by
Henry
2013/10/06
So we stopped by IKEA Richmond the other weekend to check out the new Soderhamn Sofa series recently launched. PS: never go to IKEA on the weekend, it’s a zoo out there! Go there on the weekdays, they close at 9PM (you’ve been warned).
We went with the expectations that this would be a mind-blowing design (fast-forward 5 years and it is now actually still quite popular), as it’s not the typical blocky couch or classi round arms. Let’s dive deeper into this shall we?
Comfort
First thing we noticed were that the Soderhamns have very, very thin seat cushions, “this can’t be comfortable” we said. We were wrong! the seats are very cushy in fact because they use a netting-like base underneath the seat cushions, very interesting.
The sofa also feels solid and deep enough for a complete slouch for those lazy days where you don’t feel like doing anything.
The other couch perfect for perfect laziness is the Kivik sofa series in my opinion; most of the other IKEA couch series seem to suffer the same problem of not having enough seating to support your whole upper legs (I’m around 5ft 8″ or 173cm, not exactly massive).
I’d give it a surprising 9 out of 10 for comfort.
Price and Durability
The biggest bang of this sofa though, is price! A 3 seater sofa for AU$499 – in comparison to the other series, the Karlstad is $569, the Ektorp and Kivik are both $799. Our all time favorite, the Stockholm is $1399. A pretty damn good deal if you ask us.
It makes sense at the same time with seemingly less raw materials used for its skinny frame, but it holds up pretty well.
Of course, we didn’t jump on the sofa but we did play musical chairs on it. Jokes aside, the sofa remained sturdy no matter how we sat on it so we don’t think it’s a sofa that breaks easy. No need to worry about using IKEA’s 10 year warranty.
8/10 for price, 8/10 for durability as well (we’re still using the same Soderhamn set for the past 5 years now and it’s still holding up great!)
Aesthetics and Hackability
Sofa cover wise, they come in 5 original colours as of 2013: Turquoise, Sand, Beige, Black and Dark Grey. I like it so much, I’m starting to think about what we’re going to do to make space at home! And yes, like the Tylosand and Kivik, you can lego it around to add or minus any pieces to suit your home’s layout.
Here’s what we did with it in 2016 (Yep, another hack):
(Read about the Soderhamn Hack here)
Hackability 9/10 hands down, Aesthetics 8/10 depending on how you end up configuring it 😉
Overall Conclusion
To sum it up, I think the Soderhamn is simply Sexy + Affordable + Comfy + very Modern looking. Possibly one of the nicest sofa collection from IKEA.
Comfort Works now also sells slipcovers for the IKEA Soderhamn Series too! Some of our recent work can be found below:
Definitely a great buy overall, but that’s just my opinion. What do you guys think?
Further reading:
- IKEA Soderhamn Sofa Guide and Resource Page
- Mid-Century Style replacement sofa legs (which fit the Soderhamn)
- Hacking the Soderhamn Corner Sofa – Ghost Sofa Slipcovers
- Hacking the
Soderhman Corner Sofa – “Armless” Armchair
If you’ve found this review helpful and want to find out more about other IKEA sofa models, click the button below for the best IKEA sofa reviews!
Does the Sofa on the picture above” Soderhamn in Herringbone and vintage legs”
is with on of Ikea sofa covers or its with custom one from comfort works?
That’s a Comfort Works cover 🙂
The fabric used is Herringbone Pebble – it looks similar to IKEA’s original but if you go close and scrutinize it, you’ll see a distinct Herringbone pattern which is definitely not IKEA.
Hope this helps!
Anybody finds themselves with a deteriorating inner cushions?
The poly inserts inside the back cushion are covered using these paper like materials and they kinda turn into dust overtime, very very messy work when its’ time to wash em.
I found that when I first finished building my soderhamn that it was not nearly as comfortable as in the store. It looks like this thing really has a break in period.
I did sleep on it an found it to be acceptable. I wouldn’t say its not comfortable. Of course this varies highly from one person to another. I’m 40 years old and not in the best shape of my life.
I love this sofa and I really whant it but I often have friends sleep over. So do you think one could get a good night sleep on it? and also what combination do you recommend on wich 2 people can sleep?
Thank you!
Hey Carmen!
The Soderhamn would not be the most comfortable sofa to sleep on to be honest, let alone have two people sleep on it. As of now, if you’re able to get your hands on a Friheten corner sofa bed I’d say that makes the best contender for hosting your guests 🙂
Hope this helps!
Ok I want to chime in about those bars underneath.
I just got the love seat and the chaise soderhamn. The chase lounge has 1 bar and the love seat has 2. Both instructions show the bar being rotated.
I was baffled by this because they did not budge and I thought maybe Ikea redesigned it and kept old instructions–i say this because I have seen this happen before. I even started to call ikea to inquire about it BUT i ran into this website. The reassurance of several made me try again and this time with more force.
Guess what, they do rotate!! You really really need to put some force into it. At first I thought maybe I unscrew the bar mount and rotate it, but that didnt make sense because holes wouldnt line up and usually ikea instructions would show to use a screwdriver.
So yes, do not unscrew the bars, just grab the bar tight and torque it with a lot of pressure in the rotating motion. It will budge.
I hope my post adds as well as reassurance and knowledge.
this is by far the most UNCOMFORTABLE piece of furniture we’ve ever owned. We bought it as I made the mistake of choosing sleek slimline design over comfort. Regardless of your height or size this chaise feels hard, ridgey and offers very little support. It gives you back ache due to long/wide & low seating. We’ve had ours for a year and I can’t wait to get rid of it or give it to the dog as his bed instead! Sorry, but that’s the truth peeps. Don’t do it.
Actually a wrench did it right quick
So that bar does budge? I can’t move it with my hands. Also my knuckles grate against the cushion when even wrap my hands around it. This doesn’t seem right
I recently bought one of these sectionals only because of the price and how comfy it felt in the store. After hours of assembly, I decided to take a nap to test it out. I realized quickly that this sofa wasn’t as comfy as the one in the store! I went to the store to see what was up. I opened the cushions there to discover they are using different padding. I feel somewhat cheated as I was buying a product based on a comfort level I was expecting.
No way!! any chance for photos?
I am having trouble figuring out what to do with the curved bars. Can someone please help me out and give detailed instructions on how to rotate them?
Hey Lisa!
It’s actually lots of elbow grease, they don’t really seem to budge but they just need to be rotated 90 degrees so the curved portion faces outward. A lot of muscle is definitely needed, maybe some WD40.
Hope this makes sense?