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Are there other flat pack furniture brands? I did not know this. I had all IKEA up until I started replacing IKEA with already-built pieces from garage sales/ f

Are there other flat pack furniture brands? I did not know this. I had all IKEA up until I started replacing IKEA with already-built pieces from garage sales/ furniture stores/ family. Maybe I have just gotten unlucky, and fallen in the tail end of their defects.

pfranz 10y ago
I've also never encountered those issues mentioned with Ikea furniture and have had them with others. I'm not sure if they were technically "flat-pack," but many years prior to seeing or knowing what an Ikea is, I've assembled things like computer desks and TV stands. They all had the issues described: lament peels off, too flimsy.
weaksauce 10y ago
As a counter point, ikea furniture works well enough for most loads but I have a chest of drawers and the bottom of the drawers is made from something similar to a less stiff version of masonite. for clothes it would be fine but for anything else the bottom of the drawers bends and scrapes the next drawer when opening. I need to retrofit the bottom to something worthwhile.
- Symbiote 10y ago
  Something like this is a quick fix: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIX-A-DRAWER-Repair-Buckled-Drawers-Minutes/dp/B002EWVPQA/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIX-A-DRAWER-Repair-Buckled-Drawers... . > the bottom of the drawers is made from something In British, we call this "hardboard". I've always assumed it's "hard" in comparison to cardboard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard
TylerE 10y ago
Visit your local office supply store sometime. Tons of crapola, both imported (mostly from China) and Made in the USA.
tbihl 10y ago
Sauder is the only other one I know of. Their stuff seems to be pretty well designed and of good quality, though I wish they were more unapologetic about being fiberboard, as I'm not a huge fan of fake wood textures.
unethical_ban 10y ago
Target and Walmart have their own brands that are noticeably less refined and sturdy.
rsynnott 10y ago
In the UK and Ireland, Argos do it. Similar pricing to IKEA, dramatically worse quality.
- Symbiote 10y ago
  Oh, Argos go way cheaper than Ikea. For example, the £28 metal and polycotton wardrobe: http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6219826 http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6219826 There are (from searching) several supplies of cheap, flatpack furniture for landlords, which probably explains why half the properties I rented as a student had the same furniture, made of 5mm thick hardboard and bits of plastic. That stuff didn't even hold together properly when it was new, let alone a couple of years old. Habitat should be decent quality. MFI used to be a major retailer of flat-pack stuff, but they went bankrupt in 2015. My parents bought almost everything for the kids' rooms from MFI. None of it is broken, 15-25 years later.
  - rsynnott 10y ago
    That wardrobe's not really a flatpack, though. Last time I looked, Argos's flatpacks were similarly priced to IKEA's, though I haven't really looked in a while.

pfranz 10y ago

I've also never encountered those issues mentioned with Ikea furniture and have had them with others. I'm not sure if they were technically "flat-pack," but many years prior to seeing or knowing what an Ikea is, I've assembled things like computer desks and TV stands. They all had the issues described: lament peels off, too flimsy.

weaksauce 10y ago

As a counter point, ikea furniture works well enough for most loads but I have a chest of drawers and the bottom of the drawers is made from something similar to a less stiff version of masonite. for clothes it would be fine but for anything else the bottom of the drawers bends and scrapes the next drawer when opening. I need to retrofit the bottom to something worthwhile.

Symbiote 10y ago
Something like this is a quick fix: https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIX-A-DRAWER-Repair-Buckled-Drawers-Minutes/dp/B002EWVPQA/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/FIX-A-DRAWER-Repair-Buckled-Drawers... . > the bottom of the drawers is made from something In British, we call this "hardboard". I've always assumed it's "hard" in comparison to cardboard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard

TylerE 10y ago

Visit your local office supply store sometime. Tons of crapola, both imported (mostly from China) and Made in the USA.

tbihl 10y ago

Sauder is the only other one I know of. Their stuff seems to be pretty well designed and of good quality, though I wish they were more unapologetic about being fiberboard, as I'm not a huge fan of fake wood textures.

unethical_ban 10y ago

Target and Walmart have their own brands that are noticeably less refined and sturdy.

rsynnott 10y ago

In the UK and Ireland, Argos do it. Similar pricing to IKEA, dramatically worse quality.

Symbiote 10y ago
Oh, Argos go way cheaper than Ikea. For example, the £28 metal and polycotton wardrobe: http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6219826 http://www.argos.co.uk/product/6219826 There are (from searching) several supplies of cheap, flatpack furniture for landlords, which probably explains why half the properties I rented as a student had the same furniture, made of 5mm thick hardboard and bits of plastic. That stuff didn't even hold together properly when it was new, let alone a couple of years old. Habitat should be decent quality. MFI used to be a major retailer of flat-pack stuff, but they went bankrupt in 2015. My parents bought almost everything for the kids' rooms from MFI. None of it is broken, 15-25 years later.
- rsynnott 10y ago
  That wardrobe's not really a flatpack, though. Last time I looked, Argos's flatpacks were similarly priced to IKEA's, though I haven't really looked in a while.