ᐅ How can IKEA Brimnes furniture be fitted with casters?

Hello everyone, I recently bought an IKEA Brimnes sideboard and would like to add casters to make it easier to move around the room. The furniture isn’t heavy, but the fixed base design makes it quite immobile. My question is: What types of casters work best for the Brimnes piece, how can they be securely attached without compromising the cabinet’s stability, and are there any special considerations to keep in mind during installation? I’m especially interested in tips on how to install the casters as discreetly as possible, and whether standard furniture casters are suitable or if more specialized options are recommended. Thanks in advance for your experiences and advice!

Hey, that’s really a good question because I have thought about it too, and the idea of making the Brimnes more flexible is very appealing to me. However, I was a bit concerned that adding casters might affect stability, especially for the drawers, which also bear weight. In my experience, it’s important that the casters have a good load capacity and that they are fixed to the floor in a way that prevents the cabinet from wobbling.

Sometimes it also helps to use casters with brakes to keep the furniture from rolling away unintentionally. I’m curious to see how others have solved this!

Regarding the attachment of casters to the Brimnes furniture, I can provide the following technical advice: Most Brimnes furniture pieces are made from coated engineered wood, which has limited load capacity at points where casters might be screwed in. Therefore, I recommend:

- Use casters with mounting plates for screw attachment, not just stem casters
- Reinforce the mounting area with additional small wooden blocks or metal brackets inside the cabinet
- Avoid small casters that are undersized; casters should be at least 5cm (2 inches) in diameter
- When screwing in, make sure to fasten into the firmest wood sections possible

If you wish, I can also provide recommendations for the best types of casters with specific dimensions.

Standard furniture casters with a mounting plate and a load capacity of about 25 kg (55 lbs) per caster work well. It is best to install 4 casters, one at each corner. Mark the positions beforehand and pre-drill to prevent the wood from splitting.

Hello, I would like to explain the topic in more detail since I installed casters on the Brimnes myself and encountered some challenges. Basically, the following applies:

- The original feet of the Brimnes have metal threads, which often do not allow casters to be screwed on directly. The underside is relatively thin, so directly screwing on simple caster plates can cause problems.

- I opted for casters with a swivel plate that are secured with at least 6 screws. However, I also screwed a wooden strip (about 12 mm thick (0.5 inches)) under the casters, attached to the inside of the underside, to evenly distribute the load. This prevents the chipboard from giving way at the glued joints.

- The mounting position should be measured precisely to avoid screwing too close to the edges. Pre-drilling with a small drill bit is important to avoid damaging the material.

- Regarding caster wheels: soft polyurethane wheels are recommended when you have wooden floors because they do not scratch.

I would also be interested to know whether the furniture will be moved frequently in your case or if it is more about occasional repositioning?

Domau0 schrieb:
The original legs of the Brimnes come with metal threads, which often do not allow you to attach casters directly.

That’s already very useful information! Basically, I want to move the piece of furniture every other day because I want to stay flexible, but not every day. I find the idea of using a wooden strip as reinforcement very interesting. How thick was your strip and how exactly did you attach it, inside or outside?

Also, would you recommend mixing casters with and without brakes, or is it better to use all casters with brakes? Thanks for your detailed advice!