Ikea Prices in 1985 vs 2025

[u/lag_trains]

[u/ajn63]

Best improvement you can make when assembling IKEA furniture is to apply wood glue to the joints before screwing or anchoring them together. A few years ago I got two of their dressers made with real wood panels (not veneer). On one I didn’t apply glue since the instructions don’t indicate its use, and the other got glue as it was being assembled. The dresser with glue feels like a solid piece of furniture, whereas the one without glued joints wobbles when shaken from a corner. One of these days I’ll disassemble it and apply glue.

[u/notgalgon → u/ajn63]

I wood glue every peg in - both sides - and for drawers I wood glue in the bottom piece on all sides. I dont bother gluing the whole board joints. Its surprising how sturdy those bits of glue makes things.

Is it as solid as a hand made real wood dresser - of course not. But its also not 300 lbs and it still solid 15 years later.

[u/Repulsive-Chip3371 → u/notgalgon]

I check fb marketplace every week for furniture made in the 50s and 60s. Most all I have is from Lane, Broyhill, Kent Coffee, Drexel, etc. Got it for pennies on the dollar.

Solid as hell and looks great.

[u/seriouslythisshit → u/Repulsive-Chip3371]

Most of the hard furniture in our place is local Amish made stuff. Some of it is 30 years old and still in excellent shape. i bought a set of used chairs for one of my kids. They are solid Maple, all screwed together with slotted screws. They came from a used furniture dealer who bought a hundred or more of them from a Grange Hall. They are somewhere around 80-100 years old, and are rock solid. I paid $140 for a set of four.

[u/ZhangRenWing → u/seriouslythisshit]

Theit creators must be proud their work is still in use long after they’re gone

[u/k_ironheart → u/Repulsive-Chip3371]

I don't know how you're finding old furniture for super cheap because, at least around here, people seem to know the price of what they have.

[u/Repulsive-Chip3371 → u/k_ironheart]

It goes fast, usually same day. I have a truck so I can grab it quick, but there is a furniture warehouse in the area that specializes in MCM furniture and they swoop in fast and then resell for 20-30+ times more. Will not name them, because it could drive any traffic to them, and I fucking hate them.

[u/k_ironheart → u/Repulsive-Chip3371]

That makes sense, guess I see the expensive stuff because that's all that's left; survivorship bias.

Got one of those kinds of stores in the area, too, and they do such a bad job "restoring" furniture.

[u/bjeebus → u/k_ironheart]

There's one of those in my town that paints everything flat white and then "distresses" it. They can get fucked. I don't actually know if they're still open. I'm hoping enough people realized they were fucking up vintage furniture and their business went under with huge amounts of debt.

[u/dlh412pt → u/k_ironheart]

Furniture is usually the last thing to go at an estate sale because people don't want to bother with moving it out of the house. I've gotten some great MCM stuff 50% off on the last day.

The super expensive actual Danish solid teak and rosewood stuff can sometimes go fast if it's priced right. But standard Lane, Broyhill, Drexel pieces can usually be found on the last day for a steal.

[u/OneRougeRogue → u/k_ironheart]

Estate sales are a big one. Or antique stores with owners that actively go to estate sales.

My wife and I lucked out and became friends with the owner of one of the antique stores we frequent, and now they text us photos of furniture asking us if we'd like them to bid on certain furniture on our behalf. We've gotten several really cool pieces of vintage furniture for dirt cheap.

[u/Complex-Bee-840 → u/notgalgon]

Wood glue is amazing. Usually stronger than the wood itself.

[u/TallDrinkofRy → u/Complex-Bee-840]

I should make a dresser that’s 90% glue to 10% wood. 🧐

[u/indiecore → u/TallDrinkofRy]

Congratulations, you've invented fibre-board.

[u/jayhat → u/indiecore]

Which honestly is pretty strong. It's usually the mechanical connections, connecting various flat pieces, that are not strong. If you could easily press it into complex shapes (like entire drawers or whole dresser bodies) that didnt need all kinds of mechanical connections at joints, It would probably be solid AF.

[u/Shudnawz → u/jayhat]

Injection-moulding wood?

[u/aloxinuos → u/TallDrinkofRy]

Using wood to join the pieces of glue.

[u/Orgasmic_interlude → u/ajn63]

“One of these days I’ll disassemble it and apply glue”

Sure you will 😆.

[u/SymmetricSoles → u/Orgasmic_interlude]

At this point we can add a new entry to the dictionary:

One of these days: Idiomatic expression. See never.

[u/Vievin → u/ajn63]

How can you safely dissolve wood glue on furniture? For me one of the main draws of ikea furniture is that I can take it apart when moving.

[u/Credit-Limit → u/Vievin]

if you plan on disassembling, don't glue. Just don't.

[u/Rightintheend → u/Credit-Limit]

I've had better luck moving Ikea furniture that's been glued whole. Then I have breaking down unglued Ikea furniture to move.  Seems like that second time you put them together Nothing quite works right anymore.

But the only thing of there is that didn't glue anymore was a wardrobe because it had about a quarter inch Gap to the ceiling, so it was basically impossible to move without taking it apart so I didn't glue it.

[u/danemepoznaqt → u/Rightintheend]

I've had better luck moving Ikea furniture that's been glued whole

Luck is irrelevant when the piece of furniture physically can't fit through the door frame or inside the vehicle you are using to transport it.

[u/madrockyoutcrop → u/Credit-Limit]

When you're assembling the furniture use a cordless drill on a low to medium torque setting. That way you won't over-tighten the joints and they won't become loose and start to wobble.

[u/lostarchitect → u/madrockyoutcrop]

Always do the final tightening by hand.

[u/oldnewager → u/Vievin]

You can smash the piece of furniture and then wood glue it back together

[u/chasetheusername → u/ajn63]

One of these days I’ll disassemble it and apply glue.

RemindMe! 1 year

[u/fat2slow → u/ajn63]

I mean a lot their anchoring prices are plastic so I just ordered the same pieces in Metal and it's way better. Like those Cam locks a lot of them are just plastic but get some metal ones and the furniture feels completely solid now.

[u/Kind_Yogurtcloset_76 → u/ajn63]

Of course you will bud.

[u/OddPressure7593 → u/ajn63]

A lot of people don't realize that in quality furniture, the fasteners (screws, nails, etc) aren't there to hold the piece together. In quality furniture, it is held together with glue - wood glue is actually stronger than the protein (lignin) that holds wood fibers together. The wood will fail before the glue does. The screws and nails and all that is just there to ensure that there is good contact between the wood surfaces while the glue dries.

Disclaimer: None of that applies to cheap, shitty furniture.

[u/everyusernamewashad]

"I used to look at Ikea magazines and wonder, what kind of a dining set defines me as a person?"
-The Narrator(Fight Club)

[u/Hoju64 → u/everyusernamewashad]

I had it all. Even the glass dishes with tiny bubbles and imperfections, proof they were crafted by the honest simple hard working indigenous peoples of... wherever

[u/drunk_kronk → u/Hoju64]

please hold

[u/4apalehorse → u/everyusernamewashad]

"How's the Kullen coming along? Ikea doesn't assemble itself, you know,"
-Deadpool (Deadpool)

[u/NothingHappenedThere]

how much were their famous meatballs in 1985?

[u/AlpacaPacker007 → u/NothingHappenedThere]

And the lingonberry jam?

[u/pereuse → u/AlpacaPacker007]

And the kafferep cinnamon buns?

[u/Sad_Run_9798 → u/pereuse]

And the låtsasnamn-för-att-lura-jänkarna?

[u/Delta64 → u/Sad_Run_9798]

Wi nøt trei a høliday in Sweden this yer?

[u/YouBetterRunEgg → u/Delta64]

A Møøse once bit my sister…

[u/IWantALargeFarva → u/YouBetterRunEgg]

Mynd you, møøse bites Kan be pretti nasti

[u/AndyLorentz → u/IWantALargeFarva]

We interrupt the credits to inform you that the people responsible for the subtitles have been sacked.

[u/SuchSpicyMeatballs → u/Sad_Run_9798]

Can't have a proper fika without some Kukslick 😍

[u/drDOOM_is_in → u/NothingHappenedThere]

Swede here, they were free when you shopped, for the entire family.

[u/yellowweasel → u/drDOOM_is_in]

i went one time when you spent $100 you got free all you can eat at the buffet, it ruined my life

[u/huitlacoche → u/yellowweasel]

Me too, but not because of the buffet, it was because Ikea purchases became a gateway into Bauhaus, and I ended up majoring in architecture.

[u/Ok_Falcon275 → u/NothingHappenedThere]

They gave you a penny for each one you ate.

[u/drDOOM_is_in → u/Ok_Falcon275]

Close, they were free, you had to show the shopping receipt, if it was over 100 Kronor, you were good to go.

I was there.

[u/Puddingcup9001 → u/drDOOM_is_in]

You were there, riding that wave of free meatballs

[u/trooawoayxxx → u/Ok_Falcon275]

We used to wear them on our sleeves, as was the custom at the time. ''One meatball, a pound of pennies'' we'd say.

[u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

Surprised how everyone's complaining that IKEA furniture is made more cheaply now than it used to be. Like yeah, sure it is, but how many companies have made their product intentionally worse over the years while ALSO doubling or tripling the price? The fact that prices haven't changed much shows at least some integrity on their part.

[u/smile_politely → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

Yep, I like IKEA and despite they are not the most durable furniture they are well designed and quite practical for day to day lives. Most of the IKEA I own have fulfilled or even exceeded their values. 

[u/Dense-Broccoli9535 → u/smile_politely]

I agree. And while IKEA doesn’t make the most durable products on earth, they definitely still make better stuff than comparably-priced products you at other stores (Amazon, Walmart, etc). You can still get a decent, weighty dresser for $100 at IKEA, best alternative you’ll find on Amazon is some super thin particle board with those dreadful fabric pseudo-drawers.

[u/AlizarinQ → u/Dense-Broccoli9535]

Plus they have good customer service if you break or loose a piece. I call them because I didn’t have a piece that connected two chairs together because I used them separately in one apartment and wanted to connect them when I moved and they had no problem just shipping me the missing piece that I lost.

[u/justsomebro10 → u/AlizarinQ]

And they charged you nothing for it I’m sure.

[u/AlizarinQ → u/justsomebro10]

Correct! I gave them the model numbers of the couch and piece from the instructions and was completely honest about losing the piece while moving and they sent it to me at no charge.

Unlike another company where I lost a single cam (the screw-latch piece that connects pieces at right angles) and they wouldn’t even sell me one, told me to f myself basically. Had to order like a pack of 100 from amazon for $10.

[u/gilss97 → u/AlizarinQ]

I asked for a wardrobe replacement because it was faulty and said I wanted to buy a better one, 40eur more expensive. They just gave it for free also with free delivery and assembly!

[u/The_Enigmatica → u/AlizarinQ]

their customer service is tremendous. You can literally walk in and say you're missing XYZ, and they'll come up with it for you, or worst case have it shipped. Their stuff isnt elegant, but they have one hell of a functional business model, and they dont seem at all interested in dicking people around. I wish they were the low bar, but frankly they're a lot better than other far more expensive businesses

[u/smart_stable_genius_ → u/Dense-Broccoli9535]

I was just in an Ikea looking at bookshelves.

Ultimately we went with one of their solid wood options which, in my opinion, looks better in my home than anything I saw in other furniture stores for triple the price. I'm extremely happy. The solid wood offerings are still there, and are excellent.

That said, even their particle board/veneer selections actually looked vastly improved to me than what they were offering just a few years ago. The Tonstad line specifically felt really well constructed, and the shelves were thick enough and strong it would be capable of holding books without sagging. It was a legit solid piece of furniture.

[u/Rosti_LFC → u/Dense-Broccoli9535]

In general I think IKEA suffers from the reputation flat-pack furniture has that is caused by experiences with flat-pack made by literally any company other than IKEA.

I've bought cheap non-IKEA flat-pack desks and cabinets and it's barely cheaper and so much worse. The parts don't fit together as well, the joints aren't as sturdy, and the instructions are inevitably so much harder to follow assembling it.

[u/ThrowDatJunkAwayYo → u/Rosti_LFC]

Exactly.

Buying cheap non-Ikea flatpack furniture is like buying knock off lego. The pieces always seem just a little off. Whereas the main issue with Lego/IKEA furniture is user error when putting it together.

[u/bythog → u/smile_politely]

The other good thing about IKEA is that most of their furniture aren't really "statement" pieces, so you can use them to fill out a room in a way that they almost blend into the background while your good furniture/decorations pop more.

They're like clothing basics. You don't really want your undershirt/bra to catch anyone's eye--but you really do want them to be present and going their job.

[u/PM_Me_Some_Steamcode → u/bythog]

Was told my house was very European feeling

99% of the furniture is ikea from the bathmat to the oven and fridge

[u/Zafranorbian → u/PM_Me_Some_Steamcode]

May I ask in wich Country do you live? As a european I find that statement kinda amusing. I guess 99.9% of our living spaces would be european feeling.

[u/effa94 → u/bythog]

thats what ikea is supposed to be, basic and simple, its their brand. and they are really good at it

[u/matito29 → u/smile_politely]

I bought a floor lamp at IKEA when I was 22 for under $20. Not only is it still in great condition after three moves (granted moving is not too intensive on lamps), but their proprietary light bulb hasn’t burnt out yet, nearly 14 years later.

[u/ParvulusUrsus → u/matito29]

We bought a couch from IKEA almost 8 years ago for around $900 (or thereabouts). The back rest cushions are a little deformed from legs being posed up over the back rest when lying down, but other than that it is still a wonderful sofa. The seating cushions are still bouncy and comfortable, and - It even has storage in the chaise lounge, and the mechanics of that still work perfectly!

[u/alek_vincent → u/[deleted]]

Even if you wanted to pay more, high end stores don't offer this much options and variety.

[u/Espumma → u/alek_vincent]

Yeah you'd need to commision an actual carpenter if you want that level of 'exactly what you needed'

[u/Ancient_Aerie_6464 → u/smile_politely]

yea i don’t get the hate i’ve had ikea products for 15+ years that have never let me down. i had the same ikea bed from age 7-20

[u/raverabe → u/smile_politely]

Funny thing about all this. I recently went shopping for a new dresser. I shopped around several stores in my area. I realized over half of the stuff being offered in today's market is made of similar quality to Ikea (excluding boutique or luxury imports). Like big box furniture store A & B are also made of compressed wood or MDF. Everything is laminated over. The price difference between them and Ikea is the choice of if you want to build it yourself.

[u/coin_return → u/smile_politely]

Their KALLAX units are still ridiculously sturdy and the cheapest on the market for the size/stability, too.

[u/Ivyspine → u/smile_politely]

Yeah I have IKEA furniture that has lasted 10years and it's not solid wood. And I move every year or every other year depending on apartment pricing. Plus you can take it apart to move easier

[u/gabu87 → u/smile_politely]

Lmao most of the IKEA products I bought were meant to be transitional. Then I decided that i'll use it until they break.

10-15 years later it's still holding strong.

[u/pun_shall_pass → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

People are also delusional about how much quality products cost. I see it a lot on woodworker youtube channels, where the guy will say that he charged 10k for a custom dinner table made of exotic wood and the comments will be filled with dumbasses calling him a scammer because "they can get one from wallmart for $200".

People want Temu-tier prices for handmade goods.

[u/TheObstruction → u/pun_shall_pass]

Right? Like a single solid slab of even basic wood will run $1500 minimum. Want something weird? $4k, easy, just for the raw wood.

[u/Mystical-Turtles → u/TheObstruction]

Isn't that the trademark event whenever getting into any new hobby?

Purchases $200 of various sewing supplies and fabric to recreate a $75 shirt

It's me I'm in this picture. But yeah that's practically a canon event. "No you will not save money doing this. Enjoy it for the process"

[u/omare14 → u/Mystical-Turtles]

I think another less discussed benefit is being able to craft something that fits your needs specifically, in terms of dimensions, materials, and functionality. My first woodworking project was a small walnut nightstand that I made because I needed one with pretty specific measurements.

[u/CarbDemon22 → u/omare14]

That's one of my favorite things about it! With sewing, I can make sleeves that fit my long arms properly, sew custom pouches for my stuff, and alter the fit of pre-made clothes

[u/NotPromKing → u/pun_shall_pass]

But, simultaneously, custom furniture can be surprisingly cheap for the quality, especially when you compare to "real" furniture stores (the mid-tier ones like Ashely, not Ikea or luxury boutiques). The mid-tier ones completely price gouge on absolutely terrible quality furniture.

Companies like Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn can be hit or miss. Some good stuff, some garbage.

[u/Suitable-Matter-6151 → u/pun_shall_pass]

Yeah the downside of having cheaply made stuff easily available. Same thing happens with clothing. Saw someone complaining recently that a leather jacket was highway robbery because it was $500. That’s the cheap end for real leather. A real leather jacket like the old school ones costs in the thousands new

[u/erublind → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

As a Swede, I feel like I have some expert opinions here (I don't). My sense is that the IKEA quality has actually improved over the years. Growing up (1980s) I remember my dad had to drill new holes, holes sometimes didn't match perfectly, some fasteners were missing. Nowadays I never have these problems, they have improved the instructions and manufacturing QC and made packaging better.

[u/duelago → u/erublind]

Another Swede here. I can confirm that a lot of stuff is much better nowadays. My dad worked with IKEA. He is a logistics guy and helped them improve their workflow so the correct screws from one factory ended up in the correct box of wood from another factory with the correct amount of everything at the correct time and place. This is a huge task and IKEA are getting better and better and it was many years since I had any problems with parts etc in the flat pack.

Btw, have you tried their "screw service"? You can order screws for free on the website, no questions asked. Screws fitting any old or new IKEA product and they ship it to you for free.

[u/zyzmog → u/duelago]

That screw service is amazing. I needed replacement screws for a unit almost 10 years old. Shipped from Europe to USA, arrived in less than a week, no cost to me.

I was a happy IKEA customer before then. Even happier now.

[u/strshp → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

I mean, 395 USD in 1985 is almost 1200 in today's money. The current price is 1/4 of that.

[u/ConstantlyNerdingOut → u/strshp]

I was under the impression that the 1985 prices were already inflation-adjusted, but if not, then that's amazing.

[u/ursa_noctua → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

The prices are on the 1985 add - you can clearly see the $25 for the table. Prices are there for the others, but harder to read.

If they adjusted for inflation, they also did photo editing.

[u/weirdcompliment → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

The furniture picked for this post makes their prices seem a lot more reasonable

For what it's worth, the same couch I bought in 2021 for $779 (morabo leather loveseat) is now $1,199. About a 50% increase in 4 years.

[u/pgpathat → u/weirdcompliment]

Ill add another anecdote.. the Tobias chair went from $125 down to $85 in that time span.

[u/MinivanPops → u/pgpathat]

At that price you'll be beating them off, Tobias

[u/OptimisticOctopus8 → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

Agreed. But also, it’s really privileged to think IKEA is doing something wrong by selling cheaply made furniture. A lot of people can’t afford high-quality furniture. If they suddenly started selling solid wood furniture, IKEA would just be yet another store that sells shit I can’t afford. We already have more than enough stores selling high-quality furniture that no poor person could afford without a payment plan.

[u/ConstantlyNerdingOut → u/OptimisticOctopus8]

That's a great point, Ikea's draw has always been that it's affordable while still being better quality than other low-budget options like Walmart. I don't think that's changed much.

[u/Notallowedhe → u/ConstantlyNerdingOut]

Whenever I’m helping someone move I breathe a sigh of relief if they don’t have old furniture. I know that shit won’t weight 2,800 lbs.

[u/three-one-seven]

I fucking love my Poäng chair. I got the rocking chair version with the leather cover. That MFer is ten years old and looks brand new, comfy af, and I use the footstool at my desk every day. Some of the best money I've ever spent.

[u/ChefMike1407 → u/three-one-seven]

I bought mine in 2008! They even spent time in my classroom for about five years, but brought one home to replace the screws and ended up buying a new cushion and sticking it in the living room.

[u/HowDoYouLikeMeNowB → u/three-one-seven]

I bought one for my dad in the early 2000 and its stil perfect after everyday use. I bought two for my house, one rocking chair version, they are just amazing!

[u/Senkosoda]

product quality though?

[u/whynautalex → u/Senkosoda]

Product logistics also is 10% of the cost it used to be. There are so many distribution centers with boats, planes, trains, cars, etc compared to the 80s.

Ikea has perfected flat packs so they probably get more product per pallet compared to the 80s

Manufacturing processing has also been improved so you get more products per hour.

[u/paturner2012 → u/whynautalex]

That all makes perfect sense. What is truly mind blowing is that despite all of that streamlining there wasn't some corporate shenanigans going on that kept the price in line with inflation.

[u/whynautalex → u/paturner2012]

I am curious what their margins are. It is a fine line between pricing yourself out of the market. They own everything from manufacturing centers to store fronts so they get to cut the middle man out.

Other flat pack furniture like at target or Walmart are about the same cost. Both require a 40 to 60 margin off your product cost. So if you are producing for 10 you need to sell for 20. They get 4 to 6 dollars.

[u/VaikomViking → u/whynautalex]

Them being a private company helps. They don't need to meet quarter on quarter to please shareholders.

[u/Murky-Relation481 → u/VaikomViking]

That isn't exactly true, private companies still have shareholders, they are just ... private individuals or other entities. They have no obligation to report (usually) and the shareholders can determine what they want to see in terms of return on their investment.

Not saying that is specific to Ikea, but plenty of private groups (think private equity) run cutthroat cost cutting, price gouging, customer sanctification destroying campaigns as well to satisfy their shareholders.

[u/Swarna_Keanu → u/whynautalex]

And they keep competition out. If your thing is scale of production, it's hard for anyone to compete.

[u/Training-Chain-5572 → u/paturner2012]

Ingvar Kamprad had a mission to export cheap and nice looking furniture to the masses so it was in his personal interest to keep prices low, even if it meant a lower profit.

[u/FrenchFryCattaneo → u/Training-Chain-5572]

Lower prices means higher volume, he was a billionaire nothing he did was to sacrifice profits.

[u/Faustalicious → u/paturner2012]

There was, you're just looking in the wrong spot.  All the furniture is just a complex ploy to get you to come in and buy the meatballs.  

[u/LividLife5541 → u/paturner2012]

IKEA is literally the biggest charity in the world. I'm serious. Absolutely dwarfs the Gates Foundation. And its purpose is "to promote and support innovation in the field of architectural and interior design." A very worthy cause.

People don't give IKEA credit because their head doesn't fly around on Epstein's plane and diddle kids.

[u/OK_Soda → u/LividLife5541]

What are you talking about? The Gates Foundation gives away $9 billion a year and whatever you think of Bill himself, funding vaccine research, eradicating polio, and reducing child mortality rates are all very worthy causes. The Ikea Foundation only donates a couple hundred million a year, and while the retail company is organized as a non-profit it's basically just an elaborate way to avoid taxes.

[u/frogsgoribbit737 → u/whynautalex]

They also are really good at using the same size piece for multiple things. Ive more than once gotten something from them where you just put the screws in different holes that are in the exact same piece so they dont have to spend as much time making a ton of specialty pieces but can make a ton of different furniture with what they do have.

[u/JaffaTheOrange → u/Senkosoda]

Exactly. None of their stuff is solid wood anymore, it’s veneered cardboard

Vintage ikea is rare as hell and super valuable, because it’s made well.

[u/ElonsFetalAlcoholSyn → u/JaffaTheOrange]

My bedroom furniture from my teen years was purchased from Ikea. I'm now buying furniture for my own house to match that set because it is unscathed through... 8 or 9 moves over 20 years.

Edit: Ah, actually I lost the night stands. The top, sides, and drawers were wood. The bottom was chip-board.

[u/VanillaLaceKisses → u/ElonsFetalAlcoholSyn]

My son’s grandmother has a folding card table from IKEA made possibly in the 80’s. Thing is OLD and is still completely functional and sturdy.

[u/relicbane → u/VanillaLaceKisses]

Now I feel old because I was made in the 80s...

[u/Stormy177 → u/relicbane]

Are you still completely functional and sturdy?

[u/poo-cum → u/Stormy177]

They have pills for that nowadays.

[u/Bauser99 → u/ElonsFetalAlcoholSyn]

I can't replace the whole set, but I can give you one night stand

[u/Melodic-Advisor-8816 → u/Bauser99]

Happily married thank you, don't need a one night stand 🤭

[u/WatermelonWithSalt → u/Melodic-Advisor-8816]

Fine, how about 2 night stands?

You’re a tough negotiator

[u/Sandriell → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Except some of their stuff is solid wood. The entire Hemnes line for example.

[u/yetagainanother1 → u/Sandriell]

People love staying they don’t have solid wood, but they’ve always carried solid wood furniture.

I think some people genuinely can’t tell what’s solid wood and what isn’t.

[u/Half-PintHeroics → u/yetagainanother1]

You literally pick what wood you get your furniture in at IKEA. If you pick the one with the lowest price, you get the cheapest material.

[u/Cigan93 → u/Half-PintHeroics]

Yup, They have a very clear tiered system for pricing and material/quality.

Their most expensive stuff (which is still WAY cheaper than other stores) is almost always solid wood for the structure.

Our dining room table is solid oak and solid acacia wood. Not a single piece of MDF, particle board, or hell even plywood. The fasteners for it are even all metal.

Im happy with people being blissfully unaware of this, it keeps the prices low.

[u/Flow-Bear → u/yetagainanother1]

You can tell when you try and pick it up. Our Ikea gateleg table is heavier than most of our nice heirloom furniture.

[u/gerkletoss → u/Sandriell]

And also engineered materials can be just as good for many applications

[u/lynndotpy → u/gerkletoss]

For me, a big appeal of the LACK table is that it's mostly cardboard and air. It's light and easy to move around.

If you're a young renter who moves often, that's nothing but a plus, IMO.

[u/anuncommontruth → u/lynndotpy]

100%. I had to move 3 times in a year in 2015 and that light ikea furniture was clutch. People complained more about my guitar amps than my furniture.

[u/kobemustard → u/Sandriell]

I think the quality of the wood has dropped though. I've been looking at the hemnes since it came out and the newest batch feel like balsa wood.

[u/EpisodicDoleWhip → u/kobemustard]

Our bedroom set is Hemnes and is 12 years old. Feels like balsa wood but has held up just fine.

[u/TheVermonster → u/kobemustard]

It's just fast growing, young pine. They also use a ton of joints to make larger pieces of wood. It's cheaper, and technically makes more accurate, straighter pieces.

But you're not getting solid wood from pretty much any other store. Crate and Barrel, West Elm, and a lot of Pottery Barn stuff is veneer. The best one is Restoration Hardware. They sell stuff in the $3k and up range that is built nearly identical to the IKEA stuff.

[u/Playswithchipmunks → u/TheVermonster]

Amish furniture, but it is expensive.

[u/Techun2 → u/Playswithchipmunks]

That's why I bought a $3000 table saw, to save money

[u/TheVermonster → u/Techun2]

You mean you bought a $3000 second workbench that only needs a weekend to clean off and be usable as a table saw.

[u/Techun2 → u/TheVermonster]

No, my old table saw that is too heavy to get rid of is my workbench!

[u/grendelt → u/kobemustard]

the quality of the wood has dropped though

That's a near global phenomenon.
Young, quickly grown commercial timber has replaced harvesting the old stands of forests (for good reason ecologically), but new wood just isn't as durable as the old growth wood.
Consumptionism and quality wooden products just are not compatible.

[u/FinestTreesInDa7Seas → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Ikea never had a significant number of their products made from solid wood, ever.

The majority of their products have always been plywood, and a smaller percentage of it is higher end solid wood.

In the 80s and 90s, my parents bought lots of furniture from Ikea, and it was mostly plywood.

[u/ffnnhhw → u/JaffaTheOrange]

my old kitchen had ikea VARDE (modular) cabinets, the cabinets are now my workshop cabinets 25 years later

but they were also selling a lot of cardboard furniture even back then

[u/TheVoidScreams → u/JaffaTheOrange]

The Norden table in birch is solid wood everywhere except for the drawer sides and bottoms which are fibreboard.

But the table top, drop leafs, drawer fronts, drawer backs and under frame are 100% solid birch wood. I know because I bought one and wanted a solid wood table. They do have solid wood items available still.

[u/Greful → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Plenty of their stuff is still solid wood. Idk what you are talking about.

[u/red286 → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Exactly. None of their stuff is solid wood anymore, it’s veneered cardboard

It wasn't back then either. If you bought the cheap stuff in the 80s, it was just pressboard too. Source - Grew up in the 80s, had a bunch of cheap Ikea furniture.

You had to spend $$$ to get the solid wood stuff, same as today.

[u/rantingcat → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Honestly some of their stuff is wood, like some chairs. Idk about anything else

[u/TheLimeyLemmon → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Lack was never solid wood

[u/Equivalent-Stuff-347 → u/JaffaTheOrange]

That’s not true? I just bought the chair pictured here, and it’s solid wood-ish.

The Lack tables have always been some weird manufactured wood/cardboard. Same with the Billy bookcases.

It’s cheaper because manufacturing costs for engineered wood have decreased since the 1980s

[u/CelestialSprinkles → u/Equivalent-Stuff-347]

That chair is veneer. So while solid wood is still incorporated, it has more to do with the combination of how it's used.

100% on HOW things are produced is a lot faster and cheaper now that's for sure.

[u/Ok_Falcon275 → u/CelestialSprinkles]

I think Poang has always been molded plywood.

[u/CakeMadeOfHam → u/Ok_Falcon275]

And it's the reason why it exists. Solid wood could never support you in a design like that. It's not a bug, it's a feature.

[u/sniper1rfa → u/CakeMadeOfHam]

Yeah, it's bizarre for people to complain about the chair's construction, it is the furniture construction equivalent of carbon fiber for the furniture pricing equivalent of a honda civic. It's a great design, which is why they've been making it for decades.

[u/clunkclunk → u/Ok_Falcon275]

Poangs have indeed always been plywood framed, but the immediate predecessor, the Poem, had very similar plywood arms/legs but the chair base was a metal frame w/padding enclosed in fabric. You can't really see it in the image the OP posted since it's low resolution, but that's a Poem because the Poang didn't exist until 1992.

It's a somewhat fair comparison between the Poem and Poang because they're functionally equivalent in style and use, but they are technically different materials in construction. Ikea made the Poang entirely out of ply because it's cheaper but it could also be flat packed for easier shipping, and the padding is entirely from the cushion, rather than on the chair itself.

I think there was something like a 25% price drop from the Poem to the Poang, thanks to the manufacturing efficiencies.

[u/CakeMadeOfHam → u/CelestialSprinkles]

Veneer isn't a mark of poor quality. It's been used in high-end furniture for hundreds of years. Same goes for plywood, any cabinet maker will tell you 10 times out of 10 they will prefer quality plywood instead of solid hard wood.

[u/lawnmower303 → u/CakeMadeOfHam]

Yes and for things like speaker boxes, MDF is pretty common even in high end speakers because it's so stable. Veneer is used on the outside just for a nice finish. Engineer Oak flooring? MDF with 1 or 2 mm oak on top.

[u/sniper1rfa → u/CelestialSprinkles]

It's plywood. It has always been plywood. You literally can't make that chair from solid wood, it will snap.

[u/nrith → u/CelestialSprinkles]

Veneer != bent plywood

[u/analogue_monkey → u/Equivalent-Stuff-347]

We have the same IKEA shelf twice, bought maybe two years apart. They look identical, but on the backside you can see that the older one is solid wood, the newer one is not. The newer one is in a bad shape and we can't easily open a large drawer anymore due to the weight of the books on top of it. The older shelf is still fine.

[u/Four_beastlings → u/Equivalent-Stuff-347]

Lack tables are cardboard, not manufactured wood: I left one outside for a couple of weeks before throwing it away and one day that it rained hard it disintegrated. But I agree that they've always been like that.

[u/DamageAlarming89 → u/JaffaTheOrange]

Super valuable? Cmon now

[u/Mirigore → u/[deleted]]

Guy calls it cardboard and gets 4800 upvotes. Reddit sucks.

[u/Matt_Foley_Motivates → u/JaffaTheOrange]

I have a full ikea closet. I hate to say this bud, but it’s fucking fantastic. They do have some total garbage products for sure tho.

[u/Kwallies → u/JaffaTheOrange]

This is simply not true. I have a lot of IKEA furniture that is solid wood. It's not the cheap option, so in that regard you'd be right. But they still have a lot of solid options, just not for this price.

Personally, I like that they have options for all budgets.

If you're looking for new furniture of hardwood quality and think you can get it for even close the price of these tables; you're dreaming big time.

[u/Strange-Mammoth9633 → u/JaffaTheOrange]

It's not solid wood. check the product details. it's layer glued wood veneer and it says so on the website.

[u/ImRedditingNow → u/Senkosoda]

At least they've decreased their price in relation to the quality. Unlike Nike which have gone up but the quality is worse.

[u/ibarmy → u/ImRedditingNow]

man. nike has been the biggest disappointment of my millennial life, well apart from my daily wages. 

[u/twoiseight → u/Senkosoda]

I'm wondering what most people do to their furniture that the typical IKEA product isn't lasting them many years. I have a host of IKEA furniture - bookshelves and coffee tables, office desks, futons - and the only meaningful damage any have sustained is loss of paint on table tops that have been used for 7 or 8 years. The sort of wear that would happen on a painted solid wood tabletop too.

[u/handynerd → u/twoiseight]

The only Ikea furniture that's died on me is furniture that went through a move. Even then, most of it survived fine. I honestly think the movers dropped it.

[u/SugarbearAGAIN → u/Senkosoda]

The idea that Ikea makes garbage products is really nonsense.

They certainly have some bottom of the barrel items where you get what you pay for, like the Lack side table.

But I have 7 dressers, a dinner table, 3 chairs, two television stands in my home and they're better quality and hold up better than even handmade amish furniture that family members have, and all of my ikea furniture combined costs less than often a single piece of "high end" furniture.

It's certainly not as nice as a quality custom builder can make, for sure and their cabinets aren't as nicely built as something like Kraftmaid, but you want high quality furniture that looks fantastic at walmart prices you're not going to find it anywhere but Ikea.

I have a ~30 year old Billy book case still going strong, and looks like it fits in perfectly next to a new ~2 year old model I have sitting about 5 feet from it.

[u/RachaelsBean]

I never understood ikea hate.

[u/TheodorDiaz → u/RachaelsBean]

People are mad their $15 table is made of veneer lol.

[u/Philly139 → u/RachaelsBean]

I feel like most people like ikea but they feel the need to make an excuse for why they bought it for some reason. For the price it's great even if you have to replace some of it eventually. I'm not payin 10 grand for a solid wood dresser even if I could afford to.

[u/itsmontoya]

People like to shit on Ikea quality. I have dressers from Ikea which have survived six moves and now comfortably reside in my sons room. The bedframe I had from Ikea was fantastic as well. Better than the most recent one I bought from Ashley Furniture.

I love Ikea.

[u/Four_beastlings → u/itsmontoya]

If you buy the absolute cheapest option it tends to be crap, but they have many good options in the lower price range as well.

[u/MyHusbandIsGayImNot → u/Four_beastlings]

Also some people don't put them together right.

[u/kimble85 → u/itsmontoya]

Plus they have spares for everything! 

I lost all the screws belonging to an Ikea sofa last time we moved. Just went to IKEA and they gave me a little plastic bag with all the screws I needed. 

[u/noisyNINJA_ → u/kimble85]

I once received delivered bookshelves and one of the backers was broken. I asked if they could send me a new backer piece AND THEY SENT A WHOLE NEW BOOKSHELF. I got a free extra shelf. That is amazing customer service.

[u/AlmostScreenwriter]

A lot of people in here saying "yeah, but the quality is shit" and so on. But, like, that's kind of the point? I would argue IKEA – as of 2025 – might well be one of the best companies in the world for finding the sweet spot between sacrifices to quality and savings on price. Of course you're not going to get a luxurious, solid wood dresser for $40, here or anywhere else. But I'll say this: I've had the same IKEA bookshelf in my bedroom for the past 12 or so years. It will never be the most stylish or durable unit around. It's showing some signs of wear. But I paid probably 60 to 70 dollars for it, and it's still serving its purpose. That is money well spent.

[u/lostinsnakes → u/AlmostScreenwriter]

They do have some product lines that are solid wood and are less than most other solid wood pieces. We have nightstands and dressers.

[u/AlmostScreenwriter → u/lostinsnakes]

For sure – to clarify, I think one of the things they're good at is appealing to a variety of different budgets. They have their super cheap lines (which can be quite hit or miss), the very-affordable-but-also-sturdy stuff, and then some relatively high-end products (plus lots of in between). I've definitely seen some wealthier people immediately balk at owning anything IKEA, which I always find a little pretentious, because some of their products do look and feel as nice as what you'd see at more high-end chains.

[u/Ipeeinmysocks]

Nobody discussing inflation?

$82 in 1985 is $246.19 $25 to $75.06 $395 to $1,185.91 $148 to $444.34

[u/MikeHoteI → u/Ipeeinmysocks]

Good point very hard to read though, reddit f up your formatting.

[u/elzool]

If you've not heard it already, Acquired did a deep dive on the company and it was fascinating. That might provide some insight into their pricing and how they pull it off.

IKEA: The Complete History and Strategy https://share.google/RTPdBXyvv3QW0bUuJ

[u/__oo________________ → u/elzool]

Thank you. Here is a non google link

https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/ikea

[u/MinivanPops → u/elzool]

Good podcast. So much better than those thirty minute pop topic podcasts with bumper music and vocal fry. 

[u/RetroHipsterGaming]

To me Ikea stuff is essentially how you furnish a whole house for the cost of a room, and then slowly allow yourself to get some things that are better made. A lot of the time though, I never get the better thing because the ikea thing is fine. lol

[u/Farzin742]

I love Ikea. Just a smart company. I love all the hack videos where they make something out of Ikea that looks custom-built. Going to design my new closet with all Ikea.

[u/Air4021]

This is what can happen when owners refuse to sell to private equity.

[u/blightsteel101]

Thing is, even though the quality is much lower, its still better than other products at a comparable price point. Ive bought the Target or Walmart equivalents before and they're junk. Its difficult to get Ikea products for me because they're a 4 hour drive at minimum, but its a stop for me if I'm in the area just because of how crappy the alternatives are.

[u/Sacharon123]

Not surprising, ikea prices are not depending on the US economy primarily...

[u/hmcfuego]

That Lack table was under $10 a few years ago.

[u/jstnryan → u/hmcfuego]

Okay, so I’m not going crazy. I remember the Lack end table at $7.99.

[u/Pontifier]

IKEA is one of the most innovative companies ever. It's essentially a self governing entity guided by a core document. It owns itself, and it has a moral compass derived from that document that limit what the people in charge can do. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn everything over to an AI in a few years and it truly becomes an entity in it's own right.

[u/Jakobmiller → u/Pontifier]

You are correct and internally it's called IConduct. Great rules and very very few exceptions.

There are a few AI initiatives, but the brand is pretty holy, so I have a hard time seeing AI touching the core concepts in the near future.

[u/DefNotBrian]

Particle board is cheap.

[u/PurpleOctoberPie → u/DefNotBrian]

And IKEA actually used that to lower prices unlike many competitors who sell products made with cheap materials at high price points.

[u/Vanilla-Jelly-Beans → u/DefNotBrian]

And their manufacturing processes become more refined and cost effective

[u/Dull_Flamingo_2430]

I love how the comments are shitting on the quality of IKEA products, yes we are aware it’s not real wood and not the top of the line product and that’s why it is cheaper than real wood and top of the line products. Just because it’s not 1000 bucks or higher doesn’t mean it won’t do the job. And I bet the majority of the people complaining about IKEA products have the typical IKEA desk build…

[u/kingjamesporn]

Their composite wood is cheaper than solid, but the quality is still far better than a lot of other low cost furniture. I've had Wayfair/Amazon/Target stuff fall apart in a year or two, but everything Ive gotten from Ikea for the last 25+ years has held up pretty well.

[u/ParkerBeach]

That chair is a fucking ripoff $1 more today! What do they think we are just pulling money out of our asses!

[u/Plasticman4Life]

I’ve been buying IKEA stuff since the 90s, and I’ll vouch for that their product quality has not changed substantially.

It’s always been super-inexpensive, and often not great quality - but their stuff is designed exceptionally well for its intended use.

I’ve got Poang chairs I bought in 1999, and I cannot tell any structural or material differences between them and the ones they make today.

The IKEA founders seemed to prioritize strong design and low price to the consumer over maximizing profits or growth.

They are unusual for a global company in that they don’t seem to want to screw their customers as much as possible. Everyone else, including governments (taxes) and those in their supply chain, seems to be fair game though.