ᐅ Which Ikea Pax configurations are suitable for single-person households?

Good morning everyone,

I’m considering getting a Pax wardrobe from Ikea as I’m moving into a new apartment. As a single household, I want a wardrobe that is practical, space-saving, and flexible in design.

I’m interested to know: Which Ikea Pax models do you think work best for single households? I’m mainly thinking about sizes, interior fittings, and combinations that aren’t oversized but still offer a good layout for clothes, shoes, and accessories.

Do you have experience with which widths and depths work best? Or is it better to choose a narrow, tall wardrobe, or perhaps a model with several smaller units?

And what about the interior: More hanging rods, shelves, or drawers?

I look forward to your insights and tips!

Hi linare,

I’m happy to provide a more detailed answer here, as the selection of Pax units is quite extensive and there are some pitfalls to watch out for when furnishing a single-person household.

Basically, I would recommend choosing two narrower units instead of one large wardrobe – for example, 75 cm (30 inches) wide and 50 cm (20 inches) deep – which offers flexibility both in placement and configuration. The height of 236 cm (93 inches) is usually standard, but of course that depends on your ceiling height.

Regarding the interior fittings: For singles who don’t have an extensive clothing collection, a combination of a hanging rail plus one or two shelves is often enough, along with a few drawers for underwear and accessories.

One tip: The Pax systems are very modular, so if you start out with fewer drawers and more space-saving hooks, you can always adjust the interior later.

It’s also important to consider the doors – sliding doors save space but are less flexible when it comes to opening compared to hinged doors.

What is the size of your room, or how much space can you realistically allocate for the wardrobe?

Thanks in advance, Parbo, for the detailed response!

The room is about 12 square meters (130 square feet), and I want to place the wardrobe on a wall next to the bed that is approximately 2.4 meters (7 ft 10 in) wide and 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) high.

What I have in mind is a rather slim solution, probably with hinged doors, so that it’s easy to access everything.

Two narrower units sound very reasonable, as that would allow me to arrange the layout better.

What do you think about the standard depths of 35 cm (14 inches) versus 58 cm (23 inches)? Is 35 cm (14 inches) too shallow to store hanging clothes properly?

linare schrieb:
What do you think about the standard depths of 35 cm (14 inches) vs. 58 cm (23 inches)? Is 35 cm (14 inches) too shallow to properly store hanging clothes?

35 cm (14 inches) is really more suitable for shelves and folded clothes. For longer garments like shirts, blouses, or trousers, it’s too shallow—the clothes would touch the door or back panel and get creased.

A depth of 58 cm (23 inches) is much better for the hanging rail, as it provides enough space for clothes to hang properly. I have a Pax wardrobe with a depth of 58 cm (23 inches) myself, and I can say this is the standard depth if you want to hang clothes neatly.

For a single-person household that doesn’t hang too many clothes, you could also consider using part of the wardrobe at 35 cm (14 inches) depth for shelves to create more versatile storage options.

Otherwise, I would recommend going for 58 cm (23 inches), especially for shirts or jackets.

In addition to Parbo’s comments:

- Plan at least 55 cm (22 inches) in depth for hanging clothes; 58 cm (23 inches) is the standard for Ikea Pax wardrobes.
- 35 cm (14 inches) deep cabinets are ideal for shelves, for example, to store binders, folded sweaters, or shoes.
- A width of 50 to 75 cm (20 to 30 inches) per unit helps optimize space usage.
- Swing doors require at least 60 cm (24 inches) of clearance in front of the wardrobe; sliding doors save this space.

Regarding the interior layout: 2–3 shelves plus 1 hanging rod are usually well sized for single people.

This setup provides a well-organized storage space without being oversized.

For singles, a width of about 75 cm (30 inches) combined with a depth of 58 cm (23 inches) is usually optimal.

Divide the wardrobe: one third for hanging rods, two thirds for shelves and drawers.

This provides enough storage space without taking up too much room.