IKEA Farlov Chair Review + Slipcover Cleaning Tips
The IKEA Farlov chair was the perfect solution for our growing family. Today I’m sharing a full review, plus some tips for keeping the slipcovers sharp and clean.

Hey friends! Whenever I share our living room chairs on my Instagram feed or in stories, the questions come rolling in.
Where are your chairs from?
How do you like them?
Are they comfortable?
Do they get dirty?
Are they hard to keep clean?
Since so many of you ask me about them so often, I thought it might be nice to finally share my thoughts all in one blog post.
We have had the IKEA Farlov Chairs and ottoman for about a year now, and I’m going to list all of the reasons why we still love them, below!
1. The shape of the IKEA Farlov Chair
I am so in love with the lines of the IKEA Farlov chair! They are clean and modern but still casual and inviting. Their shape is honestly one of the main things that sold me! The arms are very similar to our couch, and even though they are made by different manufacturers, our living room furniture now flows very nicely together.

2. The IKEA Farlov Chair is comfortable
Friends, the IKEA Farlov chair is soooo comfy! When I plop down into one of these chairs and put my feet up in the evening, I don’t stay awake for long. The seat cushion is firm enough so that you don’t sink, yet soft enough so that you don’t feel sore after sitting there for an hour.
When I lean back all the way, the top of the chair comes to my shoulders, so you aren’t able to lay your head back unless you scoot down into the chair, if that makes sense.

The ottoman is perfect for this, and even when it’s pushed directly up against the chair, my feet still don’t hang off of the end of it, which leads me to my next point –
3. The IKEA Farlov Chair is deep and wide
You can find all of the measurements for these chairs on the IKEA website, but one of the main reasons we purchased them was because of the width. I love the fact that I can sit in one chair with both of my little boys (ages 3 and 5) to cuddle up and read a book.

Since our living room is smaller and we don’t have a lot of seating, these large chairs are a huge help when our family comes over. Oftentimes one couple will be cuddling in one chair and another couple will be in the other chair, seating 4 adults total.
4. The IKEA Farlov Ottoman doubles as storage
Not only is the ottoman amazing to put your feet up on, but it also doubles as storage! It opens up and we love using it to store extra blankets, toys and baby wipes. It’s the perfect spot for those items you want hide quick when company is coming, haha!
5. The IKEA Farlov Slipcovers are textured

The slipcovers on the IKEA Farlov chairs are textured, which makes them feel a bit more high end in my opinion. They are thick and durable and after a year of having them, I feel like they look just as nice as the day we bought them!
6. The IKEA Farlov Chair is easy to keep clean
In the video I linked above, you can see exactly how I remove the slipcovers, wash them, and put them back on. It’s really not hard at all, and some Oxiclean stain remover in between washes keeps them looking nice and fresh.

Honestly, I haven’t had to deal with a lot of spills or stains because my boys aren’t allowed to eat in the living room. Once in a while we have popcorn during a movie, but we usually all sit on the couch since it’s right across from the TV. Other than that they always eat at the dining room table.
7. How I wash the IKEA Farlov Chair slipcovers
I wash all the cushion and ottoman covers in one load and the slipcovers for the bodies of the chairs in another load, so two loads total.
The tags give clear instructions not to use bleach, but BE AWARE that if you use Oxiclean White Revive, your covers WILL lighten.
I washed my ottoman cover after having it for a few months, and I threw in some Oxiclean White Revive with the detergent. The cover came out SO much more white than the rest of the slipcovers!
I almost freaked thinking I had ruined my chairs, but I decided to wash all the covers with Oxiclean and thankfully they all came out looking the same. Whew! SO if you don’t want them to be bright white, maybe stay away from the White Revive.
I use a setting on my washer called “bulky items” and I wash the slipcovers on warm. After they are done washing, I run an extra cycle called “drain and spin” to get as much water out of them as possible.

8. How to dry the IKEA Farlov Chair slipcovers
Here’s the thing – I don’t actually dry my covers! I have a setting on my dryer called “damp dry” but I only run it for about 5, maybe 7 minutes.
You need to be SO careful with the dryer because your covers WILL shrink up!
After those few minutes in the dryer I then put the slip covers back on the chairs while they are DAMP! This makes it so easy to pull and stretch them over the chairs as well as smooth out the wrinkles. It also keeps you from having to iron all the covers which is amazing, especially if you hate ironing like I do, ha!
I believe I covered everything, is there anything else you’d like to know about the IKEA Farlov Chairs? Please let me know in the comments below! 🙂

PIN IT FOR LATER

I love the Farlov chairs and ottoman, but they are pricey. Have you had them for over a year now? Did you get them on sale?
Hi Michelle! Yes they are pricey. The only way I was able to pay for them was because of an opportunity I had to do some painting for someone – they ended up paying me exactly what the chairs and ottoman cost. We really needed some extra seating for our living space so it was definitely an investment! I share a few of my tips for purchasing larger pieces in my free class, I’d love for you to subscribe! 🙂
With feet up on ottoman and sort of ‘lounging’, will you head be supported then?
Great question! Yes! Your head will definitely be supported if your feet are up 🙂
where did you get your shades from, that are in your window??
Hi Jeanette! If you search “roller shades” on my site you’ll find a post that I wrote all about them! 🙂
Hi, I found your blog while searching for reviews on the Farlov chair and this post is so helpful! I’m less nervous about keeping them clean now and I think I’m going to buy a pair for our living room. 🙂 I wanted to ask about your beautiful living room rug though. Where is it from? So pretty!
Hi Sharon! Thanks so much for telling me that! 🙂 The rug in that post is from Boutique Rugs actually. Here is the link – https://boutiquerugs.com/asia-minor-asm-2309/?ref=242 Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi. I ran across your blog post looking for reviews of the Farlov chair. I do not see any video on the IKEA site as far as assembly, so I was wondering about that. Also, I know these pieces are wide and deep, and I am wondering about minimum door clearance when I assembled. I can always remove the pieces from the boxes if need be to get them inside. Thank you for the in-depth review!
That was supposed to say: minimum door clearance when NOT ASSEMBLED. Thanks!
Hi Lisa! I don’t think we had any problems getting them through our door that I can remember? The biggest issue was fitting them all into our van at the time haha!! We almost couldn’t fit all the boxes! My sweet husband really had to get creative. And thank you! I hope the review helped you out! 🙂
Hello! I’m wondering how they’re holding up structurally after nearly two years?
They still look great! I have three boys too and they all look clean and brand new! I am very happy with them!
Hi there!
What a lovely room! I was wondering what the paint color is! Thank you for the inspiration!
Hello, thank you so much! I believe I shared it in this blog post: https://www.pineandprospecthome.com/paint-colors-in-our-cottage-style-home/
Can you share where your pillows are from? Wood too side table too😊
Hello, the wood side table was an awesome thrift find and I talk more about them in this post https://www.pineandprospecthome.com/diy-rustic-raw-wood-finish-process/ the bedding is from Target, but the shams are from Ikea! I hope this helps!
Hi- I checked out the link to your area rug. It is pretty and affordable. My question is- does it bunch up with the weight of the furniture? Also does it lay flat? Thanks!
It lays flat! I really really like these rugs a lot and I know a few friends who have them that love them too!
Hi – I love these chairs BUT the cream slipcover that comes with seems so scratchy in the store. Does it soften with washing?
Yes! Ours isn’t scratchy, it’s very comfortable and has been very durable as well!
LOVE…..Can I ask where you got you’re couch? Also, do you think you could color the covers.RIT DYE?Stay Beautiful
Thank you so much! We bought the couch locally here several years ago, and as far as the slip covers I would say yes they could be dyed!