ᐅ Malm dresser wobbles despite secure fastening – how can I improve its stability?

Hello everyone, I have a Malm chest of drawers from Ikea that, despite being properly assembled, still wobbles slightly. I have already checked and tightened all the screws at the joints and fixing points. However, there is still a bit of movement, especially when using or pulling the drawers. The chest is placed on a fairly level laminate floor and is not overloaded. I want to improve its stability without making major changes to the furniture or altering its design. Does anyone have experience with how to permanently and effectively reduce this wobbling? What additional measures can I take to make the chest truly stable? Thanks for your tips!

That’s great that you’re paying such close attention! 😊 First of all: well done for checking the screws! Often, attaching small felt pads or special anti-slip pads under the feet of the dresser helps. This minimizes wobbling caused by slight floor contact! Maybe also consider adding a wall anchor if the dresser allows it – this provides excellent stability and makes the furniture rock solid! Keep it up, you’ve got this! 🙂

Hello Sedan, I can understand how annoying the wobbling is. Even solid fastenings can become a bit loose or give slightly over time, especially with frequent use. Besides checking all the screws, you should also inspect the connection points of the drawer slides. Sometimes the back panels of the chest of drawers are not fully secured in a stable way. A simple tip is to use small wooden wedges or spacers under the feet to compensate for any minor unevenness in the floor. Alternatively, attaching the unit to the wall with brackets can provide a permanent stabilization. If you like, I can gladly send you a step-by-step guide.

Tighten the screws, place felt pads under the feet, then secure the dresser to the wall. That’s all you need.

Hello Sedan, to help you more effectively, here are a few important details in advance: You mentioned that the dresser is standing on laminate flooring and is not overloaded – have you checked whether the floor is completely level? Small unevenness is often not visible to the eye; especially laminate panels can have slightly different height levels in places, which can cause wobbling. I recommend using a spirit level or a straight edge to carefully check if the dresser is truly level. If there are uneven spots, small wooden or cork shims can be placed under the feet.

Also, you can check if the back panel of the dresser is securely glued or nailed to the frame, as with Ikea furniture it is sometimes only stapled and may loosen over time. In this case, adding a metal angle bracket inside the corners could help to create shear rigidity. If possible, you could also place double-sided tape between the frame and the floor to increase friction.

I would also be interested to know whether the wobbling occurs more sideways or front to back, as this helps with diagnosing the cause.

Hello Sedan, I am familiar with this issue. Usually, besides tightening the screws, it helps to check the condition of the connecting elements. In the Malm system, the back panel and the bottom panel are important for stability. If any component there loosens slightly or if the back panel does not lie completely flat, it can cause wobbling. You can install simple metal brackets from the inside, even though Ikea does not recommend it – this significantly reinforces the frame. I would suggest using small screws or clamp brackets so you can easily disassemble the dresser later if needed. Avoid overtightening the screws, as this can damage the material and cause even more wobbling.