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What are the best things to buy at IKEA? Here are our favorite 22 items to watch for while you're in the store.
22 of the Best Things to Buy at IKEA
We recently made a quick trip to Ikea, and goodness there are so many things there that are worth looking for! We made it out without buying a single thing (well, except a half dozen cinnamon rolls and some $5.99 glassware ~ ahem ~ ) but had so much fun just seeing what they have to offer.
While I think you can often find better deals at your local thrift store if you're willing to slap on a little paint, Ikea is a great way to score inexpensive new home decor. Here's a peek at 22 best things to buy at Ikea, I'd love to hear what else you'd add to the list!
Lighting
With prices as low as $9.99 per light fixture, you can't beat IKEA's fantastic options for lighting. They have a ton of trendy options, and these are a great way to inexpensively update your home!
No IKEA nearby? Here are a few similar ones available online.Â
Side tables
As low as $7.99 for a new side table? Crazy!
I also love the Ikea table my daughter and I found on a trip a few years ago to IKEA (but didn't see this time around.) By far one of my favorite IKEA purchases!
Console & Sofa tables
Priced as low as $59.
Shelving
Dressers
My favorite IKEA DIY project ever is my friend Lynette's IKEA 3 drawer chest makeover. The chest is cute on it's own, but with a little tlc you can make it simply amazing!
Rugs
Ikea has large rugs priced as low as $39.99, and dozens of styles and colors to choose from.
Upholstered furniture
If you're looking for inexpensive seating options, you can't beat IKEA's pricing. However, the quality on these may not last forever (but at those prices you may be okay with that!) I prefer finding discounts on these at stores like the Ballard or Frontgate Design Outlet (where I got this chair for $174), but if you're not up for a hunt these are an easy way to save.
Clearance items
Throughout the store IKEA has clearanced furniture, usually priced $15 to $25 off their regular prices. If you can find a certain piece you're looking for, you should be able to get a great price! Be sure to stop at the very end of the store to find their deepest discounts.
Office organization and chairs
Everything for kids
I love that you can get amazing decor for kids at reasonable prices ~ since kids are rough on just about everything, I love that you can easily decorate on a budget and not be super sad if something gets broken along the way!
Homeschooling or playroom furniture
Ikea has a huge selection of kids furniture, including desks, tables, easels and more.
No IKEA nearby? Here are a few similar ones available online.Â
Textiles
Ikea has great prices on trendy pillow cases, kitchen textiles, and so much more. If you're looking to update your home without busting your budget, a run to Ikea is a great place to start!
Children's step stools
Glassware
Bedding & curtains
Ikea has a huge assortment of duvet covers and comforters priced at as low as $14.99. That's an incredible price (although you will have to buy all your pieces separately, so make sure to do the math and compare to the cost of a set at other retailers.)
They also have a large assortment of curtains, especially if you need longer panels for tall rooms. Their prices are incredibly reasonable for plain panels, but be sure to check them closely before leaving. (I purchased a set for my son on our last IKEA trip and sure enough one panel is about 3 inches longer than the other.)
IKEA's deal of the day ~ you can find this usually at the end of the store!
Pillow covers
Wooden hangers
Outdoor furniture
50¢ hot dogs. 😉 *I think they recently have gone up to 75¢ but forgot to take a picture when we were there ~ check your store to be sure!
Cinnamon Rolls . . .
And my favorite, inspiration.
While I love ogling over just about everything at IKEA, perhaps my favorite thing to do is just get inspiration. They have so many unique ways to organize, clean designs for decorating, and just fun ideas.
I love seeing how they work out small spaces (their tiny apartments are amazing!), and it's fun just to see how they handle rooms that are small (or not so small . . . ) on space.
And for one quick note on what NOT to buy at IKEA – THIS. BED. We bought it for my daughter last year and while it made for a super cute room, it is a beast to make and quite possibly deserves a warning label because it may cause you to give up changing sheets forever. Ugh!
Can't get enough IKEA? Hurry over HERE and check out these 15 shopping secrets you need to know before you go, and while you're at it sign up for free daily email updates from Passionate Penny Pincher and never (ever!) miss a deal!
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We had that same bed for our daughter (who is now married and in her own house 🙂 and I totally feel your pain on changing the sheets!! Yikes! Pretty true of any bunk bed though.
My husband and I were walking through IKEA and passed by the children section. As our kids were grown and past the toy stage we just glanced over the items for sale. A item caught our eye when a little boy was wiggling out of a round green tube . We both looked at each other and immediately thought the same thing! The play tunnel would be purrfect to keep our cats busy ! We also purchased the play house and they live hiding in it!
I love that Barb – great find!
IKEA has the best hollow wall fasteners ever, in a kit. Orange box. They never fail. There are a variety of sizes.
Yes, yes on the bath stuff! We got a super cute shower curtain for $6.99 and a matching rug for $7.99. Im going back to get stuff for the other bathroom ( and Some sheets too, based on someone else’s post 🙂
I was looking into that loft bed for my daughter. Although you said you don’t enjoy making the bed, do you think it’s a decent bed? I’m septic al of anything metal. Sturdy? Worth spending money on or save for a better wooden one?
It was definitely sturdy Jen – just soooo hard to make! I think it’s made sturdier by the desk underneath (all the pieces kind of give each other extra bulk), for the price I think it’s great it’s just so hard to make each day. hope that helps! 🙂
I purchased some hard plastic shelf brackets and used them to hang a shelf for preserves in my pantry. They were only $1.00 (in Canada) and they are working well.
Haha! I agree with the bed. Finally moved my son out of it at 14. Sold it on Craigslist, when we delivered it, it was for an adult man! We giggled all the way home. Hopefully he found a way to secure it to the walls. 🙂
Love this list!! My soon-to-be-roommate and I are planning an Ikea trip in the next month or so to stock up on some essentials for our new place. I still own 4 of the 6 juice glasses I bought there several years ago (broke two while in grad school, but that’s to be expected of glass), and I love them! There are so many great finds at Ikea, and it’s perfect for when you’re just starting out as an adult.
I love Ikea! I live about an hour from the Detroit, Michigan Ikea store. I love everything about the store, even the food! What made me go finally was the RÃ¥skog utility cart! I liked the first one that I bought so I had to go back and get another one, plus a whole bunch of other wonderful things. I am using these to organize my crafting space. I plan to return when I finally have a room to dedicate solely to my crafting business. I have already started making plans. ..
Haha I had a bed like that when I was a teenager 😉 I loved it. Especially changing the cheats, it was so fun comparing to a normal bed – but it was not easy!
I love Ikea. Its very budget friendly and this list fits almost everything that I purchase from Ikea minus couches or upholstered furniture. I find their couches and upholstered furniture to be too pricey and I can get better brands elsewhere.
But otherwise Ikea can really help you save when decorating your place.
I really like their Kallax units. We use them as a TV stand and washroom and other supplies storage.
Don’t forget cheap band aides. Less than a dollar a box 😉
Toilet brushes!! They’re $.99! So cheap I have no guilt throwing one out and starting a fresh one after a bout of stomach flu! Cheap enough to have one in each bathroom (if you’re blessed by a multi-potty home).
I LOVE them and they clean well, too.
The IKEA Family membership hasn’t been mentioned yet–it’s free to join. You get certain items cheaper (changes monthly) and free coffee and hot tea in the restaurant!
Plus their kids meals are super cheap and delicious. Like $1.99. And free on Tuesdays. Oh! Free breakfast on Monday mornings, too! (Can you tell I love ikea??)
In the Netherlands breakfast is 1 euro the whole week… en best even of your not a family member Before shop opening thee and coffee free. Heard the will change this soon…
The first place I go every time I visit IKEA is the As Is section near checkout. Amazing deals in there. A lot of the time the goods aren’t even damaged–they were just displays. I got a big leather couch for only $600. Just yesterday I saw the most beautiful solid wood coffee table–nearly six feet long–forn $99. Other times I’ve seen solid wood seven-foot shelf units for under $50.
The best part is all the stuff in As Is is already assembled!
I love Ikea. I personally recommend not buying the duvets for young kids who need their blankets washed often. I bought them for mine and was so tired of putting the duvets in and out!
Great tip Maureen – thanks for sharing!
Sheets!!! I think sheets are so overpriced in general. And I don’t like using flat sheets so it drives me crazy to buy a set just to get a fitted sheet. Single sheets are less than $10 at IKEA. I also bought a set for $25 (I think, maybe $30 but still cheaper than everywhere else), but they were SUPER soft and luxurious and the most beautiful shade of purple. They were the best sheets I ever owned.
One of our favorite finds at IKEA is our kitchen island.
We live several hours from the nearest store, so we were disappointed when we opened the box for our brand new island and discovered damage in one of the large wooden components. We contacted IKEA, and after providing picture documentation to them, we received a significant discount. In addition, we were able to repair the damage for pennies on the dollar.
I like their products and their customer service!
We have a smaller loft bed from ikea (the Kura) and I bought a Beddy’s comforter for it. It is a zipper system with the flat sheet, blanket, and comforter all in one and It makes making the bed so simple and easy (kids can easily do it themselves)! Check them out, it’s a cool idea and you may love it too!
Great tip Andria – thanks so much for sharing!
I buy kitchen tools there too. A simple item is their chip clips. Love them! Their spatulas are cheaper at 3.49 or so and just as durable as my 10 one from Kohls. I bought some plates there recently and love them. They are simple, but well madeand inexpensive.
Soooo basically, the whole store, lol. 🙂
I did my first IKEA trip yesterday with my niece and her 2 year old. We had a ball, and Kyler got to spend some in the toy area located in the children’s section. We didn’t leave him in the smalworld area because he has some special needs. We got some kitchen items, but it was the furniture we were going for, a small microwave stand (not on wheels) for a small alcove she has, a new storage unit for Kyler’s room for toys (bins that slide into the unit), a tv console for the xbox, etc.), and a bookcase. My sister also wanted a new set of dishes so we got one very inexpensively. It had plates, salad/dessert plates and bowls – no cups, no mugs. And she was thrilled.
I got a 2 1/2 quart jar in the clearance section less than 1/2 price because it was supposed to hold a tealight candle, that broke in the jar. Why they didn’t just replace the tealight candle is beyond me, but I am grateful that they didn’t.
I was looking for powder coated steel bins that I could put in my freezer for better organization, but didn’t find anything.
Really had a great time looking at everything, and will go back again.
Disagree about the loft bed. Each of kids have one, and they make it themselves. It is up so high no one can see if they don’t do a stellar job. 🙂 It opens up so much floor space or if you get the optional desk, that is super useful too.
Do you know what the desk / drawer / chair combo in picture 11 is called? It shows a $22.99 tag, but not sure what that is for. I can’t seem to find anything on-line or in the catalog to match the picture. Thank you very much.
Those are two separate pieces. It’s the LINNMON table top ($8.99, used to be $5.99) and ADILS legs ($4) from the table bar. The drawer unit looks to be the HELMER ($39.99).
Thank you. I just opened this article and see my question from last summer. Thanks for your reply. I will check that out.
Your welcome Rhonda!
Hi! IKEA is the best and I loved your post! I’m from Lapland, Finland and we usually go to Sweden to visit IKEA(it’s actually Swedish company, and we have few of them here in Finland also, but I live close to the border so…)
I don’t know if this works in other countries, but here we always go to check out “fyndhöna” (it’s the discount corner or something) because here they move the stuff from the example rooms there every time they modify them. I have found 4 champagne glasses for 20sek(=2,42 USD) , tabletops for 30sek(=3,63 USD) and turned them into a headboard, and a a lot of furniture for a fraction of their original price and they were already built. My friend even found a sofa there half priced. 🙂
2 years ago we also bought a sofa there ( http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sofa-sleeper-of-the-week-94619 ) and it’s great! Our guests have been happy to sleep on it and you get storage space in it. So I would even recommend their furniture, for those who don’t want to or can’t spend a lot of money on new furniture.
Here in Canada we call the discount area you refer to as the “AS IS” section. I’m with you on the great deals available in this little room. Every time they replace a feature in their showroom, most if not all of the existing items, ie. furniture/accessories, are moved to the AS IS section and discounted by at least one third. It’s also a goldmine for diy’ers and Ikea hackers!
My daughter has that bed too. It is a pain to make but she loves it
We have the bunk bed like this and we bought the kids zipit sheets and comforters. To make the bed just pull the zippers. Super easy! We found ours at ollies but Amazon carries them too.
I adore Ikea 🙂 I especially love their bedding. Here in the UK when you buy a double (or kingsize) duvet set it is supplied with two pillowcases, in Ikea a double set has four pillowcases. Who has two pillows on a double bed?
It was interesting to see their pricing, as compared to ours here in UK. They appear to be charging exactly the same price whether in £ or $. You can see the UK page here http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/ Thank you for this post, I’m off to pin to my ikea board at Pinterest, sending hugs x
That’s interesting that their pricing is similar – I wouldn’t have guessed that! I didn’t even think about Ikea being available overseas, so I love that you shared this Rosie. Happy Ikea shopping!
Prices are exactly or more or less same. Buy my stuff from dubai and amazing.i am crazy about ikea
How funny that prices are that similar everywhere Huyam – good to know!
Hi Laurie!
I totally agree with your list! Another place I find great decorating deals is SierraTradingPost.com. In their Home area are many high quality items (mostly accessories) at a good discount. If you go to RetailMeNot.com you can find coupons for good discounts there too. I love a great deal!
I had no idea that Sierra Trading carried houseware – that’s so good to know! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I meant to say that you can find good coupon codes for Sierra Trading Post at RetailMeNot. At STP I always read the reviews before buying. Also they have frequent sales, so check back to see if something suddenly has a lower price. I find a lot of gift items in the home section and everyone seems pleased to get them. All the while I save money. Love it!
Love that too – thanks so much for sharing!
Be aware that some of the super great lighting may require expensive unique bulbs….
Thanks for the tip – definitely important to watch for!
I shouldn’t have looked at all of the ideas…Now I am feeling the need to go check out all the stuff mentioned here. I love Ikea and have found countless fun things to give as gifts, decorate and organize my home.