# Straight Dope on the Ikea dresser recall? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 4, 2016, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045 "2016-07-04T07:00:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/1 "2016-07-04T07:00:00Z")
I have a Malm dresser that I bought many years ago from Ikea. It has been recalled for tip over concerns. One of the options to returning it to Ikea is to ask a crew to anchor it to the wall for free. However, I rent, so drilling holes in the walls is out of the question. I do not have children. So can someone tell me if there’s any actual reason to give up a dresser that’s functioning perfectly well for me, especially when replacing it will require me to go out shopping again, and possible assemble another Ikea dresser from scratch having gone to the trouble of emptying it? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/2 "2016-07-04T08:06:14Z")
How likely are you to get a new dresser before you get old and feeble? How likely are other peoples’ kids to be in the room the dresser is in? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/3 "2016-07-04T09:00:10Z")
When I do get physically feeble, it’ll involve changes a lot bigger than a dresser. Not likely at all. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/4 "2016-07-04T09:48:04Z")
So, in your life, their solution faces significant hurdles to solve a nonexistent problem? :dubious: Doesn’t sound like much of a solution, does it? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/5 "2016-07-04T10:42:25Z")
Well, that’s what I was asking for: all the online articles I’d read onlymentioned tip over for children as the issue, but there was apparently so much demand for the general recall, and so much urgency, I was starting to wonder if I’d missed some other reason to turn it back in that I wasn’t hearing about. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/6 "2016-07-04T11:00:00Z")
I have 6 malm dressers in my house. There’s been no recall here. Just how is it that these dressers are more dangerous than similar size ones in the market? And I thought part of child proofin a house was securing things to the wall? ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/7 "2016-07-04T14:15:01Z")
We have two bedrooms full of Malm furniture and no children, so unless the cat suddenly puts on about 40 pounds and learns to open drawers, we won’t be taking advantage of the recall. The tipping-over part comes when the lower drawer is opened and 50 pounds of pressure is put on it- the exact situation a curious child is put into. The recall was such a big deal because of the deaths happening in a fairly brief (for this kind of thing) period of time. If you’re not worried about kids and you don’t have a habit of standing on your dresser drawer, don’t worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/8 "2016-07-04T14:28:24Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > And I thought part of child proofin a house was securing things to the wall? Yeah, this has been a known issue with dressers for decades. I don’t understand why IKEA is getting the flak for it all of a sudden. They’re certainly not the only ones who manufacture dressers that will tip over. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/9 "2016-07-04T14:59:15Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Yeah, this has been a known issue with dressers for decades. I don’t understand why IKEA is getting the flak for it all of a sudden. They’re certainly not the only ones who manufacture dressers that will tip over. Some of our more mature dopers may recall how interesting your life suddenly becomes if you open the top two drawers of an old fashion 5 drawer steel file cabinet. You don’t do it twice. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/10 "2016-07-04T16:37:42Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > However, I rent, so drilling holes in the walls is out of the question. Was it specified by your landlord unequivocally no holes to be drilled, period? I’ve drilled numerous holes in every one of the dozen or so houses I’ve ever rented without issue. It’s extremely easy to patch a drill hole in a wall when you leave, without noticeable trace of it ever having been there. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/11 "2016-07-04T19:24:42Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I have a Malm dresser that I bought many years ago from Ikea. It has been recalled for tip over concerns. > > One of the options to returning it to Ikea is to ask a crew to anchor it to the wall for free. However, I rent, so drilling holes in the walls is out of the question. > > I do not have children. > > So can someone tell me if there’s any actual reason to give up a dresser that’s functioning perfectly well for me, especially when replacing it will require me to go out shopping again, and possible assemble another Ikea dresser from scratch having gone to the trouble of emptying it? I live in earthquake country, so anchoring tall furniture to the walls is a normal procedure, regardless of the presence of children. I can’t imagine a landlord would object to the installation of a standard safety precaution. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/12 "2016-07-04T22:22:06Z")
If your anchors screw directly into a stud, you will not need the plastic “anchors” which can be a bitch to patch. A single #8 screw will probably cover any situation unless you are in the habit of placing bowling balls in the top drawer. When moving out (assuming standard white walls), spackle is the legit fix; toothpaste works as well. ---
**Author:** ![Telperion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telperion/32/509_2.png) [@Telperion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperion)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/13 "2016-07-05T02:28:47Z")
I have an old bookshelf that is a bit unsteady and walls that turn to sand the moment you touch them with a drill, so the way I solved it was by folding a piece of carton under the front corners. Just raising the front end a couple millimeters made it so much harder to tip over that it feels rock solid now. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/14 "2016-07-05T06:25:43Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Yeah, this has been a known issue with dressers for decades. I don’t understand why IKEA is getting the flak for it all of a sudden. They’re certainly not the only ones who manufacture dressers that will tip over. 'Cos they are a litigation target. There has been a degree of (manufactured?) outrage here that Ikea is recalling these things in the US but not in Australia. I suspect the reason is that Australian courts have not gone quite as far down the rabbit hole as US courts. “The instructions said it had to be screwed to the wall” might well work as a defence here. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/15 "2016-07-05T15:06:04Z")
I have a Malm dresser, and I’m not concerned, I just don’t have my heaviest stuff in the top drawers and don’t leave drawers open. > [@Frank](#): > > Yeah, this has been a known issue with dressers for decades. I don’t understand why IKEA is getting the flak for it all of a sudden. They’re certainly not the only ones who manufacture dressers that will tip over. I’m guessing because the Malm dressers are so common. And I don’t think they automatically came with an anchoring kit, since what you need varies on the dresser and on what you are anchoring it to. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/16 "2016-07-05T15:44:01Z")
Put some heavy stuff in the bottom drawer. Many dressers have the potential to tip over if they are overloaded in the top drawers. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/17 "2016-07-05T15:58:40Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > I suspect the reason is that Australian courts have not gone quite as far down the rabbit hole as US courts. “The instructions said it had to be screwed to the wall” might well work as a defence here. As I understand it, the US directions used to not mention the wall tether, which was the problem. They now do, but they didn’t then. I honestly don’t remember. I have four of the units, and yeah, they are indeed the tippiest dressers I’ve ever owned. My cat’s weight actually _is_ enough to make them wobble, although so far they haven’t tipped over. My bigger concern with them is that they just break apart like graham crackers if you look at them too hard. We’ve had to repair several of the cross members that run under the drawers, and a bunch of the drawers as well. Gorilla Glue and a c-clamp literally sit on top of one of the dressers for easy access. We’re taking advantage of the recall simply to get some of our money back on these shitty dressers. A pity, too, because I love the look, size and shape of them. They’re perfect for our oddly shaped bedroom. Except for the falling apart thing. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/18 "2016-07-05T16:20:59Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I honestly don’t remember. I have four of the units, and yeah, they are indeed the tippiest dressers I’ve ever owned. My cat’s weight actually _is_ enough to make them wobble, although so far they haven’t tipped over. My bigger concern with them is that they just break apart like graham crackers if you look at them too hard. We’ve had to repair several of the cross members that run under the drawers, and a bunch of the drawers as well. Gorilla Glue and a c-clamp literally sit on top of one of the dressers for easy access. We’re taking advantage of the recall simply to get some of our money back on these shitty dressers. > > A pity, too, because I love the look, size and shape of them. They’re perfect for our oddly shaped bedroom. Except for the falling apart thing. That’s strange, I just have one of the dressers, but I’ve had it for at least 10 years, and it’s survived 4 moves and it’s totally fine. I wonder if I got an unusually good one or you’ve gotten unusually bad ones. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/19 "2016-07-05T21:43:59Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > That’s strange, I just have one of the dressers, but I’ve had it for at least 10 years, and it’s survived 4 moves and it’s totally fine. I wonder if I got an unusually good one or you’ve gotten unusually bad ones. No idea. All four of mine have broken in at least one spot. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045/20 "2016-07-07T02:23:30Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I have a Malm dresser, and I’m not concerned, I just don’t have my heaviest stuff in the top drawers and don’t leave drawers open. > > I’m guessing because the Malm dressers are so common. And I don’t think they automatically came with an anchoring kit, since what you need varies on the dresser and on what you are anchoring it to. Ours are six years old, and came with an anchoring kit. However, as I said, we live in earthquake country and all tall furniture pieces have come with anchoring kits as long as I can remember, from all manufacturers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-on-the-ikea-dresser-recall/759045.md?page=2)