Four Years in the Life of an IKEA KIVIK Sectional
The last time I reviewed our IKEA KIVIK Sectional, it was just a year old! We had me, my husband, our dog, and a new baby. Now? Oh, this couch has seen it all. It’s still me, still my husband, still our dog, and still our baby. But our dog has gained pandemic weight, our baby is no longer a baby but instead a four year old who eats, drinks, colors, and plays with play-doh! Oh, and we have another baby crawling and eating all over this couch.
So, it’s seen all the wear it saw the first year and more. Especially after a year and a half of working from home with kids. It’s seen… a lot.
Before I even start this review, I am going to get a bit sentimental and say I am so thankful for this dang couch. It is a central hub for our family, where we watch tv, movies, play video games, play board games, etc. It’s where I’m writing this blog post right now. With that being said, we can love things that are worn and need replacement sometimes, is that the case with the IKEA KIVIK Sectional after four years of wear?
Holding Shape (8 Points)
In 2018 here was my review of the IKEA KIVIK Sectionals ability to hold its shape:
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.
I think this is still right, although looking back, I was surprised that I wrote it. It honestly doesn’t bother me one bit. I still flip the pillows around regularly, and move the cushions back and forth. After, again, a year and a half of basically not leaving our house and living on this couch – I will let you determine if the picture below appears any different than it did three years ago.
Because I am not bothered or phased by how the cushions have aged, I’m actually giving the IKEA KIVIK Sectional an 8/10 for holding shape, an extra point from three years ago.
Ikea KIVIK Sectional after four years of wear.
Comfort (8 Points)
In 2018 I wrote:
The comfort of the KIVIK has not changed since the day we bought it. It might even be just slightly comfier, actually.
Again, I stand by this. This remains the case. And although we purchased this couch because of how firm the cushions are (one side is firmer than the other, you can flip the seated cushion to be softer if you’d like!) I do think I’m leaning towards desiring a bit comfier of a couch. But that’s my own personal preference right now – nothing against the KIVIK. The firmness is definitely preferred for my children and my dog. There’s no getting lost in the cushions, and the cushions are wide enough and firm enough to act as a mattress for family movie nights – especially if you bring the ottoman in.
Material (10 Points)
2018 IKEA KIVIK Review:
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!
2021 IKEA KIVIK Review:
My update is this: We have one sharpie stain on one of the cushions, but considering all of the markers that this couch has seen, it doesn’t bother me. I actually think if I tried hard enough I could get it out. Ask, believe, receive, ya know? I was going to deduct a point for that stain, but then I remembered something I didn’t mention in 2018: Pet hair.
Our dog has short hair and sheds… a lot. And after going through a few pieces of furniture with her, I can safely say that a lot of woven materials we’ve encountered act as little dog hair traps. No matter how much you vacuum them, scrub them, the hair is embedded in their fabric. That is NOT the case with the KIVIK. So, I’m keeping her at 10/10 for material yet again.
Overall Score After Four Years: 8.7
Four years later, and I have no regrets getting this couch. It’s big, with room for the whole family, and the shape and material hold up better than I ever expected. Comfort is the only thing that I feel like mentioning again – maybe it’s because I’m getting older, or because I’ve spent just SO MUCH time on this couch, but I feel like in this season of my life I could stand to have a comfier couch. I’m not couch shopping or anything – but make sure you know your preferences when shopping for the KIVIK, because it is a really firm couch.
Where did you get the blanket and the pillows ? dying to know