IKEA PAX vs Bunnings Lugna: Which Built-in Wardrobe Should You Buy?

Price: what an IKEA PAX or Lugna wardrobe really costs

So how much does a flatpack built-in wardrobe cost in Australia? I priced two wardrobe designs at both brands, using the same layout each time.

• Built-in robe: a 2m wide recess, 2.1m high, with two plain white sliding doors. One side has a top shelf and double hanging. The other has 3 drawers and 3 shelves.
• Walk-in robe: two facing walls of about 2m each, with no doors and no corners. It has double hanging, long hanging, 3 drawers with shelves, and two narrow shelving units for shoes and folded clothes.

Delivery is included: $155 from Bunnings for both designs, and $74 (built-in) or $119 (walk-in) from IKEA.

Unlike kitchens and laundries, the gap here gets smaller as the wardrobe gets bigger. The built-in robe has sliding doors and the walk-in doesn't, and Lugna's doors are made to measure, so that's worth keeping in mind when you compare.

What's included vs sold separately

Both brands sell their wardrobes piece by piece, so make sure you've added the same items to both quotes.

Hidden costs people forget

• Installation, if you're not keen to DIY
• Wall screws and plugs to suit your wall
• Screws to fix Lugna door tracks into your opening
• Removing your old robe and patching the walls
• Painting the recess before the new robe goes in
• Lighting

Quality and durability

A wardrobe doesn't face water or heavy use like a kitchen, so the board matters less here. The bigger differences are in the doors and the warranty on the hardware.

Carcass board and back panel

The two are very similar here. Both have thin backs that nail on, so both rely on being fixed to the wall to stay rigid. Lugna's moisture-resistant board is a small bonus if your robe is on an external wall or in a damp room.

Sliding doors, hinges and drawers

Sliding doors are the biggest difference. Lugna's sliding doors are custom made to measure, up to 2100mm high (2400mm is also available), in a white aluminium frame. Their tracks screw into the top and floor of your opening. IKEA's HASVIK doors come in a standard 200 x 201cm pair with soft close built into the rails, and the tracks screw onto the PAX frames.

Hinged doors are available from both. Lugna's soft-close hinges are sold in 2-packs, and IKEA's KOMPLEMENT soft-close hinges are sold separately.

Drawers are soft close at both brands: Lugna's inner drawers and IKEA's KOMPLEMENT drawers. Both are sold separately.

Warranty compared

You can read the full terms in IKEA's guarantee and Lugna's warranty.

Design, sizes and fit

Door styles and finishes

IKEA PAX has around 12 hinged door styles in 8 finishes, plus sliding doors in foil, wood-effect and mirror glass. Lugna has 3 hinged door styles in 2 finishes, and sliding doors in melamine, mirror, glass and VJ panelling. If you want lots of choice, PAX wins. If you want a VJ panel look, that's a Lugna option.

Sizes: widths, heights and depths

If your ceiling is lower than IKEA's minimum, you can still use PAX, but you'll need to build the frame standing in place instead of tilting it up.

Fitting a built-in robe or wardrobe recess

This is where Lugna shines. Its sliding doors are made to fit your opening, and it sells dedicated filler panels (100mm wide, in all 5 Lugna colours) to close the gaps between the cabinets and your walls.

IKEA doesn't make PAX filler or scribe strips. To close a gap, you cut a filler from a cover panel yourself. The HASVIK doors also sit on the frames rather than in your opening, so they need a 205cm minimum opening height.

Planning your wardrobe

IKEA has the PAX online planner, a free PAX planning appointment and a wardrobe planning service. Lugna has two free online planners, one for modular storage and one for built-in wardrobes and sliding doors. There's no in-home design consultant, but you can ask at the Bunnings Special Orders Desk.

Make your wardrobe look high-end

The best built-in robes look like they were made for the room. These touches help a PAX or Lugna wardrobe get there.

• Filler panels: closing the gaps to the wall is what makes a robe look built in.
• Doors: a mirror or timber-look door changes the feel of the whole room.
• Handles: a nicer handle on hinged doors or external drawers is an easy upgrade.
• Lighting: a strip light inside the robe makes it easier to use and looks great.

Buying experience: in-store, online and delivery

Lugna is sold through Bunnings. Sliding doors are a special order, made to measure and ordered in-store. IKEA PAX is bought per item in-store or online, with home delivery or store pick-up.

Stock and delivery times

• Lugna: orders are ready to collect from your Bunnings store within 4–6 weeks.
• IKEA PAX: often in stock to take home. If you get it delivered, the estimated date shows at checkout.

Is Lugna Australian made?

Lugna is Australian owned and operated, and Bunnings lists its robe inserts as made in Australia. IKEA products come from suppliers all over the world.

Installation: DIY or hire a pro?

My "How hard to build?" rating runs from Easy to Hard. For wardrobes, I went through the frame, sliding door and drawer instructions for each brand and looked at the tools, how the frames stand and level, how the panels join, and how the doors go on.

PAX is easier for first-timers because the doors and tracks are designed around the frames. With Lugna, fitting the made-to-measure doors into your opening is the trickiest part, so take your time getting the tracks level.

Fixing it to the wall

Both wardrobes need to be fixed to the wall so they can't tip over. IKEA says PAX must be fixed to the wall, and the screws to suit your wall aren't supplied. Lugna includes one anti-tip bracket, but a Bunnings team member has confirmed that Lugna cabinets are designed to sit on the floor, not hang on the wall, so you supply your own wall fixing.

Installation services

IKEA offers an assembly service for PAX. For Lugna, Bunnings can connect you with local installers, so ask in-store.

Tools you'll need for DIY

• Lugna: screwdriver, hammer, mallet, and a drill with a 3mm bit for the door tracks
• IKEA PAX: screwdrivers, hammer, spirit level and a step ladder. A drill and clamp are only needed to join frames side by side
• Both: a drill and screws for fixing to the wall, a tape measure, and a second person

Are there alternatives to IKEA PAX and Lugna?

I also compare two other wardrobe brands.

• Fantastic Furniture Garde came in at $1,324 for the built-in robe, in between PAX and Lugna. It has sliding doors in white, oak or mirror, a 10-year warranty, and you can click and collect in-store. But the drawers aren't soft close, there are no filler panels, and there's no walk-in option.
• Freedom Wardrobes are designed for you at a free in-home or video appointment and are Australian made. Soft-close Häfele drawers are standard. Prices are only given at a design appointment, and you arrange your own installer.

See IKEA PAX, Lugna and Garde side by side in our wardrobe comparison tool.

Our verdict

Go IKEA PAX if price is your top priority, you want an easier build, or you'd like soft-close sliding doors. Go Lugna if you want doors made to fit your opening and filler panels for a true built-in look. Whichever you choose, check your ceiling height and add wall fixings to your shopping list.