Much of the IKEA furniture is made from particle board with a smooth, white finish. This densely compressed wood provides a lighter weight piece of furniture than solid wood. There are two types of particle boards: one is extruded, and the other is platen pressed.
While it's true that IKEA makes extensive use of MDF—they are the biggest users of MDF worldwide—this by no means makes them unique among cabinet manufacturers, nearly all of whom use some form of engineered sheet products in the construction of the basic cabinet boxes.
IKEA furniture products are made of wood, rattan, glass, metal, cotton and plastic.
Certainly, IKEA is not the only brand that sells affordable but lesser-quality furniture. Largely made from particleboard, IKEA furniture most often does not stand up to years of use. Disassembling and transporting the furniture during a move can also shorten its lifespan.
Today, the average share of recycled material in IKEA particle board is 25-30% and some of our suppliers are already only producing particle board made from recycled wood. By 2030, we aim to secure that at least 80% of our particle board is based on recycled wood.
Much of the IKEA furniture is made from particle board with a smooth, white finish. This densely compressed wood provides a lighter weight piece of furniture than solid wood.
MDF, or Medium Density Fiberboard, is stronger and denser than particle board. It is also a waste-wood material, and it's comprised of wood fibers rather than sawdust. While more elegant and heavier, it depends on the project to determine whether or not you need the quality that comes with MDF.
Ikea faces rising production and shipping costs, which push up the prices of goods in store relative to the same goods last year or even last month. Your income is unlikely to rise with inflation, so your purchasing power decreases, and everything feels expensive, including Ikea furniture.
It's more affordable than solid wood, plywood and MDF. It's also lightweight — making it easy to move around — and made with recycled materials. You can expect particle board to last up to 25 years, whereas MDF has a more limited lifetime of around 10 years.
Wrought Iron
As far as metal furniture goes, wrought iron is - quite literally - the strongest choice. This hard-wearing, heavy metal becomes stronger each time it's heated and worked, and since wrought iron furniture typically has an ornate and intricate design, that means it's incredibly tough.
Trace amounts of formaldehyde can be found in our products as it is a naturally occurring substance, however, we do not add formaldehyde to our range.
Most Ikea furniture is made of laminate wood, which can be hard to work with but by sanding first, you'll find the job a doddle. After sanding, wipe down the furniture to get rid of the dust. Once your furniture has dried, you move onto the next step.
Ikea's cabinets are not generally made of solid wood but a combination of fiberboard, which is medium-density, particleboard, which is low-density, and other materials, such as steel, plastic, and melamine foil.
MDF, laminates, softwood, and melamine are also hallmarks of cheap furniture. Of course these materials are great for less used spaces and children's bedrooms, but if you spot these materials in cheap bedroom furniture, be sure to know that it won't be high quality.
Similarly, checking the underside of a dining table or desk will clearly reveal what it is made from. If it is plywood or OSB, stamped numbers may reveal its source and batch number. If it has a core of MDF you will see an expanse of grainless material in gray, brown, or beige.
Particle board, also known as chipboard, is a common type of wood that is used in many types of furniture and cabinets throughout your home. However, sometimes they can become easily damaged due to a variety of factors, but mainly water damage is what really begins to break the wood down.
While not as strong as MDF, particleboard is denser and stronger than wood, and is best used flat, as bending or molding will cause it to snap or tear. It does not warp due to temperature fluctuations and other changes in the environment, but will expand when exposed to moisture.
Material Quality
IKEA is known for their streamlined and affordable furniture products. Due to their low prices and the need for their items to be self-assembled, most of their wooden items feature specialty veneers over particle board.
IKEA picks what they want to sell a product for before designing and manufacturing it, and the designers and suppliers work together to make sure the final product can be that price. IKEA is also able to cut costs and keep prices low because of the way that it sells its products.
Initially, particle board was a cheap alternative to solid wood because it recycles sawdust and wood chips. However, manufacturers predominately use formaldehyde to hold it together.
MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard):
This is an engineered wood similar to particle board but much denser and stronger than it. MDF is made of wood fibers combining wax and resin binder by applying high temperature and pressure. Mainly used for cabinets, flooring and other furniture MDF is more inexpensive than Plywood.
This is because MDF is not as flexible as solid wood. Absorbs water more quickly than wood: MDF absorbs water more quickly than solid wood. This means that MDF furniture is more likely to swell or warp if it gets wet. Doesn't take nails and screws easily: MDF doesn't take nails and screws easily.