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5 new IKEA products that are so worth the schlep

TODAY got a sneak peek of the newest products hitting shelves at an IKEA near you this August.
/ Source: TODAY

Time to start mentally preparing for your next IKEA trip. The Swedish home goods store revealed its 2016 line on Wednesday, which is scheduled to be available in stores beginning this August.

This isn't the first time the Swedish company's catalog has brought us joy (bookbook™, anyone?), and it probably won't be the last. But we do think there's lots to celebrate in the pages of the 2016 catalog, filled with tons of new product offerings, home furnishing inspiration, as well as some of the most awesome-sounding product names we've ever laid eyes on.

Here's our top picks of the most beautiful (and beautifully affordable) new items.

1. Blandning lunch box for salad

TODAY
Courtesy IKEA

Yes, salad-lovers, there's finally a product just for you. As if the incredibly niche role of this "lunch box with salad" wasn't cool enough, it also delivers — big-time. The box comes with a nifty divider so that you can pack salad dressing alongside the salad itself, without worrying about wilted lettuce and unfortunate spillage. There's also matching flatware, because heaven forbid you eat your salad with a fork that clashes. Seriously, we're into this thing. So worth the schlep.

2. Placemat with cellphone holder

TODAY
Courtesy IKEA

Sure, humans have lived without cellphone-holding placemats for thousands of years, and we've done alright for ourselves. But does that mean this is an unnecessary contraption? No. With the invention of this "placemat with cellphone holder," Homo sapiens may finally reach our true golden age.

3. Berta Ruta / Slöjblomma / Syrentry plastic-coated fabrics

TODAY
Courtesy IKEA

So, actually, IKEA already sells these plastic-coated fabrics. But now they've expanded the pattern designs to appeal to all sorts of different styles and tastes. They'd make excellent tablecloths...and just think of the picnic possibilities, people.

4. Grönsaksbullar veggie balls and Kyklingköttbullar chicken meatballs

Courtesy IKEA

Say that ten times fast. Meatballs are a classic Swedish dish, so it's no wonder they've been on the IKEA menu for years. Now that the whole horse meat debacle is over and done with, we're back to loving them...and just in time. In August, IKEA's introducing two new meatballs: A veggie ball with a "good protein level" and a delicious chicken meatball dish, too.

5. Norråker work bench

TODAY
Courtesy IKEA

Scandinavian style fanatics, rejoice. This bench is made from solid, clear-lacquered birch and is beautifully minimalist. A simple drawer underneath the worktop and a lower shelf add storage space, and rounded corners make it family-friendly.