It’s no secret that the 1-meter (3.3 feet) Pax wardrobes are not exactly well-liked. This topic comes up in various places online. The quality has definitely declined over the past five years. I bought a Pax unit more than five years ago, and this three-piece set has already handled two moves without any issues. Encouraged by that experience, I recently bought an additional two 0.50-meter (1.6 feet) and two 1-meter (3.3 feet) Pax units the week before last. Unfortunately, I hadn’t read any recent reviews about Pax beforehand, or I might have reconsidered the purchase.
The result: what a difference compared to before! The fronts (Birkeland) are still good, but the carcasses leave much to be desired:
The reasons: the bottom panels are not durable. Even with the slightest careful pressure on the adjustable feet screws, the panel immediately tears around the cam fittings. By the way, this is not clearly indicated in the assembly instructions, although anyone familiar with furniture construction would expect this. The instructions make it look like these screws allow for proper adjustment, but the entire weight actually rests on the side panels. The adjustment only changes the height by one or two millimeters.
Another design flaw:
The chipboard quality has become borderline. If you compare a standard chipboard panel from a hardware store with IKEA’s, you’ll notice there’s too little chip material, too much air, and excessive glue. Additionally, the 1-meter (3.3 feet) bottom panels are only 18 mm (0.7 inches) thick, which is clearly too thin. Even unloaded, they already sag. The long side panels only gain support once the bottom panels are inserted. But what happens if you want to install a clothes rail? Without connector screws between the panels, stability across multiple cabinets lined up is impossible. This becomes obvious when the units are aligned side by side—you can feel the side panels wobble with the doors’ movement. Only with connector screws does any stability develop, and only then can the doors be properly adjusted. The door fittings themselves are excellent, by the way!
The foil coating on the chipboard is so thin and fragile that even with careful assembly on carpeted floors, damage quickly becomes visible.
The 1-meter (3.3 feet) Pax back panel is simply a taped-together double of the 50 cm (1.6 feet) version. It’s unbelievably thin and primitive.
My question is: does it have to be this way? Getting cheaper and cheaper, more and more low-quality products, all in the name of being “affordable.”
Would it not be a better approach to charge a few euros more and guarantee an acceptable standard? This will be my last Pax for the time being!
The result: what a difference compared to before! The fronts (Birkeland) are still good, but the carcasses leave much to be desired:
The reasons: the bottom panels are not durable. Even with the slightest careful pressure on the adjustable feet screws, the panel immediately tears around the cam fittings. By the way, this is not clearly indicated in the assembly instructions, although anyone familiar with furniture construction would expect this. The instructions make it look like these screws allow for proper adjustment, but the entire weight actually rests on the side panels. The adjustment only changes the height by one or two millimeters.
Another design flaw:
The chipboard quality has become borderline. If you compare a standard chipboard panel from a hardware store with IKEA’s, you’ll notice there’s too little chip material, too much air, and excessive glue. Additionally, the 1-meter (3.3 feet) bottom panels are only 18 mm (0.7 inches) thick, which is clearly too thin. Even unloaded, they already sag. The long side panels only gain support once the bottom panels are inserted. But what happens if you want to install a clothes rail? Without connector screws between the panels, stability across multiple cabinets lined up is impossible. This becomes obvious when the units are aligned side by side—you can feel the side panels wobble with the doors’ movement. Only with connector screws does any stability develop, and only then can the doors be properly adjusted. The door fittings themselves are excellent, by the way!
The foil coating on the chipboard is so thin and fragile that even with careful assembly on carpeted floors, damage quickly becomes visible.
The 1-meter (3.3 feet) Pax back panel is simply a taped-together double of the 50 cm (1.6 feet) version. It’s unbelievably thin and primitive.
My question is: does it have to be this way? Getting cheaper and cheaper, more and more low-quality products, all in the name of being “affordable.”
Would it not be a better approach to charge a few euros more and guarantee an acceptable standard? This will be my last Pax for the time being!
To Mr. Rossi
Regarding your tip, which makes me doubt your supposed professional expertise a bit: my neighbor’s new Pax cabinets even sag with two original shelves stacked on top of each other, no less. Photos can prove this at any time. Maybe your advice comes from the good old days, just hearsay, etc.? By the way, the shelves are not loaded with stones but only with clothes. By “base,” you probably mean the 18mm (3/4 inch) chipboard strips fastened to the front and back under the shelves in the side panels using 5mm dowels. The shelves themselves are connected to the side panels with bolts and cam connectors. All fine and well, except for the poor-quality chipboard. Even a slight, firm pressure in the middle on the side area causes the board to break at the cam connector. Ask a real expert, for example, a professional cabinetmaker, how a base should be properly constructed. But let’s leave this pointless back-and-forth. It’s fine if you, like the IKEA employee, earn your money with IKEA products.
To the IKEA employee:
Even if, with all due respect, an IKEA employee were to sell a thousand units of Corpi a week, that wouldn’t improve the quality. My issue is that I have had Pax wardrobes before, and as I said, those were great! My money was well spent, 100% without any complaint. By the way, I want to emphasize again that most of IKEA’s products are indeed fine.
But the Pax is not one of them. Period!
Regarding your tip, which makes me doubt your supposed professional expertise a bit: my neighbor’s new Pax cabinets even sag with two original shelves stacked on top of each other, no less. Photos can prove this at any time. Maybe your advice comes from the good old days, just hearsay, etc.? By the way, the shelves are not loaded with stones but only with clothes. By “base,” you probably mean the 18mm (3/4 inch) chipboard strips fastened to the front and back under the shelves in the side panels using 5mm dowels. The shelves themselves are connected to the side panels with bolts and cam connectors. All fine and well, except for the poor-quality chipboard. Even a slight, firm pressure in the middle on the side area causes the board to break at the cam connector. Ask a real expert, for example, a professional cabinetmaker, how a base should be properly constructed. But let’s leave this pointless back-and-forth. It’s fine if you, like the IKEA employee, earn your money with IKEA products.
To the IKEA employee:
Even if, with all due respect, an IKEA employee were to sell a thousand units of Corpi a week, that wouldn’t improve the quality. My issue is that I have had Pax wardrobes before, and as I said, those were great! My money was well spent, 100% without any complaint. By the way, I want to emphasize again that most of IKEA’s products are indeed fine.
But the Pax is not one of them. Period!
R
Robert202621 Jan 2026 05:40We still have PAX wardrobes from the 1990s, and I can only confirm that after buying new PAX wardrobes last year, I would never buy them again. There is absolutely no comparison to the older ones; compared to the past, they are total junk. I used to place heavy items on those shelves without them bending. Now, I’m afraid the shelf will sag even under sweaters. KALLAX is also trash.
Maybe younger buyers are satisfied because they don’t know the quality from before.
We used to love IKEA, but now it’s not comparable anymore, as you can get solid, well-built wardrobes at other furniture stores for the same price, especially when they have their frequent sales.
Maybe younger buyers are satisfied because they don’t know the quality from before.
We used to love IKEA, but now it’s not comparable anymore, as you can get solid, well-built wardrobes at other furniture stores for the same price, especially when they have their frequent sales.
Yeah, everything keeps getting worse.
Metod is still somewhat okay and, as far as I know, cheaper. I would also only make wardrobes, low cabinets, or shelves with Metod. Unfortunately, the interiors from PAX usually don’t fit because the Metod modular system has increments of 40, 60, and 80. But there are inner drawers available for Metod, and lighting should work too. Sliding doors probably won’t fit, and mirrors would have to be glued onto the doors yourself.
However, there are surely other options available online. The modular system of Metod is actually quite common.
Metod is still somewhat okay and, as far as I know, cheaper. I would also only make wardrobes, low cabinets, or shelves with Metod. Unfortunately, the interiors from PAX usually don’t fit because the Metod modular system has increments of 40, 60, and 80. But there are inner drawers available for Metod, and lighting should work too. Sliding doors probably won’t fit, and mirrors would have to be glued onto the doors yourself.
However, there are surely other options available online. The modular system of Metod is actually quite common.
In der Ruine21 Jan 2026 12:56Tolentino schrieb:
I would also only make wardrobes, lowboards, or shelves with Metod from now on. Do you know how to insert only the Metod carcasses in the IKEA kitchen planner, which I would now adapt to a bedroom planner?
I would like to buy the fronts externally.
Thanks.
It’s best to choose a very simple complete cabinet (“with door”) in the desired dimensions, then click on it and select “edit,” where all built-in components will be displayed. You can then “remove” them (small trash can icon). I don’t think there’s an option for just the carcass on its own. However, if you create an element that you need frequently, you can duplicate it as far as I know.
Oh, I forgot to mention: In the first edit mode, you can only remove certain elements. You need to scroll all the way down and select “customize individually.” Then you can also delete shelves and drawers.
Oh, I forgot to mention: In the first edit mode, you can only remove certain elements. You need to scroll all the way down and select “customize individually.” Then you can also delete shelves and drawers.
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