My best friend and I have the opposite problem -- we talk about our ikea trips for weeks ahead of time, counting down the days, scanning the catalog and mapping out our purchases...

And yes, let's not forget the sweedish meatballs...

Love it! I find it easier to go on a weeknight after work rather than on weekends, which brings the stress level down about 150%. I just moved into a new apartment about a month ago and I've been to three different Ikeas in the area a total of eight or nine times since moving and haven't had much of a problem with crowds, even on the one Saturday I went. The trick is to get there early, right as soon as the store opens!

i practically work across the street from ikea and like to run there on my lunch break. it's still packed, but if i park on the side by the loading doors and use my map to find the stuff i need ahead of time, i can make it in and out in under a 1/2 hour. if i go on the weekends i try to go a hour and a 1/2 before closing...it's usually pretty dead.

I was orginally from Chicago and moved when I went to college. Almost every trip home involved an IKEA visit on the way back to Ohio. I was the only one of my friends that had IKEA furniture in my home making it more unique (strange I know). But now IKEA just opened in March 45 mins from my home and I waited for about a month before making the trip early on a Wednesday morning. I took a friend with me who had never experienced IKEA before. I was very good and stuck very close to my list but I always end up coming home with something I wasn't planning on and forgetting something that I really wanted to get. I do enjoy IKEA especially if you go earlier enough right when they open and get breakfast for cheap plus it is one of the few stores I can get certain foods that I grew up with.
But like I told my friend, it is truly an experience. She was completely overwhelmed and on our next visit, she experienced the IKEA effect of checking out and not realizing how much your bill really was going to be since every individual thing is so cheap.

My god, don't go on the weekend. Go on Tuesday night and you'll have entire departments to yourself.

i think as long as you resign yourself to the fact that you're not going to be breezing in and out, its fine. i always expect it to be crowded and insane and i just take my time.
if i have to take someone (or 2, or 20) down in order to enjoy my shopping experience, so be it.

I noticed online that you can check whether an item is in stock at a particular store. I'm not sure how foolproof that is though.

I get disturbingly excited when I see the big blue and yellow sign come in to view. We live 4 hours away from one and going to Ikea stores around the world has turned in to one of our "things".

So just run with it!

When we lived in a city that had an Ikea, my husband and I always joked about needing to train for Ikea before going. I'm definitely not a black belt in Ikea. It takes so much discipline it takes to get through without becoming completely distracted and overwhelmed. I find a very specific list helps. Also, I've totally returned stuff immediately after buying it because my bill was a shocker.

I helped my partner's daughter outfit her new bedroom with a trip to Ikea. But the rules were firm:

1. Shop online first,
2. Have a shopping list with all names and part numbers,
3. And identify where everything is in the store upon arrival by finding a customer service person at one of the computerized stations.
4. Shop on a Sunday afternoon (we're in Utah, and the local dominant religion dictates family dinners and such, so most stores and the freeways are practically vacant during that time).

I agree with greeps, mid week 1 hour before closing. I like to feel I'm shutting down the store with my purchases.

I'm moving out of my parents in 3 weeks, and I have 3 Ikea trips ahead. I don't want to spend much money on a rental apartment, and I already have a wonderful bed&sofas. So, for everything else, it's Ikea time.
I have a huge list detailing every single thing I want to buy, its size, color, etc. for each of my apartment's rooms, but I'll leave an extra 10% for the eventual bowl, table lamp or candle.
I've planned even my dish towels!

BTW, everything is cheaper over there than here in Spain. Aren't we closer to Sweden?

I used to love going to Ikea, I still do just not the one in my area. When they opened the Stoughton Ikea 2 years it was fantastic for us Bostonians. The workers were enthusiastic & friendly, the store was clean and although crowed, it was an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, my past two visits were the exact opposite. Snappy employees, dirty, unkept display areas and mashed potatoes? Seriously it is supposed to be meatballs, boiled potatoes and lingonberries....is Massachusetts the only place that made this switch because it is depressingly gross.

Can't wait until Ikea Somerville gets built because I don't think I can go back to the Stoughton burbs.

I love every moment of the IKEA odyssey, even (perhaps especially) the bad parts. There's something about the suffering caused by bus rides and screaming children and out-of-stock items and lugging heavy packages that makes every purchase, especially the tchotchkes that you had no idea existed but that you suddenly MUST have, glow with triumph.

Plus, there's Daim torte.

I loathe going to IKEA - I put off trips forever. I've had a nice-sized credit to spend and need stuff, but I just hate fighting traffic there (from DC to College Park or Woodbridge) and shoppers once I get there. The whole thing kills a day and it's exhausting. And I don't really like the experience of shopping there overall. Plus, I'm car-free, so I have to get a car to get up there. Just thinking about it gives me mental anguish.

Also, the last time I shopped there, it was just after Christmas (a few years ago) and I stood in line FOREVER--like an hour (it was evening and there weren't that many people in the store; I couldn't just leave since it's so painful to me to get up there) and finally ended up at a self-checkout which didn't work.

I guess I'd just rather buy IKEA stuff from Craigslist - no travel, no shopping, no putting stuff together (which also gives me an anxiety attack).

Also, IKEA isn't really that practical for online shopping - the shipping costs a fortune (at least the last time I checked.)

steph309 is totally right. The first time I went I didn't really know what to expect and found all the things mentioned to be a nightmare. Now, I just know what it's going to be like and accept it. Just try to think of it as an experience in itself, rather than a means to an end.

i would avoid everything there on the weekend, although it never seems to work out that way to me.

I think the people there that bother me the most (and i am really sorry for offending anyone here!) are all the pregnant women.

The store is flooded with them whenever i go. They're absently minded wandering everywhere, no pattern, no rhyme, no reason, and usually a husband who looks tired and stressed out is not far behind. Often with a measuring tape and groaning as he watching the cart become a mountain.

Oh, Ikea Somerville... I cannot wait for you much longer...

But in the meantime, Stoughton is doing the trick for me. I haven't noticed much in the way of a mess there... But I stick to going only after work. I leave Cambridge around 6 and it never takes much longer than 45 minutes, even with the traffic. We have the place to ourselves from 7-9pm and it is glorious!

i love ikea. i love to spend hours there. the lines at mine are never that bad, especially with the self-checkout because they can have them all open at once. my boyfriend dreads it, so that makes it even better because i get to go alone, get a cinnamon roll, and take my sweet time!

i'd rather go on a weeknight - i don't like the wkd crowds.

I, too, put off trips to Ikea and I'm an avowed recovering shopaholic. Driving to College Park to get a sheepskin rug, mirror and media cabinet should be exciting but it's not. I don't know when I'm going. Right now it's just a dream because I can't wrap my hands around planning an outing.

jmorey, that's a cranky comment. and it's sexist. here in canada, 75% of women with children work ( and probably more before that point), which suggests that the 'mountain' of which you speak is equally financed by both parents. If we're going to stereotype, I'd have to say that the biggest 'mountains' I've seen are young yuppies with decent jobs and ready to fill up new apartments with new stuff. The rest of us head straight into the as-is.

That said, ikea is a family adventure for us: we usually attach it to breakfast there, which the kids love, and then it's a field trip. The kids love to test out all the showrooms and we pick up the small things we need (or larger, whatever the case may be)

An IKEA trip is an odyssey for me. I grew up in a part of the country without one, and would wistfully look through their catalogs, knowing there was no way I could own any of the beautiful things inside. Now that there's a store just an hour away from me, I don't take it for granted!

Never Never go to Ikea on a weekend. PTIS is caused by going on a Sat or Sun. During the week 2 hours before they close is the best time.

With apologies to the parents out there, the thing I really dislike about Ikea is all the screaming children. They just drive me over the edge.

I get so excited going to Ikea, but it is such a production. We live in the city without a car, so we have to rent a car to go out there (usually a gas-guzzling SUV since we only go out there when we need a large item). The people who bring their small children drive me nuts, as well as those who get a cart and walk down the middle of each aisle very...slooooowly...looking at everything.

I always look online and at the catalog first, make a list of things I want or want to look at, and try to get out of there before I go nuts. While we always go on the weekend, we try to get there when they first open so we can 1) get yummy breakfast and 2) get out of there before it gets too packed.

Also, the Bolingbrook Ikea is so much easier to handle than the Schaumburg one. And I think it's closer to the city, with only one exit toll.

I miss working near O'Hare only because it meant easy after-work weeknight access to Ikea (as well as Woodfield, etc.). 20 minures from work to the store, and then avoid rush hour back into the city at 9pm!

I enjoy wandering the store, but certainly like it when it's less crowded. Haven't had much need to go recently, anyway, as our current apartment cannot accomodate another damn piece of furniture and we're in the midst of wedding gift receiving so the Ikea kitchen stuff and decor is getting upgraded to Nambe, Henckels and All-Clad.

I used to be thrilled with the IKEA concept - then when it came time to actually start furnishing with major pieces it became a major pain: Waiting in lines for the service item orders to be placed by the sole person in that department who didn't know what they were doing, lugging heavy self-serve boxes off the shelves onto the cart, waiting in line to pay, another line for the service items to come out, then another line for home delivery - dealing with items that are out of stock (only all the time) or damaged.

IKEA is a royal pain in the You-Know-What.

hah! just went last night and the build-it-yourself table top the boyfriend was looking at was out of stock!

working 9-5 and getting home at 6 doesn't exactly make me want to hop in rush hour traffic and head to ikea after work, but i've made the exception before. the idiots were still there, however (in the self-checkout lane, when you have a cart full of large furniture, maybe move to the END of the aisle so the rest of us can saddle up and not have to maneuver our carts around you? just a thought...)
i usually go on weekends when they first open, to try and beat the rush, but... eh. and i agree, the screaming children/families are awful, because they wander all over and are generally underfoot. not good.

KTG - The thing that necessitates discussion and planning beforehand is the sheer size of the place. It's huge, and overwhelming. And everything is everywhere. And you can't just grab stuff as you go along it most sections... you write down all of the aisle and bin numbers, then go and find it in the warehouse before checkout.

So whether you need big furniture, or the smaller items you can grab along the way, it's VERY good to have a general idea of what you're looking for, whether it is to get in and out before it closes in 2 hours on a weeknight, or to avoid the CRAZY crowds all day Saturday and Sunday.

I can't believe some people love going to Ikea. I can't stand any big box store, Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc. They're just too damned big, too crowded, too overwhelming.

after one saturday morning trek, i will now ONLY go to ikea on a weekday morning, first one there. otherwise, it's so chaotic i could kill myself. and...ikea is very family friendly, and, well, i can't stand kids (of the running and screaming variety, heheh).

I agree with most of the posters here that the best time to go to IKEA is either a weekday morning or evening. I can breeze through and find whatever I need without all the crowds, hassles, and parents with baby carriages blocking the aisles with their screaming kids.

It's true that going midweek, late in the evening is way better than going on the weekend. But the bottom line is that the store is big and labyrinthine that you just can't make a "quick strike" and get out in anything less than an hour. Add 50% if you bring kids in tow.

The only way of moving fast is to enter at the pickup area, go thru the registers in reverse, and head straight for the warehouse section to pick up your flatpacks and whatnot. If you need to browse the isles, though, and are in a hurry, may Odin help you...

jmorey, I agree. Sorry but it's true. I'm one of those childless people with efficiency on the brain, and I don't like having to dodge people who shop aimlessly (including seniors). Yes, I'm a snob.

Going to IKEA on the weekends could be the retail definition of hell.
Here are some things that I have found make the trip more tolerable...

1) Don't drink anything before you go. That way you aren't having to wait in the always-long lines to use the restroom.

2) Eat while you're there. It's a much more pleasant experience if you know you only have to make it half way... and then you can sit down and chat about things you saw, projects you want to do, and of course make fun of horrible apparel and hairstyles.

3) Take measurements before you leave the house as well as having floor plans of all the rooms in your house. It keeps you from buying things that "aren't quite right, but close enough to be tolerated but annoyed by" later on.
That way, walking in you know how much space you really have for a coffee table, or how tall your ceilings are if you need curtain measurements, things like that.

4) Don't be afraid to take your time, even if others are rushing you. There is nothing worse than making it all the way through the maze... and finding out you forgot to pick something up you really wanted in the beginning!

i love to go to ikea. it is a 2 hour drive to get there so it takes advance planning to know what you want. it is a mother daugther day for my 18 year old and me. as soon as our first trip was over we started planning our next trip.

I have an idea.

If it's so troubling,

don't go.

i love going to ikea. i get all blissed out looking at the different room setups while people around me get agitated with their shopping experience. i live in a city where the closest ikea is about an 16 hour drive, so i have not been able to get my ikea fix for quite some time. :(

when i lived in london and just *had* to get to the only ikea there, i would take the tube and walk what seemed like forever to get there...then pay to get the items delivered. that was probably the most extreme experience but i still looked forward to it.

i prefer to be able to see ikea stuff in person - some things look just as good (if not better) than in the catalogue, whereas others look a lot cheaper and poorly made in person. so even if ikea's shipping became reasonable, i'd still only use it for small stuff.

another tip - right when they open, especially during the week, is a great time to get there.

The last time I went to IKEA, it was a Saturday, and crowded, but no one seemed cranky about it, so I was having a good time.

Then the group with Nordic Walking Poles came through. It was pretty funny until one of them accidentally smacked me in the back of the ankle with one.

I'm extremely fortunate to live across the freeway from Ikea, and do consider myself a Blackbelt in Ikea, lol.....

A major point is to know one's limitations, Grasshopper. ;-)

Mine is weekend crowds, and I won't set foot there, for the Crowds, bad drivers, parking amateurs, and worst of all, kids out of control. I don't know how many times I have seen adorable little kids grab those convenient little pencils made available for taking notes.....and writing all over furniture with them. Or jumping up and down on furniture, screaming "Look at me, mommy!" while mommy or daddy ignore them.

AND, the people that play battering ram with their carts or take up space without any heed of others......

Having learned when to go and when NOT to go is the key.... knowing where to park, what doors to enter, shortcuts within the labyrinth....it's kind of like an Xbox game.

I've become good friends with many employees there, and just from power-shopping in as-is, the amount of money I've saved there is obscene....in a good way.

My fiance has a special place in his heart for IKEA. Apparently his family went often when he was younger, so the smell alone is comforting for him. He took me on my first trip to IKEA when we started dating two years ago, and I was reluctant, simply because I had only seen a catalog prior, and was convinced it wasn't the place for me. My first visit was a bit overwhelming, but before I knew it, I was hooked. The room setups, for the most part, were really well done, and they have some pretty things. For the first time, a clean, mostly-modern look was appealing to me.

Our IKEA is always clean, and the folks who work there are quite helpful and pleasant. We go frequently, for everything from organizers to shower curtains, and we have a few pieces of furniture from there as well. The shopping experience is always started with a look through the AS-IS section, then a bite to eat, and a leisurely stroll through the entire store (unless we're there for specifics). I can't tell you how many times we've sat and drawn out ideas, sitting on a sofa, so inspired to utilize a concept we've seen - but make it our own, of course!

I thought moving in together, and combining our tastes, would be difficult - since I like vintage and antiques - things we age and character, and he likes IKEA. But, amazingly, these things have worked well together. It's all about balance.

All this talk of IKEA is making me hungry for cafeteria food...

Honestly, I don't even know where I stand in regards to IKEA. I love everything they have in the store, and I wish I was blessed to be a patient person who could take the time to look at everything and deal with the annoying people that are also taking their lovely time to look at everything as well. But I don't! I am not a patient person, I want to go there and get out as quickly as possible, but I LOVE IKEA =/ My entire house is furnished by IKEA and you really can't beat their prices.
The one closest to me is over an hour away, so we do make a list of the things we want to purchase ahead of time and once we have enough things on our list, we start to plan the infamous trip. There is not other way to do it. Once we are done, we are not only physically exhausted but mentally as well...

As previously stated - if at all possible go on a weekday - the difference is amazing. Also if your husband gets IKEA-d out too quickly - you park him in the restaurant section with a book or magazine; he can get coffee and snacks when the mood strikes and should be happy. I do the top floor - then go back check on dh and set a meeting time to be at the warehouse ready to either haul stuff out of aisles and bins or just checkout.

I don't love or hate going to IKEA...I shop online.

Yes, I also learned that a husband with an Ikea hotdog or breakfast meal is a much happier shopper:) I reward all of my walking through the store with a 99 cent frozen yogurt at the end.

My favorite time is right when they open in the morning on the weekend. It is just as quiet as the weekday evening, but I have much more energy than I do after work...

The two Ikea stores that I've been to, the one outside of Chicago and the one near Yale University, have been total disasters. Product and furniture were strewn about the floor; parents yelling at their kids, babies screaming and crying. At both locations, the lighting was so awful that after about 10 minutes I had a splitting headache. Between the sheer size of the store, the lighting, the noise and the angry and frantic customers, I've decided that it's best to stay away. Besides, craigslist is filled with used Ikea furniture, so what's the point of enduring the in-store nightmare?

Honestly, IKEA grows less and less interesting to me. The furniture is so-so in quality for the price, plus my husband finds most of the furniture to be too tiny for his 6'1 frame. We had friends with a dining set from IKEA, and when he sat down his knees hit the underside of the table! It was funny to me, but he didn't think so.

I like IKEA, like how easy it is to return things you did not like. We mostly go there for lunch lately. And we NEVER go there on a weekend! What they hide from weekend shoppers are Weekly Discounts and LOTS MORE lunch choices :-) It's a good diner alternative :-)

week nights! only on week nights!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the IKEA on Columbus Blvd. in Philly. I've always liked the store's products, but they really won me over for good on two counts: (1) when I discovered their beautiful, spacious 2nd floor cafe with huge windows looking out at the Delaware River, and (2) when as a brand new mother I learned that IKEA provides private places for breastfeeding. WOW. This enabled me to go out of the house for more than 2 hours at a stretch in those early months. They also provide bottle warmers, small sinks, baby food ... It can get crazy there on the weekends, but it's a delight to shop at IKEA any other time.

I just finished putting in an Ikea kitchen. I would go as early as I could on a weekend and try to be the first person to get to the kitchen section. Every time I was there the 3rd or 4th person in line would slowly start to freak out as they waited. Some would just mumble under their breath about the "insanity." Others would full on shout about not getting served.

The closest IKEA to us is 220 mi away(or alternately 64 mi, but thats in Canada, where prices are typically higher), so it really necessitates going on a weekend day; thus we just grin and bear the crowds. Our usual strategy is being 90% decided on a particular item, getting to the store and spending an hour or so just freely browsing, then going back to make a final decision and buy/not buy the item. It really saves on the the stress to not be on a timetable.

Also, what's up with Swedish (IKEA) furniture not fitting in A Swedish car (SAAB)?! Borrowing someone's SUV (and putting gas in it) sucks.

Never, EVER, on a weekend. Here in Germany, stores aren't open on Sunday, so Saturday shopping traffic is doubled. My friend and I used to occasionally have weekdays off together. Think it's quiet on a weeknight? Tuesday afternoons; there are more employees than customers.

Are there not closer places to get furniture and kitchen items than 220 miles away (or however far you have to drive)?

The weekends I've gone to the Arizona IKEA haven't been too bad. I do have to remember to pack some granola, water, and a flare gun in case I get lost or buried under an avalanche of precariously stacked display furniture or rugs. A trail of Swedish meatballs so I can backtrack my way out might help ... For the most part, though, I just beeline my way to where I need to go, sometimes skipping the labrynthine showcase floor altogether.

I call IKEA my mothership. I return to her as often as my time, patience and budget allow. She is my muse, my playground and my source for cheap Swedish treats (edible and otherwise). You will learn to buy one of her big blue bags and to fill it with her wonders! Yes, she will test you, but you will grow stronger.

I get a high from going to IKEA. I love love it! I used to live in Germany and going to IKEA reminds me of Europe. IKEA is all over my blog (www.modmaison.blogspot.com). IKEA should pay me! I love scandinavian modern and I don't like to spend real $$ so it's for me.

The closest store to my house is IKEA, so I'm there all the time. When I need to just be "alone" I go wander through the store and daydream about what I'll fill my apartment with once I'm divorced and I can decorate.

I love the place, but I don't buy much at a time, and I've never purchased anything big. I'm sure having an agenda would take some of the fun out of my trips.

Ikea lessons I've learned over the years include: as others have said, go on a weeknight; don't go if you're already even slightly cranky; pre-shop online or in the catalogue so that you have some idea of what you're looking for; and don't go if you're in a hurry. Oh, and if you go with other people, make sure they're on board with the rules as well. Companions that meander aimlessly, are tired and cranky, or have no clue what they're looking for can drag you into Ikea madness.

i can't imagine paying for shipping when ikea is only and hour away. even with gas prices as high as they are... it's still cheaper to go out there yourself. flat pack furniture shouldn't be that expensive to ship such a short way!

I've lost some love for Ikea lately. I see the same pieces of furniture in everyone's apartment these days.

One thing I learned: if you are seriously thinking of buying something, call the store and have them hold the item for you. I made the drive all the way to Ikea to buy a cabinet to find that the last one was sold an hour before - the guy working said they can hold items.

I can never get away to Ikea on a work week, so my strategy is to go on the weekend with friends who are not type A or the sorts who can't deal with the chaos. I like the bustle and crowds. I just shrug off the chaos and step aside to let the people who treat Ikea like some sort of marathon out of the way.

If your husband really can't take it, then maybe you should make a list of things you want ahead of time, based on the net and the catalog, and then take a friend with you. On the plus side this will curb impulse spending, since you can't consult your husband about it. And if you do see something not on the list that you really should have, that's what a camera phone is for. It might seem like it puts more of the shopping burden on you, but it might be better than the burden of panicking about his panic. Call him when you're close to being done and get his help loading up the car. If you're really concerned about things being fair, he can do more of the assembly!

If you have ever been to ikea, you must read this:

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/the_nonexpert_ikea.php

it's a hilarious take on a video game walkthough for ikea shoppers and makes fun of the whole experience. It's genuis!

Jooly --

Imagine how hard it is on parents -- perfectly lovely children on sensory overload in IKEA. You don't have to try to calm them down, or take them home -- you get to roll your eyes, think something snarky, and walk away. Just wait until it happens to you...

Actually, the IKEA here (outside of Geneva) has a great play area for kids (not open in the evenings, I am afraid), and our daughter mentioned the meatballs just yesterday -- it has been almost a year since our last visit, and she is yearning for another one. (alas, when she is not in the play area, she tries out all the showrooms).

Best time here to go is either in the evening, or on a sunny Saturday -- Europeans are not avid shoppers, and on a sunny day, prefer to be outside enjoying themselves.

I am ambivalent about IKEA and have developed some methods to help me get through. I can't stay away totally because I always need candles and wineglasses and picture frames.

I like to go on a weekday night an hour before closing time. I always park as close to the exit as possible and then I enter through the exit doors and head straight for "as is." After that, I whiz through self-service and grab one of those flat carts with space to hang a bag (love those) before entering the marketplace.

I never ever go near the showrooms if I can help it. Occasionally I need to see the shelf or table in person before I buy, but I don't linger in the showrooms; it makes me too crazy. I mostly stick to my list but allow for a few impulse buys on stuff that's deeply discounted.

I can't believe people actually "like" or "love" going to IKEA. It's like going to the theme parks: long lines, lotsa people bumping into you and no one around to assist you when you're lost! I've tried going on weekday mornings/evenings and one really bad experience on the weekend, it's always crowded. They have some cute things, but overall I don't get what the fuss is about.

*grins* my ex husband hated shopping in sales, and on weekends. Me I loved it, loved people watching while in qeues, or just day dreaming about what I was going to do with the items I'd just purchased.

I agree, if he's impatient, and not happy, stow him someplace and contact him when you need a hand to pack up. Makes ye both happier.

Hi from Melbourne, Australia. As the crow flies, we're probably 30 mins from the nearest Ikea. As the road and traffic goes, we allow for about 1.5 hours.

So by the time we get there, we're already pretty cranky - not to mention locating a car spot and dragging the pram out for the lil' one who might get tired from running around but insists on running around until she drops! :)

My husband too, hates shopping and after 30 mins of looking at room stages, it's a kitchen's a kitchen. But what I've found helped was to eat right after getting to Ikea. Then his complain is BOREDOM... not hunger, or thirsty and toilet breaks etc.

For me, I've found the answer to my Ikea nightmares: Go on a weekday! :) Get there around 10.30AM and leave at about 2pm. hehehe

Maybe Ikea should open up a Bar next to its restaurant, for bored husbands.

I have never been to an IKEA store ever, thanks to you all, my daughter and i have received their paper catalog which we love looking through,

we love to read books and magazines, so maybe someday we will be able to go to a IKEA store, the stores by us are a ways away in Seattle or Canada quite a drive,

i have met people in person, that have been to the store and they loved it and the food also!

washington state.