ᐅ Why do some Malm furniture pieces still wobble despite being secured to the wall?

Hello everyone,

I have a problem where some of my IKEA Malm furniture, although mounted using the recommended wall brackets, still wobble noticeably. This mainly affects tall dressers and cabinets. The brackets are all installed correctly according to the instructions, and the wall anchors are firmly fixed in the wall. Nevertheless, I can feel some instability when applying light pressure or when opening the drawers, which worries me a bit.

I am curious about the exact cause of this wobbling despite the wall attachment. Is it due to the wall material, the furniture construction itself, or the type of mounting used? Are there common mistakes that are easy to overlook or any design aspects of the Malm furniture that might contribute to this issue?

Maybe someone here has specific experience or explanations. Thanks in advance!

Doto36 schrieb:
This mainly concerns tall dressers and cabinets.

This is basically the core issue. Tall furniture tends to be unstable unless it is extremely well reinforced. Even if it is anchored to the wall, that does not necessarily mean it is fully protected against tipping over.

Many people underestimate the leverage effect on tall furniture. The wall brackets provided by IKEA are usually intended only as a safety measure against tipping, not necessarily as structural reinforcements that fully stabilize the furniture.

Furthermore, the wall attachment is often only at a single point rather than in multiple places. If the wall anchor has even a slight amount of play or the screw is a little loose, that movement will be transferred.

In short, wobbling despite wall anchoring is an inherent weakness in the design and attachment method, which many simply accept instead of securing the furniture further.

theota schrieb:
The wall mounting is not anchored in several places, but often only at a few points.

That’s correct. For real stability, the mounting should cover a larger area or be more evenly distributed.

Another factor is the wall itself: Malm furniture is often installed in rental apartments where the walls are made of drywall or less sturdy materials. Even if the anchors are installed according to instructions, they don’t provide perfect resistance against lateral movement.

Additionally, the installation is often not millimeter-precise, leaving small gaps between the furniture and the wall that allow some movement.

I recommend leveling the feet, possibly adding non-slip mats under the furniture base, and, if needed, adding extra mounting points. This significantly improves stability.

To precisely explain the wobbling of Malm furniture despite wall anchoring, the following points are crucial:

1. Type of fixing: Malm furniture is anchored to the wall using simple screw hooks and small wall plugs. These are generally not designed to carry the full lateral load but primarily prevent tipping over.

2. Wall material: Fixings usually work better on concrete or masonry walls than on drywall, where no significant load transfer is possible.

3. Fit accuracy: Even with correct installation, gaps and slight inaccuracies in the furniture construction can contribute to wobbling.

4. Lever effect: Tall furniture with drawers creates tipping forces when opened, putting strong localized stress on the wall anchor.

Conclusion: Wall anchoring prevents tipping but does not guarantee complete stability. For increased steadiness, additional measures such as floor leveling, anti-slip pads, or further securing methods should be considered.

Doto36 schrieb:
This mainly concerns tall dressers and cabinets.

I completely understand that the wobbling can be unsettling. I felt the same way, and I also noticed that even with what seems like proper wall mounting, a slight tilting feeling can remain.

What helped me was securing the furniture to the wall with small clamps or extra brackets on the side, so that there are several points of contact for stability instead of just one. Avoiding the strain caused by opening multiple drawers at the same time can also reduce levering forces.

If possible, you can try slightly leveling or raising the floor beneath the dresser to address any unevenness – that made a big difference for me.

I hope this gives you some confidence to tackle the issue! 🙂