IKEA UPPLAND Sofa Review: The Ektorp's Heir Has Better Bones but Polarizing Firmness

The Ektorp's Successor Is Taller, Deeper, and Built Around Pocket Springs

When IKEA phased out the EKTORP in the US in 2021, it didn't just retire a sofa — it disrupted the plans of a generation of buyers who'd spent years reading about the EKTORP's cover ecosystem and tracking down replacement slipcovers. The UPPLAND arrived as the direct replacement, sharing the EKTORP's silhouette almost exactly: same rolled arms, same skirted base, same washable slipcover system. But underneath the familiar exterior, IKEA made substantive changes. Pocket springs replaced the EKTORP's all-foam seat cushions. Seats deepened by four inches to 23 inches. The back profile gained two inches of height. Whether those changes count as improvements depends almost entirely on how you sit and how tall you are.

The UPPLAND generates genuinely split community responses. On one side: owners who find it deeply comfortable to lounge in, praise its pocket spring cushions for retaining their shape, and report solid performance over multiple years of use. On the other: owners who find it harder than expected, criticize the back cushion support, and in some cases say they'd rather sit on the floor. This split is not random — it breaks along clear and predictable lines that are worth understanding before you commit.

Comfort: Firm, Seat-Depth Dependent, and Sensitive to Height

The UPPLAND's pocket spring seat cushions are its most significant departure from the EKTORP. Pocket springs — steel coil units individually wrapped in fabric — provide a different kind of support than foam alone: firmer initial resistance, less immediate give, and better edge support. For owners who sit upright or like a supportive base under them, this reads as an upgrade. For owners used to the EKTORP's softer, more yielding foam cushions, the UPPLAND arrives feeling unexpectedly hard.

The comfort picture is also height-dependent in a way that IKEA's product page doesn't make obvious. The UPPLAND sits taller than the EKTORP — both the frame and the back cushions add height — and the seat depth at 23 inches is generous enough that shorter users (under 5'6") frequently find their feet don't reach the floor when seated upright. Multiple r/IKEA owners describe this specifically: the sofa is better suited to lounging or reclining than to sitting with feet planted. Taller users with longer legs report the opposite — the seat depth and height are exactly what they wanted.

Back cushion support is the most consistent complaint in community threads. Several owners describe the back cushions as thin for the height of the sofa, with a sensation of leaning through the cushion into the frame rather than being supported by it. The back cushions are 30% cut foam and 70% polyester fiber — a soft, yielding mix — which some owners find comfortable and others find insufficiently supportive.

Covers: Washable System, But Not All Fabrics Perform Equally

The UPPLAND's washable slipcover system is one of its strongest features and the clearest argument for buying it over sofas in a similar price range that offer no cover access at all. The seat cushion covers unzip on three sides, making removal and washing notably easier than the EKTORP's design. Machine washable at warm, normal cycle — with the important caveats of washing separately and no tumble drying.

The cover material varies significantly depending on which fabric you choose, and this is not a minor distinction. The Hakebo fabric (available in gray/green and gray) has earned consistent praise from owners: soft, chenille-like in texture, and showing no pilling in real-world use. The Remmarn light gray, by contrast, has documented problems: owners report thread snags and visible picking within weeks of use, even with normal household pets. IKEA's own testing shows the Remmarn fabric rated at 55,000 abrasion cycles — well above the 15,000 minimum for home use — but abrasion cycle ratings don't account for snagging on pet claws, which is a different failure mode. If you're choosing between covers, the Hallarp and Hakebo options appear to hold up better than Remmarn based on owner reports.

Third-party slipcover options exist on Amazon for the UPPLAND frame, and the cover replacement market is part of what gives the UPPLAND long-term ownership value. IKEA has also priced replacement covers at a reasonable level compared to custom slipcover alternatives, which can run $200 or more with a six-week lead time.

The EKTORP Comparison Every Buyer Is Actually Making

A substantial portion of UPPLAND research traffic is actually EKTORP owners — people who either have an EKTORP and need new covers, bought an EKTORP secondhand and discovered it might actually be an UPPLAND, or are deciding between finding a used EKTORP and buying a new UPPLAND. This comparison is worth addressing directly.

The UPPLAND is dimensionally different from the EKTORP in ways that matter: longer and deeper (23" seat depth vs. EKTORP's 19.25"), taller in the back, with smaller armrests. Covers are not interchangeable without modification — UPPLAND covers placed on an EKTORP frame will fit loosely, particularly on the seat cushions and the overall sofa cover. EKTORP covers do not fit the UPPLAND at all. The seat construction is also meaningfully different: the UPPLAND uses pocket springs while the EKTORP used all-foam, which changes the feel, the durability profile, and the break-in behavior. The UPPLAND's seat cushions are not reversible — a downgrade from the EKTORP, where flipping the cushions could double effective seat life.

As of the time of this review, IKEA has discontinued or significantly reduced the UPPLAND line in some markets, with certain configurations marked as 'last chance to buy.' The cover replacement ecosystem — both from IKEA and third parties — remains active, which extends the useful life of any UPPLAND already in use. For buyers still considering a new purchase, availability varies by location and may be limited.

Value and Who Should Buy the UPPLAND

The UPPLAND starts around $699 for the three-seat sofa with a basic cover. For that price, you get pocket spring cushions, a washable cover system, a 10-year frame warranty, and a silhouette that fits traditional and transitional interiors without being difficult to style. The cover ecosystem — whether you replace with IKEA's own options or third-party alternatives — meaningfully extends the sofa's effective lifespan in ways that cheaper sofas without slipcovers cannot match.

Buy this if you prefer a firmer, more supportive seat and tend to lounge or recline rather than sit bolt-upright; if you're 5'7" or taller and want a deep seat to stretch into; or if the EKTORP's traditional silhouette is what you want and you can't find a used one. If you're choosing a cover, Hakebo or Hallarp are the safer bets over Remmarn. Skip it if you need a softer, more yielding seat; if you're under 5'6" and need your feet on the floor; or if you're expecting the EKTORP's same feel in a newer body. The UPPLAND is a legitimately different sofa — not just a renamed EKTORP — and the community's mixed verdict reflects a real design trade-off, not a quality problem.

IKEA UPPLAND Sofa: Construction Deep-Dive

Frame

The UPPLAND frame is built from a combination of particleboard, plywood, solid wood, laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and fiberboard. This is a standard IKEA structural mix — particleboard and fiberboard add mass cost-effectively, while plywood and LVL carry load-bearing responsibilities. The armrests use two foam densities (1.2 lb/cu.ft. and 1.5 lb/cu.ft.) over a particleboard and solid wood base. IKEA covers the frame under a 10-year limited warranty, which covers manufacturing defects but not cushion wear or cover fabric issues. The polypropylene legs are non-structural and can be swapped for aftermarket options if preferred.

Seat Suspension

The seat cushions use a three-layer construction: 100% recycled polyester batting on the exterior, polyurethane foam at 2.0 lb/cu.ft. as the main body, and high-resilience (cold foam) polyurethane at 2.2 lb/cu.ft. at the core. A pocket spring unit sits beneath this foam stack. This is a meaningful upgrade over the EKTORP's all-foam design — pocket springs provide better edge support, more even weight distribution, and typically hold their shape longer under sustained use. Seat cushions are non-reversible, which is a step back from the EKTORP where reversing the cushions could substantially extend their useful life.

Back Cushions

Back cushions are 30% cut polyurethane foam and 70% polyester fiber — a soft, resilient blend designed to hold shape over time while providing a softer feel than pure foam. The fiber-heavy composition contributes to the back cushions feeling less substantial than the seat cushions, which several owners flag as insufficient lumbar support. The back cushions are reversible, which does allow for even wear and some adjustment in how the cushion presents.

Covers / Fabric

The cover fabric is 100% polyester (minimum 90% recycled content), with a polyester back fabric and polyester cord. IKEA offers multiple cover options including Hakebo (chenille-like, soft texture, available in gray/green and gray), Hallarp (darker solid option), Remmarn (light gray with a textured pattern — documented snagging issues with pets), and Kilanda in light beige. The cover's lightfastness is rated 6 out of 8, suitable for home use and average light exposure. Abrasion resistance is tested to 55,000 cycles — well above the 30,000 threshold for heavy home use — though this rating does not account for snag-style wear from pet claws, where Remmarn has shown real-world weakness. Machine washable at warm, normal cycle; no tumble dry.

Dimensions & Seating

Three-seat sofa: approximately 91.3" W x 37.8" D x 36.6" H. Seat depth: 23". Seat height: approximately 18". The taller seat height (higher than the EKTORP) means the sofa is easier to stand from for users with mobility limitations, but results in shorter users' feet not reaching the floor when seated upright. Available as a 2-seat loveseat, 3-seat sofa, armchair, and ottoman; the 4-seat sectional configuration has been marked as limited or discontinued in some markets.

Warranty

IKEA offers a 10-year limited warranty on the UPPLAND frame and cushions. The warranty covers manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for normal residential use. Cover fabric, legs, and wear from use are not covered. IKEA's warranty process has historically been accommodating for documented manufacturing defects; standard wear, pilling, or snagging on covers would not typically qualify.