ᐅ How many hours should one allow for assembling the IKEA Brimnes?

Hello everyone,

I am currently planning to assemble some furniture from the IKEA Brimnes series and am wondering how many hours one should realistically allow for the assembly. I am particularly interested in an assessment that takes various factors into account, such as the difficulty level of the instructions, the number of individual parts, and potential challenges during the build.

Is this more of a project that can comfortably be completed in 2-3 hours, or is it better to plan for half a day or more? Are there differences between the various Brimnes pieces, for example between the bed frame, wardrobes, or dressers?

I would like to have a reliable time estimate to plan better and would appreciate firsthand experiences or well-founded estimates.

Hello Paplo,

Regarding your question about the time required to assemble the IKEA Brimnes furniture, I can share some insights, as I recently assembled several Brimnes cabinets and a bed.

In general, the duration depends greatly on the piece of furniture. For example:
- A Brimnes bed (single bed, without headboard) takes about 2 to 3 hours with two people, since the instructions are clear but detailed and there are several screw connections.
- Larger wardrobes or dressers can take between 3 and 5 hours, especially if they have many drawers.

It’s important to review the instructions carefully beforehand and sort all the parts to avoid losing time searching for pieces. Having a helper is also useful because some components are rather unwieldy.

If you plan to work alone, you should allow about 1.5 times the usual time, so instead of 3 hours, plan for 4.5 hours. Common difficulties often include unevenness when assembling the drawer runners and aligning parts correctly during screwing.

I’m curious which specific Brimnes pieces you are asking about, since the difference in assembly time between a dresser and a bed is significant.

valerie-tr schrieb:
I’m interested in which specific Brimnes pieces you are evaluating, since the difference between a chest of drawers and a bed is quite significant.

Thank you for the detailed response!

I am mainly thinking of a Brimnes bed frame with storage drawers and a Brimnes 3-drawer chest. The question is really how to estimate the time needed for each separately, as I plan to assemble them on different days.

Your assessment is already very helpful, but if anyone has concrete experience with exactly these two pieces of furniture, I would appreciate hearing about it.

For the Brimnes bed frame with storage box: Approximately 3 hours if working with two people.

The dresser with 3 drawers should be manageable by one person in 2 hours.

In addition to the previous posts, it should be noted that the time required strongly depends on experience with furniture assembly and the availability of suitable tools.

Those who have assembled similar furniture before and have a cordless drill as well as an Allen key set on hand can work more quickly.

For beginners or without good equipment, it is advisable to allow extra time beyond the estimated duration.

I also recommend paying close attention to the stability of the bed frame when screwing it together; otherwise, unwanted wobbling may occur later. This takes a bit of extra time but increases durability.

olivernu schrieb:
I also recommend paying special attention to the stability when screwing together the bed frame, otherwise unwanted wobbling may occur later. This takes a bit more time but increases durability.

I can only agree with that. Another tip: Check before assembly that all parts are undamaged and that the screws are in perfect condition. Small defects or missing parts can significantly prolong the assembly process.

Also, I advise taking your time to carefully adjust the drawer slides on the chest of drawers, as small issues with opening can quickly arise if this is not done precisely.