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The IKEA furniture actually worth buying
The number one IKEA mistake is buying without knowing what. You fill a cart with cheap little finds, and a year later half of it pills, creaks or already looks dated. Yet some IKEA pieces are excellent investments that last ten or fifteen years. The difference is not the price, it is the choice. This guide gives you the names and prices of the safe bets, the ones to think twice about, and the simple criteria to never regret a purchase again.
In this guide you will discover the furniture that truly lasts, the one piece to avoid, the items worth customizing, the best picks by category, and the golden rules for buying smart.
The furniture that truly lasts
IKEA BILLY bookcase, the customizable classic that lasts for years
Here are the safe bets, ranked by value for money. These are modular, timeless pieces that hold up over the years:
- Billy (bookcase): from 40 to 80 euros. Around since 1979, modular and endlessly customizable.
- Lack (side table): 10 euros (the 90x55 coffee table is 23 euros). Perfect as a placeholder, very easy to customize.
- Kallax (storage): 35 to 150 euros. 33x33 cm cubes, a universal standard (desk, divider, storage).
- Malm (dresser and bed): 80 to 250 euros. Clean design, smooth drawers, solid for the price.
- Hemnes (full range): 100 to 400 euros. Solid wood, classic look, fifteen years or more of life.
- Bestå (TV unit): 120 to 300 euros. Modular, with customizable doors and drawers.
- Ektorp (sofa): 599 euros. Plush comfort, removable washable covers.
- Lisabo (table): 119 euros. Ash-veneer top on solid birch legs, lasts fifteen years or more.
To this list, add a few clever small pieces: the Råskog trolley (30 euros), the Alex drawer unit (80 to 100 euros) as a desk base, and the Ritva linen curtains (20 euros a pair) that look like 100 euro ones.
The sofa to avoid if you want to keep it
The Klippan sofa (269 euros) is the cheapest on the floor, but it is a false bargain if you mean to keep it. Its cover choice is limited (six options), its springs can creak after a year, and it resells for only around 100 euros. For 330 euros more, the Vimle (599 euros) offers more than fifty covers, real modularity, ten years or more of life and resale around 300 euros. Over time, a single Vimle works out cheaper than Klippans rebought every couple of years.
The pieces to think twice about
These pieces are not bad, but they call for some thought depending on your situation. The main risk is an overly recognizable, rental-apartment look.
- Poäng (armchair, 80 to 99 euros): so iconic it is recognizable everywhere. Fine if you cover it with a unique slipcover or if money is very tight.
- Lack (wall shelves, 15 euros): visible plastic and fragile finish. Choose raw wood shelves (30 euros) on metal brackets (15 euros) instead.
- Micke (desk, 60 euros): too obvious a plastic effect. A raw wood top (40 euros) on Alex drawer units looks far better.
- Tarva (raw pine bed, 150 euros): must be sanded and painted or it looks cheap. Save it for a real do-it-yourself project.
- Fado (ball lamp, 20 euros) and Lots (round mirrors, 15 euros): too overdone on social feeds. Pick less cliché models or a second-hand find.
The customizations that change everything
An IKEA piece is never final. A few accessories make it unrecognizable, for a custom-made feel:
- Billy: brass handles (20 euros) and midnight blue paint (25 euros). Total 45 euros for a custom look that reads like 500.
- Malm: adhesive marble top (40 euros) and leather handles (30 euros). Total 70 euros for a high-end result.
- Kallax: angled wood legs (40 euros) and rattan baskets (60 euros). Total 100 euros for a boho chic look.
The principle: 50 to 100 euros of legs, handles and paint turn a standard piece into one with real character. To go further, see our IKEA customization ideas.
The best picks by category
If you had to remember just one name per need:
- Storage: Billy (bookcase), Kallax (modular), Bestå (TV unit).
- Seating: Ektorp (sofa), Poäng (armchair), Henriksdal (chair).
- Sleeping: Malm (bed frame), Brimnes (bed with storage, 249 euros), Hemnes (wood bed).
- Tables: Lisabo (dining table), Lack (coffee table), Melltorp (kitchen table).
For the living room, a smart strategy is to mix reliable new IKEA with characterful second-hand: a Billy at 60 euros, a Kallax at 80 euros and a used sofa at 200 euros, for 340 euros total, versus 600 euros all new. Before you choose, check the right dimensions with our guide on furniture size by room.
The golden rules for buying smart
- Favor solid wood: Hemnes, Ivar, Tarva. They age well and last fifteen years or more.
- Classics are classics for a reason: Billy has existed since 1979, it has proven itself.
- Calculate the real cost: a 200 euro piece that lasts 2 years costs 100 euros a year, versus 40 euros for a 400 euro piece that lasts 10 years.
- Test in the store: sit down, open the drawers, check the sturdiness. 30 minutes in store equals zero regret.
- Everything can be customized: legs, handles, paint. An IKEA piece is never set in stone.
The mistakes that cost you: buying everything new (a showroom feel with no personality), grabbing the cheapest (Klippan, Lack that breaks), ignoring solid wood, buying without measuring (a piece that will not fit through the door) or underestimating assembly (count four hours for a Pax wardrobe).
Test your IKEA furniture on your room
Reading a list is useful; seeing a piece in place at home is more convincing. With Shopia, you photograph your room, pick the furniture and the style, and get a realistic render in a few minutes. You can compare before and after and try several combinations before ordering anything.
Frequently asked questions
Which IKEA furniture is actually worth buying?
The safe bets are the modular, timeless pieces that last ten years or more. The Billy bookcase (from 40 to 80 euros) has been around since 1979 and can be customized endlessly. The Kallax storage unit (35 to 150 euros) and the Bestå TV unit (120 to 300 euros) are equally versatile. For wood, the Hemnes range (100 to 400 euros), in solid pine, ages well, and the Lisabo table (119 euros), with an ash-veneer top on solid birch legs, lasts fifteen years or more.
Which IKEA furniture should you avoid?
The Klippan sofa is the most criticized, not for its depth (54 cm, like its rivals) but for its limited cover choice, springs that can creak after a year, and poor resale value. Its alternative is the Vimle, more modular and far more durable. Be wary too of overly recognizable pieces like the Poäng armchair, the Fado lamp or the Lots mirrors, which look generic unless you customize them.
How can you tell if an IKEA piece is good quality?
Favor solid wood, which ages better than plastic-look panels: Hemnes, Ivar, Tarva. Calculate the real cost over time rather than the sticker price: a 400 euro piece that lasts ten years costs 40 euros a year, far less than a 200 euro piece replaced every two years. Finally, test in the store before buying: sit down, open the drawers, check the sturdiness.
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