To think IKEA isn't cheap/good value

[hadenough]

I've just returned from a shop at Ikea. I should start by saying I've never been its biggest fan, but went to buy stuff for my new kitchen.

We went through the whole maze from start to finish, and there was virtually nothing I'd buy if I'd had the money/been furnishing my whole home. Yes you can buy the odd cheap thing, but it's either quite ugly or clearly not built to last. Indeed, when I think of IKEA I think of rogue landlords speeding around the place buying the cheapest tat they can find.

I moved house in the Spring, and have actually found buying online to be far cheaper - it takes a while to find things, but it's on the whole less stressful than trailing around IKEA and I've found expensive looking fashionable furniture for waaaay less.

In the end I spent €300 (live in Europe) and felt a bit cheated when I went to pay.

Did I miss something (it was definitely rammed with people, so perhaps?)

We have book cases and a computer desk that are about ten years old, and still like new.

They have been used, bashed, and knocked daily by several children and still look great and are very sturdy.

We have loads of plants, fleece blankets, kitchen bits too.

And a fold out sofa bed that you can buy loads of covers for.

I think they are great.

Our 'bargain corner' bookshelves are now ten years old. We have fleece blankets that are almost as old.

But other than that? There's a lot of stuff we wouldn't buy.

Fair enough if it’s not to your taste. I think they have lots of really lovely products and depending on the range I do consider it good value. Never had issues with the quality either.

Then don't shop there . I think it's fab.

YABU. Most of our house is IKEA. A lot of it is at least six years old and still going strong, which is more than can be said for our £500 TV cabinet from Next that had broken within a week. Definitely built to last. We've just bought one of their kitchens which come with a ten year guarantee and the appliances a five year guarantee.

Could not disagree more tbh.

It is good value. Some of it doesn’t last, some of it last years. I’ve had expensive, ‘quality’ furniture that’s been worn and had it after a couple of years. They have literally hundreds of designs and types of styles so there are lots to suit different people; and a lot that is very trend led and fashionable. I like ikea bits mixed in with my other furniture, it’s great for kids. So yes yabu

It's each to their own I guess. We have a lot of Ikea stuff, some of which (bookcases) have travelled around with us for more than 20 years, and we are very keen on it, but just as we wouldn't like some other people's furniture, people are free not to like ours!

My only annoyance is that the nearest Ikea is three hours away :(

I love Ikea and I think they have some very well designed, good quality pieces.

In Sweden they are just seen as a good place to get homewares. I feel some people are a unnecessarily snobby about it.

That should be 10 years, not 20! Although we will probably still have them in 10 years...

It is cheap but then it looks it. You get what you pay for.

Yabu. Ikea is awesome.

This is just what Ikea hacks are for! Take a piece of cheap IKEA furniture and make it your own love Ikea!

It is cheap but then it looks it. You get what you pay for.

Not much of IKEA is cheap anymore, but it is good value. OP is confusing the two, cheap rarely equates to good value.

YABU
My parents bought sofas there in the 1970s that were still in use until last year. We have bookcases, tables, desks etc. I noticed a local cookery school was kitted out head to toe in Ikea.
To each their own, but Ikea rocks.

I’m not a fan of their furniture, but the Billy bookcases are brilliant.

I bought a door mat 7 years ago and it still looks great.

Yabu. Kallax. Tin openers. Cushions. Salt and pepper mills. Fleece blankets. Varta lamps. The Sultan Hjelmas superking mattress. Meatballs. Veg cakes. Potato rostis. Dill crisps. I could go on.

I find it very sturdy and its easy to shop online with IKEA. The only downside is that most of my friends have similar furniture to me but I’m not particularly bothered by that

Afraid I'm going to add another YABU, OP. Although I've slowly phased out my IKEA pieces for custom ones, as a student I was quite pleased with the furniture I had. It was still going strong when I passed it on after 7 years of use.

I've found that flat pack furniture is highly dependent on user skill. If you slap it together, it looks cheap and flimsy. With a little more times, care, and a spot of wood glue, it will look and feel sturdy.

Plus, my city struggles with MAJOR bed bug issues, so there's no way in hell I'd bring home second hand furniture. Safer to buy new from IKEA when you need to save your pennies.

@Shmithecat Ooh is that mattress good? I want a new one for our super king but didn't think any at Ikea went that big. We have a great Ikea one in spare room that everyone who has come to stay waxes lyrical about. Someone even bought one for themselves after staying here for a couple of nights!

We have a desk that is almost 30 years old and solid as a rock! Plus about a million billy bookcases and some lovely new shoe racks!

Our spare bed is at least 23 years old and very sturdy
The chair beds are at least 10 years old and are indestructable
DD's desk and chair are very well made.

YABU. Just choose carefully.

I bought several cheap & cheerful Billy bookcases for my first house in 1988, so they are 30 years old & still in decent condition despite several house moves. I've also got a few recently bought pieces of furniture which weren't overly expensive and look great mixed in with my more classic furniture.

I still have a few kitchen bits that I bought for my first home which are still in use. I've looked at the current versions of the same thing they sell now, and I don't think the quality is as good as it was back then. I don't think they'd last 30 years anyway.

But I do love Ikea. Just wish there was one closer than 2 hours' drive away.

These are all fair replies! I genuinely am interested to hear about the quality/price ratio, which to be fair, from comments so far, is good.

My impression today was that things which looks stylish, were all quite expensive, whilst the things which were at the lower end of the price scale either didn't look great, or I'd question the quality, but it appears that the quality isn't an issue.