ᐅ How can I retrofit safety features to Malm furniture?

Hello everyone, I have several Ikea Malm furniture pieces, including dressers and wardrobes, that I want to secure afterwards because I have small children at home and want to prevent them from tipping over. My question is: What is the best way to secure this furniture without damaging it or affecting its appearance? Are there special clamps, fastening methods, or recommendations for wall mounting that are easy for non-professionals to implement? I am looking for sturdy solutions that don’t require major modifications. Thanks for your advice!

Hello topar, your concern is very understandable – safety with Malm furniture is indeed an important issue, especially in households with children. Malm furniture is quite sturdy, but the high weight combined with the height and often extendable drawers can be dangerous if the furniture tips over. Therefore, Ikea itself recommends securing these pieces to the wall.

Regarding your questions: The simplest and safest method is to use the wall mounting kits provided by the manufacturer. These usually consist of a metal bracket with screws that attach to the side or back panel of the furniture and are then fixed to the wall. It is important to first identify the correct wall type—whether concrete, brick, or drywall—as there are specific anchors or screws suitable for each type.

Before starting the installation, it is advisable to empty the furniture to reduce the weight and, if possible, ensure a stable base, meaning no uneven floors. For the wall mounting: the brackets should ideally be installed at the top of the back panel or on the side just above the drawers to counteract the risk of tipping.

If you do not have the original mounting hardware, common furniture anchors or brackets designed for securing cabinets can be purchased. Pay attention to the load capacity, which is usually indicated on the packaging. I do not recommend adhesive mounting, as it can fail quickly under stress.

If you like, I can also give you more detailed advice on which types of anchors are suitable for your wall— for that, a photo of the wall along with measurements would be helpful.

Finally, a brief note: securing furniture is important not only for children but as a general safety measure and is often recommended by insurance companies to prevent damage. I hope this gives you a good overview!

Hi,

it’s best to use the included wall brackets and choose suitable anchors for your wall. Screwing the brackets at the top of the back of the furniture and into the wall is usually sufficient. If no fasteners are provided, simply attach metal angle brackets from a hardware store. This is almost always very stable.

GUSTAVO56 schrieb:
The simplest and safest method is to use the wall mounting kits provided by the manufacturer.

I agree with that! Installing Malm without wall mounts is like having a ruler without numbers – just not quite right. 😉 This is what I did: I attached the supplied brackets (they are hardly visible and very sturdy) and placed small felt pads behind the furniture to prevent marks on the wall.

A little tip: The effectiveness of securing with screws is often underestimated, but even the simplest fix will reliably prevent tipping. And the best part: once you know the trick, these safety measures can be completed in 15 minutes and give you lasting peace of mind. Don’t be afraid of drilling — it really holds well!

topar schrieb:
How can I secure this furniture best without damaging it or affecting its appearance?

This is an important question, and there are indeed several approaches. To avoid damage while ensuring safety, I recommend the following:

First: The wall mounts provided by the manufacturer are optimally designed and usually leave hardly any visible marks. They secure the furniture to the wall, typically behind the top edges, which is hardly noticeable.

If you no longer have these, there are third-party kits offering flexible mounting systems that work either with screws or even sturdy hook-and-loop fasteners, though the latter are less load-bearing.

It is important that the fastening methods do not compromise the furniture’s structural stability. Therefore, I advise against using only adhesive strips, as these can come loose quickly.

Wall types play a major role! For concrete or solid masonry, traditional wall plugs (anchors) are ideal, while for drywall (plasterboard), it is recommended to place screws so that they grip into studs or to use specialized cavity anchors.

From an aesthetic perspective: make sure screws and brackets are positioned as far back and high up as possible. There are also special covers available to make screw heads less visible.

If the furniture is freestanding where no wall attachment is possible, it is more difficult. Here, counterweights may be useful, or lining the bottom drawer with anti-slip mats to prevent sliding.

I’m happy to provide more detailed help if you can share more information, such as the type of walls you have or if you want to secure specific furniture parts.