You love shopping for furniture at IKEA, but admittedly, you’re not so fond of putting everything together from scratch. Whether you’re buying a coffee table, a bookshelf, or a dining set, does IKEA include tools with their furniture? We've researched the tools and parts you'll likely need to assemble IKEA furniture and which come along with most packages to get the answer for you.
Yes, most IKEA furniture comes with tools, such as screws and the brand’s cross-slot screwdriver, which IKEA says is the standard for tightening most of their screws. You will have to use your own tools to open the box. You’ll also need outside tools for proper installation.
If you have yet more questions, such as which IKEA screws are which, we have the answers! Keep reading to learn more about whether you have to assemble all of IKEA’s furniture yourself and who to contact if you need missing or replacement parts.
Do You Get Tools with Your IKEA Furniture Purchase?
Whether you buy your furniture at your local IKEA store or you order it online, it’s going to come sealed in a box. Once you open that cardboard box, what will you find inside? Well, all the parts for your furniture, for starters. You’ll also have a manual with page-by-page instructions and illustrations for furniture assembly.
Then you get to the good stuff, the tools. Whether those are screws, mounting brackets, Allen wrenches, or cross-slot screwdrivers (or all the above), they should be in the box.
Are the tools included with your purchase everything you need for adequate assembly? That depends on what you’re building, but probably not. We recommend you have the following tools too:
Hexagonal Bits
To spare your hands the pain of tightening each screw with your Allen wrench, hexagonal bits in a drill will do the job for you. Besides reducing hand strain, you’ll also speed up your project completion time, and who doesn’t like that!
Power Drill
The hexagonal bits are useless on their own. A power drill ensures all your screws are securely in place so your bookcase or coffee table doesn’t fall apart the moment you add some weight to it. For a more cost-effective option, you could try a power screwdriver if you don’t have a power drill. This WORKPRO 20-volt cordless drill works as both an impact driver and a drill driver.
Level
How will you know if your bookshelf is straight or that your bedframe doesn’t lean to one side? A level will tell you. Try this Craftsman torpedo nine-inch level, which is an Amazon’s Choice product.
Hammer
You can’t bang those joints into place or level that screw with your bare hands, now, can you? A hammer is needed for the job. This Benchmark hammer set includes a tack hammer, a claw hammer, and a rubber mallet, the latter of which will also certainly come in handy!
Just to make it clear, the above tools DO NOT come with your IKEA purchase!
Does All IKEA Furniture Require Assembly?
After spending hours stressing, sweating, and straining, you don’t want to put together another piece of IKEA furniture again for a while. Does all furniture from the retailer necessarily require you to assemble it?
Not at all! A few, every day, IKEA furniture items are ready to use right out of the box.
BERNHARD Chair
Since the BERNHARD is a chrome-plated chair with a leather padded seat, it’s all put together for you. These stately chairs look great as an accent piece in an entertainment or living room. You can also buy several and use them as dining chairs!
GAMLEHULT Ottoman
For an easy ottoman, the GAMELHULT delivers. This rattan ottoman is hand-woven and makes the perfect place to rest your feet. Openings on both sides of the ottoman are ideal for storing books, magazines, a folded blanket, and a few small toys or trinkets.
IKEA PS VAGO Chair
A single piece of molded plastic (that’s also resistant to UV damage), the IKEA PS VAGO comes in kid and adult sizes and is a wonderful spot to sit in your backyard.
Does IKEA Have Tools?
After a single instance of coming home with new IKEA furniture only to find you need to go back out for more tools, you don’t want to be in that unenviable position again. The next time you’re at the store and want to buy tools, do you have to go to Home Depot or Lowe’s, or could you just shop through IKEA?
You can indeed buy tools at IKEA. Although the availability of their tools varies by store, one search on their website for tools shows that IKEA sells the following:
- Wood screws
- Cable management sets
- Drill templates
- Laser levels
- Floor protectors
- Casters
- Padlocks
- Paintbrushes
- Tape measures
Are you looking to paint a bookshelf you bought from IKEA? Don’t miss this post: "How to Paint an IKEA Billy Bookcase."
What Types of Screws Does IKEA Use?
You were surprised by the number of screws that came out of the furniture box when you opened it. Why are there so many, and do you really need to use them all? Since IKEA only includes what’s necessary for the job, yes, the furniture assembly will require those screws.
How do you make sense of which screw is which? Look at the IKEA instruction manual! On their assembly guide page, IKEA has a diagram of which screws you’ll come across during your assembly. They are:
- 8x small screw
- 2x small screw
- 4x small screw
- 8x long screw
- 8x threaded screw
- 12x screw
- 2x long screw
- 4x long screw
The included diagram illustrating each screw helps you differentiate between one 8x screw and another. It’s hard to mistake the screws when they’re in front of you, as the variety of 2x'es, 4x'es, and 8x'es are very apparent.
Now that you understand IKEA’s screws, you’ll feel more confident buying their bookshelves. Read more: "15 IKEA Bookshelves You Can Choose From."
What Size Is IKEA’s Allen Key?
We talked before about how IKEA will include an Allen wrench with your furniture purchase, and you may also see an Allen key in your pile of tools. Also referred to as a hex key, an Allen key looks like a bent piece of metal. It helps you tighten screws or bolts into hexagonal sockets, so you should rely on the Allen key quite a lot.
How big is your Allen key from IKEA? The blogger at the tech site, Inverted Keyboard, measured IKEA’s Allen keys and determined that the larger one is 0.30 inches or 7.6 millimeters. If your Allen key is mid-sized, it’s 0.22 inches or 5.7 millimeters.
What Is A Cam Lock Nut?
Before you start your assembly, it’s best to familiarize yourself with a cam lock nut, as you’ll work with them when putting together your IKEA furniture. These locking screws include a built-in cam that slots into one part of the screw. The second piece connects to the cam, locking them together.
Cam lock nuts can produce a stable join and a tight screw. That’s useful when assembling IKEA-bought products!
Can You Get Replacement Parts for IKEA Furniture?
In the assembly guide we linked you to before, IKEA recommends laying out all your tools and screws before you begin putting anything together. This way, if you’re missing a crucial screw or part, you’ll know before you waste an hour or more on assembly.
All components and tools from IKEA have a unique parts number that’s six digits long. If you don’t see the part number on the tool itself, check your instruction manual, as the info should definitely be in there. Jot down the part number(s) for the part(s) you’re missing, as you’ll need that number to get your replacement part(s).
You can call to ask if your closest IKEA has the replacement, or you can get parts in person. Head to the Returns Counter when you arrive. You should see a shelf nearby stocked full of replacement parts. Using your parts' number as a guide, grab what you need.
Should you be unable to find the part, IKEA says their staff at the Returns Counter are always happy to help.
How Do You Contact IKEA For Missing Parts?
To get your missing parts predicament solved quickly, you can contact IKEA in one of several ways. As mentioned in the last section, you can give them a call or visit the store. You can also use the IKEA website to help.
Their spare parts page lets you reach a specific store or look up information about an online order. You can place a new order for spare parts right through this page, which is nice. Of course, you have to wait for the parts to arrive, which means your as-yet-unbuilt table has to wait a bit longer.
In Closing
IKEA furniture comes with basic assembly tools, but you’re without hammers, a drill, or a level, so buy those separately. Installation can be difficult, but IKEA illustrates each type of screw and tool in their assembly guide, so follow the guide whenever you can. Of course, if you’re missing parts and you need replacements, contact your IKEA store!