Costco vs. IKEA: Who Has Better Deals on Outdoor Furniture?

At first glance, IKEA and Costco may not seem all that comparable, but they actually have some things in common. Both have low prices that appeal to bargain-hunting shoppers, both store merchandise in giant warehouses, both sell hot dogs and pizza, and both have annual summer deals on outdoor furniture. 

Of course, the differences in furniture are worth noting, as IKEA sells very different products than what you'd traditionally find at Costco. But if your personal finance goals this summer permit only a little margin for patio chairs and tables, which store would offer you the best deals? Let's take a look at both. 

IKEA's best deals for outdoor furniture

In general, if price is most important to you, you'll probably find better deals at IKEA than Costco. Its furniture styles will be basic -- some might call them bland -- but IKEA's prices are simply unbeatable, especially when the store is having a sale. Just to give you an idea of how much you could save, here's what you'd pay for IKEA patio furniture that's currently on sale.

As you can see, IKEA's prices are very low. For example, a $269 outdoor table plus four chairs is hard to beat, unless you're buying it used. 

Another advantage to shopping at IKEA -- the in-app shopping experience is seamless and user-friendly. The app lets you virtually "place" furniture in your own space, so you can see what it looks like before you buy it. And the "shop and go" feature lets you scan items while you're shopping so you don't have to wait long at the checkout line. 

Now, the downsides. For one, IKEA's inventory is notoriously inadequate to supply the heavy demand for its products. Often, you'll see something that you absolutely love only to find out it's out of stock (both in-store and online). If you're shopping in a store, I definitely recommend checking its inventory in the app beforehand, as it can be nothing short of frustrating to show up and find the warehouse emptied of its best stuff. 

Another potential downside is that you'll need to be handy to assemble furniture, or at least have a background in Lego. Constructing IKEA furniture isn't usually intuitive, and the instructions must be followed faithfully to get it right. You could also hire someone to assemble furniture (such as through Taskrabbit), though this will tack on extra costs to your final price. 

Costco's best deals for outdoor furniture 

Costco doesn't specialize in flat-pack furniture, and its prices are going to be higher than IKEA. That said, Costco's furniture typically comes with more than one piece and the materials are often varied and sturdier than wood. Costco also has numerous styles of furniture, which could suit your flair, whereas IKEA offers basically the same style just under different impossible-to-pronounce Swedish words. 

Even if Costco's prices will run up your credit card tab more, you could find some good deals on outdoor furniture. Here are just a few things that are currently on sale. 

One caveat: these are online prices, which will likely be higher than what you find at your local Costco. For more accurate pricing, visit a Costco warehouse. 

Comparison shop before you decide 

Comparing Costco and IKEA on price alone seems like an easy call -- buying and assembling individual pieces of flat-pack outdoor furniture would likely be less expensive than buying one of Costco's packages. 

But aside from doing the math yourself (after visiting a Costco store), consider things that aren't numerical, like product reviews, warranties, and how comfortable the furniture is. Both stores offer generous return policies (anytime for Costco and 180 days for IKEA), so if you don't like the furniture from one, you could also always return it to try the other.