Many cheap bedroom drawer chests are made from plywood, but why some companies choose to do this is a mystery. You may be thinking that plywood is a cheap material, but actually there are other less costly materials that produce better overall results, such as MDF. While it is true that plywood is relatively strong (which is probably why some furniture manufacturers choose to use it), it has many disadvantages that actually make it entirely unsuitable for use in bedroom units. Firstly, plywood has quite an open, sparse, and thin grain due to the way it is made up via layering. The sort of softness that comes with this leaves plywood structures very vulnerable to weak spots. If a weak spot occurs in just the wrong place, it could compromise the integrity of bedroom wardrobes, which essentially become a ticking time bomb – it’s not if they’ll fall, it’s when. Plywood is also very susceptible to the effects of heat and moisture. If your house doesn’t have very good ventilation and tends to steam up in hot and cold weather, this moisture will be absorbed by the plywood, which is very porous. This can cause it to warp. Once it re-sets, it’s very difficult to return the furniture to its original state. This can affect not only the way the furniture looks, but also how easy it is to open and shut.

Always look for fitted bedrooms that are made from chipboard, or particleboard. All of our bedroom units are made from EGGER chipboard. Chipboard is made by pressing recycled materials together, rather than layering, so instead of an open grain, chipboard is very dense, and very closed. This means it’s very unlikely to produce weak spots, making your bedroom wardrobes much more secure. Chipboard is renowned for being stronger, sturdier, and even more versatile than plywood, and aesthetically it resembles solid wood very closely, so it doesn’t need to be covered in a vinyl, acrylic, or PVC wrap for customers that want an exposed wood finish. What’s surprising is that chipboard is actually cheaper that plywood, yet it produces much higher quality furniture that’s durable, robust, and, most importantly, safe.

Unfortunately, one disadvantage chipboard does have is that, like plywood, it is quite porous (it is less so, however, due to the denser nature). This means it can soak up any moisture in the air which could cause warping. It’s very uncommon to find un-coated chipboard used to make bedroom units, but it can happen, so be vigilant. Always ask what coating or laminate is covering the chipboard – if it’s bare, then walk away!

Most chipboard that is used to make bedroom wardrobes is coated in one way or another. This not only acts as a way to protect the wood underneath and enhance its strength, but is also acts as a barrier to keep out moisture, particles, and dust which could affect the integrity of the structure. Our EGGER board is coated in melamine, a type of hard wearing resin that is often used for laminate flooring. You can be sure that if melamine can withstand heavy foot traffic on laminate flooring, then it can withstand moderate use in bedrooms.

If you take a look at some other furniture websites, you’ll notice a common trend – not giving detailed specifications about the fitted bedrooms on offer. While you’ll be offered the sizings and the materials, you probably won’t be offered details about the thickness of the material. This is a clever trick that prevents companies from having to divulge that they’re offering low quality products. If a specification doesn’t confirm a material thickness, chances are it’s 12mm, 15mm if you’re lucky. While there’s nothing wrong with 12mm and 15mm thicknesses for many DIY tasks, they just don’t hit the spot when it comes to furniture.

Bedroom wardrobes and bedroom drawer chests are perhaps two of the most abused pieces of furniture in the home. We tend to overload them well beyond their capacity with clothes, shoes, and all manner of other garments and trinkets. If you really take a moment to think about just how much you’ve got hidden in your wardrobe, you’ll completely understand just how important it is to opt for an 18mm thickness!

Don’t fall into the trap of buying cheap bedroom furniture. The prices may seem appealing, but it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll need to replace your bedroom within a couple of years due to suboptimal materials and bad workmanship. If you really want to be cost effective, think ahead, and opt for furniture that is going to last well.