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The IKEA Söderhamn sofa became really popular these past years thanks to its very sleek design and modularity. We’ve all seen it multiple times on Instagram in various settings and always looking on point. It’s a very versatile piece that can adapt to almost any interior. Paired with Bemz covers, the Söderhamn is a million-dollar-looking sofa. I’ve recommended this combo to a great number of people and I still stand by this because it is a great sofa in a lot of ways. After more than five years with the Söderhamn, here’s my full review.
Quick Verdict
The Söderhamn is a beautifully designed, modular sofa that looks far more expensive than it is especially with Bemz covers. But out of the box, it lacks cushioning for long sits. The fix: a sofa topper (a classic French styling trick) that adds comfort and texture. After 5 years, I’d buy it again, with the topper from day one.
So why did I still have second thoughts about my Söderhamn sofa?
Buying a sofa is always tricky. It’s a very important day-to-day piece of furniture if not, one of the most important. So you don’t want to get it wrong. In general, a sofa has two functions: a social function, to provide seating for your guests, and a more personal function, to watch TV, read, daydream, take a nap, etc… The social part is pretty easy to complete, it’s the more personal part that is really tricky. You never know for sure that you are going to adopt a sofa before you have had it for a couple of months.
Söderhamn Comfort Review: Good-Looking but Not Cushy Enough
As I said, a sofa needs to be goog-looking which the Söderhamn is totally nailing but also comfortable. It’s not that this sofa is fundamentally uncomfortable, it will do perfectly when you have people over. However, if you watch a movie or read for a few hours, you’ll probably feel like it could use more padding. It’s supposed to be the perfect sofa to take a nap as it is pretty deep (99cm), well it is but you’ll feel a bit stiff after this nap. This is the kind of discomfort that you won’t be able to experiment on-site. When we tested it at IKEA, we found it to be just fine and even more comfortable than expected.
What About Replacing the Söderhamn Cushions?
If your Söderhamn cushions have gone completely flat, IKEA sells replacement inner cushions as spare parts. Both seat and back inserts, compatible across all Söderhamn modules. Check availability at your local store or online under spare parts. The catch: you’re replacing like for like, same foam, same density. If the original cushions weren’t firm enough for you, fresh ones will only buy you time.
A smarter budget hack: buy IKEA’s own NOPAKTE mattress toppers (not available worldwide, you’ll have to check), fold one in half, and insert it into each seat cushion cover on top of the original foam, then zip it back up. The dimensions happen to match the Söderhamn cushions almost exactly, everything tucks under the original covers, and the result is a noticeably plushier seat for a fraction of the cost of replacing the sofa. It won’t change the look of your Söderhamn the way a sofa topper does, but if comfort is your only issue, it’s a remarkably effective fix.
What I chose instead is a different approach entirely, and honestly, I think it’s a better one.
The Fix: Sofa Toppers (a French Trick That Actually Works)
Adding layers to your sofa is quite popular among French interior decorators and French linen and home accessories companies. It’s been in the air for decades now and it seems to have even become a sofa feature. Just like the armrests, you choose your sofa with or without toppers. The thing I like the most about this is that it is a trend that is not necessarily rooted in a certain style. You’ll see below that it can look as chic as it does relaxed.
Sofa toppers: chic and sophisticated
Sofa toppers: casual with a seaside home vibe
Sofa toppers: romantic and whimsical
My review of IKEA Söderhamn with a sofa topper
I added a sofa topper from Haomy (harmony) bought at le Grand Comptoir. Honestly, it’s more of a bedspread than an actual sofa cushion. But as it was a first test, the idea was to find something affordable and pretty. So I chose a khaki linen topper of 85 x 200 cm. My first instinct was that I wanted it to blend in smoothly with my velvet sofa cover from Bemz I still wanted to play with the texture that’s why I went with linen. A few months later I wanted to test contrast with the topper so I bought another cover from Haomy in tabac color (see pictures below).
From a comfort point of view, it makes all the difference. It’s the padding that was missing to make this sofa a cozy corner in which we want to snuggle.
On the other hand, the visual rendering is more relaxed than without the topper because of the fabric I chose (linen). So be aware that linen toppers will get wrinkled so don’t go for this fabric if you want something sleek.
Anyway, this first test has definitely made me want to go a step further and add even more toppers. This time I might go with something more colorful or with patterns.
Where to shop for a sofa topper
- For a neater look, I would go with the Bérengère Leroy toppers as they are “real” sofa seatings or also the one from Caravane Paris.
- For a more laidback result Le monde Sauvage, Kirane Collection and Blanc d’Ivoire will probably have what you are looking for.
SOEDERHAMN sofa V.S. VALLENTUNA sofa
To give you a bit more context about the kind of sofa I like, I have to tell you about our previous sofa. It was also from IKEA but a totally different model, the Vallentuna. At the time, I chose that couch because it was a perfect fit for the bow window in our last apartment. The design was not my first concern as I was looking for a sort of built-in look and was going to arrange it with cushions.
The Vallentuna’s seating is very thick compared to the Söderhamn, but it is also not as deep as the latter. I originally thought that the seating depth of the Söderhamn would make up for its lack of padding. I also thought that I would just have to get used to it and that after a few months, I would feel as comfortable in the Söderhamn as in the Vallentuna. But it didn’t happen, so I decided to search for a way to make it more comfortable and that’s when I remembered this French “trend” that consisted of adding layers to your sofa.
Looking for a Söderhamn sofa dupe?
If you love the Söderhamn shape but want a different look entirely, not more comfort, but a different fabric, color or texture, swapping the cover with BEMZ is the move. I have documented this in this article. I have bought 3 different slipcovers form BEMZ and am still very happy with the result almost ten years after buying the first one.
