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IKEA Grönlid sofa review

How does the IKEA Grönlid compare to the IKEA Ektorp, given that they’re both quite similar?

Let’s break it down.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Aesthetics
  2. Comfort
  3. Hackability
  4. Pricing
  5. Final verdict

Aesthetics

Design-wise, I personally feel the Grönlid mirrors the Ektorp quite closely. Chuck thinks the Grönlid is what we’d have if the Ektorp and the now-discontinued Vimle had a baby. We agreed to disagree.

Armrests

IKEA Gronlid VS IKEA Ektorp

The armrests on the Grönlid are a traditional round arm shape, but not as chunky as the Ektorp. This gives the Grönlid a much more clean and refined shape, overall.

IKEA designers Ehlén Johansson & Francis Cayouette also thought of the little things. Notice that the Grönlid’s piping style is much more subtle compared to the more traditional style on the Ektorp.

The armrests are quite a distance from the seat, creating a seat cubicle that you can retreat into. The only thing is, when you actually want to use the armrests, it can be a tad uncomfortable.

Colour choices

IKEA didn’t give us much choice on the covers for this one. They seemed to have gained inspiration from nature (again) and frankly, it gets a bit dull after a while.

Here are some of the colours offered at IKEA Britain:

IKEA-gronlid-dark-grey-couch
Image credit: IKEA

The Sporda Dark Grey is perfect if you’re a parent (pet-parents included). You probably have to worry less about colour marker stains when your toddler gets his Picasso on.

IKEA-gronlid-light-green-couch
Image credit: IKEA

The Tallmyra Light Green is a sweet, teal colour and would go great with a mostly white decor or even those with a more natural, wooden feel.

IKEA-gronlid-couch-natural-colour
Image credit: IKEA

The Sporda Natural works with almost any decor – a standard neutral sofa.

IKEA-gronlid-medium-grey-couch-living-room
Image credit: IKEA

The Tibbleby Beige/Grey is a perfect choice for parents who want a modern touch in the living room and for times when their little ones decide to work on a “project” on the sofa.

IKEA-gronlid-white-couch
Image credit: IKEA

The Inseros White is great if you like a sofa that’s very simple and don’t mind the maintenance of its white couch covers.

IKEA-Gronlid-red-sofa livinf room
Image credit: IKEA

The Tallmyra Light Red is one of the more vibrant colours in the Gronlid series and it’s for those who like something a bit more sporty in their living room.

In a nutshell, the colour choices available for the IKEA Grönlid are all of what I call “IKEA colours”, borrowed from nature and distressingly overused.

If you too are feeling uninspired by the standard IKEA colour offerings, we’re happy to report that you can order your own custom made Grönlid sofa covers from Comfort Works. (We have over 70 different fabric options!) 

Find your Grönlid slipcovers

Aesthetic score: 6/10

Comfort

In terms of comfort, the Grönlid is a clear winner in the IKEA family. We’ve taken into account all the comfort factors that we could think of for the Grönlid.

Cushion thickness

Internal structure of IKEA Gronlid
Image credit: IKEA

The cushions on the Grönlid speak for themselves in terms of comfort. Essentially, they make you feel like you’re sitting on square clouds. The seat cushions are domed on the top (a little like the Vimle) because of the extra fibre stuffing. (Maybe there is some truth to Chuck’s Ektorp met Vimle theory.)

Seat depth

IKEA Gronlid measurement
Image credit: IKEA

The seat depth on the Grönlid is about 20% deeper compared to the Ektorp. This extra space is great when you want to lean back to the maximum or if you need space for your laptop. The extra depth is also great for napping, whether for adults or children.

The only setback is that it’s a little hard to get out of because of the extra deep seats but maybe IKEA just wanted people to stay relaxed a little longer.

Loose back cushions

IKEA Gronlid in Inseros White
Image credit: IKEA

The movable cushions on the back of the Grönlid give you the freedom to adjust them to your preferred comfort level. They’re also great if you need something to prop your head on when taking a nap.

Nap-ability

Yep, we did try taking a nap on the Grönlid we found at IKEA and it was possibly the best IKEA nap ever! The cushions are so soft yet they provide flawless support. The fibre layers in the seat cushions conform to your body and keep you fully supported during naptime.

Comfort score: 9/10

Hackability

The Grönlid, as with almost all IKEA sofas, leaves the designing to you. You can mix and match the components in the Grönlid series to get the perfect look for your living room.

IKEA Gronlid in brown leather slipcovers
Image credit: Sarah Heath/@brunetteandbabes

The Grönlid series comes with the usual shebang of sectionals: footstools, corner units, chaise lounges. But its chunkiness does limit your flexibility in combining the different components available. Just a 3-seat section is good enough to occupy an entire wall on its own.

Hackability score: 3/10

Pricing

IKEA Gronlid in grey slipcovers

Now, it all comes down to this: the price point. Surprisingly, for a super comfortable and cosy sofa, the IKEA Grönlid 3-seater is only GBP 499, compared to the Ektorp 3-seater at GBP 429 (both in their cheapest fabric option, of course).

If you plan to deck your 3-seater out with a chaise here and a footstool there, the price can start to stack up.  

Personally, I’d choose the Grönlid blindfolded, based on the comfort factor alone. But I’d stick to the essentials, mainly because the bare minimum is already good enough.

Price score: 7/10

Final verdict

The Grönlid is a decent sofa range addition to IKEA’s catalogue; my only complaint is that the colours are not great. 

It gets a gold star for comfort – those cushions are unbelievably soft yet provide great support. The loose cushions are a great touch and it gives your sofa the fluidity to be a daybed, when needed.

Hackability isn’t so great with this series. The price point is within the affordable range and given that you’d be paying a little more for a bigger and better sofa, it makes sense for the Grönlid to cost a little more than the current bad boy on the IKEA block, the Ektorp sofa.

Overall final score: 6/10

If you love the Grönlid but not the standard colours it comes in, or need to give your existing Grönlid an update, have a look at our custom sofa covers. We have over 70 different fabric options for any kind of lifestyle, and all the different Grönlid variations. Go crazy!

Find your Gronlid slipcover

Show CommentsClose Comments

30 Comments

  • by Di
    Posted January 22, 2019 5:24 AM 0Likes

    Hi we just got a new gronlid 3 seater with chaise-love it! so ideal for family living. Only thing I’ve noticed is the covers seem to be baggy after you sit on them for a while… hoping they don’t get worse as it makes the couch look older than 2 weeks. Anyone else notice this?

    • by Hema
      Posted January 23, 2019 10:33 AM 0Likes

      Hi Diane,

      Have you tried adjusting the covers. They are usually velcro-ed to the frame so you would be able to adjust it if they seem to baggy. Hope this helps!

  • by Jacquie Slinger
    Posted February 25, 2019 8:50 PM 0Likes

    I’ve just bought the Gronlid 3 seat and 2 seat sofa and love how comfortable it is! However the colour isn’t what we require. Please can you let me know when the Gronlid covers will be available to buy?
    Thanks

    • by Hema
      Posted February 26, 2019 1:54 PM 0Likes

      Hi Jacquie,

      We’re planning to get the templates real soon.

      However, if you’d like, we can still make the covers for the Gronlid as a custom order.

      Just drop us an email at info@comfortworks.com.au and we’ll get you sorted out with a set of Gronlid slipcovers. ?

  • by Georgia
    Posted March 27, 2019 10:29 AM 0Likes

    Hi team, I’ve bought this couch and really really really regret my colour choice 🙁
    Please tell me you are close to bringing our covers in this style, I’m desperate.

    • by Hema
      Posted March 27, 2019 10:33 AM 0Likes

      Hi Georgia,

      At the moment, we are still able to make covers for the Gronlid as a custom order.

      Just drop us an email at info@comfortworks.com.au and we can take it from there. 😊

  • by Tomas
    Posted May 4, 2020 1:13 AM 0Likes

    Hello. Do you have INSEROS color of Gronlid for 2seats? thank you.

    • by Ning Lim
      Posted May 4, 2020 1:25 PM 0Likes

      We can create slipcovers for just the seat cushions of your Gronlid, but we usually don’t recommend this since a mismatch of color and fabric might occur. This is because all our fabric collections are original and exclusive to our brand – we do not carry IKEA’s fabrics.

      I would strongly recommend ordering a few fabric samples first to make sure you find a match for your sofa. For IKEA INSEROS, try our Cotton Canvas White! 🙂

      You can order up to 8 fabric samples for a small fee which we reimburse via a voucher code, from here: https://comfort-works.com/en/fabric-samples/fabric-samples-24/

  • by Shaq
    Posted January 10, 2022 2:21 AM 0Likes

    Very excited reading this review. We’ve just bought a Gronlid 4 seater + chaise sofa in 2022 at Ikea Malaysia lol. Hopefully we would still be able to shop for custom Gronlid covers from you guys in the future!

    • by Naomi
      Posted February 4, 2022 4:02 PM 0Likes

      Congrats on your new Gronlid, Shaq!

      We reckon that this is a sofa to really last, so you’ll probably have it for a while. If you ever want to switch things up a little, you know where to find us -or rather; our slipcovers 😉

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