The Vimle sofa might just continue being IKEA’s biggest hit for many years to come. It’s simple, comfy, elegant and modular.
It blends well with many different looks and can be adapted into many different decorative styles for your living room, which makes it easy to pull off a different look for every season while still keeping the same sofa.
The Vimle design isn’t too risky, and that’s precisely why we like it. Every now and then, IKEA goes back to the contemporary look, making the Vimle perfect for a broad range of styles and personalities.
To give you a better idea on why you should get this sofa, here’s our in-depth IKEA Vimle sofa review just for you.
P.S: The IKEA Vimle is now called “Finnala” in the US and Canada (with some improvements made), but the name “Vimle” remains in other parts of the world.
In this post we’ll be talking solely about the Vimle, not the Finnala. There’s a separate review on the Finnala that you can check out.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Overview
The Vimle sofa comes in a few different sizes and combinations. Here are a few options to choose from:
- 2-seater
- 3-seater
- 4-seater
- 4-seat sofa with chaise lounge
- 3-seat corner sofa
- 4-seat corner sofa
- 5-seat corner sofa with/without chaise lounge
- 6-seat U-shaped sofa
- Footstool with storage
- Armchair
- 2-seat sofa bed
- 3-seat sofa bed with/without chaise lounge
As you can tell, there’s quite a lot you can do with the Vimle. And since it’s modular, you can buy each piece individually and combine them to achieve the exact look you’re going for in your living room. There’s even a Vimle planner on IKEA for you to customise your Vimle from scratch.
Comfort: 7/10
Have you ever sat on the IKEA Karlstad sofa? Well, the Vimle is very similar to the Karlstad in its depth and height but the Vimle is noticeably wider.
The Vimle might not look like the most comfortable or inviting sofa to rest on, but those assumptions go away the moment you start sitting on it.
It’s big enough to comfortably fit people who are almost 6-feet tall, and the 3-seater Vimle is wide enough for a good nap.
Although we were initially quite surprised by the quality and build of the Vimle, one of the only drawbacks might be their armrests. They are tall and thin, making them a little difficult to sit on when you’re having a party with more people than cushion seats.
And since they’re thin and tall, resting your head on these armrests might not be the most comfortable thing to do on the Vimle.
Though this could be easily dealt with by adding a few throw pillows or cushions, we feel that these armrests are the only drawback from this otherwise perfect sofa.
Update (2022): There is the “wide-arm” option for the Vimle sofas now! The old one with tall and thin armrests are still available, but the newer option has lower and wider armrests that measure at 54cm in height and 22cm in width. The first version of IKEA Vimle has armrests that are 65cm/68cm in height and 15cm in width. IKEA must have heard us and other people! Who doesn’t love improvements, AND options?
Aesthetics: 8/10
One of the things we love most about the Vimle is its versatile design. It’s simple, yet elegant build can compliment almost any kind of look and style in your living room.
As we mentioned earlier, the design of the Vimle is anything but risky. It’s simple — and almost minimal — look, makes it easy for just about anyone to fall in love with.
What’s the catch? You can only get the Vimle from IKEA in just 6 colours: Gunnared Beige, Gunnared Medium Grey, Hallarp Beige, Hallarp Grey, Saxemara Black-Blue, Saxemara Light Blue.
Price: 7/10
The prices of the Vimle IKEA sofas are relatively standard. It’s certainly not one of IKEA’s most expensive ranges of sofas, and we think that the quality-price ratio is very acceptable.
A 2-seater IKEA Vimle sofa in Saxemara Light Blue costs £450 and a U-shaped 6-seater in Bomstad Black fabric costs £3,228. If you don’t have a big family and a comfortable sofa will do, £1,000 could get you a 3-seater, with a balance.
What do you think?
Not in the mood to splurge on a brand new sofa? That’s okay! There are plenty of ways to elevate your living room with a sofa that looks brand new, thanks to our sofa slipcovers.
Quite affordable?
Then take things to the next level by adding some personalised touches to your sofa with our custom covers that are handmade to order.
Durability: 7.5/10
Just like any other IKEA sofa, the Vimle has a 10-year guarantee. But just because it has that 10-year guarantee, doesn’t mean that we didn’t put it to the test.
That’s why we went to IKEA and tried in every way possible. We sat on it, laid on it, open and shut the chaise lounge and footstool over and over again, and even tested the unions between different modules.
We tested it to our heart’s content, and we have to admit that once you actually sit on the Vimle, you can’t help but to trust in its comfort and support.
The Vimle does indeed have a solid structure, even when it’s combined with other pieces. The unions between the individual modules and legs of the Vimle are also strong and reliable.
It never fails to retain its solid and stable structure. It ensures a consistent level of comfort, making the Vimle an all-time favourite in our books.
Verdict: 7.5/10
We’ve been having a lot of discussions among the Comfort Works team, and this is our overall score on the IKEA Vimle sofa:
- Comfort: 7/10
- Aesthetics: 8/10
- Price: 7/10
- Durability: 7.5/10
- Final Verdict: 7.5/10
The Vimle scores a solid 7.5/10 in our final verdict. It is a well-rounded sofa with a great design, and build quality to back it up. It checks all the boxes and has scored well in all the things we consider crucial in a good sofa.
And guess what? We loved the Vimle so much that we went ahead to include it in our roster of customisable slipcovers.
Add a personal touch to your Vimle sofa. Browse through our wide selection of fabrics and styling options that can help take your living room to the next level.
29 Comments
by Eda S. Bell
I just bought the Vimle for my summer house. I bought an extra cover in another fabric. My question is, does one have to take the sofa apart to change the cover?
by Chuck
Hey Eda!
I’ve got a Vimle for myself as well – assembling it was not the easiest so unfortunately you would have to take the sofa apart to change the cover.
Best to get a friend or two to help out, many hands make light feet!
by Amy
Hi! I was wondering if you can remove the armrests all together without the sofa looking unfinished? (Ex. No exposed holes for screws etc.) Thanks!
by Chuck
Hi Amy!
That’s a very interesting question, I own a Vimle (2 seater + chaise) myself and while it is possible to leave out the armrests, you end up losing height because the legs are attached to the arms. Secondly, you may lose some structural integrity as the armrest basically secures the backrest and seating frame of the sofa.
As such, my general recommendation would be to keep the armrests actually 🙂
Hope this helps!
by Ezra
Are the cushions fastened down to the bottom and back of the frame? Do they shift with normal usage?
by Naomi
Hey Ezra,
The cushions are not fastened down to the bottom of the backrest and frame in any way, but they are indeed ample and fill up the backrest/sitting space well. We do not have the Vimle in our headquarters, but from what we’ve seen (and felt) in stores, the cushions don’t really move around much when sitting on it. 🙂
Hope this helps!
by Kellie M Werner
I’m wondering if you have any tips or tricks on taking the Vimle apart. I’m moving to a new apartment and would love to take the couch with me. But I am a little scared that I will ruin the couch in the process.
by Naomi
Hey Kellie,
Congrats on your move! Usually, we recommend following the IKEA assembly manual (in reverse) if you plan on disassembling the sofa. Here’s an example of the Vimle 3-seater assembly manual:
Frame – https://www.ikea.com/my/en/assembly_instructions/ratorp-frame-3-seat-section__AA-2060035-1_pub.pdf
Armrest – https://www.ikea.com/my/en/assembly_instructions/vimle-frame-armrest__AA-2104061-1_pub.pdf
You can find this on the IKEA Vimle page, simply click on “Product Details” and then “Assembly & Documents”.
Good luck!
by cass knowlesy
I have the vimle 2 seater plus chaise longue (chaise on the left). I’m moving house and it will only fit if I move the chaise section to the other end. I’ve been googling and cant see whether this is an option, and I don’t remember when I bought it if it was left side specific?? Any tips? Can I just move it to the other end?
by Naomi
Hey Cass!
You can definitely do that, since the Vimle is a modular series. This means that each component can be taken out and affixed to another component, which would allow you to get virtually any combo you want.
Just be sure to follow the IKEA Vimle assembly manual instructions and grab a buddy or a family member to do this with you 🙂