TABLE OF CONTENTS
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.
40 Comments
by Jorgie
Slick and modern for a good price yes…..
cushions are way too thin…not the most comfy thing in the world…
plus some cushions are thicker than others.
For now its great with kids, dogs, cats etc….but if this is a long term thing…save some money and buy something better quality.
Keep this in mind when buying it..because for some reason I forgot …IT COMES IN A FLAT BOX…how good can it be?
by Henry
I totally agree with the cushions being too thin, a sofa just doesn’t feel like a proper sofa when you can’t drop your backside onto it and feel safe with the fall, haahaha!
Having said that, i think there’s something smart how they designed the base of the sofa where it has the netting bit that gives a bit more bounce when sat on.
The coolest thing is it’s modularity though, the option of being able to be added onto is way too cool; we really think it’s a real nice couch, but abit more cushions definitely wouldn’t hurt!
H
by Michael
We just purchased and assembled two weekends ago. We just moved into a new house and did not have any furniture, but didn’t want to wait shipping days to relax. So, we went to Ikea, which was a 5 minute drive down the road (It is dangerous living so close).
It is so comfortable! The three peice with chaise was our favorite combo and were able to get it home in two trips in our hatchback. Assembly was a bit of a chore, but everything came together very well. Putting the covers on the back/armrest pieces were probably the hardest part as it was a very tight fit. I like the idea that we can take the covers off to wash, but will probably be hessitant to take the covers off the armrest/backs if they get dirty. It comes with brackets and screws to completely attach the three pieces to make it one, but we didn’t use it, becuase the idea of moving pieces around is so cool!
We plan to get another piece and convert it into a corner sofa. The foot stool is basically the same as a seat but with a cover that goes around all edges. This can be placed in front of the sofa to make a neat bed.
Overall, the quality is great and the comfort is very high!
by Henry
Michael, when you said ‘dangerous living so close to ikea’ you meant you’ll shop at ikea too often or maybe its the traffic caused during the weekends!
With IKEA’s quality, frankly find once they’ve been disassembled more than twice (esp during house moving), all the hinges and joints get a bit wobbly; maybe its just me though
by roger
The pricing of this sofa is very strange. By combining smaller components you can get this even cheaper with additional pillows! We purchased 2 corner sections a single center section and a footstool and it came out much cheaper than a 2 seater sofa and a chaise lounge. The corner section is priced very low ($200 USD) and you could add a $50 arm rest and have a chair for $250, but to just buy a chair it is $399 USD. The Additionally the corner sections come with 2 large pillows and a small one. We’ve got it in beige and it is nice. If you look at the Europen Ikea websites they have more fabric options hopefully those will come to other markets soon.
by Henry
Glad to know this lil’ trick; i myself have plans for a corner setup with the soderhamn (without the arms actually), so it might just work out cheaper cuz the arms are $70 per piece in AUS 😀
by Priti
Does anyone have tips on putting the covers on the soderhamn? I have the 3-seater sofas, footstool and chaise. I am really struggling!! I managed to break a stitch when trying to put the footstool cover on…really tight fit. Thanks for any help.
by Henry
Generally, by aligning the 4 corners of the covers to each frame’s corners before slowly pulling them down evenly corner to corner will definitely helps. They’re kinda meant to be very fitting so, it’s not exactly a bad thing that they’re ‘that tight’.
For those looking for the PDF of soderhamn’s assembly instruction, have a look at this link:
http://www.ikea.com/cn/en/assembly_instructions/soderhamn-one-seat-section-cover__AA-569506-3_pub.pdf
by Deb
Bought the 3 seater sofa with chaise in the sand color, and had it assembled by a couple of male friends. As in the showroom, I love the sleekness of it but being a senior citizen (64) with not-so-great knees, I’m finding it very difficult to get up from, especially the chaise part. It’s quite low, and the flat cushions don’t provide the oomph to help me get up easily. Also, the fabric gets a bit wonky after it’s been sat on, but I suppose that happens with lots of inexpensive furniture. I’ll keep it for a year or so, but then hopefully replace it with something better suited to my situation.