LINNMON, an Unboxing of IKEA’s “Cheapest” Desk

Reason for Purchase

After the gaokao ended last month, many classmates chose to take summer jobs to earn some pocket money, while I chose to stay home and get my driver’s license. The summer vacation after senior year of high school is very long—three full months. Aside from the time spent practicing driving, I would spend most of my time at home, so I decided to buy myself a new desk to study some interesting things.

At first, I searched for “simple desk” directly on Taobao, and many products priced at just a few dozen yuan with sales exceeding a thousand came up. However, after carefully reading the reviews, I found that they were all terrible. Most said that the products were “seriously inconsistent with the descriptions,” and the quality of the desks was also concerning. Damage during shipping was severe, since they were made of compressed particleboard. If I searched for “solid wood desk,” the prices were all in the range of 300–500 yuan. Sales were not as high, but the reviews were much better. It really was a case of getting what you pay for, but that was far beyond my budget.

By chance, I saw the keyword “IKEA style” in a product title, which suddenly reminded me of IKEA. So I went to IKEA’s official website to look for desks, and then I saw the “LINNMON/ADILS.” My goodness, a 100×60 desk only cost 119 yuan, and it had my favorite design: simple yet elegant.

The price fit my budget perfectly, and IKEA is a major brand whose quality I could trust. Plus, this desk was genuinely super attractive, so I decided to buy it before long. But after adding it to my cart, I noticed that the shipping fee was 119 yuan—basically the price of another desk. That was way too expensive. However, there was no IKEA store in my small fourth-tier city. I suddenly had an idea: I could hitch a ride to Guangzhou, buy it myself, and bring it back. But that was just a spur-of-the-moment thought. After considering how large the desk was, I realized there was no way I could carry it back. The idea was impractical, so I abandoned it immediately.

After struggling with the decision for a long time, I ultimately chose a purchasing agent. On Taobao, I picked an eleven-year-old shop that specialized in purchasing IKEA products on behalf of customers. After communicating with the customer service representative, they agreed to keep the IKEA receipt for me, which made me feel much more reassured. At least, it could guarantee that what I bought was an authentic IKEA product. The purchasing fee plus shipping came to a little over 40 yuan, which was within an acceptable range for me.

Appearance Showcase

After three days in transit, the package finally arrived. When I went to collect it, the delivery guy even complained, “What is this that’s so heavy?”

All right, let’s unbox it.

The seller handling the purchase had packed it in this cardboard box. The box was thick and sturdy, wrapping the desk tightly, and there was no damage caused by bumps or impacts. One tabletop and four legs—very simple.

Without further ado, I started assembling it.

These five screws really made me question my life as I tightened them. It was incredibly strenuous. Since I didn’t have an electric screwdriver at home, I had to slowly twist in the screws one by one. By the time I had finished them all, I was already drenched in sweat.

The desk legs are made of steel and were even harder than I had imagined—perfectly straight. The workmanship of IKEA’s large-scale factory deserves praise. The legs also have black adjustable knobs, which allow the desk to stand steadily even on an uneven floor.

Connecting the tabletop and the legs.

I turned it over and tested it. It was very stable, with no wobbling at all.

Impressions After Use

After using it for a month, this desk has become the place where I study every day. It does have one minor drawback: the white surface gets dirty easily, so I wipe it down every day to keep it clean. The inside of the tabletop is filled with honeycomb-structured paper material—in short, it is some kind of paper-based material. This means the desk does not have a high load-bearing capacity. The official website says it can support a maximum of 50 kilograms. Since I weigh over 50 kilograms myself, I didn’t dare sit on it to test it; it would have been embarrassing if I actually broke it. I also don’t put anything heavy on the tabletop, just a laptop and a small fan.

Conclusion

IKEA’s product designs are truly amazing, and I really like the minimalist style. The only slight regret is that there aren’t many stores—only first- and second-tier cities have them. As for shipping, it costs an exorbitant amount, so it isn’t worthwhile. In the end, using a purchasing agent really is a good choice: you can buy the product you want without paying exorbitant shipping fees.

However, if you use a purchasing agent, you must find an established shop. Many purchasing agents on Taobao pass off fakes as genuine products, selling counterfeit goods at the price of authentic ones. To avoid buying counterfeit products, it is best to choose an agent who can provide an IKEA receipt. This can basically guarantee that the product is an authentic IKEA item.

Here is the IKEA receipt from my purchase through an agent.

You can see the purchase date, which also helps avoid receiving old stock that the agent has had sitting in storage. It accomplishes two things at once.