ᐅ What to do if Malm furniture wobbles after assembly?

Hello everyone, last week I assembled a Malm dresser set, and despite tightening the screws several times, the furniture still wobbles slightly. I tightened all screws according to the instructions, used the supplied wall anchors, and assembled the pieces on a level surface. The wobbling is not extreme but clearly noticeable. My question is: what could cause this wobbling in Malm furniture after assembly, and how can it be reliably fixed? Are there any known weak points or tips to ensure long-term stability? Thanks for your experiences and advice!

It’s great that you’ve described the issue so precisely! 🙂 Wobbling after installation can be really frustrating, but in many cases, it’s something you can fix! Often, it’s because the back panel or the connecting hardware is missing some material or isn’t fully secured. My tip: check if the back panel is properly nailed or screwed in and whether all the corner braces are really tight! Sometimes, it also helps to loosen the screws completely and then carefully tighten them again. Have you also made sure the back panel is properly aligned? That’s an important point! Keep at it—your chest of drawers will definitely become more stable! 🙂

To analyze the cause of wobbling furniture of the Malm type, it is first recommended to check the assembly instructions. Common issues include connectors that are not fully recessed or screws that are not fully tightened, as well as inaccurately installed back panels, which provide some stability. Additionally, I suggest inspecting the entire assembly surface for unevenness, since cabinets can wobble at specific points even if the screws are properly tightened. If back panels are only fastened with small nails, using extra adhesive or additional staples can sometimes improve stability. In specific cases, adding strong metal brackets inside the corners afterward can also help.

draleo schrieb:
If back panels are only fixed with small nails, sometimes using additional glue or extra staples is recommended to increase stability.

That sounds like a plausible explanation, but I wonder if such a small back panel in the Malm furniture really can be responsible for the overall stability? In my experience, uneven flooring or inaccurately pre-drilled holes often cause significant play, which the back panel can only partially compensate for. Are there any studies or tests that clearly show the back panel is the main stability factor in this model? Alternatively, one could consider how exactly the screw connections interact with high-density laminated wood panels.

I can add some information about the back panel: In Malm furniture, the back panel is typically made of thin MDF or particleboard and primarily serves to provide lateral stability. If the nails or screws are loosely attached or missing entirely, the furniture can indeed wobble. This is especially noticeable with larger dressers when the back panel is not securely fixed. Equally important is tightening the corner connectors of the carcass correctly. It’s best to use a suitable hex key (Allen wrench) to achieve the proper tension. If all screws are properly tightened and the back panel is secure, but the wobbling persists, the issue could actually be related to the floor contact area – adding felt pads underneath may help.

In my opinion, the note about having a level installation surface is crucial. Wobbling can also occur if the furniture piece is placed on a slightly sloped or uneven surface, even when all fasteners are correctly installed. This can be checked with a spirit level or by temporarily using shims made of cardboard or thin wood. What I would additionally recommend is to verify that all screws are fully inserted—not just hand-tightened but tightened according to the instructions, without stripping the threads. Even if someone thinks this is obvious, mistakes often happen at this stage.