ᐅ How do I repair a broken drawer in an IKEA Besta unit?

Hello everyone,

I have a somewhat unusual problem: one of the drawers in my IKEA Besta furniture is broken. Specifically, it’s the bottom part of the drawer where the side panels connect to the base. The wood at the joints has cracked, probably due to excessive weight or simply material fatigue.

My question is: what is the best way to repair a broken drawer in IKEA Besta furniture so that it becomes stable and strong again? I would prefer not to replace the entire drawer if there is a way to reinforce the wood effectively or renew the joint.

Which tools and materials should I use for this? Is wood glue sufficient, or would screws or special brackets for reinforcement make sense? Are there any proven tips or tricks to prevent cracks in furniture parts like these?

I look forward to your experiences and advice!

Hello, I completely understand your problem. It’s always frustrating, especially when the piece of furniture isn’t that old.

I once tried to repair a similar Besta drawer by gluing the broken parts together with wood glue and also inserting small wooden dowels. This significantly improved the stability, but it was a bit fiddly. The most important thing was to securely fix the glued joints so they wouldn’t separate while drying.

If you feel unsure, first try carefully disassembling the drawer. This way you can access the break more easily and clean it thoroughly.

It’s definitely worth sticking with it to save that valuable piece!

Wood glue and screws are the best combination.

First apply glue, then insert screws, making sure to pre-drill beforehand.

Brackets help when the sidewalls are under heavy load.

I would like to provide a more detailed explanation regarding the repair of a broken IKEA Besta drawer, as there are actually some important details that are often overlooked and can lead to recurring problems later on.

First of all: A Besta drawer is usually made of particleboard with a thin foil or laminate coating. Because of this material, it is prone to cracks, especially at the joints, if the load is not ideally distributed.

My recommendation:
- Carefully disassemble the drawer, and if necessary, remove all drawer slides to have unrestricted access to the broken areas.
- Clean the break points thoroughly, removing all loose wood fibers.
- Use a high-quality wood glue (for example, PU glue) and apply it generously to the broken surfaces.
- Important: Apply clamping pressure during drying, ideally with clamps, to achieve maximum bonding.
- For additional stability, pre-drill holes and use small particleboard screws that are not too thick to avoid further splitting the particleboard.
- Another option is to attach metal brackets or small wooden strips on the inside at a 90° angle, screwed in, to provide extra support.
- Be cautious with screw length: not too long to prevent them from protruding on the other side.

One question: How heavily do you usually load the drawer? Are there heavy items stored inside? This affects the type of reinforcement needed.

If you like, I can also provide some tips on maintenance and load distribution to help avoid future breakages.

JAFUHAU schrieb:
I once tried repairing a similar Besta drawer by gluing the broken part with wood glue and additionally inserting small wooden dowels.

Thank you for the tip about the wooden dowels! I hadn’t considered that they can really help in a repair like this. They definitely make the glue joint mechanically much stronger.

TEBILO schrieb:
One more question: How heavily do you normally load the drawer? Are there heavy items stored inside?

Yes, I usually store files and books in the drawer, so there is quite a bit of weight, around 12–15 kg (26–33 lbs).

For now, I plan to rely on wood glue with clamping pressure and will pre-drill holes to insert screws. I’ll also try to reinforce with small brackets if possible, as long as it doesn’t affect the appearance too much.

Does anyone have recommendations for screw size and type (length, diameter, Spax or similar) that work particularly well with Besta furniture?

For repairs on particle board, such as those used in IKEA Besta furniture, the following approach is recommended:

- Use screws with a diameter of 3 to 3.5 mm (approximately 1/8 inch to 9/64 inch) and a length of about 20 to 25 mm (around 3/4 inch to 1 inch) to avoid damaging the particle board excessively.
- Pre-drill holes with a drill bit that is about 70–80% of the screw diameter to prevent splitting.
- Use coarse-thread particle board screws designed specifically for furniture panels.
- Apply wood glue (PU glue or strong white glue), as it also remains visually inconspicuous and provides good bonding strength.
- Place screws preferably in areas inside the drawer so they won’t be visible later.

If the drawer front should remain visually unchanged after the repair, small metal brackets on the inside are a good alternative, provided they fit precisely and leave no play.

This method significantly extends the lifespan of the drawer.