ᐅ Is there a way to equip IKEA Besta units with hinged or swing doors?

Hello everyone,

I am currently considering whether it is possible to equip my IKEA Besta shelving unit with hinged doors. I don’t mean the standard sliding doors or regular flap doors, but truly hinged doors, for example, mounted on hinges on the outside of the frame that swing outward – similar to a classic kitchen cabinet.

Does anyone have experience or tips on how this could be achieved? Maybe with suitable straps or special hinges that can be fitted to the Besta system?

It is important to me that the doors hold securely, close well, and can be installed with minimal modifications. I would appreciate advice on the right hardware, appropriate fittings, or even DIY solutions.

Are there possibly any special products or third-party options recommended for this?

Thanks in advance for your responses!

Hello Pimalcol38,

Regarding your question: "Does anyone have experience or tips on how to make this possible?"

Basically, the IKEA Besta system is designed so that the standard doors mainly work as flap doors with a clamping mechanism or sliding doors. To install hinged doors, it is often necessary to use traditional furniture hinges like those used in kitchen or bathroom cabinets – for example, cup hinges.

You should keep the following in mind:

- The carcasses are usually made of chipboard coated with plastic foil, which requires precise work during installation to ensure the screws hold.
- The fronts need to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the doors when swinging.
- It is best to use 3-point hinges so that the doors hang straight and do not warp.
- To fix the hinges, you can drill the holes for the cup hinge (35 mm diameter (1.4 inches)) either directly on the door itself (if the fronts are thick enough) or attach a reinforcement block behind the door.

Optionally, it may be helpful to use a carcass corner as a mounting aid, meaning attaching the hinges on the outside, if the panel thickness allows.

In summary:
- Standard Besta fronts do not easily fit classic hinges, but with reinforcement and proper drilling, it is doable.
- Screws should definitely be designed for chipboard to ensure a secure hold.

I recommend testing how to install hinged doors on a sample piece before actual installation and definitely check the exact measurements of the hinges and drill holes.

Hope this helps you so far!

KUDAISY schrieb:
Basically, the IKEA Besta system is designed so that the standard doors mostly work as hinged doors with a clamping mechanism or as sliding doors.

I fully agree here; some systems are simply not intended for swing doors. However, there are practical ways to achieve this if you’re willing to invest a bit more effort.

I personally converted a Besta unit to have swing doors some time ago. Here’s how I proceeded:

- First, I replaced the original doors with sturdier MDF panels, as the thinner Besta fronts are not designed to accommodate the drilling for the cup hinges.
- For mounting the hinges, I used standard cup hinges with a 35mm (1.38 inch) drill hole, installed with a specialized hole saw. These are common in kitchen cabinetry.
- Because the carcasses are relatively thin, the hinges were mounted on the outside of the side panels. For better stability, I attached small wooden blocks with screws on the inside of the units to support this.
- It was also important to ensure the doors had enough clearance to open properly. Too little space next to the wall or adjacent furniture would interfere with the door movement.

Tip: If you want soft-closing, consider adding aftermarket door dampers, which are also affordable for kitchen furniture.

One more note regarding the closing mechanism: Some hinges allow you to adjust the closing force or add magnetic catches to keep the doors closed securely.

Question: What are the dimensions of your doors, and what load do they need to support? This can influence the type of hinge and reinforcements required.

Surela schrieb:
Question: What are the dimensions of your doors, and what load should they withstand?

This follow-up question is important. Standard Besta shelves and doors are designed for lighter loads. When converting to hinged doors, you need to assess the maximum load capacity of the cabinet body.

To answer directly:
- Yes, it is possible to equip IKEA Besta shelves with hinged doors.
- For this, cup hinges with a 35 mm (1.4 inch) drilling diameter are suitable, provided the door fronts are sturdy enough or modified as described by Surela.
- Installation requires careful work since the factory mounting points are not optimized for these hinges.

Tips:
- Reinforcements inside the cabinet and on the doors are essential if larger doors or heavier loads are planned.
- Door gaps need to be properly planned to allow for the swing radius.
- Alternatively, custom wooden frames can be made to attach the hinges, which are then fastened to the Besta cabinet.

In conclusion, I recommend testing the hinges for fit and tolerance on a prototype beforehand to avoid unexpected issues.

I hope these facts help with your decision.