The 50 Best Things to Buy from Ikea

From $1 tea towels to a pitch-perfect dining chair, these are the best things to spend money on at Ikea.

ikea products
Chandler Bondurant

Most people probably don’t want to think about how many hours they’ve spent trying (and failing) to navigate the fluorescent maze that calls itself “Ikea.” The Swedish superstore is filled to the brim with amazingly affordable home decor, storage solutions and meatballs (which, sadly, are no longer sold online). To make the shopping experience less overwhelming for the everyday shopper, we combed through the retailer’s entire online inventory to curate some of its best products.

The History of Ikea

While you probably first heard of Ikea back in the 2000s when one suddenly showed up in your nearest suburb and began slinging meatballs and flat-packing furniture with hard-to-pronounce names, the company has been around a whole lot longer than that.

Ikea was founded by Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad in 1943 when he was just 17 years old. He named the company after himself and his family farm: Ingvar Kamprad from Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd. Five years later, he produced his first piece of furniture, and right from the start, it was affordably priced. In 1950, Ikea published its first catalog, and its first showroom debuted in 1953. That same year, Ikea began flat-packing its furniture for customers to assemble themselves. While they weren’t the first to do so, their commitment to the system eventually led to a revolution in the industry while becoming a defining trait of the brand.

Another defining Ikea trait, in-store restaurants, debuted in 1960, with the idea being that customers wouldn’t have to leave the store before making a purchase if they got hungry. In 1963, Ikea opened its first store outside of Sweden in neighboring Norway, and 22 years later, the global furniture store made its U.S. debut in Pennsylvania. Today, Ikea operates 52 American locations.

More recent years have seen Ikea take risks by branching out into other areas of the home outside of furniture, with varying levels of success. Its much-ballyhooed Uppleva TV was a notorious flop in 2012, but the Symfonisk line of speakers it’s been producing in collaboration with Sonos since 2019 has been much better received. Today's Ikea catalog is filled with smart home accessories, LED lighting and air purifiers in addition to every type of furniture imaginable.

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Hildegun Dish Towel
Ikea
Rinnig Dish Brush
Ikea
Nyskoljd Dish Drying Mat
Ikea
Ikea 365+ Carafe
Ikea
Uppfylld Salad Spinner
Ikea
Pruta Food Container
Ikea
Sylvass Lemon Squeezer
Ikea
Blanda Matt Serving Bowl
Ikea
Lattviktig Oven Dish
Ikea
Ikea 365+ Glass
Ikea
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Fejka Artificial Potted Plant
Ikea
Triabo Welcome Door Mat
Ikea
Mulig Clothes Rack
Ikea
Vindriktning Air Quality Sensor
Ikea
Krispig Cake Carrier
Ikea
Toftan Trash Can
Ikea
Klipsk Bed Tray
Ikea
Adelsten Mortar and Pestle
Ikea
Saxborga Jar Set
Ikea
Sortera Recycling Bin
Ikea
Lennart Drawer Unit
Ikea
Skadis Pegboard
Ikea
Björkspirea LED Decorative Light
Ikea
Bondis Wall Clock
Ikea
Gladom Tray Table
Ikea
Fado Table Lamp
Ikea
Ekkronmal Throw
Ikea
Raskog Utility Cart
Ikea
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Ranarp Pendant Lamp
Ikea
Satsumas Plant Stand
Ikea
Bondskäret Hat and Coat Stand
Ikea
Saluding Laundry Basket
Ikea
Lurvig Dog Bed
Ikea
Fornuftig
Ikea
Hektar Floor Lamp
Ikea
Billy Bookcase
Ikea
Fejka Artificial Kentia Palm
Ikea
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Lovbacken Side Table
Ikea
Odger Chair
Ikea
Symfonisk WiFi Bookshelf Speaker
Ikea
Fyrtur Blackout Roller Blind
Ikea
Brimnes Wardrobe
Ikea
Alex Desk
Ikea
Hovet Mirror
Ikea
Malm Four-Drawer Chest
Ikea
Poang Armchair
Ikea
Bernhard Bar Stool
Ikea
ikea
Rug, high pile, light gray-green,
Ikea
Markus Office Chair
Ikea
Strandmon Wing Chair
Ikea
Johnny Brayson is Gear Patrol's associate home editor.
Tyler Chin is Gear Patrol’s Associate Staff Writer.
Assistant Editor, Home and Design Will Price is Gear Patrol’s home and drinks editor.
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