ᐅ What to do if your Ikea Hemnes furniture wobbles after assembly?

Hello everyone,

I recently assembled a Hemnes dresser from Ikea, but I noticed that the piece of furniture wobbles significantly after assembly. I tightened all the screws according to the instructions and checked the points where it contacts the floor, but the wobbling remains. The unit is placed on a relatively smooth, hard floor that appears to be level.

My question: What can be done if the Ikea Hemnes dresser wobbles after assembly? What could be the causes, and how can the problem be fixed effectively without affecting the appearance? I would also appreciate tips on fine-tuning or reinforcing it if you have experience with this issue.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Svenle schrieb:
I tightened all the screws according to the instructions during assembly and checked the points of contact with the floor, but the wobbling remains.

First, make sure that all screws are fully and evenly tightened. Often, wobbling occurs because a connection is not properly seated or a dowel is not fully inserted.

Svenle schrieb:
The furniture is placed on a relatively smooth, hard floor that appears to be level.

This is an important point. With furniture like the Hemnes dresser, which stands on relatively thin wooden legs, the impression of a level surface can be misleading – wood is somewhat more flexible than stone or tile. Additionally, the furniture reacts to even slight unevenness in the floor.

To fix any wobbling, you should consider the following steps:
- Check with a spirit level whether the dresser itself is truly horizontal.
- If stability is lacking, adjusting the legs can help. You can do this either by adding small felt pads under the feet or by using additional shims.
- Another factor could be the tightness of screws: make sure all connection points on the carcass sides do not move when you apply pressure.
- Are the dowels securely seated, and do all edges fit precisely? Imperfections in the wood can also cause this effect.

If one side wobbles excessively, try fine-tuning the legs by inserting thin strips of paper as shims.

My advice: if necessary, disassemble the side that is wobbling and carefully re-examine the fit and interaction of the parts. Sometimes a rear panel that hasn’t been fully inserted or a side panel that is mounted crookedly can cause movement.

Do you notice any such irregularities? How long did you take for the entire assembly?

FeAndreas1 schrieb:
Another factor could be the screw tightness mentioned: Make sure that none of the connection points on the cabinet sides move when you apply pressure.

As an addition: If the Hemnes dresser wobbles despite correct assembly and a level surface, the main causes are usually the following:
- Minor unevenness of the supporting floor, which can be evened out with a simple shim.
- The back panel or side panels not fitting perfectly flush, which prevents the dresser from being stabilized laterally.
- Missing or incorrectly installed braces (depending on the model, there are reinforcement strips that affect stability).

Practical tip: Use small self-adhesive plastic or felt pads on the feet to compensate for unevenness and eliminate wobbling.

Also, check whether the back panel is properly seated, as it stabilizes the entire structure. Securing the back panel with additional nails (if not intended) can be helpful.

Under no circumstances should excessive force be applied to the screws, as this can damage the material. The assembly instructions from Ikea are generally good, but in some models there is a risk that the fastening points have slight play, which is exactly the cause of your problem.