ᐅ Conclusion on the Quality of the Ikea PAX Wardrobe System
Created on: 26 Sep 2013 05:03
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Holzwurm_9458
Actually, I’m no longer a fan of IKEA because I’ve been very disappointed with the current quality of the Pax components.
Cause:
I first assembled Pax wardrobes over 20 years ago. The weak point has always been the Pax back panel, which was only supposed to be nailed in place. However, I always replaced the nails with back panel screws, and that worked well—I was very satisfied. But the parts I bought recently (September 2013) for a new Pax bedroom wardrobe have nothing in common quality-wise with the parts I bought, for example, about 5 years ago. The surface of the carcass is now a very thin foil that shows marks from even the slightest mechanical stress (a very light bump). Screwing into the pre-drilled holes requires almost surgical precision to avoid damage. The Pax back panel has become even thinner, and the drawers (Komplement) are now made of the same low-quality material—they used to be solid beech. I know what I’m talking about because I have both the old and new parts in front of me. This will definitely be my last Pax wardrobe; the quality is just too poor for me.
Holzwurm_9458
Cause:
I first assembled Pax wardrobes over 20 years ago. The weak point has always been the Pax back panel, which was only supposed to be nailed in place. However, I always replaced the nails with back panel screws, and that worked well—I was very satisfied. But the parts I bought recently (September 2013) for a new Pax bedroom wardrobe have nothing in common quality-wise with the parts I bought, for example, about 5 years ago. The surface of the carcass is now a very thin foil that shows marks from even the slightest mechanical stress (a very light bump). Screwing into the pre-drilled holes requires almost surgical precision to avoid damage. The Pax back panel has become even thinner, and the drawers (Komplement) are now made of the same low-quality material—they used to be solid beech. I know what I’m talking about because I have both the old and new parts in front of me. This will definitely be my last Pax wardrobe; the quality is just too poor for me.
Holzwurm_9458
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IKEA-Profi13 Nov 2013 17:11It also seems to me that the quality of the Ikea bestsellers declines over time. Apparently, they are reducing production costs at the expense of quality 😕 Reducing costs at the expense of the price would also lead to complaints...
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IKEA-Experte13 Nov 2013 18:12I am quoting IKEA’s statement from the hej community here. Whether this is a satisfactory answer is for each person to decide.
Hej ...,
Our customers’ opinions are very important to us — this is the only way we can learn and improve processes. IKEA sees this as confirmation of its commitment to caring for its customers’ concerns and taking them seriously.
We are an international company with the goal of offering a wide range of attractive and functional home furnishings at prices so affordable that as many people as possible can afford them.
The basis for low prices requires constantly reconsidering materials and manufacturing techniques. The worldwide increase in raw material costs is noticeable everywhere. To avoid passing higher final prices on to customers, we continually strive to balance quality and price.
Another important aspect is environmental responsibility. IKEA, as an international company, feels obliged to manage the remaining natural resources responsibly.
Wood is a very important raw material. Although it is a renewable resource, reforestation can hardly meet demand.
For IKEA, using solid wood and real wood veneer is not a prerequisite for offering attractive and functional furniture. Therefore, IKEA has chosen to conserve valuable raw materials by using recycled materials instead. This means, for example, using particleboard instead of solid wood and veneer substitutes instead of real wood veneer where feasible. IKEA has received much praise and recognition for this approach and will continue to pursue this path for sustainability reasons.
Today’s IKEA range consists of around 9,500 home furnishing products, designed to be attractive and functional while also affordable.
We hope that despite your criticism of individual products, our product range will continue to meet your approval and that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you as an attentive IKEA customer in one of our stores.
Kind regards
your hej Team
Hej ...,
Our customers’ opinions are very important to us — this is the only way we can learn and improve processes. IKEA sees this as confirmation of its commitment to caring for its customers’ concerns and taking them seriously.
We are an international company with the goal of offering a wide range of attractive and functional home furnishings at prices so affordable that as many people as possible can afford them.
The basis for low prices requires constantly reconsidering materials and manufacturing techniques. The worldwide increase in raw material costs is noticeable everywhere. To avoid passing higher final prices on to customers, we continually strive to balance quality and price.
Another important aspect is environmental responsibility. IKEA, as an international company, feels obliged to manage the remaining natural resources responsibly.
Wood is a very important raw material. Although it is a renewable resource, reforestation can hardly meet demand.
For IKEA, using solid wood and real wood veneer is not a prerequisite for offering attractive and functional furniture. Therefore, IKEA has chosen to conserve valuable raw materials by using recycled materials instead. This means, for example, using particleboard instead of solid wood and veneer substitutes instead of real wood veneer where feasible. IKEA has received much praise and recognition for this approach and will continue to pursue this path for sustainability reasons.
Today’s IKEA range consists of around 9,500 home furnishing products, designed to be attractive and functional while also affordable.
We hope that despite your criticism of individual products, our product range will continue to meet your approval and that we will have the pleasure of welcoming you as an attentive IKEA customer in one of our stores.
Kind regards
your hej Team
M
Maverick185418 Nov 2013 07:39Looks like a standard form letter that is sent out 50 times a day... Sad... But also cheap... 😀
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Herr rossi25 Mar 2014 15:49Hello everyone,
the new coating on the Pax cabinets has been changed for environmental reasons. The old laminate was made of melamine, a plastic that is durable but caused problems during recycling (shredding for new particle boards). The new coating is made of paper and is therefore more environmentally friendly. I have also heard that manufacturers may be required to take back old furniture for proper environmental disposal. Regarding the particle board, IKEA furniture has received very good ratings from Stiftung Warentest and Ökotest.
Best regards, Herr rossi
the new coating on the Pax cabinets has been changed for environmental reasons. The old laminate was made of melamine, a plastic that is durable but caused problems during recycling (shredding for new particle boards). The new coating is made of paper and is therefore more environmentally friendly. I have also heard that manufacturers may be required to take back old furniture for proper environmental disposal. Regarding the particle board, IKEA furniture has received very good ratings from Stiftung Warentest and Ökotest.
Best regards, Herr rossi
An example on the topic of "sustainability"?
We’ve had our Pöang armchair for over 20 years now. The white cover washes very well, and the now worn-out foam padding will soon be replaced by a custom cut from a specialist company. No problem.
Only the wooden parts have definitely been through a lot and are therefore slightly scratched.
So, recently we took a look at the current Pöang models.
Unlike the old version, the seat surfaces no longer consist of a sturdy—and practically indestructible—canvas cover stretched over the wooden frame. Instead, a synthetic-looking fabric is loosely stapled to the wooden frame. It’s clear that the fabric will tear after a few years and the chair will have to be replaced.
I asked the salesperson why they switched from the old, proven (and very sturdy) design to this downgrade, which definitely looks less stable.
His answer amused me. He said, “You should know that this product was designed and produced under the guiding principle of sustainability. The new models are all manufactured more sustainably than the old ones.”
My husband and I just exchanged a quick glance—and couldn’t help but laugh.
At best, it’s sustainable for IKEA itself, since it guarantees that the chair will fall apart after 5 years and customers will have to buy a new one.
The fact that they can probably tell some story about better recyclability for every component of the current product—that’s a given.
Unfortunately, “sustainability” has little to do with furniture like this today.
It’s more about producing trendy, disposable furniture with quality that’s okay for a while but causes minimal environmental guilt when thrown away.
We’ll stick with our old Pöang armchair despite the scratches.
It’s still the most sustainable choice.
We’ve had our Pöang armchair for over 20 years now. The white cover washes very well, and the now worn-out foam padding will soon be replaced by a custom cut from a specialist company. No problem.
Only the wooden parts have definitely been through a lot and are therefore slightly scratched.
So, recently we took a look at the current Pöang models.
Unlike the old version, the seat surfaces no longer consist of a sturdy—and practically indestructible—canvas cover stretched over the wooden frame. Instead, a synthetic-looking fabric is loosely stapled to the wooden frame. It’s clear that the fabric will tear after a few years and the chair will have to be replaced.
I asked the salesperson why they switched from the old, proven (and very sturdy) design to this downgrade, which definitely looks less stable.
His answer amused me. He said, “You should know that this product was designed and produced under the guiding principle of sustainability. The new models are all manufactured more sustainably than the old ones.”
My husband and I just exchanged a quick glance—and couldn’t help but laugh.
At best, it’s sustainable for IKEA itself, since it guarantees that the chair will fall apart after 5 years and customers will have to buy a new one.
The fact that they can probably tell some story about better recyclability for every component of the current product—that’s a given.
Unfortunately, “sustainability” has little to do with furniture like this today.
It’s more about producing trendy, disposable furniture with quality that’s okay for a while but causes minimal environmental guilt when thrown away.
We’ll stick with our old Pöang armchair despite the scratches.
It’s still the most sustainable choice.
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