ᐅ Why are Malm dressers often not perfectly straight?

Hello everyone, I have recently noticed that IKEA Malm dressers at my place or my friends’ homes sometimes do not stand perfectly straight or appear slightly crooked. I have especially observed this with the longer or wider models.

I am curious why this happens. Is it due to the construction method, material warping, assembly errors, or the floor on which they stand? Are there design-related reasons why Malm dressers often are not completely straight?

I would appreciate a professional explanation or any experiences that could shed light on this issue. Thank you!

Basically, Malm dressers are made from particleboard, which naturally has some flexibility, especially in larger surface areas.

Environmental factors such as humidity and temperature can cause slight material deformations, which over time may affect the stability and angles.

Additionally, the piece of furniture is not solid wood but a flat-pack design assembled with dowels and screws, allowing some lateral movement. This effect is often more pronounced on uneven floors since not all legs rest evenly.

Interesting point, but it sounds almost too cautious.

I would even argue that IKEA deliberately uses imperfect materials to keep the price low. Malm is a bestseller, which means mass production. At such volumes, not every single piece is measured and adjusted with extreme precision.

Furthermore, I believe it is an intentional design choice to accept slight asymmetries and inaccuracies as "charm" or "natural appearance" rather than producing expensive precision furniture.

zarlu schrieb:
deliberately using imperfect materials to reduce the price

While this is understandable, it is a generalization. Whether a material is of lower quality is not determined solely by its price.

The fact that Malm dressers often stand slightly unevenly can primarily be due to improperly aligned screw connections. Assembly instructions are usually good, but small deviations during assembly multiply across multiple components, affecting the overall result.

Furthermore, the manufacturer is also required to maintain certain production tolerances. Evidence that the materials are fundamentally inferior would be interesting but should be supported by concrete proof.

In addition to the points mentioned earlier:

Malm dressers tend to experience slight warping over time due to their design and choice of materials.

Particle boards are not solid wood but made from glued wood particles – this makes them more susceptible to moisture compared to solid wood.

Therefore, a combination of material properties, environmental factors, uneven floors, and installation errors often results in the dresser not standing perfectly straight.

From my experience, the floor is also a very important factor. Often, Malm dressers are placed on uneven or slightly sloped floors, which immediately gives a visually crooked impression.

You can easily check this with a spirit level. If the floor is uneven, adjusting the feet or placing small wedges underneath usually compensates for this problem quite well.