by
Felicia
2017-03-04
Replacement Farlov sofa covers available now on our shop! Click the image to get yours today 🙂
The Farlov Sofa showed up as a tiny blip on our radar when sent us a link of it on the IKEA USA website in January this year. There was no indication of when it would be available in our local store and there wasn’t much news on it online either. Even now, the first image on Google is a tiny, low res product photo from IKEA Egypt.
Imagine my surprise when I dropped by IKEA to buy a squeegee (as you do) and spotted this shiny new fresh face among the Ektorps, Kiviks and Norsborgs.
Overview
The Färlöv series has 5 family members so far:
1) Armchair

2) 2-seat / Loveseat
3) 3-Seat / Sofa
(looks like they pulled a Kivik on us again – 2 sofa models that look similar but the 3-seater is just wider than the 2-seater)
4) Sectional Sofa in either the 3+2 or 2+3 Configuration
5) Footstool / Ottoman with storage
Comfort
It looks like it should be something you can just sink into, and I tried to do that, I really tried. I only realized why when I came home and looked at photos of the Färlöv sofa on the website – the cushion in the showroom was flat, what we in the slipcover business call a standard box cushion. Meanwhile the photos on the IKEA website show that the Farlov’s seat cushions are supposed to have a slight dome-shape. The Farlov hasn’t been out for long, so even I know that the cushions aren’t supposed to flattened so quickly, especially in comparison to the other show units.
I’m awarding some points for the sheer depth of the sofa itself. Like the Soderhamn, it has a large back cushion layered with a smaller lumbar pillow. Very tall people will love this sofa because you can sit all the way inside when you read your Hemingway and Tolkien novels.
The sofa cover’s material though, is something my mother would like (and I say this with love). It’s a blend of cotton, polyester, and 16.5% linen, so it’s not bad for an Ikea slipcover!
Rating: 7/10
Aesthetics
Only two fabric colours are available at the moment, namely Flodafors Beige and Flodafors White. Whoever designed this clearly thought that if someone wanted a traditional slope armed sofa, they’ll only want traditional colours for their slipcovers, so white and beige it is!
Just… no. You know IKEA designers, we’re always yelling at you for coming up with crazy fabrics for your Klippan, but a little creativity would have been nice for the poor Farlov, but no, you put it in the beige/white corner.
And then I remembered why the Farlov sofa looked so familiar. A slope armed slipcovered sofa with corner pleats and double layered back cushions? Why, that sounds like…
The Ikea Farlov sofa series is a DUPE for Restoration Hardware’s Belgian Classic Slope Arm Slipcovered collection. Slightly different armrest shapes, but the general look is there. Okay, I take it all back now. The RH sofa starts from US$2095 and that’s probably just with a basic poly-cotton slipcover.
Another close relative is the Pottery Barn York Slope Arm slipcovered sofa collection, which starts from US$1499 in the loveseat size.
The original Farlov sofa cover options are lackluster, but the sofa’s shape and style is pretty on point and classy. I especially like the banana-shaped armrest fronts like the super chic Ikea Holmsund sofabed. If you’re interested in custom slipcovers for the Farlov in a variety of fabrics, we’re making Farlov Sofa Covers!
Rating: 8/10
Price
Currently, the Färlöv armchair is priced at AU$449 on IKEA Australia’s website, but it’s US$399 for our American friends. This puts it on the pricier end of the IKEA sofa spectrum and on par with the Stocksund armchair, another favourite among those who love the traditional style of their sofas. Meanwhile, the Färlöv 3-seat sofa is AU$899 in Australia and US$699 in the US. It’s almost twice the price of the people-pleasing Ektorp sofa.
That being said, it’s incredibly affordable compared to the Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware sofas mentioned in the previous section. If you’re a fan of the modern farmhouse trend but don’t have an Amex Centurion card, then the Farlov is your best bet.
Rating: 8/10
Durability
I’ve said it already, but it bears repeating. The seat cushions for the Färlöv sofa and armchair in the showroom paled in comparison to almost all the sofas on display. I use the word “almost” because I’m still refusing to sit on the hideous Vallentuna. The foam insert was already flat – how is that even possible? We can only hope that the slipcover is super durable.
On a separate note, we’ve been seeing a rise in the the use of polyester-cotton blended with other materials in Ikea’s slipcovers, resulting in what feels like a thicker, sturdier material. We already saw the exit of the well-loved Blekinge White, could this be a sign of things to come?
Rating: 6/10
Hackability
Slipcovered? I’m already imagining this with a ruffled back cushion for someone’s walk-in wardrobe. Or give it some contrast piping to emphasize the armrest fronts and seat cushion.
Legs? It’s the same old bolt size that’s used in many of the Ikea sofas, so it’ll be easy peasy to DIY some velcro and put a snug fit velvet slipcover on the Farlov armchair, then swap out the original legs for our replacement sofa legs for a super sleek look. Done and dusted!
Rating: 7/10
Overall Conclusion
Verdict: 7.2/10 – Not too shabby(-chic)!
The Farlov series from IKEA is for those who want to graduate from the basic Ektorp. While it’s a little pricier than many other IKEA options, its traditional shape is timeless and slipcovered style makes it easy to keep clean and really go the distance.
Have you checked out the IKEA Farlov sofa yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Hey great job! This is really nice article I am glad that I read this. Thanks a lot!
Glad you liked it! 🙂
have you tried the sleeper sofa? Is it possible to have an upholsterer replace the crappy foam with something better?
Hey Cathleen,
We’re sure it’s possible! The foam mattress that comes with the Farlov sleeper is a futon mattress that measures 60.25″ x 79.5″ (153 x 202 cm) – according to IKEA. You may work with your local upholsterer to create a new mattress for your Farlov following the same dimensions and folding areas.
Let us know how it goes, good luck! 🙂
What is the blue color and fabric of the slipcover used in the picture on top of this page (blue sofa, blue ottoman and beige chair? It’s really beautiful but there’s no indication of where to get that slipcover. Thanks
Hey Saida!
It’s actually a 3D render from IKEA in which we are also very curious about as we haven’t seen this in their stores too!
In the meantime, we are working on getting more fabrics in and hopefully we’ll be able to acquire a dark navy linen like that soon 🙂
Hope this helps!
Will you be developing a sectional cover anytime soon?
Hey Jennifer!
It won’t be so soon but it’s definitely something we’re looking into 🙂
Stay tuned!
We purchased the sofa and loveseat in March and LOVE these sofas. They were firm when we first got them, but they’ve softened up (without flattening). We always wanted to buy the Ektorp for the look and price, but every time we tried them out, they felt like doll furniture and hard as a rock. We like our sofas on the supportive side, but the Ektorp never felt comfy. The Farlov depth is also amazing! I love using throw pillows, and with the Farlov I can do that AND still have room to sit down. 🙂 Not crazy about the slipcover fabric texture…not cozy. I got covers in both the white and beige, but I had linen covers made as well, and they look very upscale. VERY pleased with our purchase.
I’m an American living in Germany, and while couch shopping I saw the Farlov in IKEA last week. After shopping around at a few stores just to compare different factors, I decided to buy the Farlov 2+3 sectional.
I am 6 feet tall and my husband is 6’2″. He likes to relax in our living room and his chief complaint about our current couches is that they aren’t deep enough to be comfortable. Well, the Karlov sectional is plenty deep. I know he’s going to love relaxing on it.
Didn’t have any complaints about the cushions. Granted, I’m not a fan of the single cushion but if flatness ever becomes an issue I can either buy or splice together enough batting-wrapped foam to fix it. I also love that I’ll be able to wash the slipcovers. That was a definite deciding factor for me.
Farlov has a 10 year warranty, so I’ll definitely be updating it as time passes with different slipcovers. I’ve never bought an IKEA sofa before so I’m excited.
One more thing, it was actually a bit more than I wanted to pay, but I’m still pleased that it met all my needs. Can’t wait for delivery next week!
I just bought the Farlov sectional and I found your site looking online for a blue velvet slipcover. I’m so sad you don’t have one available yet for the sectional style.
I loved the Farlov’s deep seats and shape immediately, but I’m less in love with the Flodafors White material. I have held back on buying an extra slipcover set for the Farlov so far. I asked the IKEA store rep about more options and she said they will likely introduce another option next year. I told her I wanted a finer, white material for summer with higher cotton/linen content and a cozy blue velvet cover for winter months and the IKEA rep told neither were very unlikely. Very disappointing news.
Ohhh we don’ t have it in Spain. Only for 2 and 3 places
Will it come?
Hey Nilo!
We do have the 2 and 3 seater sofa covers, is this what you’re looking for: https://comfort-works.com/en/farlov-sofa-covers-462
Let me know!
I love the look of the farlov, but am worried that it will be difficult to remove and wash the slipcover due to the length of the single bench cushion (I have dogs and kids, and will want to wash the cover with somewhat relative frequency). Can anyone give an opinion as to how heavy or difficult changing the cover is? thanks much!
Hey Lisa!
Personally I prefer changing one larger cushion cover compared to two smaller seat cushions because the bigger the slipcover, the higher the allowance normally 🙂
So while I haven’t had hands-on experience with the Farlov, I’d say it’s a pretty easy job changing the slipcover due to the way it’s constructed (1 x frame cover, 2 back cushion covers, 1 bench seat cover, 2 throw cushion covers).
Of course, it’s easier and better to have a friend or two to help – many hands make light feet after all.
Hope this helps!
Will you be making slipcovers for the sectional version? The fabric offerings are both nice colors but the texture feels cheap.
Hey Sarah,
We will definitely add this to our collection, but once the sectional version is launched worldwide. Currently it’s limited to the USA. If you’d like, we could drop you an email once we do add this 🙂
Can you please e-mail me when you do this??
Hey Camber,
Sure, we’ll let you know once we start making covers for the sectional.
I am also interested in the sectional slipcover. White is great for our beach house, but when we let it out to renters, we want something more practical than white. Based on the posts so far, it looks like you have lots of interest in the newest IKEA line of sofas/chairs.
Hey Erin,
Sure thing, we’ll definitely keep you in the loop if we start making the sectional covers 🙂