I Never Guessed This Modular IKEA Sofa Was Hiding a Secret Storage Compartment Until I Saw It in Person — It Has Soft Seats and On-Trend Covers, too

With a cool, corduroy fabric, this super-soft sofa bed doesn't just deliver on storage function, but style, too

Hugh Metcalf's avatar
By
published
in Features
a green corduroy corner sofa in a modern living room
(Image credit: IKEA)

It's become my rule that I won't personally recommend a sofa to a reader before I've sat on it myself — they're too much of an investment, no matter what your budget is to play the guessing game. So, with that in mind, I set out to IKEA on a fact-finding mission, looking to try out some new sofas.

Because IKEA recently launched some new designs, including the UPPÅKRA, which is available in the UK and US, and the LILLESÄTER, which doesn't appear to be available in the US quite yet. However, as I was visiting a smaller store, these new designs hadn't made it to the floor quite yet. Instead, however, I spotted the JÄTTEBO range in a new eye-catching color that made me look at it in a different light. It's not a new sofa range — it's been around a few years — but I don't think I appreciated it has a little secret. A hidden storage compartment.

But, is it comfortable? Durable? Capacious enough to actually be useful? I put it through its paces, and combed through the reviews to see how it stacks up against the best IKEA products.

Article continues below

Let's start with the positives. The storage is a good size, and the mechanism assists you with lifting the seat, making it easy to access what you've stored underneath (though I had a little more trouble closing than I did opening it). The style of the Samsala fabric on the model I saw is objectively cool, too. It's modern, a little young feeling, but I can definitely envisage it in a trendy apartment.

Now, let's talk about comfort. It's definitely a soft sofa, which I was surprised at, because boxy styles like this, let alone ones that incorporate storage, tend to be quite firm. I think, instantly, it feels comfortable when you test it out, but I know I'm a firm sofa lover at heart, so I'd question how comfortable you'd be sitting on this for a long time.

As someone who is on the taller side of the spectrum, the seat was deep enough, but the back is quite low, meaning it can be difficult to fully relax into it. However, you can buy additional headrest pillows from IKEA that give a little more support.

Looking at the reviews, some buyers have concerns over the softness of the materials used, and the durability of the foam for a sofa that gets regular use in a busy family space, suggesting it might be fine for something like a teenager's room instead.

Image 1 of 2
ikea jattebo sofa in a store
(Image credit: Future)

If you're not so keen on the corduroy style Samsala fabric, there is one other option available from IKEA (and you can buy replacements for the removable covers if you want to change things up).

But, there's another option for making this sofa a little more design-forward, if you've got some extra budget. IKEA-hacking brand Bemz, which offers premium covers for the brand's sofas, has a range for this sofa that takes the design into a more elegant realm. Just check out some of the options below.

If you're looking for a couch that also doubles up as somewhere for guests to stay, why not check out our guide to the best IKEA sleeper sofas, or sign up to the Livingetc newsletter for more inspiration on what to buy, and where from, when it comes to your home's most important investments.

Hugh Metcalf
Hugh Metcalf
Editor

Hugh is Livingetc.com’s editor. With 8 years in the interiors industry under his belt, he has the nose for what people want to know about re-decorating their homes. He prides himself as an expert trend forecaster, visiting design fairs, showrooms and keeping an eye out for emerging designers to hone his eye. He joined Livingetc back in 2022 as a content editor, as a long-time reader of the print magazine, before becoming its online editor. Hugh has previously spent time as an editor for a kitchen and bathroom magazine, and has written for “hands-on” home brands such as Homebuilding & Renovating and Grand Designs magazine, so his knowledge of what it takes to create a home goes beyond the surface, too. Though not a trained interior designer, Hugh has cut his design teeth by managing several major interior design projects to date, each for private clients. He's also a keen DIYer — he's done everything from laying his own patio and building an integrated cooker hood from scratch, to undertaking plenty of creative IKEA hacks to help achieve the luxurious look he loves in design, when his budget doesn't always stretch that far.