Koby Home Birch Butcher Block Countertop vs IKEA KARLBY Countertop

Buy the Koby Home birch top if you want a solid wood slab you can cut, sand and finish yourself, and you accept that it needs sealing and careful care. Buy the IKEA KARLBY if you want a finished-looking oak surface with a thick veneer and a long 98-inch run for a desk or island. The Koby is thicker in feel and all solid wood, but it ships unfinished and its rating comes from a small sample. The KARLBY looks better out of the box and has far more owner feedback, though owners repeatedly flag its edging and say results depend on how it is installed.

• Choose the Koby Home birch top if you are building a custom island, desk or laundry counter and want to cut, sand and finish solid wood to your own size and color.
• Choose the IKEA KARLBY if you want a long oak-veneer counter that looks finished and can be installed as-is for a kitchen, desk or island.