Hunting Down an Elusive (Unless Overpriced) Ikea Bath Mat
September 28, 2015 2:25 AM   Subscribe

I love me Ikea's Toftbo bath mat because it's big, bright, colorful, and thin enough that my bathroom door can open and close over it. It's $10 in-person at Ikea and almost twice that much online from Amazon. Unfortunately, I live overseas and can't get to an Ikea store. Ideas on how to get one for the lower price? And, failing that, suggestions for a similar bathmat?
posted by whitewall to Shopping (7 answers total)
 
Where overseas are you? Taobao generally has sellers with TOFTBO at reasonable prices, but I have to wonder whether it wouldn't be more practical for you to buy something locally-- shipping could make everything expensive anyhow.
posted by frumiousb at 3:33 AM on September 28, 2015


I am literally 500m from an Ikea store right now. I work next door to one. I can post one to you from Singapore if you really want one.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 4:00 AM on September 28, 2015 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: Ack! You guys are too generous. I'm in India and haven't found anything similar on the local market (just cheap plastic-y stuff). I am able to get packages from the U.S. at no extra charge, so shipping isn't an issue. Please keep the ideas coming!
posted by whitewall at 4:20 AM on September 28, 2015


Well, soon. Hyderabad 2017. But if shipping from the US isn't a problem, then you'd be best off getting someone to buy it and ship it to you-- I don't think it's in the eCommerce range. (I'm also happy to send you one from Hong Kong, if you like. I love me my TOFTBO mats and I work close to the Shatin store.)
posted by frumiousb at 4:53 AM on September 28, 2015


If what's stopping you from buying it on Amazon is that you think the seller is unjustly profiting, FWIW, I don't think the $18 is overpriced at all.

For me to buy this mat and send it to a friend in, say, New York, it would cost me $18.45:

$10.90 for the bath mat plus sales tax (9% at the Schaumburg, Illinois, IKEA)
$7.55 for Priority Mail shipping (I have this exact mat and just weighed it; it's 1 pound 11 ounces, so it can't go First Class. It won't fit in a small flat rate box, and Standard Post costs more than Priority in this case)

That assumes I'm going to IKEA anyway, so it doesn't factor in the cost of gas and tolls, or my time, etc.
posted by mama casserole at 4:55 AM on September 28, 2015 [10 favorites]


I had a bathroom with quite shiny and slippery tiles, and this slid around muderously - so if you have a very shiny bathroom too, you might reconsider.
posted by mythical anthropomorphic amphibian at 5:48 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yeah, I don't think $20 for the Ikea one is that unreasonable? Target has very similar ones, but they're like $17. If you're looking for keywords, "chenille," "microfiber", and "loop" seem to turn up similar stuff. But not for significantly cheaper than $20.
posted by mskyle at 6:21 AM on September 28, 2015


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