Tuesday, March 1, 2016

{ Leather vs. IKEA Ektorp Sectional Review...}

Welcome back guys & happy Tuesday to you!! Today I'm here to bust some peoples' bubble hahah just kidding, well kinda{ but only to help & inform }! I'm here to do a review on the ever so popular Ektorp sectional from IKEA! I'm comparing it to a leather couch/ sofa so you can get a better picture at what I personally do & don't like about both etc.. I know there's been a million of these reviews done on these couches for the past year because lets face it they're SUPER popular right now! Now if you follow me I'm not one to really "chase" the trends..however I broke down & did this one time & well..Yea about that..! We've always had leather in our home. We had leather from the start & not because we have kids or had animals at the time, but because my style was more modern. When my styled changed in 2012/2013 when we moved into our second home I knew I wanted something other than leather, because it didn't portray that comfy casual/ warm feel that the vintage cottage style I was going after. When our once expensive leather couch took a turn after 6 years we decided we would go with the IKEA Ektorp. It was much less expensive than another leather couch & you could wash it etc..Here is where I should  have done my homework & stuck with my gut feeling..Now with two large dogs, I should have went with the leather. Keep reading below for the pros & cons of each couch & why!!!!

- EKTORP -

PROS

  • Cozier looking
  • Nicer on the skin
  • Less money than most leather
  • Easier to decorate with

CONS

  • Time consuming to wash
  • Slipcovers get dirty easier than leather
  • The fabric tore in each corner
  • Cushions are difficult to put back on
  • Cushions wrinkle easy
  • Cushions are medium to poor quality
  • Covers are mostly $100 & up..


We aren't rough on this sectional & the cushions & backs are still losing the structure to them..


I must admit I do LOVE the overall appeal/style/look!



Don't mind that rug { Upper Level Living Room Makeover Coming }..but anyways as you can see they wrinkle & have began to sag after just under 2 years..




If you look at the bottom left you can see the dingy dirty stains on the arms..That is from one of our dogs on a mishap & it constantly still is dinging even after bleaching..Yes, it gets cleaner, but still is dingy looking, not to mention the annoyance. 

Side Note: We also have the brown slipcover & it's pilling so bad we had to remove it until I can treat it.


Corner tear..



Okay, so with that all being said above you can see I'm not a fan of these couches! I'm sorry, but I'm not one to sugarcoat things via my blog & these couches are NOT what they are cracked up to be. Yes, I LOVE the look, but the maintenance is just flat out annoying. Washing the covers separately, only drying them halfway, putting them back on & not being able to just wipe something up instantly..Yea, not for this clean freak right here. Those who say they're durable, that may be the case for you, but that is not the case for us. No, we do not have children, but we do have 2 large dogs who do get their paws wiped before entering the house, & I clean just about everyday & they still become dirty & dingy. I guess I just like the idea of leather & the fact that you can instantly sanitize the spot or what not. Yes, they can be washed, but in 2-3 loads { that's with us having the largest washers on the market } & that's just not something I want to spend my time on... We have purchased to different slipcovers & each time the covers have ripped in the corners..They aren't a fortune to replace, but aren't cheap either... The sectional itself was $800 & beige Lofallet runs $100 &amp up; with the matching ottoman cover it's $220 + tax. The ottoman cover is super hard to get back on & the knobs on ours are currently off due to that issue . This then causes the ottoman to slip & slide constantly....

I would NOT recommend these particular slipcover couches/ sofas! 

- L E A T H E R -

PROS

  • Easy to clean
  • Cushions keep their structure
  • Cooler on the skin
  • Hassle free sanitizing
  • Harder to rip
  • No pilling

CONS

  • Ethical reasons for authentic leather
  • Less cozy look/ feel
  • Price
Although I can not say I will never get another leather couch, at this point for ethical/personal reasons I don't believe we will. We may go with a different slipcover or maybe even a faux leather { maybe a review on that too haha }.

With all that being said, I want to mention I absolutely LOVE IKEA otherwise..actually I'm kind of obsessed! I just wanted to blog this review for all the people out there contemplating this sofa/couch. I wish we would have done our homework more, but for now we will just try to love it & be thankful. I hope you got  a better understanding of the differences I pointed out & this helps you make the BEST decision for yourself or family. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Paige.Rose