(Check out my four year Ikea KIVIK review here!)
It’s been one year since we bought our KIVIK sectional from Ikea. And, well, we still have it! In fact, I’m sitting in it right now as I type this up. I love our KIVIK, but was super concerned about how it would keep up over the years. “You get what you pay for” is an expression for a reason, and I think a lot of us have been conditioned to believe that Ikea and other affordable furniture is affordable because it’s cheaply made or not meant to last. If our couch only lasts another year, I would be okay with it because it was so affordable. But I don’t think that will be the case, the KIVIK is going strong.
We have since added like six additional pillows and two more blankets to the KIVIK
A Year in the Life of our KIVIK
I’m no skinny-mini, and I’m not very gentle with my couches. I love to plop on them, wiggle around on them, eat, sleep, and couch on them. So does my husband, and so does my dog. My sixty-some pound greyhound-beagle mix is allowed on our furniture, and her favorite place to chill is the KIVIK.
Living in Minnesota, our Spring season is super muddy. All the snow is melting, and the backyard is basically just one giant puddle. Lola runs outside and while we do wipe her paws off when she comes in, the couch is oftentimes her first pitstop. Here and there she gets dirt on the couch, but it always washes out.
Holding Shape (7 Points)
Holding shape is the one area that the KIVIK loses points. Because of how we slunk into the couch, the back pillows kind of end up looking slouchy with the seams sinking in towards the couch rather than being at the top of the pillow. One way I fix this is by flipping the pillows every time it gets like this and kind of smooshing the pillow around. I do this with each pillow about once every few weeks.
The other issue with shape is the corner seat cushion. You can clearly tell that that is the preferred spot to sit for both Ryan and myself, because it’s sunk in a little bit! Again, one way to counter this is to flip it over and massage the cushion for a while while whispering nice, encouraging words into it.
Comfort (8 Points)
The comfort of the KIVIK has not changed since the day we bought it. It might even be just slightly comfier, actually.
One of the reasons we got this couch as opposed to others was how stiff it is. Is that the right word? Hardy? No. Firm. Firm is the right word. The seat cushions are firm, and you don’t fall into anything you can’t get out of. Firm, yet comfortable. And the seats are deep, so you can lay down comfortably with your dog (hi, Lola) or significant other next to you. Plus the deep seats allow you to add a lot of pillows pretty comfortably, and I love me some throw pillows.
I love sleeping on this couch, couching on the couch, or sitting up doing work. Temen loves sitting in the corner with a few toys and hanging out. This is the definition of a family couch. My whole family, dog included, can be on it at the same time while we watch a movie or TV show.
Material / Stain Resistent (10 Points)
First, the color we have is Orrsta Light Gray. It’s the perfect color for our living room. The gray is both light enough to keep a space from feeling too crowded, and dark enough to conceal small stains here and there. So I acknowledge that the color could have a lot to do with why I gave it 10 points.
No material, no matter what it says, is totally stain resistant. That includes the KIVIK. But it’s damn close. After a year of daily use by me (a self identified sloppapotomus), my husband, and our dog, and I only know of just a few very small imperfections. One of those is actually on the matching ottoman, and is because I spilled Temen’s medicine on it. But there has been (warning: TMI) food, drink, urine, vomit, and poop on this couch that we have washed out successfully. All of the cushion covers, the seats and the backs, are removable so you can wash them. Holler.
Even with the cushions being removable, we’ve only washed them like twice. That’s because most things can be easily removed from this sturdy material with a damp cloth or wet sponge. (No, seriously, I spilled salsa all over today and it all came out with a damp cloth and dab of dish soap.) Plus, you don’t want to wash it too much and wear the fabric out. But if you do, IKEA sells additional covers so you’re covered!
Overall Score After One Year: 8.3 Points
I would definitely get this couch again. Yes, it’s IKEA. But, yes, it’s holding its own! In fact, the material is holding up better than a few other couches we have in our living room that were definitely not bought at IKEA.
(Check out my four year Ikea KIVIK review here!)
I work with IKEA in the Living Room department. The KIVIK is a strong second in sales to the EKTORP. I sincerely appreciate your candid critique. I’ll gladly accept 8.3 out of 10! Rarely do I hear feedback from customers.
Many thanks!
Hi there 🙋♀️I have a EKTORP chair and ottoman in beige. Does the KIVIK Sofa Bed come in the same colour? It would have to match perfectly. Thanks.
I really appreciate this write up, thank you! I’ve been contemplating the pros and cons from like every review for the Kivik, but I think your post really pushed me over into definitely getting it.
Good review! Thank you! Appreciate all your detail.
Thank you for posting this review! Very helpful as I work to put together a family friendly and functional family room space! kudos!
Thanks for the review! Great detail 😀
Thank you, thank you for your review. I am considering the Kivik and really appreciate your observations. I too am no skinny-mini, have a bigger dog (who yes, is allowed on the couch), and live in messy weather midwest. I wanted a couch that was comfortable to sleep on because I will do this especially on the super hot summer days when the upstairs bedroom is just too warm. I was concerned about keeping it clean as well (from both me and the dog lol) in this color. Holding it’s shape might be an issue, but good to know that flipping and fluffing helps. Thank you again so much for the real life review.
Hello there, I really appreciate this review, thank you for doing it!
This might seem like a silly question, but is this the 5 seater? Thank you!
I think my kivik is about 7 years old now and it’s the most comfortable thing in my world
I often fall asleep on it. As a matter of fact, everybody takes a nap on it.
Hi there, could you please help me with the measurements of the corner section. Could you please advise on what the width is of the corner section please?
How would you describe the orstra fabric? I’m torn between the color/fabric combo that you have and the blue/green Hillared fabric. I’ve felt the hillared and it’s almost like canvas and seems like it would be very durable. Thoughts? Thanks for the write-up!
I have the KIVIK in Orrsta light grey and the fabric pills horribly; it started happening not long after we bought it and we shave it occasionally but I would prefer they just offer more durable fabrics, even if they’re more expensive. I wish it were offered in the Gunnared Beige (it is in China) because it seems to be a better fabric.
Oh no! I will say we’ve had it now for almost four years, or maybe more than four years and I haven’t had the same experience. I have seen pilling in one of the cushions and I shaved it and haven’t experienced it to the point that it needs to be shaved since then!
Hi! What color did you get?
Really appreciate for this review. Am looking for Kivik 2 seaters lately, i found the size of this 2 seaters almost similar length with my Rozel 3 seaters, so am going to take 2 seaters Kivik will do, instead of 3 seaters (too long for my apartment). Thanks for the write up!
thanks for the review. there’s not enough of this around the internet. It’s helped me in my decision.
I’ve had a Kivik dark brown leather sofa and beige leather loveseat for over 10 years and both are still going strong and comfortable.