I think a big reason for this reputation is that IKEA is one of the few furniture brands big enough to have a wider-than-normal range of product tiers. Most bra

I think a big reason for this reputation is that IKEA is one of the few furniture brands big enough to have a wider-than-normal range of product tiers. Most brands have only one or two that are typically close together, while IKEA has at least three covering a much broader range of manufacturing methods and materials. And while you can get lucky with products in the lowest tier (I have some 15-year-old seating that fits this mold), often you do need to step up to at least the mid-tier to get something that will make it unscathed through moves.