Any advice on the material for a chest of drawers?

[guang]

I'm looking for a chest of drawers and really need some advice. I can't decide between solid wood and MDF. Solid wood seems like it'll last longer, but MDF is more common these days with more finishes and price options.

I've been checking out IKEA, Wayfair, and Dunelm, Garvee and also noticed a few smaller brands I hadn't seen before. It's hard to tell how sturdy these pieces really are just from the pictures.

For anyone who's had an MDF chest for a few years, how has it held up? And for solid wood owners, do you think it's worth the extra money?Has anyone ever taken apart a mass-market dresser to see what it's actually made of?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Can't really go wrong with something like the Malm range from IKEA IMO, they're chipboard, we still use one we originally bought in 2000. We have four of them now and two of those were bought secondhand.

 

[Deluks]

Depends on what's going in the drawer, if it's just your pants and socks, no problem. I've seen chipboard drawers fall apart when stuffed with paperwork and photo albums.

Glue and some small angle brackets are useful to beef up a lightweight drawer.