How to Tell If a Dresser Is Well Made

Part two of the Martin & MacArthur guide to judging fine wood furniture

Stand a few steps back with every drawer closed. Look at the dresser from top to bottom. Do the cabinet, drawer fronts, and base feel in proportion? Are the gaps between the drawers even? Before you reach for a handle, you can see how carefully the maker planned the piece as a whole.

Whether you’re considering a walnut dresser, a painted maple chest, or a piece made of Hawaiian koa, start with the same questions. Do the parts fit? Do the drawers move well? Does the cabinet feel solid in use? In part one, we looked at how makers prepare the wood and fit the joints. Here’s how to judge those decisions in a dresser.

In brief. Start with the proportions, graduated drawer heights, and even spacing. On a dresser with visible wood grain, see whether the pattern flows from drawer to drawer so the front reads as one continuous panel. Compare the sides with the top and front, then check the pulls, drawer action, and joinery. Finish by asking how the dresser was tested for stability.

Start with the proportions and drawer heights

Look straight at the dresser so you can see whether the drawer fronts line up and whether the gaps stay even across the cabinet. Notice how the height of each drawer relates to the ones above and below it.

A classic dresser graduates the drawer heights. The lower drawers are taller to hold bulky sweaters, heavy denim, and other large items. The upper drawers get progressively shorter, giving socks and accessories a place where they are easy to find. The amount of change can vary with the design. Look for a progression that feels balanced from across the room and gives you useful space when you open the drawers.

Trace the wood grain from drawer to drawer

With the drawers closed, pick a distinctive grain line in the wood or a curl in figured wood such as koa. Follow it to the edge of the drawer and look for where it picks up on the other side of the gap. Repeat that across the front. Does the grain pattern stay consistent from drawer to drawer so the dresser looks like one continuous panel?

When the grain changes direction abruptly or the curl starts over at every gap, the eye sees a set of separate drawer fronts. When the maker plans the wood selection and layout across the whole front, the grain carries your eye from one drawer to the next. On a painted dresser, look instead at how the drawer fronts line up and how consistently the finish covers the faces and edges.

Compare the sides with the top and front

Walk around the dresser and look at it from an angle where you can see the top, front, and one side together. Compare the color, grain, and finish. When the wood is visible, expect some natural variation from board to board. Look for a consistent character as your eye moves around the cabinet, especially where the top meets the sides.

Ask any furniture maker how the wood was dried and how they checked its moisture content before building. In our Hawaiʻi workshop at Martin & MacArthur, we use certified koa from previously fallen trees. We kiln-dry it in our own temperature-controlled kilns for at least two months, targeting about 8 percent wood moisture content before building. When shopping for koa furniture, ask what the certificate says about the wood’s origin and fallen status.

Get a feel for the knobs and handles

Look at the scale of the pull relative to the drawer. A small knob may feel right on a shallow top drawer, while a wider pull may give your hand a better grip on a large lower drawer. Check for finger clearance and edges that feel comfortable against your hand.

Use the pull the way you would at home. It should feel firmly attached, without twisting or shifting when you open the drawer. Ask the retailer to show how the pull feels on a wide drawer carrying a typical load.

Open and close the drawers one at a time

Try a shallow drawer and a wide lower drawer. Each should feel substantial and glide steadily without rubbing, catching, or dipping as it extends. Check how far you can reach into the drawer, especially at the back.

If the dresser has concealed undermount slides, look below the drawer box to see where they sit. Concealed slides leave the drawer sides clear. Full extension gives you access to the back of the drawer. Soft-close controls how the drawer finishes closing. Ask which features the dresser has and what load the slides are rated to carry.

Give a soft-close drawer a gentle push. It should slow near the end, close quietly, and come all the way in without slamming, bouncing back, or hanging slightly open. Once it closes, see whether the front lines up with its neighbors.

Inspect the drawer box and cabinet

Look inside the drawer at the corners, where the front, back, and sides meet. The joints should fit cleanly. Run your hand along the inside edge and look at how the bottom is supported. A large drawer intended for heavier clothing deserves particular attention here.

Ask what the drawer fronts, box sides, bottoms, and cabinet panels are made of. If the retailer describes the dresser as solid wood, ask which parts that description covers. The materials and how the parts are put together tell you more about construction than the weight of the dresser alone.

Finish by asking about stability

Opening a drawer moves its weight and contents forward. Extending several drawers together moves more weight forward, so the design of the base and the distribution of the cabinet’s weight matter even on a dresser that feels heavy.

In the showroom, try the drawers individually and ask the retailer how the manufacturer tested stability. Federal stability testing for covered dressers includes a test with the drawers the design permits to open together extended. Some dressers use an interlock to limit which drawers can open at once. Ask how that feature works if the dresser has one. At home, anchor the dresser to the wall according to the manufacturer’s instructions. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guidance for clothing storage units⁠ · CPSC furniture anchoring guidance⁠

Before you decide

Whether you’re comparing dressers in a New Jersey showroom, shopping from New York or Boston, or ordering from Maine, Chicago, Atlanta, or Texas, use the same sequence. Start with the closed cabinet and work your way in. If you’re buying online, ask for a straight-on photo that shows the spacing and any visible grain. Then ask for a video that shows the sides and top, a wide drawer opening and closing, and a close view of the joinery. Ask separately for the materials, stability testing, and anchoring information.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look at first?

Stand back with the drawers closed. Look at the dresser’s proportions, the progression in drawer heights, and the spacing between drawer fronts.

Why are the bottom drawers taller on a classic dresser?

They provide room for bulky or heavier clothing. Shorter upper drawers make smaller items easier to organize and find.

How can I tell if the wood grain was matched across the drawers?

Trace a line or curl across the gap between two closed drawers. Look for the pattern to pick up again on the next front so the entire face looks like one continuous panel.

How should a good drawer pull feel?

You should have room for your fingers, a comfortable grip, and a secure attachment that stays firm when you open a loaded drawer.

Should a well-made drawer feel heavy?

It should feel substantial and steady in motion. A wide drawer should still glide smoothly under a typical load.

What are concealed undermount slides?

They are drawer runners fitted underneath the drawer box, leaving the sides clear of visible slide hardware.

Why does a soft-close drawer sometimes stop short?

An obstruction or a slide that needs adjustment can prevent it from closing fully. Ask the retailer to check the drawer and confirm that the cabinet is level.

Are dovetails the only sign of a well-made drawer box?

Look at how closely the joints fit, how the bottom is supported, and how steadily the assembled drawer moves.

Does the weight of a dresser tell me what it’s made of?

Ask for a description of the materials used in the cabinet, fronts, and drawer boxes. Several materials can contribute to a heavy dresser.

How should I ask about tip-over safety?

Ask how the model was tested for stability, whether it has a drawer interlock, and how to install its wall anchor. CPSC clothing storage unit guidance⁠