Shelves split in half less then a month into owning itTylerShelf wasn’t as bad as people made out to put it together. Height of the shelves can easily be adjusted. It’s unfinished, so obviously if you don’t put some kind of finish on it, it can easily get scratched. None of those are my issue. My issue is that less then 30 days into owning it, 2 of the shelves split in half where the individual planks of wood were glued together to make the board for the shelf. These shelves down have a lot of weight on them, i only have a few things on them while i get ready to move stuff into the room. Idk if these shelves were defective, or just poorly made in general. But it happened to 2 out of shelves i bought. And now i have to drive an hour to return them1
Annoying to assembleShelbyI thought some of the reviewers were being dramatic, but the wooden sides really are annoyingly difficult to assemble. I used to be a carpenter so I thought this would be a breeze and I have a range of hammers/deadblows/mallets.
The first side I had to shave down the crosspieces to even get them close to fitting, then still had to wail on them to get them to fully seat. Then the DOWELS! Oh my goodness the dowels. They did NOT want to go in and again, I had to wail on them with my 22oz framing hammer and a 2x4 chunk. It was awful.
The 2nd one somehow was a lot better and more of the cross pieces fit with no or minor modification. But I did have to test fit each cross piece in each hole to find which ones fit easiest in which hole. Ridiculous. Still needed tons of hammering. Even after assembly, I couldn't get one cross piece fully seated, so it looks sloppy.
This would be SO much better if they just sold the sides pre-assembled like they used to! My neighbors would be grateful too.3
Beautiful shelf, but cumbersomeRachelAssembly was time consuming but not difficult with two people. Instructions were easy to follow. Too much hammering required (we placed rubber and foam under the posts while hammering to reduce the noise our downstairs neighbor could hear), and hammered pins can never come out again if the shelves need to be disassembled for moving. There was not really anyway to put it together incorrectly, you just really need a full hammer.
The x brace is key for stability but has no guidance on placement. It also has to be unscrewed to disassemble for moving.
That said, the shelves are a beautiful natural wood and bring warmth and light into our space. If assembled correctly, it is sturdy and seems like it will last for a long time.3
Honestly… how dare you!ErikaUsually ikea stuff is mega easy to put together. This is RIDICULOUSLY HARD! My stinking hands hurt. I hate you for this.1
Do not assemble aloneKelseyThis was so terrible to assemble living on the second floor and pounding until your ear rings. Pieces broke and the whole stability after assembly is so rickety. No business being this expensive for such a underwhelming result.2
Heads up, they changed the design and they’re bad nowMagdalenThese used to go together in minutes but they have cut costs by having the sides unassembled and they are the worst piece of IKEA furniture I have ever put together and I have put together a lot of IKEA furniture. Please complain so they change them back, these used to be a favorite but I’ll be returning them and not buying again.1
great for storing gearBarbarai picked up two sets of these to store outdoor gear and they’re perfect! i have never had the old version, but found assembly to be pretty quick, maybe 5 min to hammer in all the pegs on the side pieces, and another 10 to get things square and brackets attached. I was intimidated by other reviews, and am glad I bought them anyway. 5
Great! Don’t listen to the 3 stars.CooperI purchased five of these. I see people struggling with the pegs not lining up. They lineup just enough about 80%. They’re not supposed to loose. They’re supposed to be a little tight for structural support and sealed hard. Hit the pegs in with a hammer carefully to not damage the pine beams and they’ll be nice and snug. It’s ok to be a little rough! A lot of people don’t understand how to put things together or want/ think everything will be easy. These are great and they are 5 stars!5
Be ready to hammer - a lot!KimberlyI typically love assembling Ikea furniture but these shelves are another story. I was able to build them myself doing the vertical assembly between a tall table and a wall. Otherwise, I probably would have needed an extra set of hands.
That said, this was the most physical furniture build I’ve ever done. Every single connection is wood slats or pegs that have to be hammered into place. They do not easily slip into place. The three sets took 5 hours and thousands of hammer strikes to get them assembled. Once together, they do seem sturdy.
I’ve never been so thankful to have a project done and regretted not getting metal shelves with every hammer strike.
I would not recommend to a friend. If they bought despite my lack of recommendation, I will definitely be “busy” when assembly time comes around. 2
Love the metal shelves, sturdy and sizableFrankEasy to assemble, very large, deep shelves. Perfect for baskets/crates.5