apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


CHI Good Questions: Room & Board Jake vs. IKEA Gilbert?

2008-03-21-chairs.jpgSelena sent us an email: "I'm looking into replacing our dining room set. My husband and I have the luxury of having a separate dining room in a vintage flat (Avondale area), and the post you did about "wood and white" dining rooms is my inspiration.

(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first.
Email questions and pics
with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)

 
 

My question is about low-budget white dining chairs -- I'm looking into Room and Board Jake or Ikea's Gilbert chairs. I want to know, #1, are they comfortable, and #2, are they easy to clean? (we've got two rugrats). The biggest thing, really, is comfort because our dining area is really the most used in the house."

Please help Selena decide with your comments - Jake or Gilbert?

Tags

seating - dining & sidechairs, Good Questions

Related Links

Share

Comments (18)

I have four of IKEA's GILBERT. I find them surprisingly comfortable, and I am the kind of person who has zero patience for uncomfortable dining chairs. I compute from one of mine on a daily basis even though there are several other seating options available in the same general area.
Mine are the dark wood finish so I can' comment on clean-ability.

posted by splatgirl on March 21st 2008 at 8:00am
view splatgirl's profile

We considered these with the same requirements in mind. The Gilbert has a seam between the back and the seat, making it way less convenient to wipe down. The Jake is seamless.

posted by travis on March 21st 2008 at 8:01am
view travis's profile

My studio uses the Gilbert chairs and they are quite comfy to sit in. We don't find the seam a hassle to clean but we also don't clean them everyday... For the price, they're a great buy.

posted by bostonkayla on March 21st 2008 at 8:12am
view bostonkayla's profile

I have a couple of Gilberts and though they'd look better seamless, I like them because they're surprisingly comfortable.

posted by J.L on March 21st 2008 at 8:12am
view J.L's profile

I have the Jake office chair at home and I'm fairly satisfied with it. The back isn't as flexible as I'd like it to be, but I love the sleek style. The Gilbert looks nice too, and probably cheaper.

posted by BrendenM on March 21st 2008 at 8:20am
view BrendenM's profile

They're both the same price. I'd go with the seamless Jake if you've got wee ones.

posted by darcidoodle on March 21st 2008 at 8:23am
view darcidoodle's profile

May I also suggest the Tendy Dining chair.

http://www.stacksandstacks.com/html/109147_tendy-dining-chair-set-of-4.htm

It is essentially the exact same chair as the Jake, but less expensive by close to $100 (for a set of 4). Also, you can find them on a lot of websites with free shipping if you just do a google search.

posted by shupenko on March 21st 2008 at 8:24am
view shupenko's profile

We have 6 of the "Gilbert" in a light wood finish, and even my husband (who isn't always onboard with my modern sensibilities and wasn't thrilled when I ordered them) sheepishly remarked during dinner that they are "crazy comfortable." And it's true! The slight lumbar curve in this chair molds perfectly to the lower back. I have a 2-yr. old who uses these chairs daily, and a quick wipe-down with a damp cloth works like a charm. Also, and most importantly for our family, these chairs are stackable! *Trust me, it will make mopping up after your kiddos in the dining room a breeze.

posted by Sara LeeAnn on March 21st 2008 at 8:37am
view Sara LeeAnn's profile

i've got four of the white gilberts. they look great, really, but damn they don't take weight very well. me, i'm like a wife sitting on her husband's lap. get me? the chair never feels very sturdy, but for now they'll do.

ikea won out over the cheapie knockoffs at interior advanced designs (or whatever that place is...i ordered something from them and it was broken, they suck bigtime, never responded to emails, etc).

posted by kdkaboom on March 21st 2008 at 8:48am
view kdkaboom's profile

I was looking for a chair like this for a long while and was really elated to find these:

http://www.amazon.com/Lightweight-Stackable-Natural-Muller-Dining/dp/B0002KNLGI

I also wanted something that was seamless but couldn't afford the Jake. I ordered these from Vision Decor through Amazon and they came quickly and in great shape. I think it's tough to beat $150 for the set.

posted by AlexNYC on March 21st 2008 at 9:55am
view AlexNYC's profile

i have sat on the gilbert and really liked it. it is a little bit springy behind your back. a really nice chair for an affordable price.

posted by sunnyshelle on March 21st 2008 at 10:01am
view sunnyshelle's profile

thanks for all the input, everyone. so it sounds like the gilberts are more comfortable? they do look like they "rock" a bit more in the back.

thanks also for the alternate suggestions. the tendy chairs look great for the price point!

posted by selena on March 21st 2008 at 10:01am
view selena's profile

We have the Jake Chairs 2 kids under 5 and the mess they make wipes right off. I bet the Ikea chairs would be similar to clean. A tip: European Furniture Warehouse on Grand usually has a buy 3 get 1 free sale and you can pick up thier version of the Jake chair (you pay too much at Room and Board) and get 4 for the price of 3. But the Ikea chair is quite nice too.

posted by Morgante on March 21st 2008 at 10:31am
view Morgante's profile

i've had 6 of the gilberts in white for about 3 years - and they are comfortable, sturdy (which consistently surprises me), and easy to clean.

posted by houseno8 on March 21st 2008 at 11:11am
view houseno8's profile

we have the Jake chairs at the restaraunt that I work at. It is a busy place with lots of kids as well as messy people. hehe. they always wipe down easily, even if it the food has been sitting on the chair for a while. People always compliment how comfortable they are even though they don't look like they would be. good luck either way!

posted by eryn on March 21st 2008 at 2:10pm
view eryn's profile

morgante, do you remember the price on those?

eryn, do you work at ping-pong? :) or any restaurant on broadway, for that matter!

posted by selena on March 21st 2008 at 2:47pm
view selena's profile

i've never had to clean my gilbert, but it is a very comfortable chair

posted by the7000club.net on March 22nd 2008 at 10:01am
view the7000club.net's profile

Comfort: I have had 6 IKEA white Gilberts for the last 3 years or so...they are comfy, especially with the added pad (I found this useful as I work all day on my laptop at the dining table and find it helps the me not get a numb bum) but otherwise very comfortable, even when I was pregnant! The fact that there is a little give in the back makes them more comfortable I think. My husband is 6 ft 1 & I am 5 ft 6 and we both are comfortable with the height of the seat as well but we are not particularly large/heavy people, so that might make a difference.

Cleaning: They are indeed very easy to clean - most stuff just wipes off but, yes, some things get stuck in the join & require a little bit more effort to remove (like a vacuum).

Unfortunately, 3 years and endlessly wiping the kids mess has meant some of the white colour is wiping off the chairs, particularly on the edges but it looks like they could be quite easy to repaint after a light sanding.

Storage: As someone else said, they are also stackable, which, if you don't have a lot of space OR only entertain large groups occasionally is very useful.

posted by TipAM on August 19th 2009 at 11:24am
view TipAM's profile

Feeds

RSS icon Chicago

+ City Feeds