ᐅ What DIY reinforcements are available for IKEA BESTA shelves?

Hello everyone, I am currently planning to modify my IKEA Besta cabinets and have one main question: What DIY reinforcements for the shelves of the BESTA series have you tried or can you recommend?

I am interested in sturdy solutions that are relatively easy to implement and help increase the load capacity of the shelves, as I plan to store heavy items on them. Specifically, this concerns the individual particleboard shelves, which are known to have limited load-bearing capacity.

Maybe someone has tips on additional bracing, materials, or even custom builds that work well? Thanks in advance!

I would recommend screwing wooden battens under the floors. It is best to install them across the floorboards, as this increases stability. This method is cost-effective and efficient.

Hello renben, I’m happy to provide you with a brief guide on reinforcing BESTA floors:

- First, get suitable solid wood strips, such as beech or spruce, about 2-3 cm (1 inch) wide and 1-2 cm (0.5 inch) thick.
- Drill these strips onto the underside of the particleboard floors, preferably centered and lengthwise, to reduce sagging.
- Additionally, you can use metal corner brackets (L-brackets) at the edges to add lateral stability.
- For extra load capacity, it is recommended to insert short wooden braces between the floor and the side wall inside as support.

Make sure to mark the drill holes and, if necessary, pre-drill before screwing to prevent the wood from splitting.

This way, you avoid common mistakes, such as cutting the strips too short or aligning them inaccurately.

Hello renben, to complement your question: The floors of the BESTA series are usually 12 mm (0.47 inches) thick and made of particle board, which can actually bend under heavy load. My suggestion would be to glue or screw thin plywood sheets underneath in addition to the wooden slats, as this helps distribute the load better.

Alternatively, you can also find small metal braces that can be attached with screws and work well against bending. Keep in mind that the interior walls of BESTA have only a certain thickness to optimally distribute the load.

Just to add: If you plan to put a lot of weight on the floors, buy additional chipboard panels and place them directly on top of the original flooring as an extra layer. This effectively increases the load-bearing capacity and is easy to do.

Hey, I had exactly the same problem! My solution was to glue small wooden blocks under the floors and then secure them from underneath with a second panel. That really adds stability! Give it a try, it’s a lot of fun!