STYLE FOR LESS: Giant’s Relax Chair vs. Ikea’s Poang Chair

I love Ikea!  The products, their designs – all so simple and uncomplicated.  They’re a brand after my own heart.  I spend hours on end just going around the displays and imagining how our flat might look like with full sets of Ikea furniture and accessories (Hey!  A girl can dream, right?  J)

With such popularity, you can bet your boots that replicas will be coming out of the woodwork, most offered by discount stores and huge general supermarkets.  And surprisingly, here in Singapore, it’s not that an unusual occurrence.

IKEA Tampines, Singapore

THE SPLURGE: Giant’s Relax Chair (S$69.99 / Php2,309.67)

Retail giant uhmmm… Giant, is well-known for their vast variety of items (from food to clothing to other general home merchandise) selling at budget-friendly prices.  Think a less upscale SM (if you can consider that since I’ve noticed SM has srastically stepped up their product line, wouldn’t you agree?)

But I digress.  Giant is one of the grocery stores we visit whenever we need a shop with a large selection of fresh produce and meats.  Their huge hypermarkets also offer great buys for non-branded apparel and home accessories, furniture included.

Their Relax Chair, selling for S$69.99 (Php2,309.67*), immediately caught my eye since it looks so similar to an Ikea Poäng children's armchair, with a few very slight modifications in design.

Giant's Relax Chair

Just see how relaxed the Little One is.

THE STEAL: Ikea’s Poäng Children's Armchair (S$29.90 / Php986.70)

Yes, you’ve read this right.  I think in all the time I’ve been doing my “Style for Less” segment, this would be the very first time that a replica costs more than the original item.

One of the many pieces of furniture I’ve been lusting over at Ikea is their Poäng children's armchair.  It’s simple, sleek, comfortable, and as with most of their products, can really take a beating.   Their kid-sized version, which sells for S$29.90 or Php986.70*, is just the right size for the Little One.

Poäng Children's Armchair

Another plus, this armchair also comes in an adult version.  It just goes to show that Ikea does deliver quality items at a better deal.  Nothing sure beats the original.  J

*S$ 1 = Php33

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Planning to visit?  Drop by my "Getting Around Singapore" post (click here) for more details on how to get around the Lion City.