IKEA Soderhamn sofa review – lounge once, never get back up

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview
2. Comfort
3. Price & durability
4. Design, aesthetics & hackability
5. Verdict

Overview

Launched in 2013, the Söderhamn has come a long way since then. However, the fact that it’s still available in various countries in 2022, the IKEA Söderhamn is going strong even after almost 10 years of being in the market.

Does it really have what it takes to pass the Comfort Works’s sofa standards? Here in this IKEA Söderhamn sofa review, we reveal the details since we’ve got our first ever Söderhamns in 2015.

Comfort

First thing I noticed were that the Söderhamns have very, very thin seat cushions, “this can’t be comfortable” I thought. I was wrong.

Here’s how it went: Because the Söderhamn is lower than the average sofa height (only 39cm), I had to lower myself slowly down so as not to add too much pressure to my knees (youngsters nowadays are less healthy). But once I sat on it, I realised: OK this is the end of my work day.

It is that comfy. The fact that it has very deep (70cm) and cushy cushions makes it very easy to change all the plans that you have for the day and just…lay there with a book, your phone or with Netflix turned on the whole day. That’s because they use a netting-like base underneath the seat cushions for that extra softness.

For those with back issues, we do not recommend this sofa because with the soft back cushions AND seat cushions, there really is no way you’re able to sit properly. If you remove the back cushions though, and add a small, firm pillow for your lower back, then it would probably be somewhat better.

Comfort: 8.5/10

Price and durability

Due to how modular this seat is (we’ll talk about this later), we’re just going to display the price for the 1-seat section and 3-seat sofa as there are just too many variations you can fix up with the Söderhamn.

1-seat corner section (with armrests): USD300 – USD350
1-seat section (without the armrests): USD339 – USD379
3-seat sofa (with armrests): USD749 – USD899
Chaise lounge: USD360 – USD470

Wondering why the 1-seat section with armrests is cheaper than the 1-seat section without the armrest? Us, too. But. we’ve got a Söderhamn hack here to help you save a little of that money and get the best bang out of your buck.

So, if we use the price of the pre-constructed 3-seat sofa as a benchmark, the price would be in the low to mid-range category. With this price, what makes it better is that the Söderhamns in our office are still very comfortable to lounge on even after 7 years. Maybe it’s because it’s already so soft since the beginning of time, there’s no way it would become worse, just better and better (for the loungers).

As for how it’s standing at this point of time, it’s great. It’s been 7 years! There are no signs of it breaking down (or anytime soon), its frame is still very sturdy as people plop down daily for a quick break.

We change its slipcovers every now and then, so it’s quite refreshing to see slipcovers of different colours and materials change the kind of look the Söderhamn offers.

Durability: 9/10

Design, aesthetics and hackability

So, as we mentioned earlier, the IKEA Söderhamn looks skinny (from its armrests to the seat cushion and steel legs). It just doesn’t look as reliable as how the IKEA Vimle looks – big, sturdy and secure. 

The Söderhamn may look chic and modern, but it really depends on how you dress it up.

For example, if you wanted a Scandinavian design, our Cotton Canvas White slipcovers with a long skirt would be a great fit. 

Dress your IKEA Söderhamn in Pure Linen Natural slipcovers and our replacement sofa legs for this boho-chic look.

We make vegan leather slipcovers for the Söderhamn too. You can also swap the legs out for our Bailey Wooden Sofa Legs for a vintage sofa look.

One big selling point of the Söderhamn is that it’s modular. This means you can purchase sofa sections and combine them together to form the ideal size and arrangement that you want. Depending on the size of your family, your home or your lifestyle needs, you can use the IKEA Söderhamn planner to achieve that.

In fact, it’s so easy to modify that we hacked the Söderhamn a few times ourselves. We actually made it into a three-seat section with 2 individual seats and even hacked it entirely into a premium sofa lookalike. 

Design: 8.5/10
Hackability: 9.5/10

Verdict

All in all, the Söderhamn is simply modern, affordable, comfortable and so easy to modify. We’re giving it a 9 out of 10.

Maybe we’d give it a 10/10 if they came in our slipcovers…

How did you enjoy our IKEA Söderhamn sofa review? Let us know in the comments below.

Make your Soderhamn a 10/10