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Ikea GRONLID Sofa Review
Overall Rating | 2.4
Quick Overview:
3-seater starts at $599
PROS: Relaxed stylish design with decent customization options.
CONS: Thin back cushions and lack of neck support.
Learn about the ins and outs of the IKEA GRONLID sofa in this Sofa Selector sofa review.
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GRONLIS 3 seater with chaise lougne (Note: this sofa was missing 2 pillows, so the discolored pillows come from another GRONLID sofa)
Style & Design: ★★★
The GRONLID collection is made with modern and English influence. It’s rolled arms and puffed cushions draw from English furniture design. The English influence exudes a welcoming ambiance that would work well in family homes or cozy apartments.
Of note, the GRONLID sofa with chaise lounge and the Ottoman feature a handy storage space beneath the seat.
Like most IKEA furniture, the seat cushions and frame of the sofa itself are removable. This makes the GRONLID easy to clean.
A design feature that I wasn’t too happy about was the 5 thinner back cushions (in the 3 seat option), instead of the traditional 3 thick back cushions. While aesthetic the numerous thin throw pillows aren't necessarily unappealing, they have negative implications on comfort, which we’ll discuss in the following section of this post.
Ultimately, the GRONLID is a nice sofa with clean lines and curves. It also has some useful storage features in select configurations; however, the back cushions were a strange design choice.
Comfort: ★★
The seat cushions are supportive and medium firm; however, the major comfort flaw with this sofa is the back cushions. While the number of cushions vary depending on the configuration, the thickness is constant.
The back cushions are slightly larger than your average throw cushion but smaller than the typical large supportive back cushions found on most couches. I found that the back cushions didn’t provide solid back support or neck support. On a positive note, they were comfortable as a head pillow when I laid down on the sofa with my feet up.
In regards to the rest of the sofa, the armrests are comfortably placed and the are flush with the backrest.
On the bright side, the 38 ⅝” seat depth offers a nice surface area to lean back and sink into the sofa
Essentially, this isn't the most comfortable couch because of the awkward back cushions but the depth and well positioned arms offer some redemption.
Storage beneath GRONLID chaise lounge
Customization: ★★★★
The IKEA GRONLID sofa series is available in a variety of fabric and configuration options.
In terms of fabrics, The GRONLID comes in the Ljungen dark red, Ljungen light green and the Ljungen medium gray, all of which are made of 100% polyester. The collection is also available in the Sporda dark grey and the Sporda natural (beige), which are made of a cotton, poly and linen blend. Additionally, you can order the GRONLID collection in the Inseros white (the least expensive fabric option), constructed with cotton and polyester.
The following outlines the configuration options and dimensions
GRONLID Loveseat:
69 ⅝”Wx38⅝”xD41”H: (starts at $529 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID Sofa (3 seater):
97¼"WxD38⅝"x41"H (starts at $599 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID sofa with chaise lounge and storage:
101⅝"Wx64⅝"Dchaisex38⅝"Dx41"(starts at $795 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID Chaise Lounge:
46⅛"Wx64⅝"Dx41"(starts at $406 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID Ottoman with storage:
28¾”Wx38⅝”xD19¼”H (starts at $150 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID Sectional Sofas:
GRONLID 3 seat corner sectional: 92½"WR x71⅝“ WLx38⅝"Dx41"H (starts at $935 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID 4 seat corner sectional: 92½"WR x99¼“WLx38⅝"Dx41"H (starts at $1,105 plus tax and shipping). Note this corner sectional has an open side with no arm and one side with arm rest.
GRONLID 4 seat section with double chaise: 133½"Wx38⅝"Dx64⅝” chaise Dx41"H (starts at $1,061 plus tax and shipping).
GRONLID 4 seat corner sectional: 99¼"WR x 99¼"WLx38⅝"Dx41"H (starts at $1,195 plus tax and shipping). Note that this corner sectional has arms on both sides
GRONLID 5 seat corner section: 126¾"WR x 99¼"WLx38⅝"Dx41"H (starts at $1,265 plus tax and shipping). Note that this sofa has arms on both ends.
GRONLID 5 seat corner sectional with chaise lounge: 99¼"WRx133⅛"WLx38⅝"Dx64⅝” chaise Dx41"H (starts at $1,461 plus tax and shipping). Note that this sofa has arms on both, with chaise lounge extending past the arm on the right side.
GRONLID 6 seat corner sectional: 128¾"Wx99¼"Dx41"H (starts at $1,771 plus tax and shipping).
Side view of IKEA GRONLID SOFA
Quality: ★★
The IKEA GRONLID is tightly constructed and looks aesthetically pleasing. However, IKEA sacrifices material quality to keep prices low. That said, it does come with IKEA’s 10 year warranty, which provides some assurance that it won’t just collapse on you out of the box.
Below you’ll find details about materials used in the GRONLID collection.
Frame: “ Solid wood, Plywood, Fiberboard, Particleboard, Polyurethane foam 1.2 lb/cu.ft., Non-woven polypropylene, Polyester wadding” and some steel.
Fabric: Different fabrics are made with different materials including polyester, polyester, cotton and linen blend as well as a polyester cotton blend. For more information, please review the “customization” section above.
Cushions: the back cushions are made of “polyester fiber balls. The seat cushions are constructed with “high-resilience polyurethane foam (cold foam) 2.2 lb/cu.ft., Polyester fiber balls.”
Overall quality: As mentioned above, the materials and durability aren’t as high quality as mid market furniture brands.
GRONLID Sofa arm and seat cushion
Safety and Sustainability: ★★★
The GRONLID is made fast and with inexpensive materials, which is not the most sustainable method of making furniture. On the bright side, some fabric options, like the Inseros White, are made with “more sustainable cotton,” which is crafted with less water or recycled materials.
Additionally, IKEA ships its sofas in pieces. While this increases the amount of packaging used it also allows for more efficient storage when shipping, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation.
Delivery and Assembly: ★
In home delivery starts at $39 plus tax. You can also pick up the GRONLID at an IKEA store near you for free. When scheduling delivery, IKEA offers you one week delivery with a 12 hour delivery window, so be sure to set aside an entire day for delivery.
IKEA furniture, the GRONLID included, comes in pieces, which must be assembled. Different configurations require different amounts of time to assemble. The GRONLID takes between 30 minutes and 5 hours to put together. If you don’t want to assemble the sofa yourself, for $63 to $80 IKEA will send a representative to assemble it for you.
Value: ★★
In conclusion, the IKEA GRONLID is available in a decent array of configurations and and fabric options. Its soft lines and seat depth are positive attributes of this sofa. However, I did not like the numerous thin cushions in place of traditionally thick back cushions.
While the GRONLID is not relatively expensive, 3 seater starting at $599, there are better options on the market within a few hundred dollar difference.
What Customers Are Saying: ★★★.6 (Overall rating based on 15 customer reviews)
★ “Sloppy & Very Difficult to Clean!!
“We bought this couch for our living room about 2 months ago. It was absolutely beautiful when first put together, but after living life with it for 2 months, we are so disappointed. To begin with, the main draw towards purchasing was the ability to wash individual cushion covers as needed (a must with 2 small kiddos & a dog!). I did a lot of research before buying, and so many reviewers were over-the-moon with how easy it was to just wash the covers whenever a stain occurred!! The two women that helped us in Ikea shared how great this couch and particular cover were with small children for that exact reason, too. However, you can't just wash *one* cushion, as it completely changed the color of the cover! Because of the large number of individual pieces, it is a HUGE ordeal to wash every single piece, so our couch just looks sloppy and mismatched. Not to mention, the base cover is in separate pieces too - not a slide over like the Extorp. In order to wash that, you have to actually TAKE A PART the couch....which is just ridiculous and incredibly time-consuming / illogical. Also, the arms of the couch are poorly made. They are only attached near the bottom...not at the top at all, which means it bends out. Again, with kids who often play on furniture, I'm sure it won't last very long at all.” Sami1234
★★★ Nice couch... tough build
“Ordered this almost 6 weeks ago. First the delivery company delivered the wrong base. Took over an hour with customer service (45 minutes on hold!) to get things straightened out then another two weeks for the right couch to be delivered. Took about 6 hours to put together...scavenger hunt for all the hardware which was loose (!!!) in the box. Typical IKEA instructions...2 stick figures and 3 sketches. Hard to get the armrest sections attached to the base just right. Lots of cursing and praying but it finally came together. Looks nice. Seems comfy. We’ll see how it stands up to the family.” Mariakl
★★★★ Comfy but less than simple
“Instructions provided are only for each individual piece. How the pieces connect to each other has to be surmised from the pieces available. Makes this a little harder than your ordinary Ikea product.
But don't be discouraged! Use YouTube, or Reddit to answer specific questions. It's really simple once you understand the mechanics, and the comfort is WORTH IT. Incredible couch for the cost.
Material is fairly rough (dark gray, not sure if others are similar). But the cushions are amazing.” DanLM
Thanks for reading the IKEA GRONLID sofa review. Read more sofa selector reviews to find the best sofa for you. Whether you’re looking for the most comfortable couch, a stylish sectional sofa, an affordable sleeper sofa or a modern loveseat, you’ll find what you’re looking for on our review pages. So, sit back, relax and read more sofa reviews! You can also check out our furniture sale round ups that give tips on where to buy discount furniture.
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