IKEA HEMNES 2-drawer chest

IKEA HEMNES 2-drawer chest by IKEA — dressers, Overall: 21.25" W x 15" D x 26" H. Compare it with similar pieces across brands, and see the rooms it appears in.

HEMNES 2-drawer chest - black-brown 21 1/4x26 " by IKEA
  • Brand: IKEA
  • Category: Dressers
  • Price: $150
  • Dimensions: Overall: 21.25" W x 15" D x 26" H
  • Materials: wood
  • Colours: black, brown, natural
  • Rooms: Bedroom
See it at IKEA

Room×Lab Review · Review updated September 28, 2026

Owners of this black-brown chest and the white-stain version mostly find it a sturdy, well-sized nightstand, but slow builds and drawers that close badly come up again and again

Room×Lab read 1,378 distinct written reviews that IKEA shows together for this black-brown chest and the white-stain version. About a fifth are on the black-brown listing, mostly from US buyers; the rest are on the white-stain listing, largely from European markets. Most never name a color, and a few cover another model or IKEA service, so not all 1,378 are chest owners. Nearly all use it as a nightstand, and most write soon after assembly; a handful describe a year or more of use, some on older units. White-finish complaints apply to white units. Shared reviews do not mean every color and market is built identically. The reviews below were picked as examples of common praise from black-brown owners and specific complaints about assembly and drawers.

Room×Lab rating: 7.2 out of 10 (medium confidence). Owners of this black-brown chest and the white-stain version broadly like it as a compact nightstand for its size, sturdy feel and top-drawer insert. Caveats recur: assembly defects, builds that take hours, drawers that stick or stop closing, and finish damage. Few owners report on years of use.

  • Assembly is manageable for most, but slow or confusing for some: 289 favorable and 114 critical mentions about assembly effort and instructions, across both colors. — Favorable accounts describe easy builds, sometimes around 30–45 minutes, especially when case rails are placed correctly. Critical accounts describe unmarked look-alike parts, picture-only instructions, drawer or runner orientation mistakes, tedious back-panel nailing and builds lasting 2 to 4.5 hours.
  • Feels sturdy to most, though some see soft pine and cheaper parts: 336 favorable and 63 critical mentions about sturdiness and material quality, across both colors. — Favorable mentions are mostly early impressions of a stable, real-wood piece, not proof of long life. Critical accounts describe pine that dents or nicks easily, wobbly or flimsy drawers, top and front panels of narrow glued boards, plastic parts that replaced metal ones, and a sense that current units are cheaper than older HEMNES pieces.
  • Drawer performance is the most mixed day-to-day experience: 30 favorable and 57 critical mentions about drawer glide, closing and construction, across both colors. — Some owners praise smooth, lined drawers. Critical accounts include drawers that close hard or sit crooked after assembly, a black-brown chest whose bottom drawer front came loose from about month four until it would not stay on, and a white-stain owner's two units whose drawers stopped closing after about three weeks. One owner blames their own assembly.

Before buying

Choose it as a compact, sturdy nightstand if you can accept that some builds take hours and some owners' drawers close badly or work loose. On arrival, check parts, holes and drawer fit, anchor it to the wall as IKEA directs, and consider a glass top.

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