A Review of Our Ikea Farlov Sofa and Chairs + Alternatives

It’s hard to believe it’s now been over two years since we bought our IKEA Farlov sofa and chairs!  In that time, I’ve received all sorts of questions about these pieces, including what I think of the fabric, how I wash the covers, whether they’re comfortable, etc.  So today I’m sharing my Ikea Farlov review, including why I decided to go with the Farlov line, things you should know before purchasing, pros and cons, and everything in between! 

By the way, this post isn’t sponsored in any way.  I just remember searching online for an IKEA Farlov review before we purchased our set and discovering there were very few reviews of both the sofa and chairs.  So I’ll do my best to cover everything you might want to know.

I actually thought about putting this post together a year ago, but I’ve learned a lot about these pieces since then, so I’m glad I waited.  There are a few things to consider before making this purchase, so I hope this post answers all your questions about these pieces.

IKEA Farlov Discontinued

It appears the Farlov sofa, chair, loveseat, sleeper sofa, and ottoman have been discontinued, although some stores still have various Farlov furniture pieces and cover options in stock.  

I haven’t been able to find any information as to whether the complete Farlov collection will return and be restocked.  I do know IKEA occasionally re-introduces furniture collections under new names, so it’s possible they will bring the Farlov line back under a different name.

Farlov Alternatives

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If you have your heart set on a white slipcovered sofa and/or chairs, here are some great Farlov sofa and chair alternatives:

Farlov Sofa Alternatives:

Farlov Chair Alternatives:

 

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IKEA Farlov Sofa and Chairs Review

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First, why did I go with the Farlov line? Well, to be honest, I had my eye on a few other options and came close to ordering a very similar style from Pottery Barn.  But the price of the Farlov sofa won out–$849 for the Farlov sofa vs. $2500+ for the Pottery Barn version.

While the Pottery Barn version has dozens of fabric options, as well as size and cushion configuration options, the Farlov came pretty close to what I had in mind for our living room.  And for a sofa and chairs that look expensive, without the designer price tag, these pieces are hard to beat!

They’re also really satisfying to decorate with, because white slipcovered furniture effortlessly adapts to every season–as well as my ever-changing pillow and rug rotation!

Rug Source

Farlov Slipcovers

The main drawback I had with these pieces was the slip cover fabric.  I would have loved it if IKEA offered the same slip covers as their Gronlid (now called Harlanda) sectional, which we also own (and love) and which is currently the focal point of our basement family room.  

The Gronlid / Harlanda covers are made of smooth, 100% cotton, which feels and looks expensive–almost like linen, while the white Farlov cover is more textured, as you can see in this photo:

Interestingly, the Farlov white covers actually do have some linen in them.  Their fabric composition is 59.5% cotton, 16.5% linen, and 24% polyester.

People have asked me if the covers are scratchy, but I don’t think they’re scratchy at all.  IKEA also offers the Farlov line in dark gray and dark green velvet, which look like they’d be quite soft.   

Replacement Slipcovers

From reading the Farlov reviews on IKEA’s website, I went into this purchase knowing that most people weren’t fans of the white slipcover fabric. 

But I also knew I could purchase replacement covers in linen or cotton through companies like Bemz and Comfort Works, so I have the option of investing in replacement slipcovers when I’m ready.  So far, though, the Farlov covers are working out just fine for us.

And even if I eventually decide to replace our slipcovers, I’ll still be getting a designer look at a fraction of the cost.

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How to Wash Farlov slipcovers

I love white slipcovered furniture — we have white slipcovers on our Pottery Barn chairs, our Gronlid / Harlanda sectional, and now on our IKEA sofa and chairs.  So I’m no stranger to washing slipcovers, and I actually prefer them in white so I can eventually bleach them when they start to get dingy looking.

While my husband and I no longer have little ones at home, we do have 5 little grands who live nearby and visit often, as well as a dog who loves to sleep with his back pressed up against the front of our chairs.  

So I need to wash our slipcovers at least every couple of months. By the way, it’s very easy to remove the Farlov sofa and chair covers for washing. 

Here’s how I wash our Farlov covers:

First, I pre-treat any stains with Oxy Clean spray.

I wash the slipcovers on the WARM/COLD setting at high spin speed, using liquid Tide and a scoop of Oxy Clean powder.  The Oxy Clean helps keep the slipcovers bright white.

After washing, I put the covers right back on, straight out of the washing machine, which ensures they’ll go on easily.  (It does take a few hours for them to dry enough to sit on.)  

However, we live in a very dry climate and don’t have to worry about mold and mildew.  If you live in a humid area, you’ll probably want to allow the covers to air dry a bit and put them back on when they’re still slightly damp.

As you put the damp covers back on, try to smooth and pull out any wrinkles, especially at the skirt corners. The Farlov sofa and chairs have velcro strips at various places which allow you to get a nice smooth and neat finished look, which I love.

While the Farlov covers are definitely less wrinkly than linen slipcovers would be, they do come with some wrinkles that don’t want to relax on their own. I suggest steaming the covers with a portable steamer once they’re on. 

When we received our sofa and chairs I actually tried ironing the covers and it did absolutely nothing, so don’t bother getting out the iron and ironing board!  But, as you can see below, the wrinkles do (mostly) relax after a few months:

living room sources

Are the IKEA Farlov Sofa and Chairs Comfortable?

Since these pieces were for our living room and hearth room, where we hang out every single day, we wanted our new sofa and chairs to be very comfortable. 

And although the Farlov seat cushions were very firm when we received them, they have softened up with time and are now very comfortable, albeit still firm. 

I guess one of the advantages of the firm seat cushions is that they don’t lose their loft the way down cushions do.  No re-fluffing necessary! 

My husband is tall, so we needed a sofa and chairs that would accommodate his height.  Plus, I like to tuck my legs when I sit, and with very deep seats, these pieces were perfect for us. 

After 15 months, and hours of use, these pieces have held up extremely well.  When the slipcovers are freshly washed, they still look exactly like they did when we received them.  I do highly recommend the addition of Oxy Clean when you wash the covers, because it really does keep them sparkling white.

Is the Ikea Farlov Sofa easy to assemble?

The Ikea Farlov sofa and chair are relatively simple to build.  That said, my husband put these pieces together, and he’s very adept at this kind of thing.  I think it took him about 3 hours to put the sofa and two chairs together.

While he assembled the furniture, I read instructions and opened packages.  The cushions arrive vacuum-packed and extremely condensed.  I recommend you leave them out to expand for about 24 hours before putting them in the covers.

You might be tempted to start stuffing the cushions into the covers right away, but if you do they might not expand completely–which is what I think happened with our sofa seat cushion.  (See my IKEA Farlov bench seat hack, below.)

The cushions that were left to expand overnight before stuffing in their covers puffed up more than the ones we put in the covers after only an hour or two. 

So, as soon as you receive your IKEA furniture, I recommend opening the cushion packages and allowing the cushions to expand for 24 hours.

Ikea Hack for Bench Seat Cushion

Since I didn’t allow our Farlov sofa bench seat cushion to puff up for 24 hours before stuffing it in the cover, it retained the crease lines it had from being folded and vacuum-packed–and you could see those fold lines through the slipcover. 

It probably wouldn’t have bothered anyone else, but I couldn’t stop noticing it.  You can kind of see what I’m talking about in this photo:

After waiting about a year to see if the fold lines in the Ikea seat cushion would eventually relax, and finding that they didn’t, I ordered a white, twin-size foam mattress topper from Amazon to place between the seat cushion and slipcover. 

I made sure to order the thinnest mattress topper I could find because I wanted to make sure it would fit.  And, lo and behold, it worked! 

I thought I might have to cut the foam to make it fit, but since the Farlov bench seat is about the same size as a twin mattress, it fit perfectly. 

It did take two people to get it in place–my husband zipped up the seat cover while I straightened and ensured the foam topper was staying smooth.  Here’s a look at the finished result:

living room sources

How much do the Farlov Sofa and Chairs Cost?

The Farlov sofa currently costs $849 (the velvet version is $949).  The Farlov chairs are $399 each for the “Flodafors” gray option and $499 each for the “Djuparp” gray velvet and green velvet options. 

Overall, I would say the Farlov sofa and chairs are a good value, even if I end up replacing the slipcovers at some point.

How Many Boxes Does the Farlov Sofa Come In?

The Farlov sofa comes in 3 boxes.  This sofa is VERY heavy – the combined weight of the 3 boxes is almost 200 lbs.  And the Farlov chair also comes in 3 boxes, with a combined weight of about 100 lbs.

IKEA Farlov Pros and Cons

Pros

• The Farlov is designed to look like the swoop arm slipcovered sofas from Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware, at a fraction of the price, allowing you to achieve a high-end look for less.
• The seat cushions stay neat and plush looking – no plumping necessary.
• There’s a 10-year limited warranty and great return policy on IKEA furniture.
• These pieces are versatile, in that you can purchase replacement slip covers when you want a change of color or fabric.
• These pieces work with any design style.  They fit beautifully in a modern coastal setting, but would look equally at home in a European farmhouse, California casual, French country, boho, modern, or transitional style home.

Cons

• The Farlov sofa and chairs are chunky, which means they’re best suited to larger areas. To give you an idea of the size, the dimensions of the sofa are as follows:

Height, including back cushions: 34 5/8 ”
Width: 85 7/8 ”
Depth: 41 3/4 ”
Armrest height: 24 ”
Seat width: 75 1/4 ”
Seat depth: 25 1/4 ”
Seat height: 18 7/8 ”

• They’re also quite deep, so unless you’re tall, rest your feet on an ottoman, or like to tuck your legs (like me), they might not work for you.  I’m 5’6″ tall, and if I sit in them with my back hitting the back cushion, my feet are about 8″ from the floor.  
• The seat cushions are firm, so if you love a squishy sofa you sink into, the Farlov might not be for you.
• The slip cover fabric is unusual–almost tweedy.  As I said above, I would love to see these covers offered in a 100% cotton option.  However, the longer we’ve owned them, the less I’m bothered by the fabric.

IKEA Farlov Sofa and Chair Dupes and Alternative Options

As I shared above, it looks like the Ikea Farlov line is discontinued, so I rounded up a few Farlov sofa and chair alternatives, most of which have slipcovers and a similar swoop arm style.  These Farlov dupes generally cost a bit more than Ikea pieces, but most offer a wider range of size, cushion, and fabric options:

Farlov Sofa Alternatives:

Farlov Chair Alternatives:

We recently added two swivel chairs to our living room, as well. Even though they don’t have the swoop arms of the Farlov chairs, they’re a great option, with removable slipcovers and they swivel.

swivel chairs – striped rug

Would I Buy the IKEA Farlov Sofa & Chairs Again?

In short, yes.  Although to be honest, at first I had a bit of buyer’s remorse (which I often do after making a big purchase).  But the longer we’ve had the Farlov sofa and chairs, the more I’ve come to love them.

That might not be the case for everyone, though.  Consider the size of these pieces and whether or not you’re okay with the fabric before deciding to purchase them.

Taking style, comfort, and affordability into account, I would buy furniture from the Farlov line again. In fact, I would love to have two more of the Farlov chairs for our hearth room to create a conversation area.

However, it appears IKEA is no longer carrying the white Farlov armchairs online, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed they aren’t permanently discontinued.  

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Final Thoughts: Ikea Farlov Review 

I’m still amazed at how well-made and stylish this collection is–especially considering the price.  If you’re currently shopping for living room furniture and are thinking of this style of sofa or chair for your home, I hope you found my Ikea Farlov review helpful. 

I truly appreciate you taking the time to read this longer-than-usual post!  Let me know if you have any additional questions about my Ikea Farlov review.  xo jane

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