Since IVAR storage system is so good at what it does, it has faithfully served customers’ needs across the home for over 50 years. Attics, living rooms, pantries and bedrooms – they all love IVAR.
Article Number504.846.51
Product details
Untreated solid wood is a durable natural material which is even more hardwearing and easy to look after if you oil or wax the surface.
Solid pine is a natural material which ages beautifully and gains its own unique character over time.
Designer
IKEA of Sweden
Weight & measurements
- Height: 178.5 cm
- Depth: 30.0 cm
Reviews
Assembly is horribleAnonymous reviewerAssembly is impossible. Pieces don't fit properly so it requires a lot of brute force. One of the slats did not fit at all but I already had the other 3/4 in so having to do some hack job of sawing it off and gluing it back in.
self assembly is a jokeAnonymous reviewerruined an excellent product.
- hammering the bits in is very hard
- the protection-piece just makes it worse / impossible to get the pins in completely
- pins are visible on the front on one side.
- utter bleep now
Now very hard to assembleAnonymous reviewerWhen I order these for home delivery I didn’t know I would have to put them together. Like other views you need to do more than read the instructions. I live in a flat so to finish these I’m going to have to do these outside. I expect the finish result to be solid and sturdy but if they expect buyers to assemble the item I want the parts to be useable and not to be modified. This will be the last time I purchase this product if I need to assemble the sides again. Very disappointed in the new version.
Side units bought for shelving system, and one to customise.Anonymous reviewerI bought three of the Ivar shelf systems, two to build as instructed, and one to adapt. The two tall ones are each side of my Lagkapten/Alex desk, and definitely suit the purpose I wanted them for.
The third one I purchased was to cut down and make a three shelf tower, and it was quite easy to do, but the shelf support holes didn't line up the way I wanted them to, so I adapted those too, and it looks great.
Not easy to assemble Anonymous reviewerWith a lot of rage, I’ve managed to assembly it. Very difficult, wouldn’t buy it again
Issues with IVAR side units self buildAnonymous reviewerLike others have a lot of IVAR shelving in our house but this is the first time we have bought since they are now self build.
1) They take additional TIME to build
2) You MUST clear out DEBRIS from the cut recesses as tight, others already reported this but not in instructions
3) Also reccomend you lightly sand the support ends that go into the recesses again to clear debris, also to round off end edges as helps a lot with fitting in as very TIGHT. Again doesn't tell you in instructions.
4) Have to be mindful now when building as a lot of LOUD bangs while hammering in the wooden pegs
5) QUALITY CONTROL reduced, I guess as IKEA not building no one else now checking these. In one set we had a dent in the side support, a split in the main piece and a wonky recess. Nothing to structural affect function but not what paying for.
Assembly impossible due to poor constructionAnonymous reviewerThe holes for the cross beams and dowels are not uniform in size or position and no amount of hammering will make them fit. I bought IVAR again due the minimal assembly required and am very disappointed with the change to the way the uprights are manufactured. Don't buy these.
Ivar shelvingAnonymous reviewerBest thing since sliced bread, easy to put together, very useful, been using for years, love it! Bring back more of it
So hard to put together Anonymous reviewerThese frame use to come in as fully build and now I have to hammer the part into place which is very dangerous. I prefer screw which is much safer. But of coz, it will be better if it comes in already built like it use to be.
Appalling - impossible to assembleAnonymous reviewerDespite all attempts with a heavy hammer I could not get the cross pieces completely into the sides so I failed at the first installation step. All that happened is that the block provided became increasingly dented. I have arranged for all the shelving to be returned and a refund.
Excellent and versatileAnonymous reviewerThis is an excellent product with so many variations and has been available for years allowing me to adapt it to new situations as life changes
Self-assembly of side units spoils the product rangeAnonymous reviewerI’ve always found IKEA products straightforward to assemble if you follow the instructions properly. Sadly, the latest version of IVAR side unit is very disappointing. IKEA has decided to make these self-assembly and it is not easy. Assembling three units took over two hours when it should have been a matter of minutes.
The main problem seems to be poor quality control. The cross rails (5 in the 226cm units) don’t fit easily into the uprights, even with a hammer. And the pegs don’t hammer fully into place as the two sets of holes don’t line up properly. I resorted to sawing 3mm off each peg so that they didn’t stick out.
Fortunately I had plenty of woodworking tools to solve these problems but be warned that it probably won’t be the simple task shown in the video. One of the IVAR design team should try building one!
The IVAR system is brilliant. This new self-assembly completely spoils the experience. Please go back to factory assembly of these for the sake of your customers.
So Disappointed to find Side Uprights now have to be assembled at home!Anonymous reviewerWe have been buying this for the various places we have lived over the last 30 years. The only thing we had to do to finish them was varnish them. I was so shocked to find the side uprights up now have to be constructed by the customer!! It’s so much easier and cheaper on the customer’s time for it to be done in the factory. It used to be 5 stars. No longer. Reconsider IKEA!
Nice looking and great valueAnonymous reviewerIt was easy to assemble with two people. Lots of flexible options and looks good
Use for larder shelving Anonymous reviewerBought these to fit into a small larder. Good price.
I like theseAnonymous reviewerMy best tip:
Take the long uprights and clear out the cuts where the side bars fit.
I used an old flat screwdriver for this. Litte bits of wood and splinters in the cut were probably what made one of these so difficult for me like the other reviewers found, but once you know, it's well worth the extra little effort before fitting it together.
Maybe IKEA could update their instruction leaflet with this extra step?
The quality of the wood and finish is great except inside the cuts. I prefer the self assembly and them taking less space for delivery, it's more environmentally friendly. It does take a bit of hammering though. I found that satisfying but worried a little about the neighbours.
Easy to assembleAnonymous reviewerCombined with the Ivar shelves, the sides are easily assembled. Exactly what I needed. Would love to have them narrower for pantry shelving.
Self assembly side panel is a cost cut too far Anonymous reviewerMy love affair with Ivar is over because of this recent change, requiring self assembly of the side panels. It takes ages and a lot of hammering. It's hard work because the holes are tight and some are slightly out of true. It's impossible to get every dowel 100% flush. The piece of wood supplied for hammering is soft, so it quickly dents. Even where it's possible to get the dowels flush, they are a bit unsightly.
I purchased these in the UK for home delivery. I would not have bought them if I'd known about this change in design. Really disappointing.
A big step backwards - and very sadAnonymous reviewerI bought my first Ivar stuff 30 years ago and our house is full of it.
But 30x226 side units are now self assembly. This is a big backward step which probably saves IKEA money in shipping but makes it much more difficult for the customer.
It took a heavy steel hammer to drive the pegs into place and if, as instructed, you use the supplied block of wood to "protect" the pegs and the frame, it makes more marks than if you used just the hammer. And the pegs are visible, as another reviewer commented.
Fortunately, I probably won't need to buy any more but this change is a great way of driving potential customers away from an otherwise excellent product range.
Please go back to ready-assembled for your customers' sake.
Annoying ChangeAnonymous reviewerI am not sure if this is a recent change, but now you have to assemble the upright yourself, which is incredibly annoying and time consuming. It also requires a not insignificant amount of strength to hammer in the dowels and connectors as most of the pre-drilled holes do not fit correctly. I am sure this allows more to be stored or transported but it just shifts a load of work onto the customer and those less able may not be able to assemble this now. One of the best things about IVAR was that it was easy to assemble. Most of your other shelving requires only a few taps of a hammer but this needed some significant force. I would now think twice about buying IVAR unfortunately. Please consider going back to a preassembled side unit.
Customer reviews
2.9Average rating
20Reviews
Material
What is solid wood?
Solid wood is one of our favourite materials and is part of our Scandinavian heritage. It is also a timeless material with many uses. Regardless of the wood species, it is durable, beautiful and renewable. We strive to use this raw material as smartly and efficiently as possible to avoid waste – and we also invest in facilities and logistics so that we can increase the use of recycled wood.