IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review – Would We Do It Again?

The IKEA Sektion cabinet system is loved by everyday consumers and home design bloggers like Studio McGee and Chris Loves Julia alike. It seems hard to believe a product this affordable could also be so stylish & reliable. But does it live up to the hype? We remodeled our kitchen and opted for the IKEA Sektion system. We’re excited to break it all down for you in our IKEA Sektion kitchen review.

An IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review Breakdown

The Good

• IKEA Sektion cabinets come with a 25 year warranty.
• The IKEA Sektion system is insanely affordable.
• You can plan & customize your kitchen layout completely on your own.
• Soft-close hinges are standard on all IKEA Sektion drawers.
• Installation is relatively simple, and the product is highly durable.
• The modular system means you can easily update & make changes to fit your needs as they change over the years.

The Bad

• The delivery is awful. Like, really awful.
• Returns at IKEA are a huge pain in the butt.
• There aren’t a ton of choices for cabinet faces.

The Best Parts of the IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review

Solid Warranty

IKEA Sektion cabinets come with a 25 year warranty. If you’re looking for new kitchen cabinets at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or other big box stores, you’re not going to find a warranty anywhere near this. The best cabinet warranty you find there may be 1, 3, 5, maybe even 10 years. The warranty won’t be great because they’ll probably try to sell you an extended warranty, since much of the system is based off of higher sales. IKEA’s warranty for their Sektion kitchen cabinets blows all others out of the water because it really is an insanely solid product. Ours hold our concrete countertops and the occasional grown human climbing to reach the top shelf, too. It’s part of what caused us to write the IKEA Sektion kitchen review in the first place.

Unbeatable Affordability

While you’re at those big home improvement stores checking out the weak warranties, you may even get around to sitting down and having everything priced out. Prepare for a little sticker shock. Remember, you’re outsourcing everything here — planning, purchasing, assembly, etc.. And it comes at a price. We found that home improvement store cabinets were roughly 50-100% more than the IKEA Sektion system. And that’s with a weaker warranty, and truthfully, a weaker product. Sure, if you can afford to pay a custom cabinet maker to make your kitchen from scratch, you will end up with a fancier cabinet system. But affordability is a major factor in this IKEA Sektion kitchen review because it really is that extreme.

Freedom in Layout Planning

IKEA’s online Home Planner tool is what you will use to plan our your kitchen purchase. Sure, it’s a little buggy, but not enough so to negatively affect this IKEA Sektion Kitchen review. If you’re anything like me, you’re highly particular about how you want your kitchen floor plan. If you opt for comparable cabinets at a home improvement store, you’ll have to communicate every little detail to another human, who will communicate it to yet more humans. See all the possibility for error here? Not to mention the risk of feeling guilty for being so particular. (Despite the fact that you shouldn’t be, because it’s YOUR kitchen, but I digress…). If you don’t want to get your hands dirty in the planning process, this may not be for you. However, if you want total control over everything from the drawer sizes to the direction doors open, you’ll love this factor.

Soft-Close Drawers are Standard + Other Upgrades

Am I crazy for adding a entire section in this IKEA Sektion kitchen review for soft-close alone? Perhaps. Soft-close drawers are total game changers. Once you have them, you won’t be able to live without them. Add this feature to cabinets from home improvement stores, and you’re looking at thousands of dollars more. It’s a total markup scam. This isn’t an area I was willing to compromise, so it is a major factor in our IKEA Sektion kitchen review.

Another major feature we love from IKEA is their panel-ready dishwasher lineup. I hate being able to see appliances — dishwashers, refrigerators, trash cans, you name it. Whatever can be hidden with cabinets should be. Though we aren’t ready to invest in a panel-ready refrigerator yet, this panel-ready dishwasher (made by Whirlpool) works wonderfully, and gives our kitchen a much higher-end look. Yet another affordable feature with IKEA that costs thousands more in home improvement stores. Did I even mention the motorized push-to-open sliding trash & recycle cabinet? Yet another game changer that still makes me smile every time I use it.

Installation is Simple, and the Cabinets are Durable

Believe me, I’m all about us ladies getting our hands dirty & building some cool stuff. That being said, no matter how much I try to be a “strong independent woman”, there are plenty of times when I end up calling my husband to do it for me. (Don’t hate!) That being said, I installed all of our IKEA Sektion kitchen review cabinets myself. You heard that right! Installing IKEA cabinets really is relatively simple — anyone who can follow pictures can do it. The first few are a little confusing, but you get the hang of it really quickly. And like I’ve said before — ours support hundreds of pounds of countertops, and occasionally humans. They’ve never budged. This IKEA Sektion kitchen cabinet review is definitely geared towards those of us who are on a budget. The amount of money you save by being able to install cabinets yourself is insane, and totally worth the learning curve.

Modular Nature Makes for a Rave IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review

We all know that the DIY capabilities of IKEA cabinets create opportunity for tons of savings. Along those lines, the modular nature of IKEA cabinets creates a limitless world of customization opportunities. Part of what makes an IKEA Sektion kitchen review accurate is not only how great the product fits now, but how well it will fit for years to come. Since the IKEA kitchen system is modular, you can easily swap out drawers for doors, open for closed cabinet fronts, etc.. And it can all be done in the years to come, as you & your family mature. Everything is already made to fit.

The IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review for Improvement

Alas, nothing is perfect, and the IKEA Sektion kitchen system is no different. There is still room for improvement. Here is what we think could be improved in this IKEA Sektion kitchen review.

Delivery is bad. Like, really, really bad.

If you search the internet for an IKEA Sektion kitchen review, you’ll find tons of consumers happy with the product. However, everywhere (and I mean everywhere) you find a happy review, you’ll find complaints about the delivery service. IKEA does not own a delivery company. Instead, they outsource to other delivery companies, who basically stink at delivering. Don’t think you’ll be any different. Your delivery will be scheduled, and then it will be rescheduled at the last minute. Most likely, it will be rescheduled again. (That is, IF you can get a delivery date out of them.) Each time, they will expect you to take off work and spend the day waiting for them. Sometimes, they will never even show up. They will not give you a direct customer service number — you will have to call IKEA who will just tell you they don’t take care of the deliveries. It really is a maddening experience. This is just part of the process with the IKEA kitchen system. You will not get a reliable delivery date, and you will have to factor that into the savings to decide if it’s worth it.

The Return Process is a Headache

While IKEA has an awesome return policy (basically 365 days to return a product, no questions asked), the return process is a headache. It’s bad enough to affect this IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review. You don’t just walk up to a counter and return. You must take a number, sit down, and wait for your number to be called. Each return takes longer than average (5-10 minutes minimum), so you’ll be there a while. Get there during slow hours and plan to stay 30-45 min for your return. Arrive during peak hours, and plan to wait for an hour, minimum. This is the same at every IKEA location, and why it is so important to do your best to get the order right before you leave the store.

Lack of Cabinet Variety

Although this point isn’t as important as others on this IKEA Sektion kitchen review, it’s still pertinent. IKEA doesn’t offer nearly as many cabinet face options as the big home improvement stores. You’re pretty much limited to a dozen looks. However, there are other companies that offer cabinet facing options made specifically for the IKEA Sektion system. It’s awesome. One of my favorites is Semihandmade. They’re styles are gorgeous, but were a little much for our first kitchen remodel. We plan on using them for our next, longer-stay home.

An IKEA Sektion Kitchen Review, in Summary

All in all, we would definitely choose to use the IKEA Sektion kitchen cabinet system again. In fact, we already have chosen to for our next home. Though it’s still a few years away, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t already started some preliminary floor plans for the next kitchen. Although this IKEA Sektion kitchen review is based on roughly 8 months of usage, we love our cabinets more and more every day. IF our opinion ever were to change, I’d make sure to update you. For now, we are two very happy campers!

Disclaimer: We’re not professionals or experts on this topic, so all we can do is share our own personal experience in hopes that it helps you in your journey! We always recommend consulting with the pros directly.