~the great debate~{pottery barn sectional vs. ikea ektorp}

I thought I'd address this today since it is one of the most commonly asked questions I get.

"Where did you get your sectional?"

Well, years ago we had the Ikea Ektorp sectional with the svanby beige slipcover.

It was a big purchase in the sense that I had to talk my husband out of his beloved {and expensive I might add} leather sofa we currently had.

I was looking for a lighter look and I loved the idea of a slipcovered sofa because of the washability and a sectional seemed to fit perfectly in our space.

So, I brought him to Ikea, 

{a task in itself} 

to try out the Ektorp sectional.

He liked it OK.

He thought it wasn't too comfortable but for under $1000.00 you just couldn't beat the price.

So, I won and we bought it.

Before we go into this further I'd like to give my review on the Ikea sectional.

I liked it. For looks I give it a 9 out of 10 stars.

Durability~great.

The kids had spilled ketchup on it, soda, you name it, and the covers came off easily and washed right out. 

The cover we had, like I previously mentioned, was called the svanby beige, which I am not seeing online anymore. 

It was a cotton linen blend that recommended dry clean only.

However, I washed and dried mine.

It shrank in length a little but to tell you the truth, I thought it was a bit long to begin with , so this was a win win.

I also found the cover easy to get back on the couch after it came out of the dryer.

Comfort level I would give it a 7 out of 10. A little hard, but still comfortable.

Here are some photos of the Ikea Ektorp sectional.

Fast forward a couple years and after listening to my husband complain that it wasn't that comfortable, I started searching for another option with the same look.

That is where I stumbled upon a Pottery Barn sectional on Craigslist, too good of a deal to pass up.

So, we gave the Ikea sectional to my sister in law and brought in the new Pottery Barn sectional.

Here is my review of the Pottery Barn sectional.

Looks I give it a 10 out of 10.

Comfort level I give it a 9 out of 10.

The slipcovers wash and wear great. 

However, they are a pain to put back on! 

These ones I wash and hang to dry.

It is a workout in itself to get the covers on.

The color we have is cream twill and it is exactly the same color as the svanby beige by Ikea. 

The cushions are wrapped in down which is a nice feature and makes it even more plush.

There is about a $3,000 price difference in the two sectionals, and I'd like to show you photos now of our Pottery Barn one to see if you can tell the difference.

 Can you tell the difference?

It's really hard huh?

When we got the new sofa no one even noticed.

I hoped that this helps a little if you are debating which sofa to buy.

They are both good in my opinion, and have a very similar look.

If you have the extra money to shell out, I am sure the Pottery Barn one will last a lot longer and it is a bit more comfortable in my opinion.

However, for the money, the Ikea one is just fine!

Link to Pottery Barn sectional here, 

and

Link to Ikea sectional here. 

xoxo