Not sure if you should get this sofa? Take a look at our updated IKEA Färlöv sofa review in 2022 before you make your decision!
If you’re too lazy to read, watch our video about the IKEA Färlöv instead:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. History, status check & technical details
2. Design & aesthetics
3. Comfort
4. Price
5. Slipcoverability & hackability
6. Overall conclusion
7. Assembly guide
History, status check and technical details
Launched in 2017, the Färlöv family consists of 4 models at the time of writing – the armchair, 2-seater sofa, 2-seater sofa bed and 3-seater sofa. The sectional seems to have been discontinued at this moment. As of now, the Färlöv is still available in the US, Great Britain and Australia.
The Färlöv is actually quite a huge sofa, with the 2-seater being 85 ⅞” (218cm) wide and having a deep seating of 25 ¼” (64cm). If you are planning to get it, you’ll have to take into consideration the size of the sofa that may not fit your space. The Färlöv is also a low-sitting sofa, so if your house is one with a low ceiling, the Färlöv should fit right in.
Design and aesthetics
The IKEA Färlöv sofa has been said by many to resemble sofas from high-end brands such as the Pottery Barn York Slope Arm slipcovered sofa collection and Restoration Hardware’s Belgian Classic Slope Arm Slipcovered collection. But, it comes with a price that’s 3 to 4 times cheaper! One feature that makes the Färlöv stand out is its beautifully sloped arms in comparison to many of IKEA’s boxy sofas with straight arms.
The IKEA Färlöv sofa is available in 2 kinds of fabrics and 4 colours. The first fabric is yarn-dyed with natural hints of flax so it gives more texture to the fabric. Although crisp, this material can feel scratchy to the skin for some people. The colours available for the Flodafors fabric are white and grey. The second fabric is velvet that has a soft surface, dense pile and reflective shine. This one comes in dark grey and dark olive-green and is a more comfortable fabric to lounge on.
Rating: 8/10
Comfort
While the sofa may be firm during your first few “sittings”, the seat cushions eventually soften a little over time. Similar to the Söderhamn, it allows you to sit all the way back while you enjoy a book, but it definitely isn’t as soft as the Söderhamn. Despite that, the Färlöv is still very good for lounging, even if you’re in the taller group.
Rating: 8/10
Price
Currently, the Färlöv 2-seater is priced at GBP329 in Great Britain, starts at AU$449 in IKEA Australia and US$799 for our American friends. Meanwhile, the Färlöv 3-seat sofa starts at US$949 in the US, GBP295 in Great Britain (crazy discount for the Flodafors White cover!) and AU$749 in Australia (only available in Djuparp Dark Grey).
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 not about the price of luxurious sofa brands, then pick the Färlöv already!
Slipcoverability and hackability
With the limited slipcovers from IKEA, we bet you’d like more choices. Take a look at how you can transform the plain Färlöv by simply using slipcovers. Whether you want a snug fit or long skirt, the choice is yours. Did we already mention that you can choose from more than 70 fabric styles for your Färlöv (and other IKEA sofas) upgrade?
You could totally put a Pure Linen slipcover with pleated skirts on the Färlöv for a farmhouse look. Additionally, the sofa legs have the same old bolt size that’s used in many of the IKEA sofas, so it’ll be easy-peasy to swap out the sofa legs for something cuter. Done and dusted!
Overall conclusion
The Färlöv 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.
Verdict: 7.2/10
Assembly guide
Have you checked out the IKEA Färlöv sofa yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
59 Comments
by KB
Chuck. To answer your question re: colors. In addition to washable white covers, I’d be interested in a stone color — a soft taupe/gray — also washable. (We have dogs . . .)
by Chuck
Thanks Krista!
Maybe you can check out our fabric collection firstly? Here’s the link: http://comfort-works.com/en/home/fabric-samples-24
Highly recommend the Kino heavy duty fabrics if you have dogs 🙂
by Tamara
Just tested this at IKEA and found it very comfortable and super cute. But may go with Holmstad which isn’t comfortable so I have the bed option for kids use and farlov chairs for my husband and I. But, comfort of farlov sofa may win over need for couch option…. of Holmstad.
by angela
I actually liked this sofa a lot however, I totally agree about the seat cushions. They looked lumpy in the warehouse. By doing a quick google search it looks like you can buy replacement foam and I measured for about $150 shipped for the 3 seater couch.
As far as the fabric, I did not love it but I think for people with kids/pets it makes a fairly durable couch. I have two white golden retrievers and their hair shows on anything that’s not white which really makes me want a light covered sofa (and I just love white sofas!). I have been on the hunt for a deep bench seat cushioned couch in a light color with low arms that is not cotton. I think cotton attracts the dirt and just can look dingy quickly animals and kids. This fabric is super thick and has a sheen to it that I don’t think will look that dirty that quickly. I ran my fingers over it with my nails over and over to see if it would catch and pull and it did not. It’s pretty heavy duty. I think it’s a fantastic option for people with kids and pets.
by Paulla Dacklin
I just bought two of the larger Farlov sofas for my beach house. Got rid of the hideous sleeper sofas in favor of something that you could actually sleep on. After much cursing surrounding the put together involving four adults including a pressboard failure whilst trying to attach the arm rest section, they look fabulous.
We purchased the two sofas with the beige slipcovers and one extra white, tried out one each to see which looked best. Concluded that the white looked best in our great room, but will keep the beige ones on for when the home is rented. So back to IKEA to purchase another white slipcover.
I am going to shorten the slipcover length so that it hangs about one inch past the bottom edge of the of the sofa so that the legs are exposed for a more modern and clean look. I plan on doing this myself using my home sewing machine.
I am not using the lumber pillows and have two fairly large down pillows and two medium down pillows that seem to work well for back support. I will use the lumber pillow fabric to create arm rest covers.If I decide later that lumbar pillows are a must I will buy lumbar down inserts and make my own pillows using either Pendleton a blanket or yardage.
The fabric is sturdy and already I had the opportunity to clean a the skirt that a guest managed to get chocolate cake on. I just sponged the spots with a damp washcloth that had a small amount of soap and it came right out. I love the fact that they can be cleaned in the washing machine. My trick is to put the slip covers on while they are still a bit damp which seems to help with the wrinkling.
I love the firmness of the bench seat and slept there myself to test the comfort.The bench length of 75 1/2 inches will work well for all but the very tall.I put a napped Pendleton blanket on the bench which softened the effect and was very comfortable. I will use twin sheets to cover the bench cushion when it is in use as extra sleeping.
The Farlov was a great choice for the scale and space of the great room and for the use as extra sleeping. A similar effect to the sofa used in my inspiration article, which came from PB. (Dec/Jan 2014 House Beautiful, “Global Vision “)
Very happy with the Farlov sofas.
by Chris
We’ve just launched our own line of custom Farlov covers, check them out today if you’re interested 🙂