It’s been a year since we first purchased our Tidafors sectional from Ikea and I’m more than overdue for an update to you guys. That original post is still one of my top read posts of all time. Apparently there’s no one else out there providing solid reviews on the Tidafors?!
I can honestly say – and you all know how honest I am – that we still love it. It has held it’s shape, color, comfort and more. Now, I do have to put the disclaimer out there that we do not have pets or children (I know, right? Living the life right now!). If we had pets and children there’s potential that my review would be different. But I don’t know, because I don’t have them.
Though, as a childless and pet free home it has held up phenomenally. I try to vacuum the sofa a few times a month, usually once as a deep clean and the other times as just a quick vacuum. The color has not faded at all, especially since Colorado is the sunniest place ever and we usually have our shades open during the day.
We did have our first spill on it, which was chamomile tea. I won’t lie, it was tragic. I thought the end of the Tidafors had come. That we’d have a liquid stain forever. But, surprisingly, that wasn’t the case.
We quickly blotted the spill with a towel to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. From there, I sprinkled baking soda all over the spill, allowing it to absorb more of the liquid. I then vacuumed up the baking soda. It helped to absorb the liquid but the outline of a stain was still there.
I went ahead and grabbed the hair dryer like a crazy person and dried the hell out of it thinking that if I dried it quickly it wouldn’t set. There was still a stain. I was tired and it was late so I went to bed and said I’d deal with it in the morning.
Well, in the morning it had faded a significant amount. So I let it be and when I got home from work it had faded more. A few days went by and the entire stain was gone! There was no outline, nothing.
So, while I’m not sure this method would work for say, red wine, which I’m currently very fond of, it’s worth a shot if there was ever to be a spill of that sort.
Spills and stains aside this sofa held up well through our move, which meant taking it apart, shoving it in a truck and hoping we put it back together correctly. It was a cinch to put back together and as I said, it’s still comfy and supportive as ever. And I should know since I spend nearly every night from 8pm until bedtime on it.
Eventually this sectional will likely live in our basement, once it’s quasi finished, but for now it fits perfectly in our space, it fits a good amount of people on it and it’s comfy and sturdy. What more might you ever need in a sofa?!
Quick question on the Tidafors sectional do you know how many pieces it comes in? Just want to know if we can get it to fit in our apartment. We just had to send back a sectional because it wouldn’t fit. If you can e-mail me that info I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks,
Ed
Hi Ed – the Tidafors comes in boxes and you have to put it together. We ran into the same issue, had to send a sectional back to the furniture store because they couldn’t get it in our apartment. That’s why we went with the Tidafors, it comes in boxes so it will fit into the apartment! If I recall correctly I believe it came in 4 large boxes. We didn’t have a vehicle large enough to transport the boxes so we opted for delivery from IKEA. Good luck!
Hi
Quick question at the corner part of the sofa are you able to sit with legs up? Looks like awkward angle.
Hi John – It is an awkward angle, though, yes, we can sit with our legs up. That’s actually my favorite spot on the sofa! Good luck!
I was looking at this sectional today and appreciate your review and follow up! It is the only substantial review I’ve seen via Google search. Seemed too good to be true when I plopped on it, based on the thousands we’ve dumped on couches of varying quality over the years. My first couch was a more expensive sectional with more features that we didn’t ever use. Barely fit in our first place and essentially transformed our living room into a cozy after hours club with barely any room for a TV or coffee table. It was great when we bought it but eventually only the components with crap built under them maintained their level of support (heating recliners, or a fold out snack table inside one chair). Still got a lot of life from it but this looks way more practical.
Hello! Thank you for this! We’re really considering this for our family room, but I need help with the dimensions.I’ve got the “Min. width: 92 1/2 ” and Max. width: 112 1/4″ off the Ikea website, but I need to know the length of each individual side. We’d be putting it in a corner like yours is situated. Any chance you could measure from your wall down the long side and then measure from your wall down the short side and tell me what it is?! TIA.
Hi Sheri Lynne! Sorry for the delayed response! I’ve broken the measurements lengths out into three parts since the sofa is three parts:
– Armrest and two seat cushions = 63″ long
– Corner piece = 58″ (the first cushion is 29″ and the second is 29″)
– Chaise lounge piece = 41″ long Additionally, to help you gauge wall space, the wall space needed for the entire sofa (if looking at it as a 90 degree angle) is 112″ (on the long side) x 92″ (on the shorter side) I’m really hoping this makes sense, it’s very tricky to explain because the sofa isn’t straight lines! What helped us when measuring was taking the entire space the sofa would take up, so the 112″x92″ versus the individual piece sizes. Let me know if this is helpful or if you need more clarity!
I just ordered ours in gray on feb 14th from the online store. this is now the only way to get the tidafors corner sofa. Further, it is not on display in any east coast store, i have visited since late 2013. must order online- with the attendant trucking to your address. But considering that is would be a big pile of components to load, I doubt there are many with vehicles big enough to stuff all the boxes in on a single trip. they anticipate delivery for week of march 1- just 2 weeks. I have a question. the tidafors collection photo on the website shows an ottoman near an armchair that looks kind of like the chaise section of the couch, but I have not been able to find it in the catalog. does this item still exist? name or part #?
I know it’s late, but the sofa is on display at IKEA in Elizabeth, NJ if anyone else was looking for it in stores. That’s where I got mine from.
Yours is the only review I can find on this couch – thank you. My closest ikea is 40 miles, so instead of driving up there, I thought I’d start with you :-).
Are the cushions attached? I’m more interested in the back cushions (we sometimes remove them from our current couch to make the seat wider for sleeping purposes). Thanks in advance for your response!
Hi Sheri! The cushions are attached on both the seat and the back, so they unfortunately do not come off. Good luck, we still love the sofa to this day!!
Thanks so much for psting this. We are looking for a new sofa after our only regret in our house ‘the reclining sofa’ packed in after 4 years. The bought that one from RTG – was nice when it wa snew but it had that pillow and now much cushion to last a decade, so now I am looking for a solid comfy at a price which wont break the bank. After reading your review, I reckon we have found it. We are going to go with the 3 seater and the love seat. Our room shape doesnt suit the one you got. Thanks again
We are trying to figure out if we can get the boxes into are van and truck. Do you remember how big the boxes were? I know it has been awhile but I can’t find anything else about the sofa.
So we bought the 2 and 3 seaters a few weeks ago. There are two main blocks. I have a Chevy equinox and it was too large for that. I also have a grand caravan and maybe could have done it in two trips. I was going to rent from Lowe’s or Home Depot their loading trucks which were cheaper than paying for delivery and would have been ideal. They could not guarantee availability but if I had gone in first thing and wasn’t pressed with a schedule I would do that next time. On the three seater you can remove the cushions and have three packages. They were heavier than I expected but not heavy enough that two healthy men could not manage. Hopefully this helps
Hi Diana! The boxes were ENORMOUS so we opted to have them delivered since we didn’t have a vehicle large enough to haul. They likely will not fit in a van, if it’s a large truck, would probably fit in there. I don’t have exact sizes of the boxes, but they were really huge. Good luck, wish I could be more helpful!
Hi, What fabric did you get your sofa in? I got on in Hensta Dark Brown in Aug 2014 and have had a serious issue with pilling of the fabric. Recently, the seam of the cushion ripped too. Not to mention this is a replacement couch because the first one delivered in June 2014 pilled as well. Any issues with yours? Thanks!
Hi Dayna – sorry to hear that! We have the Tidafors in Hensta Gray and have not had any of those problems. I wonder if there’s a slight difference in the fabric based on color? I would most definitely send it back again since that should not be happening. Since it happened with the original and the replacement sofa I would think it has something to do with the fabric. Good luck, totally bummed to hear that your experience has been a negative one!
We have only had our tidafors for 2 months and it is really horrible quality. It has ripped in two different places and both times, IKEA has been very diffcult to deal with. There is no interfacing under the material and both times, it has ripped at the seams. It seems to be made very cheaply. We’ve been very sad. But it is rather comfy. I would NOT recommend buying it to anyone. The material also snags. We got the medium brown.
I’m glad your experience was better with the gray.
It seems like many folks have had poor experiences with the medium brown. It is a cheap couch, I agree on that, but I guess you have to expect that from IKEA. Ours is still holding up strong, this fall will be two years that we’ve had it and we really don’t have any complaints. How did yours rip?! Did a seam just tear? That’s crazy!
A spring just broke out of the first seat of ours last night and we bought it this spring :( Quite upset.
That’s a bummer, ours have all held up really well. Ours has a 10 year warranty to cover fixes like that, maybe yours does too? Good luck!
I bought a Tidafors, a spring broke within months (causing the couch to sink in in the middle). I used the warranty and got a replacement. Again, within months, a spring broke. The couch receives normal use (certainly no jumping or anything that should cause a spring to break). I love the size of the sofa, especially the depth, but unfortunately, the spring issue can’t be overlooked. (A friend also had the same issue with his couch – spring broke within months).
Bummer! Sorry to hear you had a poor experience. We haven’t had any issues with springs and we’ve had lots of people, watching football, jumping up and down on this couch! Hopefully you found something that fit your space!
Hello!
We bought the 2 and 3 seaters Tidafors in Hensta Gray, and have not had any of those problems.
hi lindsay, how do you wash your couch? can you suggest any spray or other product for dry cleaning? thank you and ciao from Italia. Pia
Hi Pia – I vacuum it regularly with the upholstery attachment on my vacuum. Aside from that, I’ve spot cleaned it with a soft rag and warm water and rubbed out the spot. The one time we spilled a whole cup of tea I absorbed it with a kitchen towel, just pressing the towel into the couch to absorb as much liquid as I could. I then sprinkled baking soda over the spill to absorb the remaining moisture. I let the baking soda sit for a long while, probably two hours or so. I then vacuumed up the baking soda and dried the rest of the spot with a hair dryer on a low setting. This is the only time we’ve had a spill that we needed to really clean. I always say though, we do not have children or pets so I’d love to hear how someone else cleans theirs who do have kids and pets! Hope this helps!
Thanks for the review. We just ordered the same couch. Wondering if you could tell me the dimensions of the legs. Looking to order some non-slip pads and want to make sure we get the right size. Thanks!
Hi Lee! We’re still very pleased with the couch! The legs are 5″ x 5″ in the front. The back ones might be larger but I couldn’t get back there to measure. Good luck!
Hi Lindsey, Many thanks for this very helpful review. This sofa is not on display near me, and I think our wall space is really tight. But I love this sofa so would like to see if there is a way to fit it in somehow. I see you gave dimensions previously, I would like to know if the width is a bit less at the bottom than at the top, which I guess is the maximum length. We have a maximum wall space at the bottom of 282cm, which is a bit less than 112 (284). I’m wondering if with the soft part on the right side, I could gain a few centimeters by pushing it against the wall?
Thanks in advance for your help. Regards, Charline
Hi Charline! It’s still a great sofa! I’m unclear on the dimensions you’re asking about. Happy to measure for you but not sure what exactly you’re asking me to measure. Feel free to email me directly (info is the email icon on the right sidebar under the meet Lindsey section!) and we can get this figured out for you!
We bought our Tidafors a year ago when they had a buy second for 50% off bogo sale in medium brown. We bought a sofa and a loveseat instead of the corner couch because it was a lot cheaper due to the sale and if we ever downsize, it will fit easily. It has held up well. We have no kids, just a small dog that lounges on it whenever we are in the tv room. Only spilled juice on it once but wiped it up and when dry, no stain is visible. It is pretty comfortable once broken in. I am surprised not many reviews was on the internet for the Tidafors but there are not many affordable and nice looking high back couches out there.
So glad to hear that you’ve had a great experience too! We love ours. You’re right it takes time to break in but once it does it’s very comfy!
Is this sofa large enough for you and your partner to lie out on quite comfortably ?Yes! And my husband is 6 feet tall. We both fit on it and it’s so comfy. I love sleeping on it. Good luck!
Lot of pressure guys. Saw the Tidafor in Ikea Southampton England. Thought looked good but as ever went to the god that is google for a review check. As many have said yours is the Only Tidafor review that I could find…So based on YOUR review took the plunge and bought. Got delivered based on the comments above. Good Job as 6 V large boxes -2 Seater and modular corner unit. Fitted together very well and quickly ( 2 people about an hour) To date ( 1 week) very happy now we have got used to size. Despite best efforts to measure
( and we saw one set up in the flesh) a lot bigger than we imagined but all very happy. Also we do have a dog so lets see how that develops Many thanks for your review ( and BTW) we are masters of our own destiny so dont really hold YOU responsible for our purchase. Many thanks again Sean
Hi Sean – glad to hear you’re having a good experience thus far! I agree – it was much larger in our space than it felt in the store, but I think that’s common with most furniture and furniture stores (at least in my experience, everything seems HUGE when it gets to my house!). It still fits our space perfectly though and we’re still loving it to this day. Good luck!
Hello! We are thinking about this couch for our new house. The corner it would go in’s walls measure 82″ x 124″. Do you know if the back part of the couch is under 80″ the arm-less side? It would be okay if only the lower cushion stuck out into a walk-way.. In other words, is the part where the back ends and the round cushioned seat sticks out at least 10-12″? Thanks so much for your review.
Hi Tyler! The side of the sofa with the armless piece is 88″ long. Where the back ends it’s about 74″. It seems like it might be too large for your space, though you can always return it since it’s from IKEA (it’s a hassle, but it’s an option!). It depends on how much you want it to overhang in the walk-way. Good luck!
Thanks so much for your super quick and very helpful response. Since the walkway is quite wide (~50″), I think that will work perfectly! It’s hard to find a sofa that even comes close on such a short wall.. Thanks again!!
Two years later?Hi Brian! I should write another update post. I’ll do that this month! Still holding up like a champ and just last week my husband spilled an entire mug of coffee on the couch. We used the same method for cleaning that I mentioned in the One Year Later post and again, after a few days the very dark and enormous stain lightened, and now is completely gone. The cushions are still holding up well, no fading, no sinking. Still highly recommend!
That’s good enough for me. I live in Japan. Went into ikea. The only couch that appealed was the Tidafors 3 person. I’ve been eyeing it for months. It’s absolutely perfect… and only one review. Thanks. You sold me. Next week.
Hi Lindsey!
I’m loving that you have become the go-to person for all things Tidafors (IKEA should be paying you commission!) Thank you so much for your review, it has been really helpful!
I have a quick question- just wondering how you go cleaning underneath the couch? Can you fit a mop/vacuum underneath it or do you need to move it in order to clean underneath?
Thanks!
Gemma
I should probably specify, cleaning the floor underneath the couch, not the underside of the couch itself :)
Hi Gemma! I have hardwood floors and the best way I’ve found to clean under there is with a Swiffer since the handle is the most flexible and bends almost all the way flat. I use the dry cloth to wipe up dust and then the wet cloth to polish the floors. I think it would be tricky to get a vacuum under it without pulling the couch out. Which – is not as hard as you might think if you have two people. Good luck!
We have the 2 and 3 seater version, and they are actually quite light. The base of the sofa likely sits about 3 inches from the floor, the underside of the sofa does not have a traditional sheet or underside, its hollow, I am not sure if I described that well enough – think of a cup upside down, once your under the edge you have a nice space above you. Overall we find cleaning the underside of the couch very easy, it a toy or a shoe ends up under there its easy to get out.
Hi
Have you had any issues with the springs popping out under the sofa, we have the same sofa and the springs keeps popping out, we had ikea out and fixed a few with some screws and not nails but over time the others keeps popping out
Hi Scott – interesting, I’m not sure if we’ve had any pop out but now I’m going to check. Was it very noticeable when it happened? I believe that is covered by the 10 year warranty if you have that with the sofa. I’m going to check ours today!
Hi, I have just received my 2 & 3 seaters in light brown yesterday .. Today my daughter spelled some water on one of them, I dried it immediately with a towel, but I noticed that it has like dark circle, will it go away with time or there is something I can do to make it disappear Thank you so much for your help
Hi Nancy! Every spill we’ve had has left that same dark circle around the stain. However, over a few days it always lifted and you can’t see it at all anymore. The most recent spill was a cup of coffee and I thought for sure it was stained and it’s gone, you can’t see it at all. Hopefully you have the same luck! Ours is the gray one so I’m not sure if that would make a difference. Good luck!
It’s magic! I have no clue why it does that but every time the stain slowly lifts over the course of a few days and then is just gone! So glad it worked out for you!
Hi, thanks for the review. What do you think is a fair price for a 18 months Tidafors sofa Hensta green? It is in realy good condition. Thank you
If it’s the sectional Tidafors I’d say a few hundred dollars less than the original price. I can’t speak to the regular sofa and love seat since I’m not sure what they cost new. Good luck!
Hi. Lindsey
just a basic question about cleaning spills . Did u wet the baking soda at all or need to use wet cloth after vacuuming up baking soda . My friend used soapy cloth to clean up after child regurged ! But am
Not left with darker circle and white edges hoping will fade . Thanks marie
Hi Marie! We have never been left with white edges on the stain, but have been left with edges of the stain, usually a darker color. Ours did fade over a few days. I have a feeling that the white stain is the soap that was used – it dried in that white color. Maybe try rubbing it with a damp cloth to see if you can absorb some of the soap. Good luck – the one down side to this sofa is that the cushion covers aren’t removable for ease of cleaning!
Hi Lindsey Thanks for your reviews, I am currently looking at the two seater version but I’m worried it will be too high and cover some of our window. I was just wondering putting the feet on it is absolutely necessary or whether they can be left off please?
Thanks
Hi Laura! I believe the feet can be removed. I can’t quite remember since we put ours together so long ago, but I’m almost certain the legs can be removed. Good luck!
Hi Lindsey,
How big is your space in feet. I have a 13 by 13 foot living room and wondering how this would fit! Thanks!
I think it would fit! The space ours is in is 8 feet (short side of sofa) by 10 feet (long side of sofa). Our tv room is a very odd size, but I do thing you’d be able to fit it in a 13×13 room. It might be tight on some sides but it could work. Good luck!
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for the great review. I’m really thinking about buy this sofa, but my flat is so awkward to get anything into. Do you know the dimensions of the biggest ‘piece’? As in, before any of it is put together? I have the dimensions of the boxes they come in, but they will be too big to get in the flat. So I’m hoping I can unpack the pieces and bring them in separately!
Thank you :)
Hi Yvette – the boxes were ENORMOUS for this sofa and the cushions were not nearly as large as the boxes. I provided these dimensions for another reader, possibly they’ll be helpful for you too: – Armrest and two seat cushions = 63″ long
– Corner piece = 58″ (the first cushion is 29″ and the second is 29″)
– Chaise lounge piece = 41″ long I’m out of town now so won’t be able to get specific dimensions, but I feel confident that if you have a normal size doorway to your flat you’d be able to get the pieces in if they’re taken out of the box. Good luck!
I don’t have the dimensions, but we bought this sofa 4 years ago specifically because we could take it into our basement in pieces. To get to our basement you have to go down a single flight “c” shaped stairway, and this fit! BTW. Still GREAT after 4 years of kids, and dogs, and we are bigger people. We love it so much we are getting a 3 and 2 seater for the upstairs living room…. now if only the sofa event were on!!
Hi Lindsey,
I visited ikea today and saw this sofa and fell in love.. hoping you still have your tidafor??
Would this sofa fit my lounge, my wall that the chaise would be on is 201cm approx 79inches, I’m trying to find out where ikea measured the shorter length of 235cm from,
I don’t want to purchase and find it won’t fit :( Kind regards
Nikki
Hi Nikki – we do still have it and love it! I provided these dimensions for another reader, possibly they’ll be helpful for you too: – Armrest and two seat cushions = 63″ long
– Corner piece = 58″ (the first cushion is 29″ and the second is 29″)
– Chaise lounge piece = 41″ long Our short wall is 8 feet and long wall it’s on is 10 feet. I think the 79″ maybe be cutting it close. If it was a 90 degree angle it would likely work but with the corner piece being rounded it takes up a lot more space. Bummer!
Hi Lindsey! We are about to move, but our Tidafors sofas (the 2 and 3 seater) aren’t going to fit through the door of our new apartment. You mentioned that you also moved and disassembled and reassembled the sofas. I haven’t been able to find any instructions online of how to disassemble them. Ours came already assembled, so we don’t have experience with the assembly. I know we can find the assembly instructions online and just follow them in reverse. But my questions is, did you find it easy to disassemble and reassemble? Any tips? Our other alternative will be to lift them over a second story balcony, which will be a lot of effort, so I’m hoping disassembly is a better option. Thanks!!
Hey there! We actually just dis and reassembled recently to move it to our basement! I’m not sure on the sofa and love seat versions though. Ours is SO easy to take a part and put back together so I imagine yours are too. When you flip the couch upside down you should see a bunch of bolts and hardware. They literally all just unscrew and then screw back together. On ours the back cushions come apart from the seat cushions and the arm rests come off as well. It was super easy with the sectional, I imagine it would be even easier with the sofa versions. Good luck, let me know if you have any additional questions!
Hi i hope you are okay i am looking to buy the Tidafors 3 seater, can you give me an update on how it is currently surviving?
It is still in great condition! We finished out basement and have since moved the sectional downstairs. It’s still in the same, perfect condition from when we bought it four years ago. I continue to recommend this couch to everyone!
Hi! Just saw this today at IKEA and of course looked for reviews! Yours is what I found. Thanks for putting it up AND updating it. I think I’ll be buying in a month or so. Funny the one on display was brown and pilling badly. I assumed the gray would do the same because it’s the same fabric different color but I have hope it won’t now. Thanks
Hi Cindy! Ours is still in perfect condition. No pilling at all. I wonder why that was! Good luck, we still love this sofa!
Hi! I’ve had this sofa for 8 months now (exact same as yours) and I am finding it does creak somewhat. I’ve checked it over and see no issues with the sofa and wonder if it’s simply “breaking in”. Did you/do you suffer with this issue? Thanks in advance! Xx
Hi, I am seriously considering buying a tidafors sofa, not sure which one yet, but was wondering if you have the measurements for the height of the seating. There is a measurement on the Ikea website, but at 47cm seems much too short for a sofa that is going to support your head and neck! I did view it in store, but that was over a year ago and I can’t remember. Would you be able to post a photo of the sofa with an adult sitting on it? :)
Hi Natalie – the measurement from the floor to the top of the back cushion is 36 inches (91 cm). Hope this helps!
I just read through this entire comment section because I am also interested in this sofa. But I’m commenting to praise your dedication to giving updates and answering every single comment thoroughly. IKEA should be paying you commission for every Tidafors sold, really! Thanks a lot.
Hahaha! It’s funny, I reached out to IKEA to see if they’d be willing to partner and they said no. Dang! But, I don’t mind, I look for write ups like this when I’m purchasing products so I’m happy to do my part for others. Glad it’s helpful!
Hello, I’m seriously considering buying this sofa but can’t work out if it’ll fit through the door! I know it comes boxed in sections, did anyone have trouble getting it through their doorway? I’ve got the front door then a small hallway to the living room, no room to twist round the frame if that’s what is needed? Any insight on how easy it is going in would be great!
Hi Jennifer! In all honesty I don’t remember the box sizes, BUT I will say we had a tiny hallway we had to get down and a very small space to turn and get the boxes into our apartment door and it worked out just fine. You may be able to call IKEA and ask the sizes of the boxes?
It started to pile after two one months. It is medium brown.Yeah, seems like people have had poor luck with the brown one. Ours is almost 5 years old and it’s still in great condition, no pilling, no fading, etc.
I’ve fallen in love with this sofa. The only part I am worried about too is getting it through the kitchen door and into the lounge!! I know the boxes are massive and I know I couldn’t get those in but does the sofa come in small pieces so I could unpack the box outside and bring each smaller piece in individually? Looking at the instructions on line in looks like the arm rest is one piece, then the longer seater (seat and back separate), then the corner piece, then the chaise lounge piece. is this right?
Thanks so much for all the updates
Yep, that’s correct. You won’t have any issues getting it through the house if you unpack the boxes first. The boxes are just enormous. Good luck!
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