We bought a few products from the new Besta series. On one hand, because it’s quite versatile, and on the other, because we already have a lot of IKEA furniture and have always been satisfied with the quality. That has now dramatically changed.
It already starts with the drawer fronts. The plastic cam connectors are terrible. Then there’s the adjustment option for the drawers – with these flimsy knurled screws, you’ll hurt your fingers. It’s basically impossible to adjust when the drawers are filled and have settled.
The drawers themselves don’t fully extend. We use them as storage for our CDs. You can’t use the back part of the drawer because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to get the CDs out.
Next, the adjustable feet of the cabinets. Usually, I know it like this: the bolts’ threads go all the way through, so you can adjust the height from inside with a wrench. With Besta, you can only adjust the feet from underneath. That means lifting, turning a few millimeters, setting it down. Still wobbles. So you have to repeat the process until you finally get it right.
The back panels of the cabinets. Only conditionally suitable as storage racks for hi-fi equipment because they are not deep enough; the cables press against the back panel. Of course, IKEA can’t possibly account for the dimensions of all kinds of devices. But at least they should offer a suitable cross bracket to stabilize the cabinet if you want to assemble it without the back panel.
I’m very disappointed. IKEA seems to have taken roller furniture as their model here.
It already starts with the drawer fronts. The plastic cam connectors are terrible. Then there’s the adjustment option for the drawers – with these flimsy knurled screws, you’ll hurt your fingers. It’s basically impossible to adjust when the drawers are filled and have settled.
The drawers themselves don’t fully extend. We use them as storage for our CDs. You can’t use the back part of the drawer because otherwise you wouldn’t be able to get the CDs out.
Next, the adjustable feet of the cabinets. Usually, I know it like this: the bolts’ threads go all the way through, so you can adjust the height from inside with a wrench. With Besta, you can only adjust the feet from underneath. That means lifting, turning a few millimeters, setting it down. Still wobbles. So you have to repeat the process until you finally get it right.
The back panels of the cabinets. Only conditionally suitable as storage racks for hi-fi equipment because they are not deep enough; the cables press against the back panel. Of course, IKEA can’t possibly account for the dimensions of all kinds of devices. But at least they should offer a suitable cross bracket to stabilize the cabinet if you want to assemble it without the back panel.
I’m very disappointed. IKEA seems to have taken roller furniture as their model here.
Hello,
I found the previous BESTA carcasses quite stable sideways, which was also due to the grooves in the back panel. These grooves still exist, so I’m a bit surprised. An empty tall cabinet with doors tips forward as soon as you open a door. This clearly shows how important it is to secure the cabinet to the wall. Multiple units placed side by side should be screwed together. That way, nothing can warp.
You don’t lay cables every day, so it’s not too much trouble to loosen a fastener occasionally.
By the way, drilling holes in the wall is part of the intended use of an apartment and cannot be prohibited. You just shouldn’t use an excessive number of wall plugs.
I don’t understand why it’s said you can’t hammer a nail through the edge and back panel from behind.Precisely because the back panels have these grooves, we’re surprised that the cabinets shift sideways. It’s not much, just enough so that the doors on the side you open them hang about half a centimeter (0.2 inches) lower than on the hinge side. The back panel’s movement of just a few millimeters (inches) is enough to cause this. And since it’s such a small amount, adding brackets in the corners probably won’t help much.
The cabinets only really tip forward if all the doors are opened at the same time; otherwise, they stand quite securely—we tested this.
Screwing the units together would be an option for two of the three cabinets; the other one stands on the opposite side of the TV unit, so that wouldn’t help, and we’d have to find another solution anyway.
Securing the cabinets to the wall would be quite complicated and not easy to do. Not only is the floor uneven, but the walls are also noticeably wavy. Sometimes the spacers for the screws are too short, even fully extended, sometimes too long, pushing the cabinet away from the wall at the top.
Even if you screw the cabinet to the wall, the back panel will still have some play—as said, just a few millimeters (inches), but even one or two millimeters (inches) are enough to let the cabinet warp. Two screws at the top wouldn’t be enough...
While it’s not currently prohibited to drill into walls here, I experienced that in my last student dormitory. There, with lightweight partition walls, you weren’t even allowed to hang a magnetic board.
I don’t know where I would hammer the nails through. The frame is 16 millimeters (0.6 inches) thick, and I would have to catch the back panel, which is only loosely slotted into the top, so that the nail doesn’t just tear out immediately.
Maybe someone else has an idea or is experiencing the same problem?
E
EinrichtungsNiete2 Jun 2015 02:00It’s somewhat understandable that drilling is not allowed in student dormitories. In the worst case, someone new moves in every semester, and if everyone drills wherever they like, the wall will be full of holes like Swiss cheese after about 5 years, and nothing will hold anymore.
Regarding your problem: For Besta units, there is the wall rail system. This should prevent the cabinets from sliding and warping. And if the rail (and thus the cabinets) is mounted horizontally, it’s easier to align the individual cabinets—you only need to adjust the legs so they rest firmly on the floor.
If the wall is uneven, you will need to add shims to make sure the rail hangs level and doesn’t have any waves. I used drywall spacers made of plastic for this purpose (although for an Ikea kitchen, the principle is the same). Here is an example of what these look like: Silverline 633499 drywall spacers, which I found at the hardware store. Because of their “horseshoe shape,” you can simply hang them on the partially screwed-in screws of the appropriate thickness without them falling off.
Best regards
Regarding your problem: For Besta units, there is the wall rail system. This should prevent the cabinets from sliding and warping. And if the rail (and thus the cabinets) is mounted horizontally, it’s easier to align the individual cabinets—you only need to adjust the legs so they rest firmly on the floor.
If the wall is uneven, you will need to add shims to make sure the rail hangs level and doesn’t have any waves. I used drywall spacers made of plastic for this purpose (although for an Ikea kitchen, the principle is the same). Here is an example of what these look like: Silverline 633499 drywall spacers, which I found at the hardware store. Because of their “horseshoe shape,” you can simply hang them on the partially screwed-in screws of the appropriate thickness without them falling off.
Best regards
I
IKEA-Experte25 Mar 2016 17:20Hello,
the cabinets are stable on the sides if you attach them to the wall or screw them together with other cabinets. Of course, it would be better if they were structurally stable by themselves, but these are cardboard-covered cabinets after all.
Behind the back panel, there are chipboard strips where you can screw in screws. If you drive a few nails through these strips and the back panel, the back panel will no longer be able to shift.
the cabinets are stable on the sides if you attach them to the wall or screw them together with other cabinets. Of course, it would be better if they were structurally stable by themselves, but these are cardboard-covered cabinets after all.
Behind the back panel, there are chipboard strips where you can screw in screws. If you drive a few nails through these strips and the back panel, the back panel will no longer be able to shift.
I wouldn’t drive nails through that. The Pax back panel is just cheap MDF or something similar. Recently, I made a hole in the back panel of a BESTA bench (the regular one, not the TV bench) using a hole saw. It’s just very low-quality material. If you drive nails through it and then load the cabinet, the lateral forces are likely to cause the holes in the back panel to tear out, making the entire structure lean to the side—so you don’t gain anything.
If possible, I would recommend firmly connecting the carcasses to each other. There are furniture connector screws available, ideally used through the pre-drilled holes for the shelves, since these spots also contain chipboard strips. This way, the whole unit gains stability and won’t warp or spread apart. Unfortunately, BESTA furniture tends to bend and twist in all directions if the units aren’t securely connected or anchored to the wall.
IKEA furniture generally needs to be secured somehow somewhere—either to the wall or to each other. That’s what brings stability.
If possible, I would recommend firmly connecting the carcasses to each other. There are furniture connector screws available, ideally used through the pre-drilled holes for the shelves, since these spots also contain chipboard strips. This way, the whole unit gains stability and won’t warp or spread apart. Unfortunately, BESTA furniture tends to bend and twist in all directions if the units aren’t securely connected or anchored to the wall.
IKEA furniture generally needs to be secured somehow somewhere—either to the wall or to each other. That’s what brings stability.
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