You know the vibe. You’ve just moved, your clothes are in trash bags, and your bedroom looks like a disaster zone. You need storage. Fast. So you go to the big blue box. You walk through the showroom, and there it is—the IKEA chest of drawers MALM 6 drawers model. It looks sleek. It looks like it belongs in a high-end Scandinavian loft.
But is it actually any good?
Most people buy the MALM because it's cheap and looks decent. Honestly, though, after building about five of these over the last decade, I’ve realized there’s a lot more to it than just "cheap furniture." It’s basically the Toyota Camry of the furniture world. It isn’t flashy, but it gets the job done—as long as you don’t screw up the assembly.
The Reality of the IKEA Chest of Drawers MALM 6 Drawers
Let’s talk specs for a second because size actually matters here. The 6-drawer MALM usually comes in two flavors: the tall boy and the wide dresser. The wide one is a beast. It’s about 63 inches wide. That’s a lot of real estate. If you have a tiny apartment, this thing is going to eat your floor space for breakfast.
The drawers are deep. Like, "I lost my favorite sweater at the back of this three years ago" deep. This is a blessing and a curse. You can fit an ungodly amount of t-shirts in there, but if you don't use organizers, it becomes a chaotic pile of fabric within a week. IKEA’s own SKUBB boxes are basically mandatory if you want to keep your sanity.
Why the Finish Matters
The MALM comes in a few finishes: white, black-brown, and various wood veneers like oak or ash. The white is a classic, but it shows every single fingerprint and coffee stain. The wood veneers are actually real wood over particleboard, which gives them a slightly more premium feel than the basic foil finish on the white version.
I’ve noticed that the black-brown version is a magnet for dust. You’ll clean it, walk away for five minutes, and it’ll look like it’s been sitting in an attic for a century. If you’re a bit of a neat freak, go for the oak. It hides everything.
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The Safety Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about the tip-over risk. It’s serious.
A few years back, IKEA had a massive recall on these. Why? Because if you pull out all those heavy drawers at once, the whole thing can pivot forward. It’s basic physics. If you have kids or pets, or even if you’re just a bit clumsy, you must anchor this to the wall.
IKEA literally includes the hardware in the box now. Don't throw it away. I’ve seen people try to "balance" the dresser by putting heavy things in the bottom drawers. That’s a gamble you don't want to take. Drill the hole. Use the bracket. It takes five minutes and might save a life. It sounds dramatic, but the history of this specific product line makes it a non-negotiable step.
Assembly: A Test of Character
Building the IKEA chest of drawers MALM 6 drawers is a rite of passage.
It’s not hard, per se. It’s just... tedious. There are so many cam locks. So many screws. The instructions are wordless, which is fine until you realize you put the drawer runners on backward on drawer number four of six. Then you’re unscrewing everything and questioning your life choices.
Pro tip: Use a manual screwdriver for the final tightening. If you use a high-powered drill, you risk stripping the particleboard. Once that wood crumbles, the screw will never stay tight again. You’ll end up with a wobbly drawer that haunts your dreams.
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Comparing the MALM to the HEMNES
A lot of people flip-flop between the MALM and the HEMNES.
The HEMNES is made of solid pine. It’s got that "real furniture" weight to it. The MALM is particleboard and fiberboard. Does that make the MALM worse? Not necessarily. The MALM has those clean, handle-free lines. It’s much more modern.
If your style is "Mid-Century Modern" or "Minimalist," the MALM wins every time. If you want something that feels a bit more traditional and can be sanded down and repainted easily in five years, the HEMNES is your guy. But for raw storage-to-price ratio? The MALM 6-drawer is hard to beat.
The "IKEA Hack" Potential
Because the MALM is so plain, it’s a favorite for DIYers.
- You can buy "overlays" (thin plastic or wood panels) that glue onto the drawer fronts to give them a textured look.
- Adding actual handles or knobs completely changes the vibe. Just drill through the front.
- Some people use contact paper to give it a marble or metallic finish.
Honestly, a stock MALM can look a bit "college dorm." A hacked MALM can look like it cost $1,000 at a boutique shop in Brooklyn.
The Longevity Myth
"IKEA furniture doesn't last."
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I hear this all the time. It’s a half-truth. If you move houses three times in three years, the MALM might give up the ghost. Particleboard doesn't love being disassembled and reassembled. The joints loosen.
However, if you put it in one spot and leave it there? It’ll last a decade. The drawer glides are actually surprisingly high-quality. They’re smooth-running and have a built-in stop so you don’t pull the whole drawer onto your toes.
The biggest point of failure is usually the drawer bottom. If you overstuff the drawers with heavy jeans, the thin hardboard bottom will start to bow. Eventually, it pops out of the groove. You can fix this with a little wood glue or some small reinforcement brackets, but it's better to just not treat it like a safe for your gold bars.
Environmental and Ethical Considerations
In 2026, we’re all thinking more about where our stuff comes from. IKEA has been pushing hard on their "People & Planet Positive" strategy. They use a lot of FSC-certified wood and are moving toward circularity—meaning they want you to be able to fix your furniture rather than tossing it.
They actually have a "Buy Back & Resell" program in many locations. If you’re done with your MALM, they might give you store credit for it and sell it in the "As-Is" section. It's way better than leaving it on a sidewalk in the rain.
Actionable Steps for Your MALM Purchase
If you're ready to pull the trigger on an IKEA chest of drawers MALM 6 drawers, don't just wing it. Follow these steps to ensure you don't end up with a pile of scrap wood and a headache.
- Measure Twice. Seriously. Measure the width of your wall and the clearance you need to actually open the drawers. Remember, the wide version is over five feet long.
- Check the Stock. IKEA's supply chain is better than it was during the 2020-2022 chaos, but the MALM is a bestseller. Check the website for your local store's inventory before you drive out there.
- Clear the Floor. You need a lot of space to build the 6-drawer version. Clear out the entire bedroom floor. Lay down the cardboard box the dresser came in to protect your floors and the furniture finish.
- Buy the Wall Anchors. If you don't have a drill and the right wall plugs for your wall type (drywall vs. brick), pick them up at the hardware store. Don't rely on just the screws in the box if your walls are weird.
- Organize Immediately. Buy a set of drawer dividers at the same time. The MALM drawers are deep, and without dividers, they will become a black hole for your socks.
- Tighten Later. About two weeks after you build it, go back and give all the visible screws an extra quarter-turn. Furniture "settles" once you put weight in it, and this prevents the dreaded "IKEA wobble."
The MALM 6-drawer is a workhorse. It’s not a family heirloom you’re going to pass down for three generations, but for right now? It’s probably exactly what your bedroom needs to stop the "floordrobe" from taking over your life. Just remember: anchor it to the wall. Seriously.