Sad news! The Karlstad sofa has been discontinued and is no more. We’ll be giving it a proper send-off, and taking the new replacement line for a test sit.
We’ve also received reports that individual stores are clearing out stocks. It’s a great shame that this very popular line is moving on, so let’s take a moment and remember all the good times that your Karlstad had as well as the pretty sofa covers you could get:
Alright now that’s over with, let’s move to where the party’s at. So who’s the new kid on the block?
The IKEA Landskrona
…And he looks very familiar to the guy on the way out. Yes, the Landskrona is available now in IKEA but only in tufted leather options for now. Word from our reputable source says that there will be fabric options coming soon – but if you can’t wait we could build custom slipcover for you!
The good thing about the Landskrona – I couldn’t see this anywhere else other than a professional office / sophisticated modern apartment. Just like the Karlstad, Landskrona also comes in a lot of configurations; loveseats, armchairs, and even conversation pits. One of the most versatile sofas from IKEA and it’s great to see this being carried on to its successor.
Needless to say when this came out, we toddled down to our local IKEA and tested it out in real life. It’s hard to tell at first glance but the main difference between the Karlstad and Landskrona would be the positioning of the sofa legs.
You can see that for the Karlstad, the legs are directly below the armrests while the legs of the Landskrona is underneath the body base – I guess IKEA is trying to go for the more modern, possibly Scandinavian look.
In terms of comfort, the leather Landskrona isn’t that comfortable in my opinion – think leather Karlstad. The cushions are very firm which is good for support but not so much for comfort. Tufting is also mandatory for now, which might not appeal to everyone.
Seating is pretty deep in as well, which means if you’re “vertically challenged” (I’m 5′ 10″) then the floor might be a reach too far. The tufting might have created this illusion as well, since it compresses the puffiness a bit – we tried the Landskrona, and went to sit on a fabric Karlstad to see the difference. The leather Landskrona just seemed “flatter” in the rear region.
The armrest is just like the seat: firm. In a pinch it’ll do for a makeshift seat but probably not highly recommended since the legs have been re-positioned so I’m not entirely sure hold up – I didn’t dare push its boundaries and buy another sofa I didn’t need.
Similarly to the Karlstad, the 2 and 3 seater are rather hard to tell apart as they have the same number of seat+back cushions. AND, there’s another discontinued leather sofa called the Karlsfors that looks identical to the Karlstad but seems to be a bit smaller. No one really knew much about the Karlsfors, it just came and left like a wandering spirit…
IKEA also offers a choice of wooden or metal legs for the Landskrona so you can customize your sofa to be homey or modern. Oh btw just in case you guys aren’t aware, we’ve also recently launched our very own line of legs for your IKEA sofa 🙂
This way to IKEA sofa replacement legs
Verdict:
Overall, we gave the Landskrona an 7/10! Great choice, firm support and nothing but improvements on the classic Karlstad design – meaning the Landskrona has a bright future ahead. The only thing that could be improved on is the price (US$779/AUD$1,049) – but as they’re currently only available in bycast leather sofas, we’re accepting of it for now.
Design: 7
Comfort: 6
Versatility: 8
Overall : 7 out of 10
Are the Landskrona covers offered by IKEA very limited? Check out our fabric collection of more than 70 styles (with various functions as well) here:
34 Comments
by Emma S
Hello, I’m interested to know if the grey landskrona will be available in the UK? I love the white, but too scared to buy due to having 2 small boys, plus also denim marking. Thanks!
by Chuck
Hey Emma!
We’re not entirely sure, but you can check with IKEA UK directly 🙂
Hope this helps!
by Emma S
Thanks, I did just that, but they didn’t know of its existence or knew if it would be released in the UK. I hope so, as I’d buy it in an instant. Will keep checking. ..
by Dawn F
Nooooo! We completely LOOOOVE our Karlstad sofa, and we’ve been pretty upset to see them take away such a popular line. In fact, our dream was to buy the big sectional Karlstad once we finish building our new home. Grrrrr….. Darn IKEA! What are they thinking.
That said, I wouldn’t at all mind the Landskrona if it came in options BESIDES leather. We are not a leather family and probably never will be. Give me some woven fabric options, comparable to the Karlstad but for the Landskrona, and I’d be a very happy camper again.
by Chuck
I know right? I totally love the Karlstad and I still have a leather version similar to the Landskrona in my lounge area.
Even if IKEA doesn’t offer the fabric options anymore, you could always get fabric slipcovers to cover up the leather 🙂
I think I just might do just that in another couple of years time!
by Mila
Don’t buy Landskrona. It does have great design and comfort, and leather is soft and good quality, but sofa frame (wood, polyester foam) has horrible, gasoline like smell that does not go away. We have a grey model, that we were trying to off gas and air out for 6 months but no success. Sitting near it for more than 5 minutes can give you headache and watery eyes. Label says it has no flame retardants but there must be something in that polyester or wood frame. We will have to return it.
by Chris
I was very skeptical about Ikea’s sofas. However, I admit i have owned a Klippan and one of their tube chairs which I forgot the name (Tullsta?). They were fine but then again As I live alone and they are in my den I and i live on on my desk and chair or the island in the kitchen none of my sofas in the den or the living room or the lower level room really get sat on other than if I have guests. The leather in Canada is top grain and not bycast or bonded so it is a higher quality. The styling with the tufting, like it or not, is top notch. Very hard to get anything to compete with this. Zuo has some stuff and modern looking on half price at the Bay but not leather. For the price point very stylish furniture – and sometimes that means cleaning issues ie buttons but if you love style and solid seats thisis hard to beat. Very amazing look.