Never ones to miss an opportunity to flog “affordable” furniture and homeware, our Scandi friends, IKEA, have entered the chat in terms of home fitness kit. Yes, you can now purchase a small selection of exercise equipment alongside your tealights and Billy bookcase before checking out for meatballs at the café. But is any of it worth the hype? Let’s take a look…
IKEA does fitness
Almost four years later than a lot of people wanted it, IKEA has hopped on the home workout bandwagon (see what I did there?). They’ve done so in their own inimitable, albeit slightly chaotic style.
Several items are designed to be multi-purpose. Some are wearable (and again, could be used for either lounging, athleisure, or actual activity). And some are just plain weird.
I will be honest and say now that I’ve only gone as far as to browse these items online – I haven’t checked any out in person, but you can tell a lot from dimensions, price points, and existing reviews.
DAJLIEN collection – what’s in it?
No, I don’t know how to pronounce it. At the time of writing, the range has 23 items, covering items from a step and some small weights to mats and ponchos. There’s also something that looks like a hat stand, the kind of trolley that my grandma used to have in her kitchen, and an air purifier. Yeah, your guess is as good as mine.
Of the 23 things, about 10 of them are more fitness items than anything else in my opinion, and one of those is a bag. A comprehensive way of kitting out your home for a workout, it ain’t. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop – or IKEA is hoping to provide one – you’re going to be disappointed.
DAJLIEN – is it worth it?
I don’t need to trek to my nearest store to answer this with a resounding “no”.
The items that intrigued me the most were the step, bench, weights, mats, and multi-piece kit, which I’ll go through below. Of these items, I’d say one is possibly worth purchasing from IKEA.
The step and bench are significantly overpriced disappointments. These two items are ones which are really useful for home workouts, and if I’m coaching someone to train at home, I’ll almost always ask about a step or similar item… but that’s the thing: most people have a sturdy enough piece of furniture which is the right height. A solid chair, or household step, will absolutely do the job for you. IKEA’s step offers nothing different, and I actually would be concerned about the sturdiness. It’s also not really tall enough to be impactful – for the majority of people, it doesn’t provide enough of a challenge and, at £29, it’s a no from me.
Yes, plastic fitness steps from shops such as Decathlon or Arogs are a much higher price point. But there’s a reason for that – they’re fit for purpose.
IKEA’s bench may actually have more potential as a step. It’s a multi-purpose item that they claim could also be used for storage (yes, I get it) or as a coffee table (hmm… not my aesthetic). So you’d have to ensure that the lid doesn’t come off, and it’s not weighted so that it could tip. But it’s a much better height for stepping on, judging by the images.
It’s pricey at £100, and I rarely ask a home-training client whether they have a bench. Tricep dips can typically be performed using a sofa. And upper body exercises can be done on the floor or on a normal seat – a fancy bench isn’t necessary, unless you like the look of it.
The 4-piece exercise set is close to a total con. The one item I’d maybe rate is the trigger point ball, but these are widely available elsewhere. The strap included isn’t as functional as they claim, and the small pads are close to useless – they’d be better deployed in the garden. And, again, it’s very expensive at £29.
IKEA offers a selection of exercise mats. The largest I think is meant to double as a rug. And I actually like that it’s so big – too many fitness items are made for smaller bodies… but this is also absolutely extortionate at £55. Every year, there’s an abundance of fitness mats in TK Maxx at a much lower price, and with a huge range of colours and thicknesses. No, that shop doesn’t exactly prioritise sustainability, but budget is a key consideration for many of us, and you can get three or four mats for the price IKEA is charging.
The one item that actually may tick a box is the training weights. You get two ring-shaped 3kg weights for £19, and this is kind of a steal. A similar set of dumbbells at Decathlon is around £25, with Argos offering some slightly cheaper (and good-quality) items. My issue with people purchasing this level of weight is that, when you stick with them, you will very quickly outgrow them, so be prepared to sell on and reinvest more (weights are costly) if you go for this.
IKEA fitness – yes or no?
I think we know the answer to this. It’s a no. I fully understand wanting to shop in-person for these items, and that may be the draw. But better is readily available.
Instead of IKEA, try Tesco, TK Maxx, Argos and Decathlon. Their stock can be sporadic, so plan your purchases and be patient. It’ll be worth it to beat this marketing hype.