Kaboodle vs IKEA Kitchen: Which Flatpack Kitchen Should You Buy in Australia?

Price: what a Kaboodle or IKEA kitchen really costs

With flatpack, you buy your kitchen piece by piece. Cabinets, doors, hinges, drawers, panels, benchtops and handles can all be separate items, so the sticker price on one cabinet tells you very little. That's why I priced the same designs at both brands.

My quotes: three kitchen sizes compared

The medium L-shape is a typical layout: about 3.4m and 2.4m runs plus a tall pantry. All quotes include the benchtop, handles and delivery, but not appliances, sink, tap or installation. Delivery was $155 from Kaboodle ($275 for the large kitchen) and $119 from IKEA.

IKEA came out cheaper every time, by roughly 19–21%. The gap grows as the kitchen gets bigger.

What's included vs sold separately

Before you compare your own quotes, check that both include the same bits.

My tip: with Kaboodle, add hinges and runners to every cabinet before you compare. Otherwise the cabinet prices look lower than the real cost.

Hidden costs people forget

• Installation, plus a licensed plumber and electrician
• Demolishing and removing your old kitchen
• Appliances, rangehood, sink and tap
• Painting, patching and splashback materials
• Tools if you're going DIY
• Takeaway meals while you're without a kitchen for a few weeks

Quality and durability

Plenty of people worry that flatpack will look cheap or fall apart. Both brands last well when they're installed properly. The differences are in the board, the hardware and the warranty terms.

Carcass board and moisture resistance

Kaboodle is more moisture resistant, which matters around the sink and dishwasher. Whichever you choose, seal any cut edges. Water getting into raw board is the number one way flatpack cabinets fail.

Hinges and drawers

This is one of the biggest differences between the two brands.

• IKEA uses its own UTRUSTA hinges. The 110 and 153 degree versions have a built-in damper for soft closing. MAXIMERA drawers are full extension with built-in soft close. Hinges and drawers aren't included with cabinet frames on their own, but they come with cabinet combinations.
• Kaboodle sells hinges and runners separately. You choose Kaboodle-branded standard, soft-close or push-to-open hardware, or premium Hettich. Drawer cabinets come with timber drawers; soft-close metal-sided drawers are an optional upgrade in 450, 600 and 900mm.

With IKEA, soft-close comes built into the system. With Kaboodle, you choose it and pay extra, but you can also pick premium Hettich hardware.

Warranty compared

Register your Kaboodle purchase straight away and keep your receipts for both brands.

Design, sizes and fit

Both brands can give you a kitchen that looks far more expensive than it was.

Door styles and colours

IKEA METOD has over 25 door styles in about 20 colours, across modern, country and shaker looks, including real wood veneers and bamboo. Kaboodle has around 7 styles in about 35 colours, with modern, alpine, heritage, country and V-groove profiles. Kaboodle also sells raw board doors if you want to paint your own colour.

If you love Scandi and natural timber, IKEA has more to choose from. If you want an on-trend colour or a classic profile, look at Kaboodle.

Benchtops

• IKEA: laminate, wood and bamboo veneer, porcelain and glass composite. Pre-cut worktops come in standard sizes to take home, or you can order custom-made ones.
• Kaboodle: laminate in solid colours plus stone, timber and concrete looks, as well as solid timber and bamboo. Standard 2400mm laminate lengths can be cut yourself or ordered pre-cut, and customisable laminate comes in 20, 28 and 38mm thicknesses.

Sizes and fitting awkward spaces

Kaboodle is the more flexible of the two here.

If you want a 90cm oven, Kaboodle has a cabinet for it. If you're fitting a kitchen into an older home where nothing is quite square, Kaboodle's narrow and custom widths mean fewer awkward gaps.

Sizing: the two brands use different sizing systems, so don't plan on mixing Kaboodle and IKEA cabinets in the same run.

Planning your kitchen

Both brands have free online planners, so you can see your kitchen before you spend a cent. If you'd like a hand:

• IKEA offers a free kitchen planning appointment in store or online, plus in-home planning and a measuring service.
• Bunnings offers a Kaboodle design consultation for $49 in store or $99 at home. Both are redeemable if you go ahead with the purchase.

Buying experience: in store, online and delivery

Where to buy

Kaboodle is sold through Bunnings stores right across Australia. You buy per cabinet, and modular items are often on the shelf ready to take home the same day. That's a big plus if you live a long way from an IKEA store.

IKEA kitchens are bought per item in IKEA stores or online, with home delivery or store pick-up.

Stock and delivery times

• Kaboodle: modular products can be taken home today or delivered to your store within 7 days. Custom-width and made-to-order pieces usually take 4–6 weeks, and customisable benchtops arrive within 21 working days.
• IKEA: there's no standard lead time. It depends on your order size, location and stock, and your estimated date shows at checkout.

If you're working to a renovation deadline, order any Kaboodle custom pieces first.

Who makes Kaboodle?

Kaboodle is Australian-owned and made by DIY Resolutions (part of the AHE group), the same company behind Bunnings' cheaper Flatpax Utility range. Its modular range is imported, while custom-width cabinets, doors, panels and benchtops are made locally in Melbourne. IKEA products are made by suppliers all over the world, so there's no single country of origin.

Installation: DIY or hire a pro?

How hard is DIY with each brand?

If you're comfortable with a cordless drill, a spirit level and a jigsaw, you can assemble and install either brand yourself. They just go about it differently.

IKEA's suspension rail has to be levelled precisely (it sits 82cm above the highest point of your floor), but once it's right, a row of wall cabinets goes up quickly. Kaboodle uses a more traditional trade-style system with solid hardware.

Allow plenty of time. A DIY kitchen fitted around work and kids can take weeks, and that's weeks without a working kitchen.

What you can't DIY

In Australia, plumbing, electrical and gas work must be done by licensed trades. Even if you're keeping everything in the same spot, you'll need a plumber to connect the sink and dishwasher and an electrician for power and lighting.

Installation services

Neither brand installs kitchens itself, but both can point you to someone who will:

• IKEA offers an installation referral through hipages, so you can get quotes from installers (not available in South Australia).
• Bunnings special orders desk can refer accredited installers or hipages contractors for your Kaboodle kitchen. You pay the installer directly.

Get at least two quotes, and ask to see photos of past flatpack jobs.

Tools you'll need for DIY

• Cordless drill and driver
• A long spirit level, and a laser level if you have one
• Hole saw and jigsaw for pipe and power openings
• Stud finder, clamps and tape measure
• Silicone and a caulking gun for sealing cut edges

Are there alternatives to Kaboodle and IKEA?

I compared three more kitchen brands, and each has a different strength.

• Bunnings Flatpax Utility was the cheapest in my quotes: $4,066 for the same medium L-shape. It's made by the same company as Kaboodle, and hinges, drawers and handles all come in the box. The trade-offs: nothing is soft-close, there are just two finishes (white and woodgrain), and the warranty is only 1 year.
• Mitre 10 Principal includes soft-close Häfele hinges and drawers in every cabinet pack. Cabinets are Australian made with a 10-year warranty, and cabinets start at 150mm wide.
• Freedom Essential Kitchens includes soft-close hinges and drawers, handles, kickboards and a laminate benchtop in the kitchen price. It's Australian made, with a free in-home design consultation and a 7-year warranty.

Want to see how they all stack up for your space? Our comparison tool lines them up side by side.

Our verdict

The right pick depends on your kitchen.

• Go IKEA if your space suits standard sizes and you want the best price. In my quotes it saved $855 to $2,075 depending on kitchen size, and you get a 25-year warranty with soft-close built in.
• Go Kaboodle if your space is awkward, your home is older, or you want a 90cm oven. Narrow and custom widths, high moisture resistance and a lifetime carcass warranty make it worth the extra for the right kitchen.

Whichever you pick, plan carefully and compare like for like, with hinges and drawers included.