Ikea POÄNG Armchair

A few years ago we were looking for furniture for a flat in Lithuania. In one shop we saw some strange armchairs-chairs but they were so comfortable. Anyway we didn’t buy them because of high price but kept on thinking to buy something like that some day. When we first went to Ikea here in NI and saw plenty of those armchairs – POANGS, we knew that quickly we were gonna get one! And we did! For a while already we have a POANG with a footstool from Ikea!

WHAT IS IT

A POANG is an armchair which consists of a wooden frame and a fabric or leather cushion with a headrest. Available designs: armchair, lounger, swivel armchair, rocking-chair.

All POANG prices in Ikea were clearly stated but You actually buy a frame and a cushion.

Layer-glued and bent frame can be made of beech, birch or oak (oak may be coloured brown). Ours is birch so the colour of frame is very light. While the frame allows You fully relax, high back of the frame provides extra support for Your neck. It was noted that a frame can hold a maximum weight of 170 kg.

All covers from cushions are removable and machine washable so it is very easy to keep them clean. There are plenty of cushions’ to choose from: black, medium red, natural, multicolour, green, grey, brown, white, black/white. We chose the natural one though we wanted a red one but they were out of stock… And as none of us could wait – needed the POANG that minute – we chose the only option available.

Size of the assembled POANG is: width – 68 cm, depth – 82 cm and height – 100 cm; seat width – 56 cm, seat depth – 50 cm and seat height – 42 cm.

OUR EXPERIENCE

So the first thing after we returned home was to assemble the POANG. All instructions were very clear and simple and it took my boyfriend just 10 to 15 minutes to assemble the frame. No parts were missing or broken so we just put the cushion on the frame which strongly holds on Velcro tapes (one on the frame, the other one on the cushion). And it was time to try our POANG! It is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever been sitting on! My boyfriend and friends who visit us admit that it really helps to relax. We also bought a footstool so it is a double pleasure! As when You put foot on footstool it very easy to bounce gently and relax even more.

We have the POANG for a few months already and we love it! Now in evenings we are fighting who’s turn is to sit on it! Especially tricky when we have friends in the house because everyone wants to bounce for a while! We all still children deep inside!

WHY WE LOVE IT

Now I’ll review all features that make Ikea POANG so special for us:

- Easy to assemble. Even I would have done that because not too many parts are included and everything was explained in instructions!

- Cover is removable and washable. We have a little girl at home who makes a mess everywhere she goes. But I don’t need to worry about our natural colour POANG’S cover as I may remove and wash it anytime. Still haven’t washed though. A few times our girl managed to get to the fireplace that is not used but anyway a bit dirty. And then left black marks of her fingers on the cushion… I simply cleaned them with a baby wipe. So cover is not just washable but also very easy to clean.

- Easy to clean frame. First of all clean frame with a damp cloth (may use a mild cleaner), then wipe dry with a clean cloth. Simple!

- Covers may be dyed. If You need a POANG of some certain colour to match Your room but can’t find anything, simply buy natural colour cushions and dye covers. I haven’t done that yet as we rent the house and probably will move out after a year, so no particular colour requirements for us. But sometimes I catch myself picking colour for our POANG.

- Extra cushions available to buy for variation and renewal. Wonderful opportunity to save some cash – to buy a new cushion if Yours is worn or somehow damaged. It is much cheaper than buying an armchair!

- Size and weight. Comparing with a lot of armchairs POANGS fit in small spaces better. Our sitting room isn’t very big so the POANG doesn’t take too much space. And as it is lightweight, it is very easy to move it around the room while cleaning or when we have guests. We even use the POANG to block the door to the living room – like those safety gates…

- Looks tiny but is very strong, stable and well made as I would say all Ikea products are. When I first saw a POANG I thought it would break if You sat on it… Funny even to remember especially now when I read in description that POANGS can hold weight up to 170 kg.

- Bent frame perfectly matches and supports back while sitting. You can fully lean back and relax as high back of the frame supports Your neck. The cushion has a headrest (small extra cushion on top) for even more comfort but when not needed can be turned over the top of the frame. We leave the headrest where it is as the POANG seems perfectly designed to enjoy sitting and relaxing.

- The look. I think that POANGS look incredibly stylish but aren’t too modern so would fit everyone’s home. Doesn’t matter if You put one or two POANGS in a living room or conservatory – Your home will look great!

- You may put something underneath a POANG. Well I put a box with toys. Or during the day when I don’t have time for picking all toys I just kick some toys or cushions under the POANG…

- POANGS would be perfect for breastfeeding. And I am sad that we didn’t buy it earlier. It would have been so comfortable to sit and breastfeed a baby or simply take a nap holding her in arms.

WHY WE COULD NOT LOVE IT… (but we do!)

A few disadvantages that we noticed:

- Very light and easy to move. So my little girl keeps pushing it in the room. And as I have mentioned sometimes we block doors to the living room with POANG but she already learnt to push it away… Very soon when our little girl will have more strength and will push POANG harder, I am sure wall and POANG will have scratches, dents and chips…

- Size. Though POANGS would fit in a small space better than armchairs be careful because in Ikea it is spacey and they look small, like big chairs I would say. But when we assembled POANG at home it looked bigger that I thought it would be.

- Smell. Our cushion had a quite strong, unpleasant smell and it lasted for about a week. Now the smell vanished but if You sniffed the cushion You could still feel it.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

POANGS’ prices at Ikea vary from easily affordable for everyone – £59 per unit to really expensive ones – £199 per unit (for swivel and rocking armchairs up to £239) and a small identical POANG for children costs £25. We chose the cheapest version – paid £59 (£45 for the frame and £14 for the cushion). Though You may choose what You want. We also bought a matching footstool for £15.99 (£10 for the frame and £5.99 for the footstool cushion).

Currently POANGS are not available to buy online. So if You want to buy one, visit nearest Ikea shop but first check availability online in Ikea website.

OVERALL

I definitely recommend Ikea’s POANGS for everyone! In the end of the day we all need good rest so these armchairs are a perfect choice. As prices vary from £59 to £239 – You may buy a POANG without breaking the bank. And they are worth the money You spend.

So 5 stars out of 5 for Ikea POANGS from me!

Thanks for taking time to read my review! Hope You’ll find it useful!

Also posted on other websites under the same user name.