ᐅ How do I secure Malm furniture to the wall?

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a few IKEA Malm dressers and would like to securely attach them to the wall. Since the dressers are quite tall, I want to prevent them from tipping over, especially if there are children in the household. Therefore, I am wondering what types of wall brackets or safety straps are specifically recommended for Malm furniture, how to best install them (for example, attaching to both the wall and the furniture), and if there are any considerations regarding different wall materials, such as drywall (plasterboard) versus concrete walls. A detailed description of the procedure would be very helpful, including tips on the necessary tools and any special safety precautions. Thank you in advance!

For Malm dressers, IKEA recommends special anti-tip safety devices that you attach directly to the furniture and the wall. Screw the bracket into the dresser first, then into the wall—anchors are required depending on the wall type. For drywall, make sure to screw into a stud, otherwise it will not hold.

To securely fasten the Malm chest of drawers, you first need to clearly determine the wall type. For concrete or masonry walls, standard expansion anchors with suitable screws are sufficient. For drywall (plasterboard) walls, it is recommended to use special cavity anchors or to fix the unit to wall studs (wood or metal profiles).

The bracket should be secured with two screws to both the furniture and the wall. You can use the straps or brackets included in the IKEA kit to prevent tipping. It is important to align the chest of drawers before fastening, as adjustments after installation are difficult.

KLONA schrieb:
For drywall partitions, it is recommended to use special cavity anchors or secure directly into wall studs

Thanks, that sounds reasonable. Does anyone know the best way to locate the wall studs? Are there tools or simple tricks for that? Because I definitely want to avoid drilling into just the drywall surface. Also, I’m curious about what screw length you would recommend. My wall is about 12 cm (5 inches) thick, drywall panel plus a wooden stud behind it.

And what about the mounting on the furniture? Is one screw per side sufficient, or better two? Has anyone had practical experience with how stable that is?

willie schrieb:
Does anyone know the best way to locate the wall studs?

The most reliable way to find wall studs is by using a stud finder that can detect both metal and wood behind drywall. Without any tools, you can tap and listen for different sounds, but this method is less accurate.

willie schrieb:
What screw length do you recommend?

For a wall thickness of about 12 cm (5 inches), I would use screws at least 6 cm (2.5 inches) long to ensure they securely grip the stud. For the furniture itself, screws around 3–4 cm (1.25–1.5 inches) long are usually sufficient to avoid damaging the piece.

I also recommend using two screws per bracket when attaching to the furniture to better prevent tipping.

Mekau schrieb:
Screw the bracket into the dresser first, then attach it to the wall

I consider this order less optimal. It is better to secure the wall side first and then attach the dresser, to control the exact positioning and minimize the load on the wall. It also remains questionable how the load distribution actually looks with only one anchoring point per side.

KLONA schrieb:
The bracket is fixed with two screws each on the furniture and the wall

Two screws are indeed sensible. However, during installation, attention should also be paid to the quality of the screws and wall plugs. Cheap plastic anchors quickly reach their limits here, especially on drywall.

Furthermore, I am skeptical whether all IKEA anti-tip devices are truly thoroughly tested. Are there any independent test reports? Who has experience with this?