ᐅ Making IKEA MALM Furniture Suitable for a Child’s Room – Any Tips?

Hello everyone, I am planning to furnish our child's room with IKEA Malm furniture, but I am concerned about making this furniture child-safe and suitable for use by young children. The Malm series is generally quite simple and modern, but I have read that especially dressers and drawers can pose a hazard if not properly secured. My questions are:

1. What specific measures can be taken to make Malm furniture more stable and safer for children?
2. Are there any special products that should be purchased additionally to prevent injuries?
3. Do you have experience with anti-tip devices for this furniture?
4. What about sharp edges that might occur on Malm dressers?

I would really appreciate detailed tips, practical experiences, or recommendations for products you can suggest. Thank you in advance!

apex57 schrieb:
What specific measures can be taken to make MALM furniture more stable and safer for children?

First of all, I would always secure the furniture to the wall. Although the IKEA MALM series is sturdy, there is a risk of tipping, especially when children pull on drawers. IKEA provides wall-anchoring kits that should definitely be used.

apex57 schrieb:
Are there any special products that should be purchased additionally to prevent injuries?

Child-safe cabinet locks or drawer stops are highly recommended. Some models can be attached with adhesive or screws, preventing the drawer from being pulled out completely and uncontrolled.

apex57 schrieb:
What about sharp edges that might be present on the MALM dressers?

If the edges are a concern, edge protectors made of flexible plastic can be applied. These are specifically designed for furniture edges and absorb impact energy.

In general, I recommend regularly checking the furniture for secure fastening and any damage. Once properly secured, MALM furniture is quite suitable for homes with children.

For clarification:

The MALM series has been mentioned multiple times in safety inspections, mainly due to the tipping risk of unsecured dressers. Proper installation and the use of the included wall anchors are essential.

Regarding the drawers: IKEA does not provide a standard soft-close system for all MALM drawers, which increases the risk of children’s fingers being caught. Therefore, I recommend either purchasing retrofittable soft-close drawer runners or child-safe drawer locks that prevent full drawer removal.

Another precaution: The surface of MALM furniture is lacquered and considered safe; however, it should be ensured that small parts (handles, etc.) cannot be swallowed during play—extra caution is advised for children under 3 years old.

There are various accessory suppliers specializing in childproofing MALM furniture. IKEA itself also offers some products, such as edge protectors and additional locks. It is worth researching to find suitable solutions specifically for the MALM series.

I would like to point out that the most common safety hazard with MALM furniture, especially dressers and tall shelving units, is tipping over.

Foster63 schrieb:
always secure the furniture to the wall

This is not only recommended but, from a safety prevention perspective, almost mandatory—especially when there are children in the room.

However, we should also critically consider whether the MALM series is the best choice for very young children. While modern minimalism may be appealing, some edges are quite sharp and very smooth, which can cause injuries during running or play in the room.

As an alternative, I would suggest using furniture with rounded corners for small children or applying edge protectors specifically.

Additionally:
- There are special handle strips that can be installed instead of metal handles to better prevent injuries.
- Drawer safety locks can be installed on single-level drawers to limit how far they can be opened.

If the furniture does not receive this level of safety securing, the risk is unnecessarily high.

Wall fastenings must be installed on the MALM.

Corner protectors fit well on edges.

Drawer locks prevent them from being pulled out.

These are the most important points.