The IKEA KALLAX shelving unit can be used upright or on its side.
Materials:
It’s made from particleboard and fiberboard, covered in a paper foil and acrylic paint. This is not a melamine/laminate product.
It is finished on all sides. There is no bare particle board.
Options and prices:
The product was reviewed by a reader Katie who owns the eight cubby option which is currently $80 USD.
In the UK the same unit goes for 50 pounds, in Canada it’s $100.
It comes in various configurations of the square cubbies from two cubbies to twenty-five cubbies.
Inserts:
There are a number of inserts that you can use from doors to boxes to organizers. Katie has four of the DRÖNA boxes which are $4 each.
Non-Toxic Furniture Review: This is part of the non-toxic furniture review series. The reviewer is a reader of this site who has chemical sensitivities. This unit is not the top-of-the-line 0-VOC option out there, compared to solid wood, metal, or even hard plastic options (that can be found here), this is still an option to consider.
Interview with Katie
Why did you choose this shelf?
I also considered metal shelves because I have several that I use in closets that I do not have issues with.
I decided to take a chance on the KALLAX shelves because they were a good price and would look a lot nicer in our family room.
Was it easy to put together?
They were easy to put together with two people.
It probably would have been fine with one person too.
I purchased two units. When putting together the first one, I hammered too hard and dented the side of one of the shelves. I was more careful after that and the rest of the assembly went smoothly.
This was my first time putting together anything from IKEA.
The second shelf went much quicker. I have now assembled other items from IKEA and think the shelves were one of the easier items to assemble, especially for someone who knows how IKEA furniture works.
Have you had any problems with the unit like warping, not being stable (wobble), or not holding heavy things?
They are very sturdy. We have put stacks of heavy board games on multiple shelves with no warping.
Are there any scratches, water marks, or other marks from use?
There are some scratches on the inner sides of the cubbies from taking board games in and out (see below).
Corinne chiming in: this seems to scratch quite easily, certainly more easily than if it was melamine.
The shelves where we have fabric bins do not have any marks.
How long have you had it?
We have had the shelves for almost three years.
Does it hold up well to a move?
We have moved them to different places within the house with no issues.
We have not moved them from one house to another.
Have you taken it apart and reassembled it?
We have not taken it apart.
One reviewer said: “It’s probably one of IKEA’s better pieces as far as disassembly/reassembly goes”.
Does it work for people with chemical sensitivities?
I am very sensitive.
There was an odor when I picked up the boxes from IKEA. I drove home with the car windows open.
I was pleasantly surprised that there was minimal odor after unpacking the boxes. Within 48 hours, the odor was gone.
I initially ordered fabric bins from Amazon, but the odor was too strong. I went back to IKEA and got their bins and they were tolerable.
Final thoughts?
This is my favorite piece I have gotten from IKEA.
It was the quickest to off-gas, is sturdy, and looks nice.
I also like the option of adding fabric bins for different storage needs.
TL:DR
This well-priced unit is sturdy, easy to put together, movable, can be disassembled, and low in offgassing, but scratches easily.
Related:
Affordable Non-Toxic Furniture
IKEA Morabo Sofa Review
Alain Cote
whoa ! buy stuff, !st thing to do is let it off gas