ᐅ The KALLAX doors open on their own due to drafts – does this happen to you as well?

Do the KALLAX doors open by themselves due to drafts at your place as well?

I bought a KALLAX shelving unit with doors some time ago. I noticed that the doors sometimes open slightly on their own, which I attribute to air drafts. This mainly happens when nearby windows are opened or closed. I’m curious if this is a known issue and if there is a practical solution without completely removing or modifying the doors.

Has anyone experienced something similar? How strong does the draft need to be for the doors to move? And are there any mechanisms provided by IKEA for KALLAX to prevent this? Simple solutions like adding magnets or special dampers?

I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any tips.

Interesting point you bring up. I find it quite absurd that IKEA, with a furniture series often placed in the living room, did not take into account that drafts can move the doors. This significantly reduces the user comfort.

Neokarlhei schrieb:
I’m interested to know if this is a known issue and if there is a practical solution

Well, I suppose IKEA doesn’t want customers to modify the shelving unit themselves and risk losing the warranty. The system is designed so that the doors close by suction, but noises caused by air pressure changes in the room are not addressed.

This can probably only be fixed with external magnets or an additional door stop. It would be interesting to know if there is even an official solution for this – I’m doubtful!

The doors sometimes swing shut due to drafts in my house as well. I simply attached small rubber bumpers to the edges, which works well. Not a big effort, but effective.

The opening of KALLAX doors due to drafts is a common issue and results from the doors’ low weight combined with the lack of built-in closing mechanisms. IKEA does not provide dampers or catches for KALLAX doors as standard.

A practical solution is to install small magnetic catches or rubber buffers on the edges to prevent the doors from swinging open due to drafts. Additionally, rehanging the doors so they fit more tightly can help, but care should be taken with the hinges to avoid damage.

The draft does not need to be strong—a slight breeze from an open window can be enough, especially if the doors move very easily.

Thanks for the quick replies so far.

GALEO4 schrieb:
The system is designed so that the doors close with a suction effect, but noises caused by air pressure inside the apartment are ignored.

That sounds quite plausible, yes. I haven’t noticed any ‘suction effect,’ but the doors do indeed move relatively smoothly.

Fitigu schrieb:
The installation of small magnetic catches or rubber buffers on the edges

Does anyone have recommendations for specific products? Does IKEA offer magnetic catches as original accessories? Or do most people prefer third-party suppliers?

And one more question: Could increasing the weight of the doors (for example, by adding extra material layers) be a solution, or would that cause problems with the hinges?

To my knowledge, IKEA does not offer any official magnetic or damper solutions for KALLAX that can be used straight from the factory. The doors are intentionally designed to be lightweight in order to avoid overloading the shelf structure.

Adding weight can help reduce movement caused by drafts in the short term. However, the hinges and their attachments may suffer if significantly more weight is added. An asymmetrical additional weight can also cause the door to no longer fit properly.

Therefore, I recommend attaching small neodymium magnets or professional furniture dampers as aftermarket solutions. These are commonly used by many customers on KALLAX or similar furniture and can be found at hardware stores or online.