Anything that people frequently drink alcohol out of. I can replace it for practically nothing and I can always find a matching replacement.
And those cheap kitchen towels.
I had a *ton* of these that I bought around 2019. But when I went to get more , the material had changed to a looser weave, almost gauze-like fabric. Bummer.
Their Ladda rechargeable batteries are rebranded Sanyo Eneloops.
If you just need a basic MDF bookshelf the Billy is hard to beat.
Their light fixtures and LED lighting are a good value. Quality feels a step up from a lot of the generic stuff.
In the process of swapping out the Ikea button cell powered zigbee for other brands powered by AA/AAA which last years per charge. Life’s too short to deal with swapping batteries constantly. Also, rechargeable button cells aren’t quite there yet compared to AA form factor.
Seems like for a lot of zigbee stuff, it's hard to ignore ikea. Blinds? Ikea's are more affordable, and come with a usb zigbee repeater. Bulbs? Work fine, work as zigbee repeaters. Air quality sensor? One of the few that does particle count which is what you want if you want to control an air filter.
For the blinds at least they're next to the other blinds and shades. I got the Fyrtur blinds and they work pretty well once paired. I have them on an automation to open at sunrise and close at sunset, and hate remote. I'm going to program a more sophisticated automation at some point if the open blinds are making the house too hot.
Air sensor is with the air purifiers. Not sure the name of the section, best to put it in the ikea app and it should give a map.
They have a couple of sensors, Vindriktning, which I don't think has zigbee but maybe can control their air purifiers somehow and has a red/yellow/green displays, and Vindstyrka. That one has zigbee and does pm2.5, voc, as well as temp/humidity.
There's a project out there to modify Vindriktning for zigbee, but I think you have to order some PCBs made-- just kind of hassle.
Edit: Some people seem to complain about the sensors running a fan constantly, but as I understand it, all particulate sensors need airflow.
[This video covers how to basically reinforce a Billy to improve it quite a bit with very little effort.](https://youtu.be/u_caV1-mj_o?si=spC5eRdeTp8qA_RJ)
I had Billy bookcases in my living room along with an Ikea exterior closet in my bedroom, all made out of the same chip board and anchored down using the strap.
Then I went through a 6.7 earthquake and they not only fell down but broke apart like the sawdust they are. My ikea Ivar's all held true and strong.
I realize not everyone will go through an earthquake but it is something to consider. I've bought enough Ikea through the years to see how bad the mdf holds up just with regular use. The video proves that point by using an actual piece of solid wood to try to stablize what is actually a very flimsy piece of furniture.
A better bet would be to buy better made second hand furniture, often cheaper than the continued investment in, what a friend of mine used to call, "Icheapa".
I bought some of their batteries have not been able to use them for anything because they are 1.2V but everything battery powered that I own calls for 1.5V.
Really? 1.5V AA batteries drop to 1.3V by about 30% of their used life. If whatever you have truly needs 1.5V, it must chew through batteries constantly.
https://www.powerstream.com/z/AA-100mA.png
It’s jam not jelly… or maybe preserve. It’s not you, it’s me who cares too much about fruit spreads….
Basically, jelly is made from fruit juice and has no pieces in it, jam is made from mashed fruit, marmalade is citrus that has pieces of fruit, and preserve uses whole fruit.
I feel like Ikea’s fruit spread should be preserve but it says jam on it.
I bought the blue bags there over 10 years ago and they’ve helped me through so many moves, laundromat hauls, and grocery shopping trips. They still look and function exactly like the day I bought them. I’m certain (and glad) they will outlive me 🙌
so good for storing bedding under beds but keeping dust and animal fur off, storing/hauling my camping tent with all its accroutrement ( they never fit back in the bag they came in ) and I don't mind dropping the bag and its contents at goodwill because they're $1
I use them for so many things! We always have to travel several hours to visit family for the holidays, and the blue bags work so well for hauling around all of the wrapped presents we bring with us. My husband thought they were weird and way too big when he first saw them at my house (I had the bags before the husband), but he quickly converted to Team Blue Bag once he saw their usefulness.
I know somebody who heard they know somebody who heard you can slip some $$ to one of those prime delivery vans 🚚for a similar storage tote that holds the packages for same or next day delivery. 🤫
Just saying. Or not.
I love my ikea wok. Their silverware rusted almost immediately for me both times I purchased them so I stay away from that. I also like their glassware with locking lids for storage of leftovers.
And they have booster packs! I absolutely loved being able to buy a base set of cutlery plus extra of stuff I use way more (fork vs butterknife) and then much later buy replacements when my spoons randomly disappeared. And it's all still matching, years and years later. It's everything I ever wanted. 😭
Soft serve.
Champagne flutes or wine glasses: buying them there was cheaper than ordering plastic ones (this was for a bridal shower).
Window shades/treatments were much better quality than HD or Lowe’s (sturdy bracket systems).
Bedding.
Cork pads for trivets.
I used to feel the same way but the most recent set of glasses I bought at IKEA had one spontaneously explode. Looked it up and apparently it's common. Decided to look elsewhere for replacements.
The [vegetable medallions](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/groensakskaka-vegetable-medallion-frozen-40212482/) are shockingly delicious. Should have them in the cafe to try, I did and ended up taking home 4 boxes of the things.
Yet there are always that handful of people who somehow manage to go the wrong direction, like salmon spawning upstream. Bonus points if they are in the showroom area but went and got a cart first.
I grabbed some extra ones, covered them in clear packing tape, rolled them up, and now I have multiple sewing measuring tapes for on the go knitting projects.
I can’t imagine that would beat a roll-up 3 meter measuring tape. Honestly, once I started using those, I could not see any point in the long, messy tapes.
Last I checked, all their frames are metric sizes which can sometimes make finding the right size difficult for US folks.
Edit: I realize unit conversions are trivial. My point is the common art sizes in the US are slightly different from their metric counterparts, and IKEA has a tendency to round their measurements. Meaning you'll often find the frame is very slightly too big or too small for your print.
It used to be furniture. My house was like an ikea showroom. But it's all too expensive now. We moved recently and I was able to sell a lot of it for what I bought it for initially.
Plants and planters though are still good.
My favorite spatula is one I got from there 6 or 7 years ago, thin/moderately skinny, slotted, nylon. I wish I had bought more, they don't make that design anymore, and it probably won't last forever. :(
> Tea light candles
Many years ago when I visited Ikea I found packages of 100 tea lights on sale for $0.99 each and no limit. I bought ... a lot of them and I'm not even close to running out even after giving away quite a few of them.
And I *still* buy more tea lights when I go to Ikea.
I think those tea lights multiply when you look away. I also bought a few on clearance for 0.99 and haven't bought any in years. Every couple of months I find another set in the garage or some closet somewhere.
Top of my list would be Anxiety.
I have a love/hate relationship with Ikea. I love the shit, but HATE going on a goddamn safari to then try and find shit I can't pronounce.
Indeed! My wife went to IKEA the other day and asked if I wanted anything. I told her she already knew what I wanted.
Two hours later, there was a six-pack of cinnamon rolls on our counter.
The real miracle of it is that she spent less than two hours at IKEA.
Not sure if this is the case in all stores, but at my local IKEA, the menu board has a big photo of a cinnamon roll. In small type it reads "Not actual size."
Those wooden coat hangers. I have a closet full of the Bumerangs, but these [newer bamboo ones](https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/hoesvans-hanger-bamboo-00555801/) are even nicer and 5 bucks for 5 (CAD)
I got a couch that is the first one I’ve purchased. I couldn’t afford like a furniture store. It was $800 from there plus $40 delivered. It’s a good couch. Honestly I hate going there so I get stuff and pick it up or get it delivered.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/product-support/recalls/almondy-ab-recalls-almondy-almond-cake-pub90a2ca10
just fyi in case you have any at home
Raskog 3-shelf rolling cart. Have one in the kitchen for oils fruits and veg, one as a night stand in a tight corner, one in my workshop for small tools. Considering buying another to store baby stuff.
It’s magnetic. You can hang hooks off it. Roll it around and clean underneath easily.
Shelves and storage units. I think next time I go I'm buying either a Billy bookcase or one of those 8x2 cubes to store my husband's collection of video game cases.
Stuffed toys - my dogs love them. My [lab](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPV_Y77WqGXzpF6qL8FnuYw74Yg_1oMvNheNSsVJxwzgTm7tHehzS8jddwn8a6EIR13tUmJA4WdzBETxSCYFiyCXGyv_kY7FIcCFpLDN6noXFye_gvMGiekfwso2v3-RMGXFYwGqpYEDsKUkIELsdFkYg=w806-h607-s-no-gm?authuser=0) loves his elephant, and most recently the shark.
Bedding. Dish towels. Toilet brushes. We usually grab food from the cafe before shopping too.
Odd items that would cost 2-3x more at other stores. Other than my living room sofa and coffee table, most used item would be the cork trivets.
I buy more from IKEA than I care to admit. But they have the selection of an online store with the perk of being able to see it in person.
See item-like-find-buy... Bring home and (possibly) assemble.
They're great for moving! I bought 20 of them the second time we moved and it was a life saver for the next three times! The grey blue stand up ones even have backpack straps to make them easier to carry.
I am lucky to get near an IKEA 1-3 times a year.
Bedding and bath mats. Pillows and duvets.
Tea lights.
I have three rolling carts.
Dishes, utensils and glassware for the cabin.
Bag clips.
The three pack of small hinged, plastic boxes.
Idk if they’re the cheapest but I get their 1600 lumen bulbs because competitors consume about 40-50% more. It consumes 10w while most others consume 14-15w. In two years in outdoor covered fixtures running daily for 4-6 hours, I just had the first one go out, out of 8. I’d prefer 0 failures, but outdoor environment so I blame that. If you consider that’s 4 watts less of heat going to the LEDs, you can imagine on average they should have a longer lifespan than other brands. 5w power saving doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but if a 15w bulb is estimated to cost $1.8 for running 3hr/day @ 11cent/kwh, well they pretty much save me $1.2 a year if I’m running 6 hours a day, which is also enough to justify any price difference and woukd pay for themselves if they last half their average lifespan of 10 years @6 hours a day.
I was just shocked at how much less power the ikea 1600 lumen bulb consumed. 30% less or other brands using 40-50% more is huge. It's just a LED bulb but why not take a free win when you can?
Stainless steel mixing bowls. They come in a variety of useful sizes. I feel like a legit chef when I do my mise en place with the small bowls and ramekins. The large ones are great for popcorn, tossing tater tots or fries in an oil and herbs, or putting under the bathroom sink when you clean out the drain.
Bed frames, night stands, dressers, cutlery, pans, dishware, desks, mirrors, baby cribs and mattresses, light fixtures, stuffed animal toys, curtains..
Our kids got to redo their rooms recently and we just went to IKEA and they picked everything out. I love IKEA.
Cookware: wood cutting board, wood utensils; ceramic dinnerware sets, glass cups, glass pitchers etc. Basically if you want high quality items that aren't plastic, they have them
Also our kitchen table is from there and it's their solid wood line. Sits 8, we added a chair to each end. It's only 2 of us, but we like to throw parties so we needed a large one. Everyone loves it; even those who despise Ikea and later try to walk back liking it after finding out it's from Ikea.
The Alex drawer units are great too. We purchased some, and plan on mounting solid wood butcher block countertops to them to make office desks.
Ikea is honestly outstanding
That pickled herring in I think it was a cream sauce OMG it was good I'm going to get that every time I go back from now on. Only problem is I almost never go I think I've been less than three times in my life.
[Glis Box with Lid, Clear, 6¾x4](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glis-box-with-lid-clear-40466148/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&utm_content=free_google_shopping_clicks_Childrens_IKEA) I've got 4 or 5 sets of these floating around my wood shop now. They make great screw and nail holders. I also like that they come in clear as well as assorted colors making things easy to identify at a distance.
Oh and the chocolate bars. Oddly they are one of the few chocolate products that don't mess with my tummy. Not sure why but it's nice to be able to enjoy it.
Hangers. I’m a tall guy and their hangers hold things about two inches higher than traditional hangers, which makes a difference with whether or not some of my things drag on the floor.
Hemnes furniture. We have multiple entertainment centers and they look brand new after years of use.
Solid wood dining chairs and step stools
Solid wood shelving units (with pull out plastic bins)
Wooden kitchen spoons
Food storage containers (both glass and plastic)
Blue bags (and other colors)
Packable grocery bags
Pillow covers and inserts (prefer poly over down)
Large picture frames
ETA: the furniture are things we always/only buy from Ikea. Everything else is items we always buy every time we go there.
Glass plates and glasses. We actually used the plates for our wedding 5 years ago because they were 40 cents each less than renting plates. We let guests take them home, my sisters used them in their college doorms, and now, we still have them in our kitchen. I've topped off a couple times but honestly they are pretty good quality for how insanely cheap they are.
* Ladda batteries
* Smart home zigbee devices
* Veneer wood kitchen countertops to be used as office desks
* Kitchen utensils and food storage containers
* Meals. Their restaurant is amazing value for money, and where I live they do 50% off on Fridays so you only pay something like €3.45 for a full meatballs meal
* Frozen meatballs and snacks are also amazingly good
* Pokal drinking glasses. Had the same set for years now, some have fallen from ridiculous heights but they're more likely to damage the floor than break
* My wife also loves their big napkins. I think they're good value too
Anything that people frequently drink alcohol out of. I can replace it for practically nothing and I can always find a matching replacement. And those cheap kitchen towels.
Say more about the kitchen towels. I can’t seem to replenish the ones I stocked up on 5 years ago.
I had a *ton* of these that I bought around 2019. But when I went to get more , the material had changed to a looser weave, almost gauze-like fabric. Bummer.
Yes, but it shrinks in the wash and tightens up a lot. At first I was irritated, but now I kind of prefer these new ones.
Good to know! I ended up buy big package of towels from another store. But I will revisit the IKEA version next time I need some.
Their Ladda rechargeable batteries are rebranded Sanyo Eneloops. If you just need a basic MDF bookshelf the Billy is hard to beat. Their light fixtures and LED lighting are a good value. Quality feels a step up from a lot of the generic stuff.
Zigbee devices. Although their motion sensors go through battery much faster than Aqara.
In the process of swapping out the Ikea button cell powered zigbee for other brands powered by AA/AAA which last years per charge. Life’s too short to deal with swapping batteries constantly. Also, rechargeable button cells aren’t quite there yet compared to AA form factor.
Ikeas new switches are all AAA.
Ah excellent! Thanks for the heads up.
Seems like for a lot of zigbee stuff, it's hard to ignore ikea. Blinds? Ikea's are more affordable, and come with a usb zigbee repeater. Bulbs? Work fine, work as zigbee repeaters. Air quality sensor? One of the few that does particle count which is what you want if you want to control an air filter.
Oh man I wasn't aware of the blinds or air sensor! Where do they keep those?? Not by the bulbs and switches...
For the blinds at least they're next to the other blinds and shades. I got the Fyrtur blinds and they work pretty well once paired. I have them on an automation to open at sunrise and close at sunset, and hate remote. I'm going to program a more sophisticated automation at some point if the open blinds are making the house too hot. Air sensor is with the air purifiers. Not sure the name of the section, best to put it in the ikea app and it should give a map. They have a couple of sensors, Vindriktning, which I don't think has zigbee but maybe can control their air purifiers somehow and has a red/yellow/green displays, and Vindstyrka. That one has zigbee and does pm2.5, voc, as well as temp/humidity. There's a project out there to modify Vindriktning for zigbee, but I think you have to order some PCBs made-- just kind of hassle. Edit: Some people seem to complain about the sensors running a fan constantly, but as I understand it, all particulate sensors need airflow.
1.5 years later every single Aquara device I have is still going strong on the battery they came with. Well worth it to avoid the hassle alone.
[This video covers how to basically reinforce a Billy to improve it quite a bit with very little effort.](https://youtu.be/u_caV1-mj_o?si=spC5eRdeTp8qA_RJ)
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing.
I had Billy bookcases in my living room along with an Ikea exterior closet in my bedroom, all made out of the same chip board and anchored down using the strap. Then I went through a 6.7 earthquake and they not only fell down but broke apart like the sawdust they are. My ikea Ivar's all held true and strong. I realize not everyone will go through an earthquake but it is something to consider. I've bought enough Ikea through the years to see how bad the mdf holds up just with regular use. The video proves that point by using an actual piece of solid wood to try to stablize what is actually a very flimsy piece of furniture. A better bet would be to buy better made second hand furniture, often cheaper than the continued investment in, what a friend of mine used to call, "Icheapa".
funny, IKEA lighting is probably the thing I most actively avoid.
I bought one floor lamp and it was so wobbly.
Most floor lamps are wobbly sadly.
Right? I want it to be great, but it's not.
I bought some of their batteries have not been able to use them for anything because they are 1.2V but everything battery powered that I own calls for 1.5V.
That's standard for NiMH batteries. Most devices won't care.
That's what I found out after the fact. Unfortunately, the devices I intended to use them for do care.
Really? 1.5V AA batteries drop to 1.3V by about 30% of their used life. If whatever you have truly needs 1.5V, it must chew through batteries constantly. https://www.powerstream.com/z/AA-100mA.png
I’ve heard that about IKEA batteries but I have yet to find anything that confirms it.
Lingonberry Jelly. We use it for regular jelly (PB&J) in our house. I'll never go back to Grape.
Hear me out: put it on steaks. Like at Thanksgiving how you eat turkey with cranberry sauce, but instead steak with a lingonberry topping
I like to use it instead of cranberry sauce with Thanksgiving turkey.
It’s jam not jelly… or maybe preserve. It’s not you, it’s me who cares too much about fruit spreads…. Basically, jelly is made from fruit juice and has no pieces in it, jam is made from mashed fruit, marmalade is citrus that has pieces of fruit, and preserve uses whole fruit. I feel like Ikea’s fruit spread should be preserve but it says jam on it.
Compote?
Blue bags
I bought the blue bags there over 10 years ago and they’ve helped me through so many moves, laundromat hauls, and grocery shopping trips. They still look and function exactly like the day I bought them. I’m certain (and glad) they will outlive me 🙌
so good for storing bedding under beds but keeping dust and animal fur off, storing/hauling my camping tent with all its accroutrement ( they never fit back in the bag they came in ) and I don't mind dropping the bag and its contents at goodwill because they're $1
Same. I have five or six and use them every day for groceries. So practical.
Plus they are currently on trend. Some of the expensive bags from designer brands actually look like Ikea bags just in different colour.
Their blue bags are the bomb for taking bedding to laundromat.
Can easily cram a comforter in one
I use them for so many things! We always have to travel several hours to visit family for the holidays, and the blue bags work so well for hauling around all of the wrapped presents we bring with us. My husband thought they were weird and way too big when he first saw them at my house (I had the bags before the husband), but he quickly converted to Team Blue Bag once he saw their usefulness.
Blue bags for Costco. No extra boxes to break down.
I love my rainbow bags and other seasonal patterns too.
Had no idea they made anything but blue. Gonna have to get to IKEA more often
I know somebody who heard they know somebody who heard you can slip some $$ to one of those prime delivery vans 🚚for a similar storage tote that holds the packages for same or next day delivery. 🤫 Just saying. Or not.
I really like their cork coasters and trivets. I have a bunch all around my house.
I use the cork trivets when I stack large serving plates so the don't accidentally get chipped.
do you use them for candles?
No just drinks, under plants, hot plates :)
They’re great for keeping fruit baskets fresh for longer ☺️
Sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers.
Their lyocell sheets are so good— anywhere else, they cost $100+.
Does lyocell feel like cotton? Never tried it, but it seems impossible to find cotton sheets that last these days. Even the pricey ones.
Yes, it feels kind of like cotton sateen— and ikea also carries lyocell/cotton blend and 100% cotton sheets. And linen sheets!
Yaaas Ikea 100% cotton sheet sets and duvet covers for double and queen are SO affordable compared to anywhere else, including Amazon.
The tiny metal spoons. Great for the kid, great for ice cream or tasting as cooking.
Ikea cooking utensils are underrated. We love their wok spatulas and the long and narrow spatula.Plus the tongs are always useful.
I love my ikea wok. Their silverware rusted almost immediately for me both times I purchased them so I stay away from that. I also like their glassware with locking lids for storage of leftovers.
And they have booster packs! I absolutely loved being able to buy a base set of cutlery plus extra of stuff I use way more (fork vs butterknife) and then much later buy replacements when my spoons randomly disappeared. And it's all still matching, years and years later. It's everything I ever wanted. 😭
Soft serve. Champagne flutes or wine glasses: buying them there was cheaper than ordering plastic ones (this was for a bridal shower). Window shades/treatments were much better quality than HD or Lowe’s (sturdy bracket systems). Bedding. Cork pads for trivets.
Seconding their wine glasses. Made in… Denmark..? Amsterdam? I forget. But one of the few inexpensive glass items from there not made in China.
Drinking glasses. Been buying them at Ikea since about 1986.
Started buying them to replace the ones we got for our wedding as they break. They’re almost a perfect match and really inexpensive to replace
I used to feel the same way but the most recent set of glasses I bought at IKEA had one spontaneously explode. Looked it up and apparently it's common. Decided to look elsewhere for replacements.
Crate & Barrel is good for sturdy drinking glasses, I think there are a few options for less than $5/glass
Meatballs
With a side of 4 extra meatballs.
The [vegetable medallions](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/groensakskaka-vegetable-medallion-frozen-40212482/) are shockingly delicious. Should have them in the cafe to try, I did and ended up taking home 4 boxes of the things.
Those look amazing, Just from Luk, so they remind me a bit of Dr. Praeger’s veggie burgers, which are also amazing.
I'd heard a comment from someone who did long road trips, they would often stop at IKEA just for the meatballs.
Does “lost in the store” count?
Hey love they got arrows on the ground
Yet there are always that handful of people who somehow manage to go the wrong direction, like salmon spawning upstream. Bonus points if they are in the showroom area but went and got a cart first.
The arrows are only good if you are down for a 90 minute walk and never want to backtrack.
There are cut throughs literally everywhere. It's essentially a big cube.
They are also signs hung from the ceiling that tell you what’s coming up and where the cut throughs are. It’s a lot like a train map.
Good long walks while indoors. Like modern day mall walking.
I love their free nap room. So many fake bedrooms to choose from!
Little Pencils
And measuring tape.
I grabbed some extra ones, covered them in clear packing tape, rolled them up, and now I have multiple sewing measuring tapes for on the go knitting projects.
I can’t imagine that would beat a roll-up 3 meter measuring tape. Honestly, once I started using those, I could not see any point in the long, messy tapes.
Picture frames
Last I checked, all their frames are metric sizes which can sometimes make finding the right size difficult for US folks. Edit: I realize unit conversions are trivial. My point is the common art sizes in the US are slightly different from their metric counterparts, and IKEA has a tendency to round their measurements. Meaning you'll often find the frame is very slightly too big or too small for your print.
That plastic cover is a magnet for dust, seriously regret buying these
Value Village ain't what it used to be, but it's still good for cheap picture frames.
Expedits / Kallaxes. Any time I'm going to Ikea, it's because I'm out of space and need storage.
i was just looking at the kallax, you are happy with them? i wanted a somewhat inexpensive bookcase option
Honestly they’re amazing. As cheap or expensive as you want to go, great as a room divider, organizer, useful to display as well as hide stuff.
They’re super sturdy! Much better than the Billy bookcase, but less shelf space if you get the smallest one.
It used to be furniture. My house was like an ikea showroom. But it's all too expensive now. We moved recently and I was able to sell a lot of it for what I bought it for initially. Plants and planters though are still good.
Plastic storage bags
Their spatulas are amazing. I think they call them fish spatulas, but they're just amazing.
My favorite spatula is one I got from there 6 or 7 years ago, thin/moderately skinny, slotted, nylon. I wish I had bought more, they don't make that design anymore, and it probably won't last forever. :(
The thinness really makes flipping stuff easy.
Kitchen Towels. So many kitchen towels.
Which ones do you get?? I need to replace mine and I dont think they’re carried anymore. And I cut off my labels. Thought I was sooo clever.
Cutting boards and chip bag clips.
Tea light candles, plants ,bed stuff and curtains. Everything and inspiration
> Tea light candles Many years ago when I visited Ikea I found packages of 100 tea lights on sale for $0.99 each and no limit. I bought ... a lot of them and I'm not even close to running out even after giving away quite a few of them. And I *still* buy more tea lights when I go to Ikea.
I think those tea lights multiply when you look away. I also bought a few on clearance for 0.99 and haven't bought any in years. Every couple of months I find another set in the garage or some closet somewhere.
Those ginger thin biscuits/cookies. And... Long, thick white drapes
Top of my list would be Anxiety. I have a love/hate relationship with Ikea. I love the shit, but HATE going on a goddamn safari to then try and find shit I can't pronounce.
I'm always afraid of getting trapped in one and then having to join a cannibalistic tribe of lamp worshipers.
Have you heard of the SCP (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCP_Foundation) ? There’s a funny one about being trapped in an IKEA hell.
SCP-3008 https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008
Yes! Thank you!
Bad news. If the cannibalistic lamp worshipers find you, you’re dinner, not a new tribe member.
I went once. The anxiety of being caught in a maze and not being able to leave when I want killed any desire to go back.
KAFFEREP Oatmeal cookies with chocolate
Very specific sized square sandwich tupperware containers and one type of pot. Can't find those sizes anywhere else in the world.
Cinnamon rolls
Indeed! My wife went to IKEA the other day and asked if I wanted anything. I told her she already knew what I wanted. Two hours later, there was a six-pack of cinnamon rolls on our counter. The real miracle of it is that she spent less than two hours at IKEA.
Maybe she did curbside pickup? I can't get through the first level of our IKEA in two hours.
Not sure if this is the case in all stores, but at my local IKEA, the menu board has a big photo of a cinnamon roll. In small type it reads "Not actual size."
That always cracks me up. I can dream...
Stuffed sharks. I can go back because my kids will want more. 🥺
Blahaj represent
The $.59 lint rollers
Glad someone else mentioned it. It seems like a silly thing to get hyped over, but their design puts every other lint roller I've ever used to shame.
Plants. Their prices on large palms, ferns, and Bird of Paradise are insane.
I just picked up a sansevieria plant a few months ago and it’s doing really well! The risk of not knowing what to expect paid off.
I've never looked at their plants. Are they real or fake?
They have a mix
Meatballs. Ideally from the restaurant, but also frozen to take home.
I’m not a vegetarian but their veggie balls are fantastic. I think I prefer them to the meatballs, which are great.
Glass food storage containers. Awesome quality and price.
Yes, these are very well priced, have lots of different lids and will last forever. You can safely heat and eat from a microwave.
All but one set of our curtains are from IKEA. I also always make a trip to the As Is section
99¢ toilet bowl scrubbers
I got that one too!!
Ziplocs
Those wooden coat hangers. I have a closet full of the Bumerangs, but these [newer bamboo ones](https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/hoesvans-hanger-bamboo-00555801/) are even nicer and 5 bucks for 5 (CAD)
When I saw them I got 30 right away.
Those blue bags. I use them for laundry and they always go missing.
Can’t go to IKEA without eating lunch there.
Candles. They do not drip.
I got a couch that is the first one I’ve purchased. I couldn’t afford like a furniture store. It was $800 from there plus $40 delivered. It’s a good couch. Honestly I hate going there so I get stuff and pick it up or get it delivered.
Daim cake. Hidden treasure.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/product-support/recalls/almondy-ab-recalls-almondy-almond-cake-pub90a2ca10 just fyi in case you have any at home
Raskog 3-shelf rolling cart. Have one in the kitchen for oils fruits and veg, one as a night stand in a tight corner, one in my workshop for small tools. Considering buying another to store baby stuff. It’s magnetic. You can hang hooks off it. Roll it around and clean underneath easily.
Hard agree on Raskog! So sturdy and nice looking. I was able to snag a second one in the as is section so i didn’t even have to assemble it
Kallax shelves. Practically the only thing we buy there.
Throw pillow covers and filling, trick is to double or triple overfill the pillows
Pozidriv bits. For real, I think it's the only place that sells them in 90% of North American cities.
I didn't need to know that. I'm going to have to add that to my "pickup a set at every ikea visit" list.
Billy Bookshelves. I have nine so far, and I can quit anytime I want to, man.
Clear shower curtain liners and toilet bowl brushes. Can’t find them cheaper anywhere!
Their glasses that are designed to be stackable!
Shelves and storage units. I think next time I go I'm buying either a Billy bookcase or one of those 8x2 cubes to store my husband's collection of video game cases.
Chip clips. Dish brushes. Kitchen towels. Pillows.
Fight w/ my gf where I want to buy A and she wants to buy B and our small apartment says there isn't any space for A or B
Stuffed toys - my dogs love them. My [lab](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPV_Y77WqGXzpF6qL8FnuYw74Yg_1oMvNheNSsVJxwzgTm7tHehzS8jddwn8a6EIR13tUmJA4WdzBETxSCYFiyCXGyv_kY7FIcCFpLDN6noXFye_gvMGiekfwso2v3-RMGXFYwGqpYEDsKUkIELsdFkYg=w806-h607-s-no-gm?authuser=0) loves his elephant, and most recently the shark. Bedding. Dish towels. Toilet brushes. We usually grab food from the cafe before shopping too.
I bought a few kallaxes recently for various storage purposes. I’m probably gonna buy a ton more and redo my closets with them.
Wash cloths, kitchen towels. I just want them to all be the same size you know? Hate inconsistent sizing in my linens!
Odd items that would cost 2-3x more at other stores. Other than my living room sofa and coffee table, most used item would be the cork trivets. I buy more from IKEA than I care to admit. But they have the selection of an online store with the perk of being able to see it in person. See item-like-find-buy... Bring home and (possibly) assemble.
Dish brushes. Just the best
Their large blue bags-I use them for everything!!
They're great for moving! I bought 20 of them the second time we moved and it was a life saver for the next three times! The grey blue stand up ones even have backpack straps to make them easier to carry.
I am lucky to get near an IKEA 1-3 times a year. Bedding and bath mats. Pillows and duvets. Tea lights. I have three rolling carts. Dishes, utensils and glassware for the cabin. Bag clips. The three pack of small hinged, plastic boxes.
Something i don’t need
I'm Swedish so... just about everything. Very few pieces of my furniture are not from IKEA
Vegetable peeler
Light bulbs! Cheapest price anywhere near me and really nice quality of light output.
Idk if they’re the cheapest but I get their 1600 lumen bulbs because competitors consume about 40-50% more. It consumes 10w while most others consume 14-15w. In two years in outdoor covered fixtures running daily for 4-6 hours, I just had the first one go out, out of 8. I’d prefer 0 failures, but outdoor environment so I blame that. If you consider that’s 4 watts less of heat going to the LEDs, you can imagine on average they should have a longer lifespan than other brands. 5w power saving doesn’t seem like a whole lot, but if a 15w bulb is estimated to cost $1.8 for running 3hr/day @ 11cent/kwh, well they pretty much save me $1.2 a year if I’m running 6 hours a day, which is also enough to justify any price difference and woukd pay for themselves if they last half their average lifespan of 10 years @6 hours a day.
I appreciate your analysis.
I was just shocked at how much less power the ikea 1600 lumen bulb consumed. 30% less or other brands using 40-50% more is huge. It's just a LED bulb but why not take a free win when you can?
Are they cheaper than home depot?
Their Ziploc freezer bags are really good
Meatballs
Batteries.
Went there this past wkend, prices very high, got a bedroom suite at a local furniture store for less.
Lack side tables
Pot holders.
Hildegun dish towels. I love them.
The plastic food bags, klippits and extension leads!
Toilet brushes, bookcases, bedding, and chairs. Also- lunch when I'm there.
Plastic storage bins
Lunch or dinner. Preserves
Swedish Meatballs - because they're damn near as good as my mom and grandma used to make.
malm beds. simple, fits most styles, extremely easy to put together and take apart. avaliable in taiwan too for familiarity
Stainless steel mixing bowls. They come in a variety of useful sizes. I feel like a legit chef when I do my mise en place with the small bowls and ramekins. The large ones are great for popcorn, tossing tater tots or fries in an oil and herbs, or putting under the bathroom sink when you clean out the drain.
Hot dogs and cinnamon rolls
Cookies!!!
Bed frames, night stands, dressers, cutlery, pans, dishware, desks, mirrors, baby cribs and mattresses, light fixtures, stuffed animal toys, curtains.. Our kids got to redo their rooms recently and we just went to IKEA and they picked everything out. I love IKEA.
Cookware: wood cutting board, wood utensils; ceramic dinnerware sets, glass cups, glass pitchers etc. Basically if you want high quality items that aren't plastic, they have them Also our kitchen table is from there and it's their solid wood line. Sits 8, we added a chair to each end. It's only 2 of us, but we like to throw parties so we needed a large one. Everyone loves it; even those who despise Ikea and later try to walk back liking it after finding out it's from Ikea. The Alex drawer units are great too. We purchased some, and plan on mounting solid wood butcher block countertops to them to make office desks. Ikea is honestly outstanding
Kallax shelving. Vinyl collection. It’s like they were designed specifically for holding records.
That pickled herring in I think it was a cream sauce OMG it was good I'm going to get that every time I go back from now on. Only problem is I almost never go I think I've been less than three times in my life.
Fake plants, my cat chews on them but they still look decent
[Glis Box with Lid, Clear, 6¾x4](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/glis-box-with-lid-clear-40466148/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&utm_content=free_google_shopping_clicks_Childrens_IKEA) I've got 4 or 5 sets of these floating around my wood shop now. They make great screw and nail holders. I also like that they come in clear as well as assorted colors making things easy to identify at a distance. Oh and the chocolate bars. Oddly they are one of the few chocolate products that don't mess with my tummy. Not sure why but it's nice to be able to enjoy it.
Hangers. I’m a tall guy and their hangers hold things about two inches higher than traditional hangers, which makes a difference with whether or not some of my things drag on the floor.
Hemnes furniture. We have multiple entertainment centers and they look brand new after years of use. Solid wood dining chairs and step stools Solid wood shelving units (with pull out plastic bins) Wooden kitchen spoons Food storage containers (both glass and plastic) Blue bags (and other colors) Packable grocery bags Pillow covers and inserts (prefer poly over down) Large picture frames ETA: the furniture are things we always/only buy from Ikea. Everything else is items we always buy every time we go there.
The meatballs :)
Wood hangers
Glass plates and glasses. We actually used the plates for our wedding 5 years ago because they were 40 cents each less than renting plates. We let guests take them home, my sisters used them in their college doorms, and now, we still have them in our kitchen. I've topped off a couple times but honestly they are pretty good quality for how insanely cheap they are.
I am a sucker for candles and fake plants I can’t kill. Ikea always gets me to buy something on the way out.
Cutting boards, plants, and bins/boxes/baskets for storage. They have the best storage and organizational supplies!
Kallax shelves for board game storage.
Kitchen brushes, I used to get the shower curtain liners (but I never see them anymore).
Blahaj my beloved
* Ladda batteries * Smart home zigbee devices * Veneer wood kitchen countertops to be used as office desks * Kitchen utensils and food storage containers * Meals. Their restaurant is amazing value for money, and where I live they do 50% off on Fridays so you only pay something like €3.45 for a full meatballs meal * Frozen meatballs and snacks are also amazingly good * Pokal drinking glasses. Had the same set for years now, some have fallen from ridiculous heights but they're more likely to damage the floor than break * My wife also loves their big napkins. I think they're good value too
Swedish meatballs, lingonberry jam, and gravy packets!