ᐅ After installing caster wheels, my Kallax unit has become unstable – have you experienced the same?

benon schrieb:
The Kallax was originally not designed for casters, so the whole structure can actually react more "nervously" when placed on wheels compared to a fixed base.

Absolutely, that’s a crucial point.

You have to keep in mind that the Kallax relies on a fixed, flat surface that effectively distributes the weight. This is naturally different with casters since the load rests only on four small points. This increases the point load on the material and can cause slight warping, especially depending on the quality of the wooden panels, which shows up as wobbling.

For better understanding: if the casters are not all exactly the same height or if the floor is uneven, these forces are distributed unevenly, and the shelving unit reacts sensitively.

I strongly recommend ideally measuring the height of the casters with a level and compensating any unevenness by using washers under the caster mounts.

A well-planned load distribution inside the shelving unit also helps stabilize it.

How did you attach the casters? Were all screws triple-secured or fitted with washers?

These details can often be decisive.

deoteo schrieb:
After installation, I noticed that the shelf now feels quite unstable overall – it wobbles significantly more

Before blaming the casters, I think the frame structure of the Kallax should be checked. Wobbling can also be caused by weak connections between the shelf components.

Are all the fasteners, especially those connecting the side panels to the shelves, securely fixed? I have noticed that often the dowels or metal brackets meant to stabilize the shelf are not properly installed.

Are there any loose dowels or warped shelf parts in the Kallax?

It is possible that the casters only amplify the wobbling effect, but the root cause lies deeper.

It would be interesting to know if the shelf still wobbles when tested without the casters.

As an addition: caster wheels significantly change the static load distribution.

The Kallax is designed for static load, where the surface rests flat on the floor. With casters, the weight is concentrated on four points, leading to point loads. This can amplify small floor unevenness or manufacturing tolerances in the furniture.

Tips to improve stability:
1. Use casters with integrated locking brakes to reduce wobbling.
2. Adjust the height of the casters precisely to match.
3. If possible, secure the shelving unit to the wall to prevent tipping.
4. Check the wood at the attachment points for any damage.

Directly increasing stability with casters is difficult since the original static support is lost. There is always a trade-off between mobility and stability.

For illustration: even professional furniture manufacturers using casters often include cross braces or diagonal reinforcements in the frame construction, which is unfortunately not the case for the Kallax.

In your situation, I would first check the fastenings, as others have mentioned, and see if the shelf stands more stable without the casters.