ᐅ Can I repurpose the Ikea PAX wardrobe as a bookshelf?

Hello everyone,

I am considering repurposing the Ikea PAX wardrobe as a bookcase. My question is: Can the PAX wardrobe be used effectively and practically as a bookcase, especially regarding the load-bearing capacity of the shelves, the depth of the compartments, and overall stability? I have seen several shelving units specifically designed for books, but the PAX is modular and caught my attention because of its design and size. However, I am unsure whether the PAX shelves can support the weight of heavy books and how well the wardrobe can be adapted for use as a bookcase. Does anyone have experience with this or can offer specific advice on what to consider when using the PAX as a bookcase? Thanks in advance for your feedback!

The Ikea PAX wardrobe is primarily designed as a clothes storage unit, so the shelves are usually intended for light to medium loads. Typically, the shelves can hold up to about 15 kg (33 lbs) per panel, which is sufficient for clothing but may be too little for many books.

However, the wardrobe offers enough depth (usually 35–58 cm (14–23 inches)), which suits most book sizes. If you want to use the PAX as a bookshelf, I recommend using reinforced shelves or additional shelf supports. It is also possible to remove or replace the back panels to better accommodate books and their weight.

For stable use as a bookshelf, I suggest not overloading the shelves and distributing the weight across several levels.

Great idea to use the PAX system as a bookcase! 😃 I’ve done that myself and was very satisfied. For me, it was important to install a few extra metal brackets for the shelves because I have many heavy reference books. But the design and modularity of the PAX are excellent—you can customize the unit perfectly while keeping it looking stylish!

I also like the minimal IKEA style, which doesn’t look like a traditional bookshelf. Each compartment can be individually adjusted to fit everything well. Good luck, I’d definitely give it a try!

jaanda schrieb:
The Ikea PAX wardrobe is primarily designed as a clothes closet, so the shelves are usually made for light to medium loads.

I agree and would like to add: The standard shelves in the PAX are made of 12 mm (1/2 inch) chipboard, held in place on the sides by plastic supports. The load capacity of each shelf is therefore limited to about 15 to 20 kg (33 to 44 lbs), depending on the width of the compartments and the number of support points. This is often tight for books, as some dense volumes can easily weigh 3 to 4 kg (6.6 to 8.8 lbs) each.

If the wardrobe is already assembled, I recommend the following approach:
- Check whether additional central shelf supports or reinforcements can be installed
- Consider replacing the shelves with stronger ones, for example, 18 mm (3/4 inch) birch plywood, cut to size
- The depth is sufficient; with 58 cm (23 inches) depth, larger landscape-format books will also fit
- The PAX is generally quite stable, but the wardrobe should always be secured to the wall to prevent tipping hazards

Also important: With heavy contents, the wardrobe becomes significantly heavier overall and thus more difficult to move or reposition. For a permanent setup, the PAX can still work well if the points mentioned above are taken into account.

What are the exact dimensions of your planned PAX wardrobe? And what type of books do you mainly want to store?

kulau schrieb:
What are the exact dimensions of your planned PAX wardrobe? And what type of books do you mainly want to store?

Thank you for the very detailed reply! My PAX will be about 200 cm (79 inches) wide and 236 cm (93 inches) tall, with the larger depth of 58 cm (23 inches). The shelves are the standard panels from the Ikea PAX series. The books are mainly novels and non-fiction. No large coffee table books, but the volume will still represent a considerable weight. I hope the reinforced shelves will hold up. I will also make sure to distribute the books evenly.

Are there fittings in the PAX range that would be more suitable as shelves? Or perhaps accessories that can improve the load-bearing capacity?

glape schrieb:
Are there components in the PAX range that would be better suited as shelves? Or perhaps accessories that can increase the load capacity?

Ikea does not offer specially reinforced shelves for the PAX system separately. You would need to either use third-party solutions or have custom shelves cut from more durable materials, such as plywood.

As an alternative, you could combine the PAX wardrobe with metal shelf supports from the Kallax system, if the dimensions fit—these tend to be more stable. However, the best and safest method is to distribute the weight of many books across multiple shelves and avoid overloading.