Four years ago, IKEA launched what was probably one of their best-designed sofas ever: the Vimle. And now they’ve done it again, this time with a few improvements and a whole new name. Lo and behold, the Finnala!
But wait – does this mean that the Vimle has been discontinued?
Well, yes and no. It appears that the Vimle has been phased out from most parts of the US, Canada, and Europe mid-2020, but is still available in the UK and in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Finnala has been introduced in the USA and in Canada, but is not yet available in Australia/Spain/UK/France.
So what gives? We think that IKEA may be planning to discontinue the Vimle soon enough, now that its predecessor has arrived. We do think that IKEA may just be catering to their American and, perhaps in time, European markets, hence replacing the Vimle with the Finnala in these regions (sorta) while maintaining the Vimle in the Asian regions.
Considering the fact that the Vimle has been one of IKEA’s best models, the Finnala does indeed have some pretty big shoes to fill… which is exactly what we will be looking into here.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
It comes as no surprise at all that the Finnala looks just like the Vimle. It’s got the same square arms, the same square seat and back cushions. It’s also available in the same exact configurations as the Vimle was; which was literally any way you’d want your sofa to be.
The main difference between the two models lies in their size and inner build.
We expected at least a slight difference in the sofa’s depth, but what’s really interesting is that only the backrest and the arm height have been increased by 3cm. Everything else is exactly the same as the Vimle’s.
This means that the sofa emerges as just a taller version of its predecessor. Perhaps it makes springing off the couch easier? Well if that’s the case, there is more than just added height at play here.
Comfort
Remember the shocking addition of springs into the Uppland seat cushions? It seems that this little upgrade is here to stay; the Finnala seat cushions now also come with springs inside, which is a serious upgrade from the Vimle. This way, the seat cushions may be a little firmer than the Vimle’s, but they have more resilient support inside and certainly won’t lose their shape too easily.
The modular quality of this sofa is still and always will be one of our favourite things about this series. The fact that you could have this sofa in virtually any configuration is already a major win in the comfort department. As far as comfort goes, it works.
Comfort score: 8/10
Aesthetics
Okay.
After making all the right tweaks in just the right areas, IKEA decided to slash the Vimle’s previous nine (and, in our opinion, already limited) colour options down to six even-safer colours! Bye-bye edgy dark green and RIP fun yellow!
We now have between Cream, Slightly Darker Cream, Grey, Slightly Darker Grey, Dark Blue and Strange Red-White to choose from.
Not sure how I feel about the red and white, but I do wish black were still an option. It does definitely look like IKEA is taking a chance here with Dalstorp Multicolor being their one edgy fabric option.
Aesthetics score: 7.5/10
Price
From what we can see so far, the price points of the Finnala series seem pretty normal for IKEA’s standards. There doesn’t even seem to be much of a difference from the Vimle’s prices.
Other than a US$30 increase in the 2-seater sofa and a US$50 increase in the 3-seater sofa, everything else seems pretty much the same. Considering the fact that the Finnala is slightly larger and has some improvements under its belt (or rather; in its cushions), we’d have to say that US$30 –US$50 is a small price to pay for the added comfort and use you’ll get in the long run.
Pretty affordable, no? We think so, especially since it is part of a modular series which would make it “growable”. Thinking of expanding your sofa? The Finnala is definitely perfect for this.
Price score: 7.50/10
Practicality
Just like the Vimle (and every other IKEA sofa), the Finnala has the same wonderful 10-year warranty and all of its usual benefits.
As far as the function is concerned, it’s got all of the same opening/closing mechanisms on the chaise, the same pull-out bed mechanism, and the same easy take-off and put-back-on function on the storage footstool’s top. The one difference now is the added springs into the seat cushions, which would undoubtedly keep the cushions in shape for much longer than the Vimle.
What’s not to love here? An added reinforcement to an already-solid structure is always welcome. If anything, we think it solidifies the trustworthiness of the Finnala’s quality, taking over from the Vimle’s, of course. But… is it slipcover-able? Yes, and no. Since it is the same exact shape as the Vimle, the series can definitely be slipcovered in the same way.
However; the added depth and height means that the Vimle slipcovers will not be interchangeable with the Finnala series. The good news is that we’re already working on templates for this model, so it won’t be long until this is available on our website.
Practicality score: 8/10
Final verdict
Here is the overall score of the IKEA Finnala sofa series:
Comfort: 8/10
Aesthetics: 7.5/10
Price: 7.5/10
Practicality: 8/10
Final verdict: 8/10
The Finnala scores an impressive 8/10 overall! It is well-deserved for a sofa that has maintained its all-roundedness while still continuing to improve its structure and form.
Sure, the colours are rather limited, but hey, the added springs inside its seat cushions are going to make up for that 10 years down the line.
Imagine sitting on your Finnala 2-seater with chaise thinking “wow, I’m finally ready to extend this into a 5-seater and it still feels brand new!”
