It’s been a year since we purchased our family flagship, the big white leather Karlstad Ikea couch that our family lives on. At the time we were shopping I crowdsourced advice, and read every review of this couch I could find. I feel like I really need to give back – which is why I am writing this Ikea leather sofa review!
Time has flown by and people are often asking me whether I am happy with the purchase, a big one for us, so I thought I’d write a review and include the pros and cons of our couch. The biggest con by far is that this couch has been discontinued, replaced by the new Landskrona sofa that looks very similar. The Karlstad is still available in fabric.
Here are the questions we asked others when we were considering buying this sofa, which we are now fully qualified to answer for future shoppers. I would imagine these would apply similarly to the new line.
1. Is this couch comfortable?
That depends on who you ask. This is a structured couch. The cushions are firm and the seating is pretty upright. If you want to truly lounge, extra pillows are suggested. Our couch prior to this one had thick down-wrapped foam cushions that enveloped you. I found it to be lacking in support when I would work on my laptop on the couch and specifically sought out a firmer seat.
2. How does the white leather stand up to the inevitable abuse of family life?
The leather looks surprisingly ok after a year, but not perfect. It has a few nemesis. The biggest damage has been caused by dark colored jeans transferring dye to the leather. Beware of overdyed clothes!!! Most other marks and dirt come off using Ikea’s own brand of leather sofa cleaner. We give our couch a once over every month or two or when it looks dingy. My kids are technically forbidden from eating on this couch which they don’t seem to take entirely seriously. We even used the couch as seating for a family Passover meal. So wine, tomato sauce, cheese, have all come into contact with the leather and have been cleaned up without lasting damage.
3. How is this leather with pets?
I am most dismayed by the damage this couch has sustained from my cat. She doesn’t use the sofa as a claw sharpener or even spend a ton of time on the sofa, yet there are marks on the arms where her claws have nicked the leather as she jumped up. I wasn’t expecting that sort of damage and I’m not sure how to repair it (or if it can be repaired). Its a good argument to trim the cat’s claws! I would be concerned about dog claws as well but cannot comment about dogs as I don’t have one!
4. What are some of the configuration options, and why did you choose what you chose?
We’ve gotten a lot of fun use from the chair plus sofa plus two lounge seats & two ottomans that we purchased. A few months ago we switched up the arrangement entirely and it was so nice to refresh the room. We are able to use the ottomans to create a giant lounge style sofa for 5 people, or to extend the chaise lounges to make beds for two people for sleep overs. I like to use the chair/ottoman to sit and read or work, when the kids are all on the couch.
5. Any regrets?
No regrets! This couch was a great value for our family – a fraction of the price of other leather sofas we looked at. It still looks sharp and modern after a year of use and if we can get a couple more years (or longer) out of it, I will be satisfied with the investment.
Thank you for writing this review! I was looking for exactly this.
Hi there!! I am looking into this couch and i have two cats! Even if they do not intentionally scratch they are everywhere! What is the base color underneath the leather? Our dark brown couch looks horrible from the white underlay exposed from the scratches.
Thanks in advance!
It is gray and there is some damage on ours from the cats scratching. I have not attempted to repair but if there is one thing I do not love about this couch, this is it!
Thanks so much for all the details. I’m looking at the Landskrona and just wondering if the Karlastadt sofa became more comfortable over time? the firmness seems nice in the store but I wouldn’t mind if it became a bit more ‘cushy’ over time and with use. Thanks!!
It has not really gotten softer, I kind of wish it had!
A tip for cat owners – putting clear packing tape on the corners of any material couch will stop cats from scratching! You can also put it on the areas that the cats jumps up and it will prevent the nails from picking the fabric! They don’t like the feel of it, so it may deter jumping up in that spot as well! My cat jumps on the back of our leather sofa and the back is not full leather, so it picks the fabric underneath. I had to trim all the strings that he pulled out and tape over them, but the damage is already done! I know it sucks to have tape on your couch, but it’s not very noticeable compared to some other products, and it’s super cheap and easy! I’d rather have tape than a shredded couch! Hope this helps anyone who is trying to protect their investment!
Your review couldn’t come at a better time! Thank you very much!
Thanks for the detailed review! This is exactly what I was looking for as I am also looking for a couch and have 2 toddlers.
Thank you for this review. We are just about to move and access for our current sofa is tight (our sofa is huge with high backs) We have 2 kids under 5 and we are expecting so want something durable (we are going for black) This sounds perfect!
We are just getting to the point where I am sick of cleaning the white. It still looks ok if you don’t look to close but there is cat claw damage, which I don’t think can be fixed. It’s been a good, hardwearing run. I think we can get at least another year out of it!
How DID you remive stains from overdyed clothes?? Thanks!
Hi Cara,
Carefully! We used the soap that Ikea sells and repeated the process many times. Then I used a rag dampened with rubbing alcohol, followed immediately by a damp (with plain water) rag. Then we repeated the ikea leather cleaner and conditioner. The stitching stayed a little darker and there was shading in the grain of the leather that stayed. It’s not too noticeable unless you look close though!
thanks 🙂 I’m glad to hear about the cat since that is a big concern for me. my other question is whether or not it is bright white or off-white. I hate off-white. My last sofa turned out to be off-white and I tried to live with it but I hated it every day of the 5 yrs I had it for being the wrong color. If I thought this was a bright white i would have bought it by now but i can’t be sure.
It’s a bright white until someone sits on it with overdyed jeans one time too many and you clean it but it’s just not the same. Then it is a grayish white….
Here is a stylish solution for protecting your leather sofa from cats claws when they jump up on the arms and back. Buy a matching leather hide and cut it into short rectangular pices that you can drape over the arms and back edge. Not too long so it hangs down to the floor, but just enough so it covers the edges. You can place the leather pieces right side up for the smooth look matching the sofa or flip it over for the suede look. You can get great prices on leather hides at: leatherhidestore.com. When the leather pieces get too unsightly just replace them. They have swatch books available for purchase.