ᐅ How do you properly secure Ikea Pax wardrobes?

I plan to install several Ikea Pax wardrobes in my home, but I am unsure about how to secure them properly and safely. I am especially interested in which screws and wall anchors are best suited for different wall types—such as concrete, drywall (plasterboard), or wood—to ensure a stable and long-lasting installation. Are there specific aspects to consider when attaching the wall brackets to make sure the wardrobe is secure and won’t tip over or come loose? What tools are absolutely necessary, and should additional safety measures like brackets or adjustable feet be used? Who has practical experience or reliable advice on this?

The most important thing is to always use the wall anchors provided by Ikea and secure the shelves to the wall, not just assemble them together. For concrete walls, suitable heavy-duty anchors are necessary; with drywall, you should use special cavity anchors or screw directly into the wall studs.

For proper mounting of Ikea Pax wardrobes on different wall types, I recommend the following approach:

- For solid concrete or brick walls, expansion anchors or bolt anchors with a diameter of at least 8 mm (0.3 inches) are ideal. Screws should be at least 6 mm (0.24 inches) thick and long enough to fully engage the anchor.
- For drywall (plasterboard) walls, metal cavity anchors are suitable and should generally be aligned with the supporting studs. Alternatively, for heavy cabinets, the load can be compensated by installing support battens at the bottom.
- For timber stud walls, long wood screws should be driven directly into the studs – a stud finder is helpful for this purpose.

Additionally, it is advisable to secure each Pax unit at the top to the wall using the supplied brackets to minimize the risk of tipping.

Important: The shelves must be fixed to the wall and not only to each other. For drywall, make sure to drill directly into the supporting studs or use hollow wall anchors. The screws provided in the assembly instructions are sufficient.

Also, I would also recommend not underestimating the small supplied brackets! They really make a difference, especially if there are sudden movements or if the kids bump into it. 😊 For drywall, I additionally installed small stops at the bottom to prevent the shelf from tipping forward. Better safe than sorry, right?

The supplied screws and anchors are suitable for most walls. For drywall, do not use the original anchors; instead, purchase special hollow wall anchors. Wall mounting is required.