Review of IKEA’s new PÅHL desk – a desk that grows with your kids
IKEA is known worldwide for its innovative and inexpensive flat-packed furniture, usually accompanied by a sheet of self-assembly instructions and an Allan key.
In our family home, we have many pieces of IKEA furniture – partly because of its practicality, but mostly because of its stylish Scandinavian design.
Thanks to its low price tag, I’m not too concerned about my kids damaging the IKEA furniture, yet I don’t feel like I’ve compromised on the interior décor of our home.
And so when IKEA recently launched the new PÅHL series children’s desk in Australia, I was looking forward to trying it out.
PÅHL Desk is available in White, Blue, Green & Pink
Benefits of the IKEA PÅHL desk
My older two children already have IKEA desks in their room, but with my youngest starting school next year, it seemed like the perfect time to install a desk in her bedroom.
Next year she will use it for homework, but in the meantime, she can use it for drawing, playing Lego and reading.
IKEA describes the PÅHL desk as “an innovative, flexible desk solution that has been developed to easily fit into any Aussie home, and to suit the different needs of the family”.
It does this by having three adjustable heights – 59cm, 66cm and 72cm – which cleverly allows the desk to grow with your child.
The assembly of the desk is very straightforward and only takes approximately 20 minutes. We built it at the lowest height, which is perfect for our four year old daughter. When she is older and taller, we can adjust the height using the knobs on the legs of the desk, and it will see her through all her years of schooling.
The main benefits of the adjustable PÅHL desk include:
- The desk will grow with the child, and can be passed from one child to another.
- You can save money by purchasing one product that will suit all ages and stages.
- There are add-ons available to purchase, such as shelves, which add to the functionality of the desk.
- It is available in two widths, to suit your space – either 96cm ($79) or 128cm ($99)
- You can keep cables and extension cords organised by placing them in the cable holders between the front and back legs.
- The desk and shelves are available in three colours – white, green and pink.
I also really like the fact that it blends in with the other IKEA furniture in her room – her IKEA bed, bedside table and bookshelf.
IKEA also has a number of desk chairs available to purchase. The ÖRFJÄLL junior chair is the perfect complement to PÅHL and is available for $59. Currently it is only available in black, however it will soon be available in other colours.
For more information about the PÅHL desk, visit the IKEA website, or head to your nearest Ikea Store.
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14 Comments
Cathy
July 28, 2016 at 2:04 amHi. Could you tell me how wide the legs are please?
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
July 28, 2016 at 8:50 amHere are the specs. Not sure how wide the legs are apart exactly. Approximately, I would take the 128 cm width and then take off an allowance for the legs.
Assembled size
Width: 128 cm
Depth: 58 cm
Min. height: 59 cm
Max. height: 72 cm
Max. load: 50 kg
Kirsty Ho Fat
July 28, 2016 at 2:45 amDo you know the width of the Pahl table legs? I have a fireplace I’d like to fit it across and I’m wondering whether it will reach over! Thanks in advance! x
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
July 28, 2016 at 8:50 amHere are the specs. Not sure how wide the legs are apart exactly. Approximately, I would take the 128 cm width and then take off an allowance for the legs.
Assembled size
Width: 128 cm
Depth: 58 cm
Min. height: 59 cm
Max. height: 72 cm
Max. load: 50 kg
Kirsty Ho Fat
July 28, 2016 at 3:42 pmThanks Kelly, it was the individual width of the leg I was looking for not the distance between them, I can’t seem to find the measurement anywhere. X
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
July 28, 2016 at 4:35 pmMy writer Cath did this, I’ll mess her and see what she if she can measure it.
Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
July 28, 2016 at 8:06 pmOkay, they are 6.5cm x 3.5cm
Dawn
August 27, 2016 at 1:36 amHi…do you find the desk wobbles at all when writing or coloring – or is it quite sturdy?
Kids Desks - Bambino Home
September 19, 2016 at 10:40 pmExcellent product review by Cath Johnson, and I’m sure the blog will go a long way in helping parents get the right kid’s desk for their little one. I completely agree with Cath on the fact that Ikea is one of the best when it comes to kid’s bedroom furniture.
Jennifer
May 10, 2017 at 5:23 amThanks for the great review. Do you know if the piece between the two legs (where you can keep the extension cord) can be removed? And not be wobbly.
Thank you!
Amy
August 13, 2017 at 11:53 pmI added the both sides of a the PAHL desk with the white plastic tighteners before putting in the bottom piece and now can’t remove the tighteners. Any suggestions for how to remove these?
Thanks
Amy
Krystal
June 1, 2020 at 11:06 pmHi could I enquire as to what bookshelf you have in your little girl’s room?
Kat Nash
July 4, 2020 at 2:32 amHello, thanks for a great review! I can not find on the site what it is made of, is it plastic or particle board? I am ordering a couple and can’t get through to IKEA. Thanks a million
Ian Smith
July 15, 2020 at 1:53 amHi – thanks for the review! Is there any wobble to the table or is it very rigid? I’m thinking of putting a table in the garage to film top-down shots for my YouTube channel. If there’s any wobble then I’d need a stronger table or maybe bolt this to the wall. Is it suitable for an adult (6ft 4) when at its highest height?