Even though they say the other one is bigger, the above seems bigger with better selection, more room, and a very nice clearance shop. It's also closer (if using transit). Also if using transit, it's only an extra zone over.
Heading there tonight after having been to the other one Sat.
Rule #1
Never go alone. Like anything that is dangerous, you should always have a buddy.
IKEA has a tractor beam that will suck anybody and anything up. You brain will become mushy and your senses will become clouded.
You need a buddy to bring your back to your senses. When in pairs, one of you can remain sane. The proof of the tractor beam is that 90% of the time, you will walk out IKEA with loads of sh!t you never intended to buy in the first place.
Rule #2
Just like you should never go food shopping hungry... make sure you've browsed the catalog and website ad nauseum.
Rule #3
Segregation of duties. It works like this:
You will need
1) Walkie-Talkies (if you're American you may have these from your last visit to Disney Land). You will also score extra brownie points from your boyfriend if you go along with this
2) Cell phone if you don't have walkie-talkies
Method
Leave your male partner in the basement with a trolley. Anyway, he hates the smell of the soap and candles.
Because you've read the catalog ad nauseum, you have agreed on what you want. When you (upstairs, in the bright lights of the collapsing lung of hell) find what you want to buy, you radio in the number to your buddy downstairs in the warehouse, who packs it onto the trolley.
You, upstairs should easily be able to handle anything packed and ready to be taken from upstairs.
The two of you meet downstairs at the Human Interface Cashier Device.
Notes
Skip the poinonous hotdogs and remember that knäckebröd and Daim can be bought in shops now. Do pick up some Julmust if it's available.
Or
Sleep on the floor for a few weeks and get it delivered :-)
And oh, the woman should be the one downstairs to load the trolley. Men tend to be more focused, and there are just too many useless but beautiful knick knacks, like colourful napkins, cushions, throws upstairs that the woman can get distracted with. The result tends to show in those bulging yellow bags. Case in point, I entered IKEA with one and left with 3
I would have bumped them all down and had
Rule #1
a. Never go on a Saturday unless absolutely unavoidable (and usually this is avoidable - there is no life threatening situation that requires IKEA that I know of).
b. If you do have to go on Saturday (see Rule 1a), be there for opening time - never go in the afternoon. Better times are very late night shopping, e.g. Pratteln is open 'til 10 pm on Thursday and 9 pm Fridays, and is usually empty(ish) from around 8 pm onwards.
I have threatened my wife with incarceration in a mental home for suggesting a "quick trip to IKEA" (mutually exclusive) on a Saturday afternoon.
there is even a sticker on the front door of IKEA that tells you when it is most dangerous.
IIRC - Thursday evening is the most sane time to go there.
Spreitenbach's quieter (weekdays, virtually no one there) & probably less stressful getting to & parking wise, but Dietlikon has a big separate Fundgrube (seconds/returns) store which I've found a fair few great bargains in.
They also do meatballs in a cup now from the hotdog stand.
Like everyone else says, avoid Saturdays - Personally, I'd rather hack my own nuts off with a pair of rusty scissors than attempt the place on a Saturday. It's really not worth your sanity.