Three years and twins later…ChantilWe use it as a nursery furniture and gets quite the beating from our toddlers. We use it as their changing table. Still works! I feel it getting all those bangs just add character 5
5 years laterMorganI’ve had this dresser for 5 years and it’s still in excellent condition - and it’s used daily. I’m not sure if the quality of the wood has changed recently, but I have not had any problems other more recent reviews have mentioned. Pine is naturally a soft wood, but I haven’t experienced any warping deep grooves, or misaligned drawers. I have loved this dresser and how customizable it is. I see no reason why it won’t last another 5+ years!5
Great Dresser and great price for real wood.DeanneI bought this a couple of years ago, and have not had any problems with the drawers or anything else.5
Bedroom chest with drawersSherryVery sturdy and easy to put together. Beautiful5
AVOIDBrittanyI’ve owned the Tarva dresser for two years. The soft pine has cracked across multiple side and bottom panels, and the top is bowing severely. The entire piece began leaning and had to be reinforced—first with large T and L brackets (which didn’t help), and now with tension wires in an X pattern across the back.
All of the drawer hardware has loosened or fallen out over time, and the drawer boxes themselves are falling apart. The drawer bottoms are bowed from simple, lightweight daily use. I’m now repurchasing all of the hardware just to keep it functional.
That said, the size is perfect, it’s customizable, and it does function—but only with constant upkeep. If you’re set on buying this dresser, I strongly recommend assembling it, then wood-gluing every joint in both the frame and the drawers, and strapping them tightly until cured.
I’ve used this piece with a very light touch, every day, and it has literally been falling apart.2
GarbadgeAttilaThe softest and lowest quality pine is used for this. If it lasts longer than 2 years I will be very lucky.1
BEWARE SATAN’S DRESSEREmilyI’ve been an IKEA customer since 1997. I know the drill when it comes to instructions and quality. I wouldn’t continue patronizing the store if I didn’t have a mostly good experience overall. But this dresser is quite possibly the most deceptively awful product IKEA has ever produced. Heed my words: it will become the bane of your existence. And the elbow grease it took for you to build it combined with the money you spent on it will be the only things preventing you from dousing it in gasoline and lighting it on fire to watch it burn while you laugh maniacally at the cruel joke IKEA has played on its customer base for years thru the TARVA dresser. STAY AWAY. It is beautiful, simple, affordable, and HARVESTED WITH LUMBER FROM THE 8TH CIRCLE OF HELL.1
Poorly drilled holesElizabethI like IKEA products for their surprising durability for how simple they often are to assemble. Unfortunately assembling the Tarva dresser is not simple. Though the instructions are easy to follow, most of the holes are barely drilled, so a drill is necessary for assembly.3
Customizable But Poorly MadeLauraPros: easy to paint and carve. I found it mostly easy to put together but I've also put together a lot of Ikea furniture so your milage may vary. Drawers also slide well.
Cons: Drawer bottoms pop out regularly and the screw catches do not always work. I had to reinforce the drawer bottoms by using wood glue and then putting a thick bead of hot glue on the borders of the underside. So far that has solved the issue 2 years later but if I had had the cash and time, I would have replaced the bottom drawer mdf with a thin plank of actual wood for the stability. For the amount of work you have to do just to make it functional outside of the aesthetic customization, I wouldn't recommend it for the price. 2
dresserAnonymousVery good quality. Drawers slide very easily. Plenty of room in the drawers. Heavy wood that can easily be stained or painted. Love that it sits off the floor due to having floor vents. 5
Nice, but a pain to put together.AmberThis dresser looks great once assembled, stained, and with nice knobs, but it is SUCH a pain to assemble. It is so easy to mess up the assembly, the instructions are not the clearest. Once its all together, it looks nice and is sturdy.4
HORRIBLE INSTRUCTIONSMichaelI’ve been getting product from IKEA since 1986.
I’ve done three kitchens by Ikea, and numerous bookcases and other furniture. I never had an issue with instructions.
I followed the instructions exactly how they were written… once it was put together all of the drawers were lopsided, and off.
Everything had to be taken apart and readjusted to what it should’ve been in the first place.
I should’ve looked at the reviews before I purchased it.
NOW it’s perfect!!1
The last piece of IKEA furniture that I will ever buySamanthaFor $350 I expected it to at least go together and be symmetrical… the drawers do not line up properly there are gaps between them that are uneven and you can tell is a flaw. So upset as I’m 9 months pregnant and got this for my nursery and I don’t have time to return and get something else. 1
looks good, does not quite come together rightMyriamInstructions not as clear as needed so had to reassemble. In the end, one of the top drawers is a bit too high, so it catches when I close it. Tried putting every drawer in that slot and none quite fit. 2
Great dresser!Anonymous reviewerJust wanted to leave a positive review to help counter these negative ones. I just put one of these together to use as a buffet in our dining area, I plan on buying another so I can have them side by side! The dresser does take some time to put together but we had no issues with drawers misaligned or missing parts. This is a really sturdy dresser. The only complicated part was assembling the drawers. I wish there were screws instead of the plastic pegs you hammer in, but overall it's a good buy!5
Not worth itAnonymous reviewerI have always liked this dresser and had grand plans for it. It’s been in use less than two years and has proven to be total junk and a waste of material. The drawer bottoms fall out regularly without being overloaded. When I open either drawer or the right, they both open due to the sagging bottom. I regularly pull the drawer out, empty its contents, and pop it back in, only for it to pop back out again. And the drawers don’t open very far, either. Good thing it’s not very deep or I’d never get out what’s in the back. It’s hard enough as is. I don’t where to buy real furniture anymore, but I’m done with this junk. IKEA, what happened? 2
Worst ikea purchase to date Anonymous reviewerWhile I was pregnant and in my nesting phase, I bought this dresser and didn't have time to assemble if before the return window was closed. The pieces for the drawer faces were different sizes. Literally off by over 1/4". They are all supposed to be uniform according to assembly instructions. Due to this fact, the drawers had weird gaps between them. I would not recommend this product as I had to manipulate the wooden pieces to fit by shaving them. Painted it black to hide the uneven lines. Horrible buy. 1
really solid, perfect for DIY designJustinhonestly, it's very solid and easy to put together, but it is a time consuming build. Get yourself a drill and put on a long movie.
It's made to customize. It is intended to be painted and styled to your specifics. I bought mine for extra storage, but now I want another, because it is sturdy, solid drawers, and can be styled to match our bedroom. I'd definitely recommend, but paint first, build near its placement - cuz it is heavy, and know you'll be taking a break or two. The build is long, simple, and boring. If you can pay attention to the details, you will build a very good piece of furniture. 4/5 cuz the build drained me emotionally lol4
HorribleAprilPieces were not going together and did not fit in the right places. Drawers would not shut all the way. Horrible. Had to return and still waiting for a refund 20 days later……still nothing 1
GreatGabrielleHad this for years now. It's really good. 5
