Ikea Strandmon

Comfortable but everything else is wrong – Product was unusable for me until 2 months later due to chemical fumes coming off the chair. I tried wiping it down with a warm mildly damp cloth every day, which seemed to help speed up the offgassing. But the smell is atrocious and I'm docking a whole star for this. I got the beige one which has polyester fabric and I feel hot and sweaty after a few minutes sitting in it cause it's not a breathable fabric. Although after wiping it down every day it seems like it has improved somewhat - maybe the chemical they sprayed on it was making it even less breathable? You can get the beige slip cover for it which is made from breathable linen, but its texture is rough and looks like a potato sack so I'll probably go with a cotton throw. For now I am using cotton towels.

The cushioning on mine feels different to the display model. Probably cause a thousand bums have been on the display model crushing the foam down over the years. I opened up a display model cushion and found the construction inside appears to be the same as my unit - a sandwich of 2 pieces of thick foam with a thin square of foam glued in between. This thin square is what makes mine feel different to the display model - feels like I'm sitting on top of a half pipe. Was able to rectify this by rotating the thin square 90 degrees which makes it slightly wider (less half pipe effect) and shifting its position all the way rearwards to stop it overlapping where the springs under the cushion transitions to wood so the transition is smoother with a more even load distribution on my underthighs. If you get rid of the thin foam square entirely you will feel it under your thighs where it transitions from springs to wood, so I guess that's why they put that thin foam square in. But I don't think they glued it in the optimal place & orientation. Docking a star for this. If I could not rectify this, I probably would have returned the chair.

The padding on the armrests is very thin and you can feel the thin wood particleboard edges through the armrests when pressing down on them to get out of the chair. When resting your arms it's ok and you can't feel the wood.

The backrest is too low to rest your head on - if only they had made it a little higher you could get a lot more comfort out of this chair. Missed opportunity, but I guess the styling wouldn't be as good.

The foam inside the backrest creaks and squeaks when fidgeting in the chair, so you have to sit still to not hear any sounds.

The legs have tiny little circle contact patches with the floor so if you put it on carpet it's gonna leave dents.

I didn't buy the footrest, instead I bought a couple bean bag ottomans from Spotlight ("Koo Muse").

It's very difficult to assemble, not because of complexity but because they didn't drill the holes quite right. There are reviews on Ikea website complaining of this. In the end I figured out a trick to doing it, hard to describe in words as it requires using your knee as a brace to kick it with force so the bolt gouges out the particleboard like a CNC machine, thus giving you the extra couple of mm needed to slot the screw through.

The three stars are for the comfort level. In my view this is more comfortable than a Poang. The neck angle and lumbar position is better, the foam and spring padding is thicker and better than what you get on a Poang, basically couch quality foam and springs. The posture feels right for me, so that's 3 stars and I'll be keeping it.

Fantastic Furniture have a similarly priced wing chair which is made in Australia but I didn't find it comfortable - too soft and deep like I was being engulfed by the chair. But that is subjective so check that one out as well.

I see they have dropped the price by $50 since I bought it 2 months ago - doh.

Not bad – I have the yellow chair. I have had for more than 2 years now. It’s very comfortable, however the colour started to fade away and it’s a bit too difficult to clean as can easily get dirty. Which if there were covers for this chair

Everyone wants to sit in my chair – I bought my Strandmon chair and footstool about 2 years ago. I love it, it is so comfortable and cosy. Good size, not small as are a lot of new armchairs you buy as a single these days. Easy care... I scotchguarded with with a spray can and a damp cloth fixes everything. I have a sheepskin on the back, a throw rug on one arm and a cushion... still plenty of room for me. I am going to get another one for my bedroom.

The most comfortable chair out – So comfortable. Stylish design and great colour. I get compliments when people see it for the first time. Would consider buying another one or looking at Ikeas range of similar items

My favourite chair – Bought this chair online in October 2017 and used IKEAs delivery service to ship it interstate. Online purchase was a bit confusing (could only come out of one store) and had to wait for stock. First in best dressed as IKEA would not use the raincheck system. After nearly two months of being frustrated at missing out on stock to purchase when it did arrive in store, I rung the IKEA helpline. The staff couldn't be more helpful or apologetic about the waiting times for THAT chair in THAT colour.

I finally ordered and it arrived hassle free.

Instructions were simple and naive, but somehow I managed to assemble the chair with no fuss or frustration. You could follow them - it was a simple construction process and nothing really could have gone wrong. I used my own tools rather than relying on their supplied tools.

This chair is somewhat of a bargain when you think it is a 1950s replica item, made by the original manufacturer. Anywhere else that sort of product with that sort of heritage would cost 4-10 times the price.

Sure, it's now made in Bangladesh (or India?) and not Europe, and the particleboard frame really needs to be sealed with a clear sealer to extend it's life, but apart from that I have no complaints other than I should have bought the ottoman as well to have the set.

It is super comfy (i'm a stocky 5'9" 68kg male) and wide enough to get in and out with ease (some people say it's too narrow - it's not). It fits right in with other scandi period furniture.

I won't let anyone else in it.

Very happy.