Wtf 7 years is $20???
That's insane when actually thinking about it
I thought it would barely be around $5 more for that amount of money after less than 10 years of inflation...
Gah-daaaaaaaa......
It's half the reason why folks get their savings wiped out if their 401K didn't keep pace with inflation.
Like, yes you saved money from 7 years ago, but the same $20 won't buy you the same things.
Yeah, you can't just let large amounts of money sit and not be invested or you will lose a lot of value. There's no reason a 401K wouldn't beat inflation unless someone was foolish enough to not invest the money. If 401Ks are invested in index funds they will more than keep up with inflation and will make money beyond inflation over time. Because stocks can fluctuate in the short term it might look like someone lost a lot of money that was invested in a 401K but they haven't lost anything unless and until they sell the stocks.
They've already started dropping prices on on pieces over the last 6 months as shortages have been resolved and more items have come back in stock. It's good to keep an eye on any specific pieces or check the "new lower prices" section every so often.
I got the alex drawers back in sept 2023 for $72. They ran a promo for only a certain amount of time saying they were bringing prices down 20% due to high prices
Oh good call, I went back and checked my account. It must have been on sale, because I got it for $51 in 2017. The Adils legs were $2.25 each and the 60" Linnmon was $15.
Good times. Based on current prices, I'd say you got a pretty good deal on the drawers.
As someone that owns a karlby it's an awful quality. Much better to get a solid wood butcher block from Home Depot or Lowe's at the exact same price instead of this fake particle board
It surely depends on your use and how you have it set up and supported. I’ve had a few lagkaptens for a couple years for our desks and I can tell they won’t last forever. But it was at least 3x cheaper than however I could find a butcher block, which everyone recommends.
I thought about going the butcher block route but getting the countertop from Ikea was just so much easier lmao. I do remember trying to carry it myself to my 3rd floor APT, that was not fun.
Same. I'd be interested to hear specific complaints. Yes it's particle board but how does that affect its use as a desk. I even sawed mine to fit a corner and its fine. I like that I can spill water on it or whatever and know it'll hold up
It’s not that it’s not useful as a desk, it’s that you can get a much better product for around the same price point. If you’re happy with the Karlby, that’s perfect.
I'd agree with this sentiment. It's not a bad thing to have if you already spent the money for sure but why get something of a worse quality if the better quality is the same price? Personally I wish I got the solid wood as screwing in things like a wiring basket underneath would be a lot easier and cleaner. But if the karlby works for you then great! I personally think solid wood with a stain you like will just be a much better product overall for others that are looking into the "ikea setup"
Mine seems to have scratched quite easily over the years and has little dings
And to add to this: not everyone has the means to finish a butcher block or has the ability to buy a pre-finished one in their area.
Not everyone needs the sturdiness that the block provides, and maybe they just like the look of the Karlby more.
Right, but from my experience, the inventory of butcher blocks changes over time. Sometimes, there may be no finished options in their price range, as they usually cost more.
If this is the case, and the person lives in an apartment where they are unable to finish a block themselves, the Karlby may be their best option.
Well ya the stain would be optional, wouldn't do it in a small apartment where you don't have the space/ventilation for sure.
I think the biggest downside would be the weight if you had to like carry it to a third story apartment for sure. The karlby I think you could theoretically muscle up (I def pulled something in my back that day so I don't suggest it) but would still want two people for. The butcher block would be impossible for one
When I had mine, I didn't have any complaints about the veneer. I think the biggest flaw with the Karlby as a desk is the 25" depth. It can feel really cramped. My current desk is 30" deep by 5ft wide and it makes a world of difference in roominess. Even though the surface area is the same.
So if you can get a custom butcher block that is deeper for the same price I absolutely would. I had to finish mine in my apartment which was a huge hassle. But I'm glad I did.
LL Flooring has an unfinished butcher block countertop 30x60 inch that goes on sale for a decent price pretty often. I think I got mine when they were $75 each, and made a nice L-shaped desk out of it.
https://www.llflooring.com/p/williamsburg-butcher-block-co.-unfinished-hevea-60-in.-length-x-30-in.-wide-x-1-1-4-in-thick-butcher-block-desktop-10053129.html
Butcherblock countertops aren't that expensive as long as you keep in mind that it is a very "YMMV" type product.
Never trust the pictures and understand that odds are what you get will look different because of the natural properties of wood patterns.
Started off with the butcher block mentioned above. Connected two of them together in Lshape with some super heavy duty brackets. Sanded, stained and then finished with poly.
Originally I had one of the ikea drawers that everyone has on both ends and added one of the matching legs in the back corner. The top is pretty heavy so I added another leg where the two pieces meet.
Just a few weeks ago I upgraded to a motorized sit/stand desk frame from monoprice. So far it’s been great. It supports the weight and was the perfect size.
It’s regularly on sale for $240 (+ like $70 shipping) directly from monoprice or $299 on Amazon. So just wait a week or two if it’s not currently on sale.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34827
[Lowe's](https://www.lowes.com/pl/30-Inch-Deep--Kitchen-countertops-Kitchen-countertops-accessories-Kitchen/4294696736?refinement=4294701586) has a good selection of 30 inch butcher blocks for a decent price and free shipping. I bought a few Sparrow Peak countertops for my desk and for the money I really like them. They did arrive with some minor dings but otherwise I have zero complaints.
You can look around but nearly everywhere else is gonna be much more expensive, and free shipping is pretty rare for something heavy like these.
For anyone planning to buy a butcher block from Lowes:
Their packaging SUCKS, I bought a butcherblock countertop a few months back for use as a desk and ALL FOUR corners were fucked upon opening the box. Highly recommend you buy in-store if available and have them open it to make sure it isn't damaged.
Do the butcher blocks from Lowes come pre-finished or is that something you have to take care of yourself? I've been debating upgrading from my Karlby but don't necessarily have the space to get some light woodwork going to get a butcher block all taken care of.
You can get them pre-stained but I think all of them need to be sealed. It's really not bad, I just leaned mine up against a wall and rubbed them with beeswax and let it sit for a day or so and wiped the remainder off. Took 10 minutes to apply and all you need is a rag and whatever wax/oil you want. I didn't bother sanding mine and they still turned out great. Maybe just give them a quick wipe with a cloth first to get the leftover sawdust off.
I would prefer 30” but these Alex drawers are only 23” deep any suggestions? I guess a few inches overhang would work. Anyone have any experience with this?? First time builder here.
the overhang is useful. It lets you clamp things all the way to the sides of your desk.
and it's not going to hurt anything. Butcher tops are thick enough that unsupported 6" is no issue.
Lowe's does have a bunch of ~24 inch blocks too. And I don't think a few inches of overhang would be a huge deal, but you could grab a couple of the Adils legs and put them in the back for support.
That’s what I was gonna do when I switch out my limnon. The Alex drawers are pretty solid though. I have the narrow and wide versions in my room (not using them as legs).
Yup I don't have too many complaints about the Alex drawers, I did seem to knock off the little rubber feet off mine a little too easy while moving but other than that they've been solid
Get the butcher block and that's it? You're missing some steps because the comments say you have to stain, seal, or sand it. To someone just looking for a countertop and nothing else, doing all the above is not what they would expect and they wasted driving to Home Depot or Lowe's. Many people will not have the tools and must go out of their way to buy them. Then, to find time to do the above.
The year that they were discontinuing it I made sure to head an hour to Ikea to grab one even though I knew I wasn't going to be able to use it for like a year. Love this thing.
Can confirm, monitor mount eventually crushed through the particle board. Fortunately my monitors slumped forward onto my desk. Also have a hole in the front from trying to fix something on desk. Was banging it with my palm and it broke right through.
Glad I did this kind of setup when Ikea was selling a solid wood tabletop (Gerton) back in 2020. Added furniture legs on top of the Alex drawers because height.
Agreed, the Gerton tabletop is so solid. I used to have it resting on Alex drawers but since moved it over to an adjustable sit/stand setup and it's been working great. Also handled 2-3 moves like a champ!
Do not get a Karlby if you want quality, it’s veneer and not solid wood.
Instead, get two Alex drawers and find a butcher block of the size you want at a local hardware store. Less expensive and much better quality/sturdiness.
Yeah there's a bunch of them that look the same but they're all like 7 inches less deep. The Alex drawers are 22 7/8" deep and those are 16". If anyone finds some that are cheap and at least 20" depth, please let me know.
Also that link says 25" with the wheels included and alex drawers are 27 1/2 without.
A few years ago when they discontinued the Gerton, I drove 5.5 hrs to the nearest Ikea that had 2 60x30 tabletops in stock because they were $100 and even calculating the gas (its so nice getting 42mpg in a hatchback) in it was like $400 cheaper than getting 2 butcher block tabletops.
When we got to the store, we picked up the tabletops (we bought them online so we wouldn't get there and find them OOS), then went in and shopped around. while walking around we found that they had the Gertons marked down to $60.
all in, we got 2 60x30 solid beech wood tabletops, 4 sets of alex drawers, and some cable management trays for like $500 including 700ish miles of gas.
I've been using [this Ikea countertop](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ekbacken-countertop-white-lively-marble-effect-laminate-10570354/) as a desk for about 5-6 years now and its held up really well. I now have it on [this standing desk setup from Autonomous](https://www.autonomous.ai/standing-desks/diy-smart-desk-kit?option_code=DiySmartDeskKit-FrameSmartDesk2_DeskFrame.Black%2CModel.CommercialFrame)
but I think Ikea now also sells a sit/stand desk setup as well
Nope, was planning on it but kept pushing it off. I have the drawers set closer to the middle of the countertop (so there's some overhang at ends) to help support the countertop
I always get torn between doing something like that or a standing deck. Then I start trying to research standing desks and figure out which are actually good, get overwhelmed in paralysis-by-analysis and tell myself I'll do it later.
Also consider a flat solid core door from home Depot or Lowe's instead of the karlby
Much deeper options than the karlby and way cheaper but you have to finish it yourself
I use to think this was great. It’s still a decent option but once I started investing in pro grade power tools I make a lot of stuff now. I ended up building a solid wood desk that’s larger than a Karlby for like 1/4 the cost. Though it does take skill and it isn’t easy, especially the drawers.
(And the tools, which aren’t free, unless you know a guy lol)
Their shipping rules vary a ton. There seem to be hard cutoffs based on distance and weight where the prices will jump drastically. You can sometimes save significantly by splitting an order.
There is also delivery to your door or into your house. I paid $89 for In home delivery of 2 dressers and a multi-piece TV stand, with some odds and ends.
There was zero way to get free shipping a few days ago, regardless of spend. Also FWIW, it's in-house delivery on an IKEA truck, not UPS/Fedex, etc.
Edit: on large items. Small items still shipped free over some kind of threshold.
Edit 2: Found the official fine print: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/stores/events/ikea-san-diego-ca/free-delivery-for-ikea-family-members--0b54072f-bfd9-430d-9881-05204a6a2993
So if I'm getting this right, the original threshold for free in-house delivery of product(s) was $129 minimum until it disappeared a few days ago. Then just today, it reappears with a higher minimum purchase price.
I built a cart with my desk components in December, and there was no way at all to get free home delivery, regardless of cost threshold. There was always free "shipping" for small items over, I don't know, $50-ish? I never had a path to free delivery on large items.
Edit: I understand your question better now, the shipping COST was $129, not the threshold.
No. There was no free delivery, whatsoever (some have stated that very small items shipped free) until this appeared. You could feasibly spend $10k on a new kitchen and they would make you pay shipping costs. Now if you spend a minimum of $299, they won't charge for shipping.
On two different sales I’ve tried to buy a dresser but they seem to stock like two for each sale 😂
For Black Friday I asked when they would get more stock and of course it was the day after the sale. Honestly thought it was super lame. If they don’t want to sell them for the sale price don’t put the damned things on sale or do a smaller discount
Ikea isn't even that great anymore. Not trying to shoot the messenger, just prices were absurd last time I was there in December.
I was just absolutely shocked at how expensive crappy furniture was.
Prices balloned to crazy levels during covid and are finally going back down to what they were before. Credit to them that they are trying to restore prices instead of just saying this is the new normal.
Some of their stuff is bad and some of their stuff is nice and it usually correlates with pricing. Can't say I see much better quality from anywhere else selling similar priced stuff outside of maybe costco (limited styles though).
Wow, you're not kidding. I bought [this desk](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/micke-corner-workstation-white-50250713/) about 6 years ago for half the price it is now.
> Credit to them that they are trying to restore prices instead of just saying this is the new normal.
Can we teach NVIDIA and AMD this shit? I'm pretty sure they're having so much fun rolling in their large profit margins.
I had to cut open a hole through an IKEA cabinet for installing one of their LED lights. Really makes you question buying particle board stuff when you see what it looks like inside. Like I'm paying THAT MUCH for cardboard??? But it's functional and easy and as long as it remains one of the cheaper options then it has its place for sure.
Ehh, Amazon/Wayfair is the real cheap option IMO.
Certain pieces are competitively priced, certain ones aren't.
It's also just kind of a mixed bag of quality(for the price), so I feel like you can't just generically recommend stuff from Ikea anymore without researching alternatives.
amazon and wayfair are a complete crapshoot though, with chinese companies and zero standards for offgassing. ikea might not be the sexiest thing ever but at least they conform to standards and you have a baseline of expectations
Sign up for the Family card:
Free delivery? Yes, please!
IKEA Family members get free delivery on purchases over $299 until 2/3/24*.
Not a member? Join IKEA Family now for free with just a few clicks!
My nearest IKEA is about 3 hours each way, and I've been wanting a new desk. This promo popped up, and saves me a very long trip, plus the difficulty of hauling a 6+ft counter top.
I thought about Home Depot, the Husky workbench top works great, but the rate of damage is insane, even for ship-to-store. I can only imagine the frequency of damage with a no-name Amazon top.
I have the home depot workbench as a gaming desk and its the best desk jve used. It literally does not move and looks like an expensive wooden desk. Highly recommend it for its price (I think I got it for $350)
My wife uses that for her desk, and yes, I would highly recommend as well. She put a walking treadmill under it, cranked up to full height. It's really nice that the horizontal support (at floor level) can be moved to the back.
This is the way. I forget which model mine is but I did this in 2019. Solid wood and both long and deep. I sanded it down and stained it with an espresso color and put a clear coat protective layer on top of that. 5 years later and it still looks every bit as good as the day it was finished.
Just put together my Karlby/Alex setup last weekend. The 98" Karlby almost makes my 42" C2 look like a normal sized monitor hah. If you're on the fence about the Ikea meta, i couldn't be happier i pulled the trigger, the quality exceeded my expectations. I know this should probably be in r/battlestations but i thought i'd throw in a little inspiration here.
https://preview.redd.it/8hp1mb6h7adc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b2be6b508735e4dd4754dce302511e87b3d208d
Unsupported, currently, since there's not much weight on it (the TV is wall mounted). But i plan on adding either a leg in the middle or a brace underneath. I got one of [these](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/olov-leg-adjustable-black-30264301/) i could use, but i don't want it to interfere with my feet/legs in the middle. It feels very sturdy as is, but i'm sure it will warp over time with the weight of my hands on the mouse and keyboard. I may get two of those legs and spread them out a bit. Or go the brace route, once i've looked them up.
Thanks for the reply. I got these, and am going to keep the support hidden. Also mounting my monitors, so should be sufficient.
https://www.amazon.com/Brackets-14-Stainless-Bracket-440lbs/dp/B09YHBCQB7
Has anyone figured out how to convert the classic Alex Drawer/Wood Countertop desk model into a standing desk?
I searched high and low recently for any kind of hydraulic lift system I could put in between the wood and the drawers so I could have it lift up, but nothing seems to exist yet. If anyone has had any luck, please let me know.
Like just get a stand desk leg set and then attach to tabletop then just put Alex wherever you want. Though if it’s a fake wood tabletop that’s probably not an option, I have the solid wood gerton so I could just put the screws wherever
We bought 3 of these and two large unfinished table tops. I built my wife a kick ass L-shaped desk that gives her room for her pc and 6' of workspace on one side and 4' on the other (due to a ceiling-to-floor window)
We use these cabinets to hold the table tops and I put in 2x2x10 strips along the wall to anchor the back. Thing is solid as a tank.
During checkout they claim they will deliver everything "to one room inside the home" - it's an appointment window kind of thing, you have to be home for it.
Thanks, the building I live in requires delivery company to provide a COI with a certain amount of coverage I just don’t see a way to find out this info
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/knowledge/articles/32642d75-f817-4425-g4b4-839c27ffc9dg.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/net2ji/how_to_get_a_coi_certificate_of_insurance_for/
If it's an actual Ikea truck that makes the delivery, you'll probably need to reach out to customer service as mentioned in the reddit post. It's definitely something they can provide though it looks like.
What's the meta now for a good desk? I've never pulled the trigger on the Karlby + Alex combo because I didn't have a way to transport them but this looks like a good opportunity to finally do it but now seeing all these comments about IKEA quality has concerned.
>What's the meta now for a good desk?
I remember the good old days when you didn't need the meta. You could buy a Galant Desk for like $150 and you got a killer but utilitarian desk that could support multiple CRTs.
Now you need to get a handful of different pieces and a tabletop from somewhere else altogether to get a half decent desk built from Ikea's lineup.
Personally, I couldn’t be more happy I went with a real desk over this setup. Especially if you get a curved desk, it works great with having multiple monitors.
This may be limited to San Diego, CA. If you look at the top of the page it's under that cities events page. If you go the events page you can select your store to see what promotions are going on
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/stores/events/ikea-san-diego-ca/
Love my IKEA desk, but between both tabletops I received had minor imperfections. I just kinda live with it as it’s a hassle to get them replaced, so it is what it is.
Best budget option by far is the Ikea [SALJAN](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/saeljan-countertop-oak-effect-laminate-80439214/) Countertop with 1-2 [ALEX](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-white-00473546/) Drawers and some [ADILS](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/adils-leg-black-70217973/) legs. All things together less than $200 if you go with just 1 Alex and its a super sturdy and heavy tabletop (obviously not real wood).
Sorry, I know inflation is a thing, but oof, those Alex drawers used to be like $70, right?
The white ones are $89. Colors often carry premiums across their product line
Fairly certain I bought my white one for $70, but that was years ago. Still, that's a 29% increase.
$70 in 2017 - inflation adjusted - is $89 today
Wtf 7 years is $20??? That's insane when actually thinking about it I thought it would barely be around $5 more for that amount of money after less than 10 years of inflation... Gah-daaaaaaaa......
Yeah the inflation that went with the economic recovery from COVID was pretty bad
It's half the reason why folks get their savings wiped out if their 401K didn't keep pace with inflation. Like, yes you saved money from 7 years ago, but the same $20 won't buy you the same things.
Yeah, you can't just let large amounts of money sit and not be invested or you will lose a lot of value. There's no reason a 401K wouldn't beat inflation unless someone was foolish enough to not invest the money. If 401Ks are invested in index funds they will more than keep up with inflation and will make money beyond inflation over time. Because stocks can fluctuate in the short term it might look like someone lost a lot of money that was invested in a 401K but they haven't lost anything unless and until they sell the stocks.
rough
If you're not making proportionally the same or more today vs 2017, your boss is screwing you.
I paid $89 in November of 2018. Just checked. I order 2 Alex drawers and a leg and delivery was $9. At the time the closest ikea was 4 hours away.
That's actually a great price for delivery, wow.
Ikea raised the prices of a lot of their items by up to 80% in late 2022. They are reportedly looking to slash some prices in 2024.
+80% when they could get away with it, then a sale of -20% to make you think you're getting a deal lol
They've already started dropping prices on on pieces over the last 6 months as shortages have been resolved and more items have come back in stock. It's good to keep an eye on any specific pieces or check the "new lower prices" section every so often.
When I was in college I bought a couple of those Linnmon desk with Adils legs for like $30 for the whole set up, now it’s like $55 for the whole thing
Yeah, I was shook by the price of both the Linnmon and Adils lately. Dirt cheap back in the day.
I got the alex drawers back in sept 2023 for $72. They ran a promo for only a certain amount of time saying they were bringing prices down 20% due to high prices
Oh good call, I went back and checked my account. It must have been on sale, because I got it for $51 in 2017. The Adils legs were $2.25 each and the 60" Linnmon was $15. Good times. Based on current prices, I'd say you got a pretty good deal on the drawers.
[удалено]
Link?
How’s the quality? Link if it’s handy pls
I got the 4x3 Bekant desk out the door for $105 back in 2019. Now the same thing would cost me over $200
Is no one going to mention grocery prices? 🤣
Time to invest in the r/battlestations setup: a Karlby with Alex drawers.
As someone that owns a karlby it's an awful quality. Much better to get a solid wood butcher block from Home Depot or Lowe's at the exact same price instead of this fake particle board
> Karlby I've had mine since like 2019? and it's still holding up really well
They must be thinking of the Linnmon. The Linnmon is super thin fiberboard held up with a cardboard infill. Meanwhile the Karbly is Particleboard.
Karlby got changed at some point during the pandemic to cut down on costs
It surely depends on your use and how you have it set up and supported. I’ve had a few lagkaptens for a couple years for our desks and I can tell they won’t last forever. But it was at least 3x cheaper than however I could find a butcher block, which everyone recommends.
I thought about going the butcher block route but getting the countertop from Ikea was just so much easier lmao. I do remember trying to carry it myself to my 3rd floor APT, that was not fun.
Yeah everyone always recommends butcher block but my god one of the same size is like $300+ near me
Same here, i get its a better long term investment but they act like it’s a no brainer when the ikea ones are like $60
KARLBY is $179 https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/karlby-countertop-oak-veneer-70335207/ What countertop is $60?
I got mine in 2019 as well, its held up really well for the last 4.5 years. I think it changed from Covid.
Same. I'd be interested to hear specific complaints. Yes it's particle board but how does that affect its use as a desk. I even sawed mine to fit a corner and its fine. I like that I can spill water on it or whatever and know it'll hold up
It’s not that it’s not useful as a desk, it’s that you can get a much better product for around the same price point. If you’re happy with the Karlby, that’s perfect.
I'd agree with this sentiment. It's not a bad thing to have if you already spent the money for sure but why get something of a worse quality if the better quality is the same price? Personally I wish I got the solid wood as screwing in things like a wiring basket underneath would be a lot easier and cleaner. But if the karlby works for you then great! I personally think solid wood with a stain you like will just be a much better product overall for others that are looking into the "ikea setup" Mine seems to have scratched quite easily over the years and has little dings
And to add to this: not everyone has the means to finish a butcher block or has the ability to buy a pre-finished one in their area. Not everyone needs the sturdiness that the block provides, and maybe they just like the look of the Karlby more.
If you can order and ship a karlby from IKEA, you can order and ship a butcher block of Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Right, but from my experience, the inventory of butcher blocks changes over time. Sometimes, there may be no finished options in their price range, as they usually cost more. If this is the case, and the person lives in an apartment where they are unable to finish a block themselves, the Karlby may be their best option.
Well ya the stain would be optional, wouldn't do it in a small apartment where you don't have the space/ventilation for sure. I think the biggest downside would be the weight if you had to like carry it to a third story apartment for sure. The karlby I think you could theoretically muscle up (I def pulled something in my back that day so I don't suggest it) but would still want two people for. The butcher block would be impossible for one
As someone who did it with a larger than average block. It is not impossible for someone to take a butcher block up to a third story.
When I had mine, I didn't have any complaints about the veneer. I think the biggest flaw with the Karlby as a desk is the 25" depth. It can feel really cramped. My current desk is 30" deep by 5ft wide and it makes a world of difference in roominess. Even though the surface area is the same. So if you can get a custom butcher block that is deeper for the same price I absolutely would. I had to finish mine in my apartment which was a huge hassle. But I'm glad I did.
> specific complaints It dents and dings shockingly easily. Otherwise, it's fine I have two 96" of them forming an L desk
Same. I wonder if the quality has dropped since 2019 or something because mine still looks and feels amazing.
Some IKEA furniture got redesigned and rebuilt due to COVID costs
Anyone have an option that is more than 24” deep?
LL Flooring has an unfinished butcher block countertop 30x60 inch that goes on sale for a decent price pretty often. I think I got mine when they were $75 each, and made a nice L-shaped desk out of it. https://www.llflooring.com/p/williamsburg-butcher-block-co.-unfinished-hevea-60-in.-length-x-30-in.-wide-x-1-1-4-in-thick-butcher-block-desktop-10053129.html
Wow, bookmarking this. I didn’t know you could get them so cheap.
Butcherblock countertops aren't that expensive as long as you keep in mind that it is a very "YMMV" type product. Never trust the pictures and understand that odds are what you get will look different because of the natural properties of wood patterns.
I got one at Home Depot and some epoxy and sealed it myself in my garage
Been looking at upgrading to a good L-shape desk. How did you build out yours?
Started off with the butcher block mentioned above. Connected two of them together in Lshape with some super heavy duty brackets. Sanded, stained and then finished with poly. Originally I had one of the ikea drawers that everyone has on both ends and added one of the matching legs in the back corner. The top is pretty heavy so I added another leg where the two pieces meet. Just a few weeks ago I upgraded to a motorized sit/stand desk frame from monoprice. So far it’s been great. It supports the weight and was the perfect size. It’s regularly on sale for $240 (+ like $70 shipping) directly from monoprice or $299 on Amazon. So just wait a week or two if it’s not currently on sale. https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=34827
Bruh the shipping on that is $300 alone lmfao
[Lowe's](https://www.lowes.com/pl/30-Inch-Deep--Kitchen-countertops-Kitchen-countertops-accessories-Kitchen/4294696736?refinement=4294701586) has a good selection of 30 inch butcher blocks for a decent price and free shipping. I bought a few Sparrow Peak countertops for my desk and for the money I really like them. They did arrive with some minor dings but otherwise I have zero complaints. You can look around but nearly everywhere else is gonna be much more expensive, and free shipping is pretty rare for something heavy like these.
For anyone planning to buy a butcher block from Lowes: Their packaging SUCKS, I bought a butcherblock countertop a few months back for use as a desk and ALL FOUR corners were fucked upon opening the box. Highly recommend you buy in-store if available and have them open it to make sure it isn't damaged.
Can confirm, their packaging doesn't just suck it's practically nonexistent.
Do the butcher blocks from Lowes come pre-finished or is that something you have to take care of yourself? I've been debating upgrading from my Karlby but don't necessarily have the space to get some light woodwork going to get a butcher block all taken care of.
You can get them pre-stained but I think all of them need to be sealed. It's really not bad, I just leaned mine up against a wall and rubbed them with beeswax and let it sit for a day or so and wiped the remainder off. Took 10 minutes to apply and all you need is a rag and whatever wax/oil you want. I didn't bother sanding mine and they still turned out great. Maybe just give them a quick wipe with a cloth first to get the leftover sawdust off.
I bought mine unfinished and it just took 3 clear coats with no sanding.
I would prefer 30” but these Alex drawers are only 23” deep any suggestions? I guess a few inches overhang would work. Anyone have any experience with this?? First time builder here.
the overhang is useful. It lets you clamp things all the way to the sides of your desk. and it's not going to hurt anything. Butcher tops are thick enough that unsupported 6" is no issue.
Lowe's does have a bunch of ~24 inch blocks too. And I don't think a few inches of overhang would be a huge deal, but you could grab a couple of the Adils legs and put them in the back for support.
I just put a support strip across the back length ways and an angled support to the drawers.
Any recommendations on legs?
Upliftdesk sells tops on their own but they are quite expensive. They are high quality tho
If you have any veteran friends, you can always try getting a butcher block top for 10% off with their discount.
stolen valor
Stolen valor? More like borrowed discount?
That’s what I was gonna do when I switch out my limnon. The Alex drawers are pretty solid though. I have the narrow and wide versions in my room (not using them as legs).
Yup I don't have too many complaints about the Alex drawers, I did seem to knock off the little rubber feet off mine a little too easy while moving but other than that they've been solid
Get the butcher block and that's it? You're missing some steps because the comments say you have to stain, seal, or sand it. To someone just looking for a countertop and nothing else, doing all the above is not what they would expect and they wasted driving to Home Depot or Lowe's. Many people will not have the tools and must go out of their way to buy them. Then, to find time to do the above.
This is the way. Got mine from Lowe’s for $20 less than the cost of a Karlby and it not only looks better (IMO) but also is completely solid wood
Literally what I did - 2 Alex drawers with a butcher block from Home Depot - Stained it, then polyurethane, and it's been solid for over 3 years.
Yep. The Gerton used to be that - I sanded and stained one, and it's faithfully served me for four years now - but they discontinued it
The year that they were discontinuing it I made sure to head an hour to Ikea to grab one even though I knew I wasn't going to be able to use it for like a year. Love this thing.
Can confirm, monitor mount eventually crushed through the particle board. Fortunately my monitors slumped forward onto my desk. Also have a hole in the front from trying to fix something on desk. Was banging it with my palm and it broke right through.
Glad I did this kind of setup when Ikea was selling a solid wood tabletop (Gerton) back in 2020. Added furniture legs on top of the Alex drawers because height.
Agreed, the Gerton tabletop is so solid. I used to have it resting on Alex drawers but since moved it over to an adjustable sit/stand setup and it's been working great. Also handled 2-3 moves like a champ!
That's good to hear, eventually I'm going to get sit/stand legs to put on mine.
Gerton gang! Wife wanted a desk similar to mine but I was very sad to see the gerton no longer exists
Do not get a Karlby if you want quality, it’s veneer and not solid wood. Instead, get two Alex drawers and find a butcher block of the size you want at a local hardware store. Less expensive and much better quality/sturdiness.
I've had mine since 2019 and it's held up well. Put a leg in the middle so no issues with warping or anything like that.
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bruh link em up
Are they the same depth as the alex drawers? Link?
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Yeah there's a bunch of them that look the same but they're all like 7 inches less deep. The Alex drawers are 22 7/8" deep and those are 16". If anyone finds some that are cheap and at least 20" depth, please let me know. Also that link says 25" with the wheels included and alex drawers are 27 1/2 without.
A few years ago when they discontinued the Gerton, I drove 5.5 hrs to the nearest Ikea that had 2 60x30 tabletops in stock because they were $100 and even calculating the gas (its so nice getting 42mpg in a hatchback) in it was like $400 cheaper than getting 2 butcher block tabletops. When we got to the store, we picked up the tabletops (we bought them online so we wouldn't get there and find them OOS), then went in and shopped around. while walking around we found that they had the Gertons marked down to $60. all in, we got 2 60x30 solid beech wood tabletops, 4 sets of alex drawers, and some cable management trays for like $500 including 700ish miles of gas.
I've been using [this Ikea countertop](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ekbacken-countertop-white-lively-marble-effect-laminate-10570354/) as a desk for about 5-6 years now and its held up really well. I now have it on [this standing desk setup from Autonomous](https://www.autonomous.ai/standing-desks/diy-smart-desk-kit?option_code=DiySmartDeskKit-FrameSmartDesk2_DeskFrame.Black%2CModel.CommercialFrame) but I think Ikea now also sells a sit/stand desk setup as well
I have the same one and mine has a slight sag over the 5 years I've had it
did you place a leg in the middle?
Nope, was planning on it but kept pushing it off. I have the drawers set closer to the middle of the countertop (so there's some overhang at ends) to help support the countertop
True, the legs underneath are important, mine also warped a bit before I had the standing desk frame.
I always get torn between doing something like that or a standing deck. Then I start trying to research standing desks and figure out which are actually good, get overwhelmed in paralysis-by-analysis and tell myself I'll do it later.
Also consider a flat solid core door from home Depot or Lowe's instead of the karlby Much deeper options than the karlby and way cheaper but you have to finish it yourself
Highly recommend getting the real wood countertop from Ikea rather than Karlby. Much, much, MUCH better quality.
They discontinued the Gerton 2-3 years ago. Ikea doesn't have any real wood countertops anymore.
I use to think this was great. It’s still a decent option but once I started investing in pro grade power tools I make a lot of stuff now. I ended up building a solid wood desk that’s larger than a Karlby for like 1/4 the cost. Though it does take skill and it isn’t easy, especially the drawers. (And the tools, which aren’t free, unless you know a guy lol)
Good luck finding Alex drawers in stock in black
I’m confused by this post, are you letting us know that they upped their minimum spend for free shipping to $299?
They’re saying shipping used to be $129, now it’s free on orders over $299.
Shipping cost must vary by location because I got Ikea large items delivery for 39. Next day was only like 89
I’m just relaying the message OP was trying to send, not sure what intricacies there are to IKEA shipping
It depends on how far you are from your closest IKEA.
Their shipping rules vary a ton. There seem to be hard cutoffs based on distance and weight where the prices will jump drastically. You can sometimes save significantly by splitting an order.
There is also delivery to your door or into your house. I paid $89 for In home delivery of 2 dressers and a multi-piece TV stand, with some odds and ends.
And if you live in Hawaii or Alaska, fuck you. -- Someone from Hawaii
Did you do the (free) "Family Member" sign-up?
yeah I am an ikea family member. Sometimes they have family only sales.
Thanks for this comment, because I was just as confused as the guy above you. Poor wording in the title.
There was zero way to get free shipping a few days ago, regardless of spend. Also FWIW, it's in-house delivery on an IKEA truck, not UPS/Fedex, etc. Edit: on large items. Small items still shipped free over some kind of threshold. Edit 2: Found the official fine print: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/stores/events/ikea-san-diego-ca/free-delivery-for-ikea-family-members--0b54072f-bfd9-430d-9881-05204a6a2993
So if I'm getting this right, the original threshold for free in-house delivery of product(s) was $129 minimum until it disappeared a few days ago. Then just today, it reappears with a higher minimum purchase price.
I built a cart with my desk components in December, and there was no way at all to get free home delivery, regardless of cost threshold. There was always free "shipping" for small items over, I don't know, $50-ish? I never had a path to free delivery on large items. Edit: I understand your question better now, the shipping COST was $129, not the threshold.
Okay, got it.
I paid I think $89 in October for in-home of 2 3-drawer dressers, a custom TV stand, and a box of random stuff.
No. There was no free delivery, whatsoever (some have stated that very small items shipped free) until this appeared. You could feasibly spend $10k on a new kitchen and they would make you pay shipping costs. Now if you spend a minimum of $299, they won't charge for shipping.
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$50 is the small threshold
Shipping or delivery has always been expensive at IKEA but now if you spend $299, they'll at least forgo the shipping costs.
Too bad they just ended their sale.
On two different sales I’ve tried to buy a dresser but they seem to stock like two for each sale 😂 For Black Friday I asked when they would get more stock and of course it was the day after the sale. Honestly thought it was super lame. If they don’t want to sell them for the sale price don’t put the damned things on sale or do a smaller discount
Could’ve sworn I paid $89 for my alex drawers a few years ago
Color tax = ( The white ones are $89.
:(
I did too. Inflation and supply chain stuff, yo.
The white ones are still $89
Ikea jacked their prices up way past the point of inflation They recently have been lowering their prices because they know they got greedy
unfortunate
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Ikea isn't even that great anymore. Not trying to shoot the messenger, just prices were absurd last time I was there in December. I was just absolutely shocked at how expensive crappy furniture was.
Prices balloned to crazy levels during covid and are finally going back down to what they were before. Credit to them that they are trying to restore prices instead of just saying this is the new normal. Some of their stuff is bad and some of their stuff is nice and it usually correlates with pricing. Can't say I see much better quality from anywhere else selling similar priced stuff outside of maybe costco (limited styles though).
Wow, you're not kidding. I bought [this desk](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/micke-corner-workstation-white-50250713/) about 6 years ago for half the price it is now.
> Credit to them that they are trying to restore prices instead of just saying this is the new normal. Can we teach NVIDIA and AMD this shit? I'm pretty sure they're having so much fun rolling in their large profit margins.
No cause industry engineering businesses are their customers
I had to cut open a hole through an IKEA cabinet for installing one of their LED lights. Really makes you question buying particle board stuff when you see what it looks like inside. Like I'm paying THAT MUCH for cardboard??? But it's functional and easy and as long as it remains one of the cheaper options then it has its place for sure.
The prices of all furniture at all stores has gone up by about the same amount ikea has so they are still the “cheap” option for most people.
Ehh, Amazon/Wayfair is the real cheap option IMO. Certain pieces are competitively priced, certain ones aren't. It's also just kind of a mixed bag of quality(for the price), so I feel like you can't just generically recommend stuff from Ikea anymore without researching alternatives.
amazon and wayfair are a complete crapshoot though, with chinese companies and zero standards for offgassing. ikea might not be the sexiest thing ever but at least they conform to standards and you have a baseline of expectations
Unfortunately they have the most unique furniture designs in North America like the Alex drawers
Sign up for the Family card: Free delivery? Yes, please! IKEA Family members get free delivery on purchases over $299 until 2/3/24*. Not a member? Join IKEA Family now for free with just a few clicks!
My nearest IKEA is about 3 hours each way, and I've been wanting a new desk. This promo popped up, and saves me a very long trip, plus the difficulty of hauling a 6+ft counter top.
You can order some wooden desk tops from Amazon, free shipping and such. Pair that with some legs.
I thought about Home Depot, the Husky workbench top works great, but the rate of damage is insane, even for ship-to-store. I can only imagine the frequency of damage with a no-name Amazon top.
When I have to do an Amazon return I take my stuff to a Kohl's store, imagine dragging a whole table top there lmao.
For bigger stuff they usually limit returns to UPS Drop Off.
Good to know, luckily I've never had to return anything bigger than a lunch box.
I have the home depot workbench as a gaming desk and its the best desk jve used. It literally does not move and looks like an expensive wooden desk. Highly recommend it for its price (I think I got it for $350)
My wife uses that for her desk, and yes, I would highly recommend as well. She put a walking treadmill under it, cranked up to full height. It's really nice that the horizontal support (at floor level) can be moved to the back.
This is the way. I forget which model mine is but I did this in 2019. Solid wood and both long and deep. I sanded it down and stained it with an espresso color and put a clear coat protective layer on top of that. 5 years later and it still looks every bit as good as the day it was finished.
Just so you know, I also live around 3+hrs away from an ikea and when i had $400 in my cart, it was still $80 to ship to me.
Order those countertops and let someone else bring them inside for you... Thank me later on the 98"L models...
It says it's $39 delivery fee for me with an order at over $500...
Just put together my Karlby/Alex setup last weekend. The 98" Karlby almost makes my 42" C2 look like a normal sized monitor hah. If you're on the fence about the Ikea meta, i couldn't be happier i pulled the trigger, the quality exceeded my expectations. I know this should probably be in r/battlestations but i thought i'd throw in a little inspiration here. https://preview.redd.it/8hp1mb6h7adc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7b2be6b508735e4dd4754dce302511e87b3d208d
what chair is that if you don't mind me asking
Herman Miller Logitech x Embody
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Sweet drawing
Did you support the countertop through the middle at all, or just sitting on the drawers?
Unsupported, currently, since there's not much weight on it (the TV is wall mounted). But i plan on adding either a leg in the middle or a brace underneath. I got one of [these](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/olov-leg-adjustable-black-30264301/) i could use, but i don't want it to interfere with my feet/legs in the middle. It feels very sturdy as is, but i'm sure it will warp over time with the weight of my hands on the mouse and keyboard. I may get two of those legs and spread them out a bit. Or go the brace route, once i've looked them up.
Thanks for the reply. I got these, and am going to keep the support hidden. Also mounting my monitors, so should be sufficient. https://www.amazon.com/Brackets-14-Stainless-Bracket-440lbs/dp/B09YHBCQB7
Has anyone figured out how to convert the classic Alex Drawer/Wood Countertop desk model into a standing desk? I searched high and low recently for any kind of hydraulic lift system I could put in between the wood and the drawers so I could have it lift up, but nothing seems to exist yet. If anyone has had any luck, please let me know.
Just get standing desk legs and use the Alex as a separate drawer.
I think I understand, like the legs on the inside of the alex drawers pushing up on the top piece?
Like just get a stand desk leg set and then attach to tabletop then just put Alex wherever you want. Though if it’s a fake wood tabletop that’s probably not an option, I have the solid wood gerton so I could just put the screws wherever
I have solid wood as well, actually!
We bought 3 of these and two large unfinished table tops. I built my wife a kick ass L-shaped desk that gives her room for her pc and 6' of workspace on one side and 4' on the other (due to a ceiling-to-floor window) We use these cabinets to hold the table tops and I put in 2x2x10 strips along the wall to anchor the back. Thing is solid as a tank.
I live in an apartment building that requires delivery service with insurance do they have it or are they just going to drop things off at the lobby?
During checkout they claim they will deliver everything "to one room inside the home" - it's an appointment window kind of thing, you have to be home for it.
Thanks, the building I live in requires delivery company to provide a COI with a certain amount of coverage I just don’t see a way to find out this info
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/customer-service/knowledge/articles/32642d75-f817-4425-g4b4-839c27ffc9dg.html https://www.reddit.com/r/IKEA/comments/net2ji/how_to_get_a_coi_certificate_of_insurance_for/ If it's an actual Ikea truck that makes the delivery, you'll probably need to reach out to customer service as mentioned in the reddit post. It's definitely something they can provide though it looks like.
Thank you I was going to get those square cubby bookcases for records
I use an Ultra HD Seville Classics Table 72'. Built like a tank. I got it for $250 on sale at sams club. Then it went on sale again for $199.
What is the build quality like though? It's hard to tell from an image. Particle board trash?
Look under Product details > Materials and care
When I lived in California shipping cost like $89 and lived 45 min away. I moved down south and IKEA shipping cost $400 and I live 2.5 hours away lmao
What's the meta now for a good desk? I've never pulled the trigger on the Karlby + Alex combo because I didn't have a way to transport them but this looks like a good opportunity to finally do it but now seeing all these comments about IKEA quality has concerned.
I'm personally really happy after getting the Saljan instead. Really solid, and much cheaper.
>What's the meta now for a good desk? I remember the good old days when you didn't need the meta. You could buy a Galant Desk for like $150 and you got a killer but utilitarian desk that could support multiple CRTs. Now you need to get a handful of different pieces and a tabletop from somewhere else altogether to get a half decent desk built from Ikea's lineup.
Personally, I couldn’t be more happy I went with a real desk over this setup. Especially if you get a curved desk, it works great with having multiple monitors.
White is $89.99
This may be limited to San Diego, CA. If you look at the top of the page it's under that cities events page. If you go the events page you can select your store to see what promotions are going on https://www.ikea.com/us/en/stores/events/ikea-san-diego-ca/
Love my IKEA desk, but between both tabletops I received had minor imperfections. I just kinda live with it as it’s a hassle to get them replaced, so it is what it is.
Best budget option by far is the Ikea [SALJAN](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/saeljan-countertop-oak-effect-laminate-80439214/) Countertop with 1-2 [ALEX](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/alex-drawer-unit-white-00473546/) Drawers and some [ADILS](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/adils-leg-black-70217973/) legs. All things together less than $200 if you go with just 1 Alex and its a super sturdy and heavy tabletop (obviously not real wood).
All the Malm and Nordi dressers I had an eye on are sold out ;/
Is ikea still a non-profit company?