Hello everyone,
I am currently planning to modify our IKEA Malm chest of drawers to make it more child-friendly, as my children often play with the drawers and, in my opinion, the standard design is not completely safe for young children.
My main concerns are:
- The drawers can be pulled out quite easily, which could lead to accidents with small children.
- Fingers might get caught when closing the drawers.
- The operation should be simplified for small children without affecting the functionality for us adults.
Does anyone have experience with this or ideas on how to modify or equip the MALM drawers to make them both safer and easier to use for children?
Thank you very much for any tips or personal experiences!
I am currently planning to modify our IKEA Malm chest of drawers to make it more child-friendly, as my children often play with the drawers and, in my opinion, the standard design is not completely safe for young children.
My main concerns are:
- The drawers can be pulled out quite easily, which could lead to accidents with small children.
- Fingers might get caught when closing the drawers.
- The operation should be simplified for small children without affecting the functionality for us adults.
Does anyone have experience with this or ideas on how to modify or equip the MALM drawers to make them both safer and easier to use for children?
Thank you very much for any tips or personal experiences!
Basically, there are several ways to make MALM drawers more child-friendly. First: installing drawer locks that prevent the drawer from being fully pulled out. These are available as retrofit kits that are mounted underneath the drawer.
Second: pinch protection devices, such as silicone strips on the drawer fronts, can reduce the risk of fingers getting caught. Third: replacing handles or covering them with soft covers if children might get caught on the handles.
It is important that the installation is done properly to ensure the function is not compromised. Load capacity must also not be affected.
Second: pinch protection devices, such as silicone strips on the drawer fronts, can reduce the risk of fingers getting caught. Third: replacing handles or covering them with soft covers if children might get caught on the handles.
It is important that the installation is done properly to ensure the function is not compromised. Load capacity must also not be affected.
RENMA schrieb:
Installation of drawer locks that prevent the drawers from being fully pulled out. That sounds great! I know someone whose children kept pulling drawers all the way out, causing them to tip forward—it's hard to imagine how often that happened. Maybe experimenting with a combination of magnets and mechanical locks could work? I haven’t built a solution myself yet, but I’d appreciate tips on how to improve child-friendliness, like adjusting handles or making drawers easier to open so little kids don’t have to use much force. Does anyone have advice on combining safety with easy operation for children?
From my experience, a standard drawer damper with soft-close functionality often contributes significantly to safety. It prevents the drawer from slamming shut, thereby avoiding loud banging noises and reducing the risk of finger injuries.
Additionally, for my young son, I replaced the handles with wooden knobs that are easy to grip without fingers touching any edges.
Another option is drawer guards that can be hung inside to prevent the drawer from being pulled out completely.
A combination of soft-close, handles without sharp edges, and mechanical stops is the most child-friendly solution.
Additionally, for my young son, I replaced the handles with wooden knobs that are easy to grip without fingers touching any edges.
Another option is drawer guards that can be hung inside to prevent the drawer from being pulled out completely.
A combination of soft-close, handles without sharp edges, and mechanical stops is the most child-friendly solution.
Does anyone know if these safety locks are also available in colorful versions? For children, I always find colorful items great because it makes tidying up a lot more fun 😄
A little tip from me: Self-adhesive foam strips applied to the inside edges of drawers are very helpful to prevent finger pinch injuries. They cost almost nothing and are easy to install.
Oh, and especially regarding handle design: round wooden knobs can be quickly smoothed with fine sandpaper – this way children won’t get hurt if they grab them hastily.
A little tip from me: Self-adhesive foam strips applied to the inside edges of drawers are very helpful to prevent finger pinch injuries. They cost almost nothing and are easy to install.
Oh, and especially regarding handle design: round wooden knobs can be quickly smoothed with fine sandpaper – this way children won’t get hurt if they grab them hastily.
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