Consumer experts have offered an ultimate guide of the best and worst items to buy from IKEA – ranging from kitchen cooktops and fridges to mattresses and lamps.
While the Swedish furniture store often ‘hits the mark with a huge range of great-value, functional products’, Australian consumer organisation CHOICE said there are a few ‘dodgy buys’ you should steer clear of too.
Whether you’re styling your home or upgrading your furniture, the home experts have revealed the products worth investing in – and the ones to avoid at all cost.
The experts said the retailer’s mattresses are worth checking out, as it offers a simple range of spring, latex and foam varieties to suit your needs
BEST BUYS
Mattresses
The experts said the retailer’s mattresses are worth checking out, as it offers a simple range of spring, latex and foam varieties that suit your needs.
Home expert Peter Zaluzny said IKEA offers a ‘solid’ range of mattresses, all of which have additional advantages over other brands.
‘Ikea’s free trial period of a year is three times longer than Koala’s or Sleeping Duck’s, plus their warranty lasts a whopping 25 years and it’s easy to try each mattress in store before entering the free trial period,’ Peter said.
‘Plus, they have quite a few models to choose from.’
The experts were impressed with the five mattresses they tested, with prices ranging from as little as $349 to $799.
With many models to choose from, shoppers can find the perfect mattress just by testing them out in store before entering the free trial period.
IKEA was named among the top rated mattresses of 2021 in Canstar Blue’s mattress reviews and ratings.
The brand was rated four stars for support and value for money, plus three stars for comfort, quality of sleep, durability and overall satisfaction.
Kitchen wall ovens and cooktops
Choice’s experts were impressed with the performance of IKEA’s wall ovens and cooktops for modest prices, and they said there are plenty of quality options when it comes to cooktops across their gas, ceramic and induction ranges
Choice’s experts were impressed with the performance of IKEA’s wall ovens and cooktops for modest prices, and they said there are plenty of quality options when it comes to cooktops across their gas, ceramic and induction ranges.
Ovens can be expensive, but IKEA’s models cost between around $1,000 and $3,000 – meaning there is something suitable for every budget.
One of their best-selling ovens is the Kulnarisk model, which costs $999.
Antilop highchair
The IKEA Antilop highchair (pictured) costs just $24.99, but is cheap and lightweight
Choice found the Antilop highchair with tray was a ‘bargain buy that does the job’.
Easy to dissemble, the product is cheap, lightweight and easy to clean.
‘The Ikea high chair is simplicity and function rolled into one affordable piece of baby equipment,’ the expert said.
‘Everyone I know who has purchased a cheap Ikea highchair as a “back-up” at granny’s, or for a holiday house, have soon discarded their fussy, expensive chair in favour of this one.’
Cot mattresses
The second item the experts said you should consider buying is a cot mattress, as over half of the products they reviewed were recommended.
‘We test cot mattresses for safety, which includes firmness and accuracy of dimensions and of the 44 we’ve reviewed, we recommend more than two-thirds,’ Choice found.
Four models scored nearly perfect scores.
These were the IKEA Drommande ($149), the IKEA Krummelur ($99), the IKEA Pelleplutt ($49) and the IKEA Skonast 603.485.35 ($99).
The Drommande is the top buy, with a staggering 100 per cent score.
WORST BUYS
Fridge
The IKEA Nedkyld fridge was labelled a ‘shonky’ in the 2019 CHOICE Shonky Awards after it was found to be ‘bad at its one job’ ($799; pictured)
The IKEA Nedkyld fridge was labelled a ‘shonky’ in the 2019 CHOICE Shonky Awards after it was found to be ‘bad at its one job’.
‘It shockingly failed its energy test, meaning it uses a lot more electricity than it claims on its energy star rating label,’ the experts said.
‘It’s also one of the worst-performing fridges we’ve ever tested. Our experts found its freezer temperatures changed by 10°C depending on outside conditions, which means your food won’t last as long.’
Wireless speaker and lamp
The experts said the Symfonisk wireless speaker and lamp (pictured) was not worth the money after it received a low score
The experts said the Symfonisk wireless speaker and lamp was not worth the money after it received a low score of just 56 per cent.
They said the gadget has a ‘poor general app score, very poor power score, no Bluetooth and single band (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi only’.
‘And for $269, it’s definitely not a great way to spend your money. There are plenty of great-performing wireless speakers for this price – they just won’t come with a table lamp attached,’ the experts said.
Baby changing table
While this nursery buy may be cheap at $249, Choice’s experts said you should avoid buying it as it comes with 199 pieces that need to be assembled (pictured)
Despite its affordable price tag of $249, Choice found the Sundvik changing table with chest of drawers was ‘plagued with issues’.
The nursery unit comes with 199 pieces and took about two-and-a-half hours to assemble, to which it ‘failed the in-house stability test’.
In May 2019, Ikea issued an urgent recall after three reports of incidents where the foldable top part came loose and children fell. The recall warned all shoppers to secure the safety locking fittings to avoid the hinge coming loose or breaking.
Baby cots
If you’re in the market for a baby cot, the experts said you be wary around IKEA’s range, as reviews ‘vary notably in terms of quality, ease of use and safety’.
After putting four models to the test, they found mixed results, including minor failures or ease of assembly issues.