The Best Item at Ikea Is This $1 Travel Accessory
Slowly but surely, my home is starting to look like an Ikea showroom. My office has three separate Kallax units. My dresser is Malm. A few Gladom tables hang out on the patio (the removable tray is truly great for hosting). And I’m considering going all-in on the industrial Bror system for my garage.
But what if told you that Ikea’s best product wasn’t a shelving unit or a chair or a table lamp (even though those are great, too) but a $1 packing cube that’s become an essential part of my travel kit?
It’s called the Pärkla Shoe Bag and unlike Ikea’s iconic Billy bookcase or Poäng lounge chair, it doesn’t have notable backstory or a legion of fans on the internet. Not yet, anyway.
In fact, I’m not even sure when Ikea came out with the thing. However, none of that matters because the Pärkla is excellent, and cheap, and everyone should own one, if not a dozen of them for travel, commuting or simply organizing that abomination you call your closet. (Okay, sorry, that was a low blow.)
Function over flair
For starters, the Pärkla is simple. One zipper. One compartment. In their quest to advance a category, bag makers have engineered more pockets than you’d ever think possible on a small cube or pouch.
Source: www.gearpatrol.com
