You’ve probably seen it. It’s in your sister's guest room, your best friend's nursery, and roughly 40% of the Airbnb rentals in North America. The Hemnes three drawer chest is ubiquitous. It’s the furniture equivalent of a white t-shirt. But why? Honestly, it’s just a box with drawers. Yet, in a world of disposable particle board and "fast furniture" that falls apart if you look at it sideways, this specific IKEA piece has managed to maintain a reputation for actually being decent. It’s weirdly polarizing too. Some people swear it’s the best value in home design, while others are still recovering from the trauma of the 2016 tip-over recalls.
If you’re looking at that $150 to $200 price tag and wondering if it’s worth the Saturday afternoon you’ll spend swearing at an Allen wrench, let’s get into the weeds. This isn't just about storage. It’s about why this specific hunk of pine has stayed relevant for over a decade.
The Solid Wood Argument (And Why It Matters)
Most IKEA furniture is basically glorified cardboard. You know the drill: honeycomb paper filling sandwiched between thin sheets of fiberboard. If you try to move a Malm dresser more than twice, the screw holes strip and the whole thing starts to lean like the Tower of Pisa.
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The Hemnes three drawer chest is different. It’s made of solid pine.
Real wood.
That’s the hook. Because it’s solid wood, it has a weight and a tactile "thunk" that the cheaper lines lack. Pine is a soft wood, sure—you can dent it with a thumbnail if you’re angry enough—but it’s structurally sound. You can sand it. You can stain it. You can drill new holes for fancy brass hardware without the whole thing crumbling into sawdust. This is why the "IKEA Hack" community is obsessed with it. You take a basic white stain dresser, swap the knobs, maybe add some fluted wood trim to the front, and suddenly it looks like a $1,200 piece from West Elm.
But there’s a catch. Since it’s solid wood, it reacts to humidity. If you live somewhere incredibly damp, those drawers might stick in the summer. It’s a living material, which is a blessing and a curse.
That Infamous Assembly Process
Let’s be real. Nobody actually enjoys building these. The Hemnes three drawer chest is a medium-difficulty boss fight in the game of flat-pack furniture.
Expect about 90 minutes of labor. If you’re doing it with a partner, add an extra thirty minutes for the inevitable bickering over Step 14. The instructions are purely pictorial, and if you flip a drawer slide the wrong way, you won't realize it until the very end when the drawers won't close. It’s frustrating.
Pro tip: Use a manual screwdriver for the final tightening. If you use a power drill and get overzealous, you will split the pine. I’ve seen it happen a dozen times. The wood is soft, remember? Treat it gently. Also, don't skip the back panel nails. People think that thin sheet of fiberboard on the back is optional. It isn't. It’s what keeps the dresser from swaying horizontally. Nail every single one of those tiny silver pins in. Your future self will thank you.
The Safety Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about the recalls. A few years back, IKEA paid out millions in settlements because dressers—including the Hemnes line—were tipping over and hurting children.
It was a massive scandal.
Since then, IKEA has redesigned the "Anchor It" kit that comes in the box. Here is the blunt truth: If you have kids, or a heavy cat, or you live in an earthquake zone, and you don't bolt this thing to the wall, you are making a mistake. The Hemnes three drawer chest is top-heavy once those drawers are full of sweaters. When you pull out all three drawers at once, the center of gravity shifts dangerously.
IKEA now literally refuses to sell these in some regions without the customer acknowledging the need for wall anchoring. It’s not a suggestion. It’s a requirement for the piece to function safely. If you’re renting and can’t drill holes in the wall, you might want to reconsider this specific model, or at least look into heavy-duty "no-drill" furniture anchors.
Why Three Drawers is the "Goldilocks" Size
The four-drawer is too tall for most bedside uses. The eight-drawer is a behemoth that takes up an entire wall. But the three-drawer version? It’s the sweet spot.
- Height: At roughly 37 inches tall, it’s the perfect height for a changing table. Thousands of parents use it exactly for this. You put a changing pad on top, and it’s at the ideal ergonomic level so you aren't killing your back during a midnight diaper change.
- Width: It’s narrow enough to fit into a closet but wide enough to actually hold a week’s worth of jeans.
- Versatility: It works as an oversized nightstand if you have a high bed.
The drawer depth is surprisingly generous. You can fit two stacks of t-shirts side-by-side in a single drawer. The glides are smooth-ish, though they don't have that high-end "soft close" feature. They just... close.
The Finish Dilemma: White Stain vs. Black-Brown
This is where people get tripped up. The "White Stain" is not a solid white paint. You can see the wood grain through it. It has a slightly rustic, Scandi-chic vibe. If you want a solid, opaque "hospital white," you have to buy the "White" version (which is often a different finish type) or paint it yourself.
The Black-Brown is a classic, but it’s a dust magnet. Seriously. You will see every speck of lint from a mile away. If you’re a perfectionist, the darker finishes will drive you insane.
Lately, IKEA has been rotating limited colors—dusty greens, deep blues—but the core neutrals are what stay in stock. If you see a weird color you like, buy it now. They discontinue those faster than you’d think.
The "IKEA Hack" Potential
Because the Hemnes three drawer chest is so basic, it’s become a blank canvas.
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I’ve seen people replace the top with a slab of butcher block or even marble. Others use "Overlays"—those laser-cut fretwork panels you can glue onto the drawer fronts—to give it a Hollywood Regency look. Honestly, the best bang-for-your-buck upgrade is the knobs. The standard black knobs that come in the box are fine, but they look "IKEA." Spend $20 on some heavy knurled brass or ceramic knobs from Etsy, and the perceived value of the dresser triples instantly.
Real-World Longevity
How long does it actually last?
If you treat it like a normal human being, you’ll get five to ten years out of it. The first thing to go is usually the drawer bottoms. They’re made of thin hardboard. If you overstuff them with heavy winter coats, the bottom will start to bow and eventually pop out of the groove.
There’s a fix for this, though. You can buy "drawer doctor" kits online—essentially just small plastic brackets that screw into the bottom to reinforce it. Or, if you’re handy, just run a bead of wood glue along the groove during assembly. That small step makes the drawers twice as strong.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often mistake the Hemnes for the Hurdal or the old Leksvik lines. It’s also frequently compared to the Koppang. Don't buy the Koppang thinking it's a cheaper Hemnes. The Koppang is foil-wrapped particle board. It will peel. It will swell if you spill water on it. The Hemnes, being solid pine, handles "life" much better.
Another misconception? That it’s "small." People see "three drawers" and think it’s a tiny accent piece. In reality, the Hemnes three drawer chest is quite deep. Measure your space twice. It sticks out further from the wall than a standard hallway console table, which can make a small room feel cramped if you aren't prepared for the footprint.
Practical Steps for Your Purchase
If you've decided this is the dresser for your space, don't just wing it.
First, check the stock levels at your local IKEA before you drive out there. The Hemnes line is notorious for being out of stock because it’s so popular. Second, make sure your car can fit the box. It’s one long, heavy box. It won't fit in a tiny coupe unless you’re a Tetris grandmaster.
When you get it home, clear a large floor space. Lay the cardboard box down to protect your floors and the wood finish while you work. And for the love of all things holy, check that every piece is there before you start. There is nothing worse than getting 80% finished and realizing you’re missing one specific cam-lock screw.
Once it’s built, anchor it to the wall immediately. Don't tell yourself you'll do it "next weekend." Do it now. Then, swap those knobs, organize your socks, and enjoy the fact that you have a piece of solid wood furniture that didn't cost a month's rent.
It’s not an heirloom piece you’ll pass down to your grandkids for the next century, but for right now? It’s probably exactly what your bedroom needs. Stick to the assembly plan, reinforce the drawer bottoms with a little glue, and you’ve got a reliable workhorse that looks significantly more expensive than it actually is.
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Next Steps for Your Hemnes Project:
- Measure your wall space: Ensure you have 42 1/2 inches of width and at least 20 inches of depth for clearance.
- Buy a stud finder: You'll need this to properly anchor the dresser to the wall.
- Order upgraded hardware: Look for 1-inch (25mm) knobs to replace the stock black ones for an instant custom look.
- Check the "As-Is" section: Frequently, floor models or slightly dinged Hemnes units end up here for 40% off—since it's solid wood, a little wood filler and paint can fix almost any "As-Is" damage.