what I remember reading in there, couldn't find it outlined on the website, but didn't look too hard!)

Personally, I really liked it as a place to shop for home stuff while I was living in Germany. I haven't been to one in the states yet, hopefully later this year, if we actually have a place to furnish! :)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. no it doesnt compare to walmart because their

labor policy is far better

[Kellanved]

19. German and USA IKEAs are practically identical

It is almost eerie: same layout, same colors, the clerks look and act the same, same food, ... if it weren't for the price in dollars and the measurements in feet and inches, I would have thought that I'm in Europe.

[Ready4Change]

11. Some good, some bad.

If you shop there critically you can furnish a room well for small dollars. Well enough that it will do until you're ready for "real" furniture.

But some of their stuff is really lacking in longevity. Much of the furniture is laminated particle board or fiberboards. It may look good the moment it's assembled, but it doesn't stand up to use.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. their metal stuff is much better than their wood stuff

[demnan]

14. Ikea has good and bad things

I like their bookshelves, yes they are particle board, but particle board is fine by me for the bookshelves. My dining set, though was far too cheap. I have one chair out of four left. I've replaced the chairs with something else. I want to replace the table too. But it was worth the money at the time, being that the whole set was under $200.00 - so good and bad. For someone just starting out and furnishing a small condo or apartment, I think they are fine.

[readmylips]

15. IKEA is good for college dorms....

Furniture is easy to put together, easy to move. My computer table is an IKEA and is efficient, sturdy and it fits well with my oak library furniture. If I have to get rid of it, I didn't pay much and got my money's worth. There's nothing like solid antique or well made American furniture, but too expensive for average Americans.

[Wickerman]

16. a google on Ikea+labor-relations

draw your own conclusions. Kinda mixed to me...

http://www.geocities.com/redtheory/redcritique/NovDec02/designingclass.htm

http://www.business-humanrights.org/Categories/Issues/Labour/Prisonlabour (mid page)

http://homepages.iprolink.ch/~fitbb/INFO_PUBS_SOLIDAR/FaxNews_124.html

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:kncaU1eLznUJ:www.clarkson.edu/~sfisher/os652nov4labor.ppt+ikea+labor+relations&hl=en

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:8pmRqnFR1V0J:www.ikea-group.ikea.com/corporate/PDF/IWAY.PDF+ikea+labor+relations&hl=en

much more

[SKKY]

17. If you live in a small apartment, IKEA is a must...

...At least for me, it was the only way for me to have a decent 1 bedroom apartment, keep all my stuff organized, and not have it all over the place. It kept my apartment sane. That was of course until I got married. Now, I have stuff coming out of my ears.

[Kellanved]

18. they are nothing like Walmart

The founder has a questionable history, but they are renowned for their good working conditions. At the retail end that is, production side things may differ.

[sushi]

20. I like IKEA

for little things. I'v bought picture frames, kitchen stuff, children's furniture, etc. It's not the place for good furniture, unless one is starting out on a small budget. IKEA is so successful it has made it's owner the richest man in the world. I think he passed Bill Gates early last year.

[The Blue Flower]

21. I'm okay with their stuff but

I really hate the layout. Once you walk in, you can't find a way out until you've snaked your way through the entire store. A couple of years ago, I noticed that the exits were poorly marked and even blocked in some cases. There would be no way to get out in an emergency. So I contacted the local fire department. (I live in Seattle.) They checked things out and agreed with me. When I went back a few months later, the exits were clearly marked and new signage to locate them had been put up. But I still get claustrophic in there.

[flygal]

22. As a poor newlywed with student loans

and most of our furnishings from garage sales - I loved Ikea. If not for them we would have slept on a matress on the floor for and extra 5 years! It's lasted us 8 years and still looks good. Over here in Europe Ikea is everywhere. It's great!

[Dora]

24. They force the shopping experience.

I've been to the Ikea in Houston only once. As much as I liked seeing their merchandise, I resented being forced to walk through sections I had no interest in seeing.

My mother just went to the brand new Ikea that opened in Phoenix and she hated it! She went in, found what she wanted (a bathroom cabinet), and couldn't find her way out. She asked employees to direct her to the exit, but they kept sending her through the whole store (must follow the path!), rather than showing her the straightest way to the exit. She wasn't interested in browsing, and was pretty PO'd by the time she left. She had been excited about Ikea opening there, but now she doubts she'll return.

[Coventina]

27. That's the store I visited as well

I don't know when your mother went, but when I went on Monday, there were "shortcuts" pretty clearly marked.
:shrug:

I didn't utilize them, because I was curious to see the whole thing.

[Bridget Burke]

32. Yup. You can find a quick path to what you want.

If you're just touring, take the long way!

I've found their furniture & accessories to be useful. Not first quality, but affordable. If I spent less money on books, I could afford fine wooden bookcases; but all my books are quite happy on particle board.

[Patiod]

47. We've had an IKEA in our area for years

(it was their first venture in the US)

I used to go in the exit, because all the things I wanted (picture frames, organization stuff, garden stuff) was in the last room on the "tour" (or the first room after the checkout, if you went in backwards).

I had the most amazing glass desk from IKEA at my old job. It was gorgeous and sturdy. Their quality varies widely.

[msgadget]

56. They surely do.

My one visit to Ikea started on the lowest level and finding what I wanted meant working my way from there. We made the mistake of deciding to grab a 'quick' bite to eat and I wondered if they really wanted us to visit their cute little cafe because it required going through so many departments. It was exhausting and even though I love to browse through their catalogs, I'm loathe to repeat the experience.

[really-looney]

25. Looks OK fails to last

I have bought many things (BED, DESK, DRESSERS, TABLES, CHAIRS) form IKEA most have not passed the test of time. The exception for me was the Billie Bookcases. Starter set for the Kitchen was pretty good also although the pots and pans were not too good.

[warrens]

30. IKEA was founded by a dedicated socialist

Under the concept of providing cheap, quality furniture for people who live in small apartments and who don't necessarily own cars. Hence the knockdown approach, to make most products easy enough to carry to get it on public transportation.

[Lex]

35. Yes, I've read about him before.

A good concept that caught on like wildfire in Europe and has spread here to the US.

[NewJeffCT]

31. My wife loves Ikea, I think it's okay

But, I know at the Ikea in New Haven, CT, we've talked to people that have driven 2+ hours from Boston to get there.

I'm lazy, though, and I don't like having to assemble my furniture.

[neweurope]

33. I love Ikea... as to the quality: Quality has a price everywhere.

Cheap stuff at Ikea is just this: cheap. It just looks better than other cheap stuff ;)

-------------

Remember Fallujah!

Bush to The Hague

[Lex]

36. Stylish stuff that even those on a tight budget can afford.

IKEA does not mean to sell high-end, quality stuff.

Stylish, inexpensive, and portable.

[spinbaby]

37. You have a point about the small spaces

Ikea recognizes that not all of us live in McMansions and sells a lot of compact stuff. American furniture manufacturers tend to sell to people with really large houses.

[DemoTex]

39. I am working at an Ikea desk that I bought in 1986.

It is 30" x 64" and almost indestructible. I have a desk top computer, a laptop computer, and numerous ham radio components on the desk. I have a clamp-on lamp that I bought at Ikea at the same time. I'd buy another desk just like it for my wife, but this model has been discontinued.

[Wat_Tyler]

42. IKEA is a progressive company that makes furniture I can live with.

I dig.

[WritersBlock]

45. I'm surprised no one has mentioned the checkout lines.

I like Ikea's kitchen gadgets, and the desk I'm working at (solid wood) is from there.

But the last time I was there, the wait at the checkout was awful. That's been a few years, so maybe they've improved. It was bad enough to turn me off of them for life, though.

[Coventina]

46. The checkout lines weren't so bad

I've had way worse at Target, and the very few times I was forced to go to Wal-Mart.

I think there were only two people ahead of us and it moved pretty quickly.

[tigereye]

51. I like IKEA's progressive European feel

I can't think of many other chain-type stores in the US that have that
comfy Euro vibe to them. I agree that some of their stuff is not very durable, but the designs, carpets, bedding, small items are really fun and the stuff for kids is creative. I like their bookcases as well. I like that they don't have the typical stuff you find in a K-mart or other large American store. I also love the cafeteria and friends like to take their kids there for brunch on the week-ends.

[ironflange]

48. A ginormous new Ikea just opened here in Calgary

It's a little overwhelming, makes the old one look like a phone booth. Lots of shortcuts, so you don't have to negotiate the whole damn maze when all you want is a bag of tea lights. Nice cafeteria, especially if you like meatballs. Can't beat that breakfast for a dollar.

We've bought a lot of stuff there over the years, tables, chairs, bedroom furniture, etc. Our whole bedroom is Ikea, the bedframe is great, really sturdy, but the dressers have gotten a little lopsided over the years. I've found that adding a little glue and some screws during assembly helps a lot.

[LibertyLover]

49. IKEA

I like IKEA. Furniture that my husband and I have bought has moved, in several cases, 4 times in 6 years and is still working and looking just fine. His couch that he had before we were married was an exception, but then it had been bought from the scratch and dent area. My daughter's room is furnished all in furniture from IKEA and it looks good, works well for a toddler and wasn't too expensive. We got her inexpensive crib from IKEA because we knew she wouldn't be in it very long (she is adopted and was 16 months old when we brought her home) and it was just fine. Someone I know from the SCA works at IKEA and he says that they are a reasonable company to work for. And they obtain a part of their wood for furniture from small and medium sized renewable resource tree farms in Asia

[Book Lover]

50. Both good and bad

We bought a couch that just didn't hold up to use after a few months, but the tables we got at the same time (10+ years ago) are holding up great. One had been used as a TV stand for the better part of a decade with no sagging or cracking.

[Astrochimp]

52. Do we need even more throw away stuff?...................

While being able to by something at low cost is great, adding to our disposable world is not. (IMHO<G>)

I am sitting at a desk from the 40's- a dorm desk from a state collage, I paid $5 for it about 6 years ago (computer fits perfect) and have a desk from the turn of the century behind me, Arts and crafts style, no name, paid just under $100. It is close to 100 years old, and will most likely last another couple of hundred.(fat people could have sex on it with out danger!)

My couch(s) and chairs, bed, and dinning table are also from the same time early 1900's. By shopping over the years, I have paid less for most than if I had got new 'crap' furniture. I expect all to last my lifetime, and most are worth more than I paid, and going up in value. My bed frame was had made from local oak, in 1910, by a local Dr. for his daughter. At auction I paid $200, I got lucky, plus it is only a regular bed (not queen/king) so market is low. My 1906 wall clock cost me $75 in working order, if I grow to hate it, I can sell it for what I paid at anytime.

Now, at one time I did buy new stuff- pretty, trendy particle board and veneer. Nice custom couch and chairs, a couple of trendy dinning sets. One table has office supplies stacked on it, microwave cart (POS) is at my shop too- both in back room, hidden, everything else hit the trash, don't think any of it lasted 10 years.

Where was I?

Oh- if you do need to buy low end disposable stuff, please also try to buy one nice "forever" piece every year or two- new or old, value is not only purtuse price but also cost per year/use. Weight is a good judge of quality.

[Shakespeare]

53. My IKEA furniture is not "disposable."

I've had my birch veneer bookcases for almost 10 years, and don't plan to part with them anytime soon. I've had my solid ash bed & frame (no particle board) for five years, and that's not going bye-bye anytime soon. I could go on....

IKEA sells a wide variety of items, and most are not intended to be disposable. They also advocate recycling and sustainable use, so if you're going to buy from anybody, IKEA's manufacturing policies make them awfully attractive to us liberals.

[cedahlia]

54. we got a $200 Ikea gift card

as a wedding gift, and I fear we'll never use it!

First of all, mr. cedahlia is a carpenter, so buying any furniture from there is a no-no (it's all "crap", and buying anything made of particle board for this house is akin to a mortal sin.) ;-) So, that right there eliminates a great deal of their merchandise!

But, we have the gift card, so it's not really our money we're spending, so we did try stopping by the nearest store just to check it out. But we absolutely hated the experience of trying to shop there! The whole set-up of the place is just weird...it felt like we were in a museum or something where we had to keep moving because it was so crowded, you couldn't really look at anything.

Sooooo, then I tried their website, and, well, it sucks. Half the stuff I was even remotely interested in is available "in store only." Blah.

But I don't really like their style anyway...I like more colonial, country, or Victorian style stuff...they're way too modern for my tastes. My brother, however, loves the place, so I might just try to sell him our gift card! :-)

[Shakespeare]

55. If you don't want furniture, they have great housewares.

You could get yourself a great set of cookware, dishes, knives, glasses...and on and on. And they're not all ultra-modern in style, either.

I have a great set of anodized aluminum cookware--VERY similar to Calphalon--that I got at IKEA years ago, and it's held up great.

On edit: They've recently introduced several pieces of furniture that have a distinctly colonial/country style, and most are solid wood. You might want to give it another look.

[cedahlia]

58. Thanks for the heads up!

It's been a while since we visited the store and since I looked at the website, so I'm open to giving it another shot...I definitely don't want to see the $200 go to waste!

[silverpatronus]

57. i love ikea

i'm a college student, my dorm room is TINY and came unfurnished this year. i spent $600 at ikea and COMPLETELY furnished my room; sofa-bed, two dressers, nighttables, desk, chair. plus the pieces are light, portable, break down for storage and moving, plus they have clean, modern lines that i really like, and they're really sturdy. it's great for furnishing on a budget, and really good for college students especially because they emphasise making the most of a small space.

[miss_kitty]

59. cheap crap I wish I never bought

run away!

[barb162]

61. I went there once and saw nothing I wanted to buy

[Left Is Write]

62. I have no opinion on IKEA because I've never seen their wares in person.

[AlCzervik]

63. Cheap and cheerful, thats what we call it

dorm room chic.