The Best IKEA 3-Drawer Chests If You Can't Fit A Dresser In Your Small Space

Properly storing your closet items can be the main difference between a stress-free morning where you get ready for work with ease versus one where you're chronically late because you can't find anything. Without a designated place for everything, you can create chaotic clutter that reduces the quality of your outfits by keeping them wrinkled or buried under other items.

Unfortunately, everyone doesn't have a large walk-in closet with built-in shelves and customized islands. Therefore, you may have to piece different storage items together to create an optimized smaller closet. When considering the most stunning organizing and storage products for a smaller space, look no further than a three-drawer dresser from IKEA. In-closet dressers are the perfect and simple hack that can double your closet storage space and make getting ready a breeze.

Unlike built-in shelves, you have the freedom to move a dresser around a bit unless you mount it to the wall for additional safety. A six-drawer can be too big for a small closet, whereas a three-drawer chest allows room for storage overhead and on its top. When you check out IKEA's three-drawer selection, you have some highly-rated options without handles, like the sleek STORKLINTA or MALMO, and some ready for customization, like the solid oak RAST or TARVA. However, you may want to avoid the RACKNÄS chest, which only has a 2-star rating, thanks to numerous complaints about drawers falling off their tracks. Plus, unlike the other chests, it can't stand on its own — you must mount it due to its design.

When you want something timeless and sustainable, solid wood furniture is the perfect choice. You can create a rustic feel in your closet with the RAST 3-Drawer Chest made from solid pine for only $49.99. Do you want to put some creative juices to work? Pine is a lightweight, light-colored, and softwood, so your chest can easily accept staining or furniture paint.

Taking extra steps to protect your pine chest can extend its lifespan since softwoods like pine are more susceptible to dings and scratches. As many reviewers have noted, customization is easy through sanding, primer, paint, and even adding some functional adornments like handles. In a few hours or a weekend, you can flip a basic IKEA chest into a stunning storage closet addition.

Are you concerned about safety? The chest comes with a wall-anchoring kit to attach the piece to the wall. Keep up the wood theme by adding wood organizers inside the drawers, such as the UPPDATERA Utensil Tray made from bamboo for $8.00 or the TAVELÅN Tray for $12.99. With a 3.8 star rating on the IKEA website, many customers love the look and quality of the final product, especially for the price. However, a couple of reviews had an issue with the assembly instructions. If you have the room, you can also get the RAST six-drawer option for $99.99.

The STORKLINTA 3-Drawer Chest is one of IKEA's bestselling drawers. It comes in three colors — white, dark brown, and oak effect for $119.99. This furniture piece is perfect for anyone who enjoys a clean and modern design that can easily fit with other items. Like most other brand drawers, it has an Anchor and Unlock system to add safety by reducing the possibility of tipping over. The wall anchoring system is required if you plan to open more than one drawer at a time.

The horizontal lines make it easy to create a uniform look when you place more than one drawer next to another — especially if you pair up with the four-drawer and two-drawer options. It's easy to open the drawers, and you don't have to worry about loose handles coming off due to integrated handles along the upper edges.

Most reviews love it for being easy to assemble. However, the sole one-star review was left by someone frustrated by the instructions, who also admitted to not putting things together often. Compliments cite the drawers for having a beautiful finish that adds elegance to the room, as well as being sleek, chic, and sturdy. Bear in mind that some people also mentioned this three-drawer dresser is rather heavy, and some assembled parts that were once metal are now plastic. Overall, this item is a hit with a 4.5-star rating, and 10 out of 14 reviews are 5-star.

Another one that comes in three colors — white, black, or gray — is the BRIMNES 3-Drawer Chest with its standout frosted glass top drawer. A combination of particleboard, paper foil, honeycomb paper filling, plastic, and tempered glass brings this design to life. This highly popular choice with customers boasts 4.5 stars — 220 out of 323 of which are 5-star while 67 are 4-star — and retails for $169.99. According to the IKEA site, this storage unit can hold about 30 T-shirts and 15 pairs of folded pants.

Overall, customers find this three-drawer dresser beautiful and stylish. Several return customers bought this BRIMNES drawer and others from the series in previous years. Many reviewers say that it's easy to assemble and sturdy. While some find it time-consuming to assemble and heavy, they said it's worth doing for the final result. The tempered glass provides a modern look that people find attractive as they enjoy the deepness of the drawers. However, a few complaints mention the drawers don't come out very far once open, making it difficult to get certain items in and out. Similar to return customers mentioning that these current drawer rails are shorter than a few years ago.

Are you interested in the environmental-friendliness of wood veneer furniture? If so, consider the best-selling MALM 3-Drawer Chest. With over 1,636 reviews that create a 4.5-star rating, the MALM 3-drawer dresser may be more popular than the Swedish city it's named after. Retailing for $149.99, this dresser comes in black-brown or white stained oak veneer, making it less likely to warp or splinter over time compared to solid wood. It's also lighter to move around in your closet space or other areas.

The MALM's clean design with smooth running and simple drawers with a pull-out stop. Add more organization to your closet by also purchasing the equally popular two-drawer chest. There are many reviews from owners of other MALM dressers who enjoy this one just as much. Overall, it appears to be easy to assemble with clear instructions. Most people say it's robust and holds up well, but at least a couple had a flawed component that became fragile — particularly the slats up front. It also appears to be roomy enough to hold many items.

Are you trying to organize your child's room, or don't mind having a cute option in an adult closet? The GODISHUS 3-Drawer Chest, priced at $79.99, stands out. You can customize its round knobs to contrast against the white base. The knob design is perfect for labeling with stickers (that are included) or chalk writing — ideal for adults and kids who need help remembering where everything is.

An adult reviewer gladly uses it for undergarments, while another adult bought two drawers to use side-by-side. Many love the cute appearance and price and find it easy to put together. They also say it's the perfect size for little kids or in a nursery for newborn clothing.

Due to the size, you may have more overhead space in your closet to utilize. When maximizing closet space with a three-drawer chest of this size, you may have more space to hang shorter items or install a floating shelf overhead. Do you find some IKEA nightstands too short? In addition to fitting a GODISHUS drawer in your closet, you can do like some customers have and use it as a nightstand replacement.