An honest reivew of the IKEA EKTORP sofa based on price, style, quality, fabric durability, and comfort. Plus, I’ll share a tip for the best way to wash the slipcover!
After living with my new IKEA EKTORP sofa sectional for a few months, I thought I’d share my honest opinion with you…and it might not be what you expect. So read on for my IKEA EKTORP sofa review!
5 DECORATING TIPS You Should Know!
Get my FREE 5-day email guide and join the 10,000 subscribers who already receive the weekly decorating tips and exclusive art!
Those of you that joined me on my Spring Home Tour might have noticed that have a new sofa in the family room. This room was looooooong overdue for a new sofa, as the old one had given us 10 solid years not only as a sofa, but also a trampoline, fort, dinner table, cat scratching post, dog bed, movie seating, sick lounger, and more. I’m not one of those people that owns things to be looked at and not used. Our old sofa was USED well-loved!
What shocked me when I started searching for a new sectional, though, was the price! I had complete sticker shock! Everything that I loved in terms of the look and style was a minimum of $4K and completely out of my budget. Plus, as I just explained, we’re hard on our furniture, especially in the family room where the kids play, and I didn’t want to spend that kind of money on a sectional and cry every time something was spilled on it.
Enter the EKTORP.
Price
After much debate, I decided to give the IKEA EKTORP sofa sectional a try. I *love* the look and let’s be honest, you can’t beat the price.
I paid $799 for the sectional, and that included the Lofallet Beige slipcover. The EKTROP sofa retails for $399 and a replacement slipcover {which includes the base cover plus all of the cushion covers} only costs $49, which is much less than buying a new sofa should the current cover get ruined or I change my mind about the color.
The price of the initial sofa and replacement covers does depend on which fabric you choose, but they are all close in price and there are quite a few fabric selections to choose from.
IKEA EKTROP Sofa Specifications
The sectional I purchased is no longer available, but aside from the length, the specs are the same for the EKTORP sofa:
- Depth –34 5/8 “
- Height – 34 5/8 “
- Seat depth – 19 1/4 “
- Seat height –17 3/4 “
- Price: $399
- Replacement cover price: $49
Style & Fabric Selections
I’m a fan of the relaxed look of slipcovered pieces and the IKEA EKTORP has a graceful design that isn’t too overpowering, even as a sectional. I chose the Lofallet Beige slipcover, but also considered the Novdvalla Dark Beige and Vittaryd White. Here’s a side-by-side of the fabric swatches so you can better see how they compare.
For those of you that are familiar with, or already own, Restoration Hardware pieces in Belgian Linen Flax, here’s a side-by-side of those swatches as well. You can see that the IKEA EKTORP sofa fabric has a tighter weave but they are in the same color family.
Construction Quality
The slipcover’s quality is very nice, with good construction. The sectional is two main pieces that connect at the corner. The base slipcover then goes over the entire pieces and then you place the five seat cushions on, followed by the six loose back cushions. Each cushion has piping and a zipper closure.
The slipcovers fit the cushions perfectly, so you don’t have to worry about drooping or wrinkling due to excess fabric.
The back cushions have a box edge, which I think gives the sofa a clean look. If wrinkles bother you, though, this might not be the sofa for you, as the skirt can wrinkle with use {although I’m personally a fan of Downy Wrinkle Release!}
Comfort
For me, this is really the only area that the IKEA EKTORP falls short, and I mean that literally. The seat depth listed on the website is 19.25″ and that’s accurate. I’m 5’4″ so my legs aren’t terribly long, but even I feel like the seat depth is a bit short.
If you’re sitting upright with your feet on the floor, it’s not that big of an issue, but if you’re watching a movie and trying to get cozy and like to pull one or both legs up under you, it just won’t work. This sofa is the perfect size for young kids or people who sit properly in a conversational manner, but that’s it. You absolutely can’t sit with one leg tucked up or criss-cross applesauce {can you tell I have kids?!} or your knees fall off the edge.
It’s also not particularly comfortable if you like to nap on your sofa unless you rearrange the cushions a bit. My son’s friends were here for a sleepover and when I went up to bed, one had made himself comfortable in a sleeping bag on the sofa. When I came down in the morning, he was on the floor and said he found the floor more comfortable than the sofa. If you like to nap on your sofa, you’d really need to remove the back cushions for sleeping; otherwise, the seat just isn’t wide enough so as to be comfortable.
One last thing to keep in mind is that this sofa sits rather firm. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not so firm as to be uncomfortable, but don’t expect to sink back and relax. It really forces you to keep a more formal sitting position and posture.
Stain Removal
If I didn’t address how to clean the sofa, my review would be lacking because how can one USE such a light-colored sofa without getting it dirty, right? I wish I hadn’t needed to tackle stain removal so early in my ownership, but well, life happens. What I will say is that the cushions are very easy to clean!
During a sleepover/pizza party, one of the cushions suffered a major onslaught of pizza grease. I’d like to tell you that I immediately sprayed the marks with stain remover and promptly washed the cover, but I’d be lying. No, in fact, I completely forgot about the pizza and instead, let the stains set in….for weeks!
Here’s a few of the pizza marks, but there were many more {like 10 fingers worth!}
I actually didn’t remember about the pizza until one rainy day, I saw this muddy face…
…and then found this.
Apparently, she felt the need to rescue her bone from the rain and thought my sofa was the perfect safe spot!
How to Wash the EKTORP Sofa
To wash the EKTORP, I removed all of the dirty cushions and spray them with stain remover. Then I threw them into the wash with regular detergent and cold water. The directions say not to dry the slipcover, but I didn’t want to wait so instead, I put them in the dryer on AIR DRY.
Just before they were completely dry, I took them out and put them back on the sofa. The slightest {and I mean slightest} bit of moisture gave them just enough give to get them back on easily.
The stains completely came out and washing the covers was really no big deal. Washing the entire cover all at once is obviously a longer process though, as it will take a couple of loads in the wash and longer to dry.
The cushions didn’t need to be ironed after washing as the cushion itself pushes any wrinkles out, but the base cover will need ironing {or wrinkle release spray}.
Summary
Price – YES
At $799 with new slipcovers available for as low as $99, you can’t beat the EKTORP. I don’t know of another sectional available at this price point that is as durable and solidly built.
Style – YES
Box edge cushions and a relaxed slipcover combine to create a stylish look. There are also several fabrics and colors to choose from!
Quality – Yes
The slipcovers are a perfect fit and the overall sofa construction is sound. I’ve actually owned a Pottery Barn slipcover sectional as well and I think that the quality of the IKEA EKTORP is much better.
Stain Removal/Durability – YES
Washing the cover was easy and the stains released without much effort. The base cover will wrinkle but you can either iron it or use a spray product like Downy Wrinkle Release.
Comfort – NO
This is a personal preference for me…The seat depth is short, which doesn’t allow you to sit any way other than with two feet flat on the floor. It’s perfect for conversational seating, but not so much if you’re looking for the type of sofa that you can sink down into, pull your legs up, and relax. The cushions are firm, but not hard.
So, would I buy it again?
No. Well, at least not for a family room that is. For the way in which we use our family room sofa, the EKTORP just isn’t comfortable enough. As much as I’d like to say that we sit prim and proper while we watch movies, we don’t! We like to snuggle in and relax, and the seat depth just doesn’t allow for that. It is, however, very sturdy and easy to clean so if it’s mostly for kids and you want it to be durable, it’s perfect!
Now if this were for my living room, where it would be used in a more formal or conversational way {like chatting with friends who came over}, I would highly recommend it. If you want something that looks nice and is comfortable for sitting {with two feet on the floor}, the EKTORP is an exceptional value and I would recommend it.
Still, I can’t help but love how it looks in this room!
Will It Stay?
Yes, for now! But I’m keeping my eye on the FARLOV sectional, which has only been out for about a year. It’s a bit pricier but the seat depth is 25.25″ so it’s more in line with my personal preference and I think will be more comfortable for us to sit on. It’s also a bit longer which will fit my room a bit better. Unfortunately, they only have four covers available at the time of this post and the Flodafors fabric is incredibly scratchy! I tried to convince myself that I liked it, but it’s pretty bad. The Djuparp fabric looks nice and is much softer, but only available in gray and yellow-beige, neither of which work for me. I’ll keep an eye out, though, and let you know if more fabrics become available!
More Decorating Tips:
- How to Decorate a Mantel
- 10 Tips for Decorating with Patterns
- 28 Creative Decorating Ideas for Tall Walls
- Get the Look: Layered Rugs {How to Layer Rugs Like a Pro!}
- 6 Small-Scale ideas for that Empty Corner in the Living Room!
Update: I decided to sell my IKEA EKTORP sofa and now have a Pottery Barn sectional!
Join the Community
Let’s keep in touch! Get exclusive artwork plus the latest news delivered directly to your Inbox!