A Chest of Drawers vs. A Dresser – Which is Better?

With so many types of furniture and decor styles available today, it can be hard to know what you are looking for. One of the most confusing topics is that of a dresser versus a chest of drawers.

What is the difference between a chest of drawers and a dresser? To start, chests and dressers are usually used interchangeably when it comes to naming a type of furniture. In reality, the only difference is their shape and size of them. A dresser can also have multiple drawers as well as a mirror on top. Chests are mostly square in shape and smaller than a dresser which tends to be rectangular or cuboid in shape with at least 3 large drawers. Some dressers can also have a jewelry drawer and mirror with lights.

Both chests and dressers come in many different styles, colors, and patterns. A chest of drawers and a dresser are two different pieces of bedroom furniture. A chest of drawers typically has four to five drawers in it, while a dresser is usually larger with six to eight drawers in it. The word “dresser” can also be used as the name for the entire collection of furniture in a bedroom, as in this context it has no other meaning.

If you want to know what type of dresser you have, count the drawers and see if they all come out or not. Also, look at how big it is in size compared to your bed because that will be the best way for you to tell if you have a chest or a dresser.

Chest of Drawers

A chest of drawers is a simple piece of furniture that typically contains four to five drawers, which are used for storing clothes and other items inside a bedroom or closet. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes, with some having only two wide drawers, while others may have five drawers with one side having two doors that open up to reveal additional storage space.

Dresser

A dresser is a larger piece of furniture than a chest of drawers. It typically has six to eight drawers, which are used for storing clothes and other items inside a bedroom or closet. Dressers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with some having six wide drawers, while others may have two sets of three drawers stacked vertically on top of each other.

Difference Between Chest of Drawers and Dresser

A chest of drawers is a piece of furniture that has typically four to five drawers, while a dresser is a larger piece of furniture that has six to eight drawers. A chest of drawers will typically have only one set of double doors at the top for additional storage space and two wide drawers on each side, while a dresser will contain three or more sets of stacked drawers.

Dresser’s drawers can be located on either side as well as both ends of the dresser while a chest of drawers can only have them on one end with no drawers on both sides. The design of a dresser is taller with more storage space than that of a chest of drawers.

Materials

Dressers and chests of drawers are typically made from a variety of materials, including wood and wood composites. Chests of drawers may also be made from metal or plastic for a sleek look.

Construction

Dressers are typically constructed of many smaller pieces of wood that are joined at joints. There is little to no gap between the individual boards, giving it a smooth finish with clean edges around drawers and doors. Many dressers feature a top that is either flat or recessed.

Chests of drawers can be constructed in various ways, including a group of small pieces of wood joined at joints and often covered by one board on top joined sheets of plywood or particleboard stapled together with edges exposed one large piece of plywood or particleboard with edges exposed a group of small pieces of wood joined at joints and covered by one board on top

Aesthetic Appeal

Dressers typically feature clean lines and light finishes that give them a sleek appearance. The doors and drawers may be decorated with glass inserts for added style. Chests of drawers can be ornately carved or finished with bright colors or metallic finishes.

Chest of Drawers

• Typically has 4 to 5 drawers
• Come in a variety of shapes and sizes
• Only one set of double doors at the top for additional storage space; two wide on each side.
• A dresser can have its drawers on either end or both ends while a chest of drawers can only have them on one end.
• A chest of drawers has three or more drawers while a dresser may have less than that.
• The chest of drawers has legs on one end and none on the other.

Dresser

• Typically has 6 to 8 drawers
• Come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
• Typically three or more sets of stacked drawers are on top of each other.
• A dresser can be taller with more drawers than a chest of drawers.
• There are no legs on the ends of the dresser, but there are legs at all four corners.

Why Choose a Chest of Drawers?

There are many reasons why someone would buy a chest of drawers as they can be pretty useful to have around the home. Here are some examples:

• They can be used for storing clothes and linen
• They can also be used as a place to put all your electronic devices such as your TV and DVD player as well as your computer equipment such as a printer, modem, and router.
• It can be used to store all those bits and bobs that you never know where they go because you’ve had them for so long like the remote control for the TV and DVD player, spare batteries, and wires.
• You could use the chest of drawers to store all your favorite books and magazines where you can find them easily.
• You could use them as a sideboard for serving food or drinks during celebrations such as birthdays, dinners, and special events like Christmas.
• Your chest of drawers can also be used as an extra surface for working on because the top of the chest of drawers is a perfect height for using as a temporary desk.
• You could use your chest of drawers as a place to put all your DVDs and CDs so you can find them easily when you want to watch or listen to one.

Chests of drawers are very handy especially if they have five drawers as you can sort all your different types of clothes into each drawer.

Chests of drawers are very popular because they are useful for so many reasons and it’s not surprising given the number of uses that they have. You could say that a chest of drawers is an essential item to have in any home. If you don’t have one yet why not consider getting one?

Great Organizational Solution

Buying a chest of drawers is beneficial because it gives you organization for all your clothes. You can organize your t-shirts, sweaters, dress shirts, pants, underwear, socks, and any other clothing items you want to keep separate. The price of buying one may be expensive but it will last you years if not decades.

There are also different styles of chest drawers you can buy that will fit into your bedroom theme. You can also gain storage space for other things like blankets, shoes, towels, and anything else you may need to store. If you’re looking to buy a new chest of drawers then check out the office furniture warehouse where they have many different styles at affordable prices.

Why Choose A Dresser?

In the past, our bedroom had two chests, which took up a lot of room, especially with shoes and stuff on them. So we replaced them with two matching nightstands and a dresser, which we had to buy online as none of the furniture stores in our area carried such tall dressers.

The height was not an issue as I could still reach the top easily and it looks much nicer than the chests did. We now have all our clothes in drawers except for several pairs of shoes and other items on top.

There are many reasons why you should buy a dresser instead of a chest even if you don’t care about the design or aesthetics. Here are the pros:

First, you can use a dresser for a longer time. Chest drawers are not as durable because they tend to collapse over the years. Since chests have one big surface, it’s easy for them to break off from their joints and fall apart from regular use. On the other hand, since dressers have legs or stand on their own, they are more durable and can last much longer.

It is also much easier to move a dresser from one room to another because you can carry them by holding their handles instead of having to hold an entire 5-6 feet tall chest when moving it in a small place. Drawers take less space in comparison with chests, so you can fit more clothes in a dresser than in a chest.

Second, chests take much more time to open and close because of their long height. You also need to stop or kneel for them which is difficult especially if they are placed high up like on top of your wardrobe. The drawers of dressers take much less time to open and close because they are much shorter, so you can fit in more clothes per drawer.

You can also fit longer items in drawers that would be difficult to put into a tall chest without having excess space left over. Also, since dressers have many drawers, you can separate your clothes by category which is useful when you’re searching for a certain article of clothing.

And finally, since dressers can be easily moved, they are perfect if you want to re-arrange the furniture in your room or house without too much trouble.

Final Thoughts

In summary, both dressers and chests of drawers are used as storage space for clothes and other items in the bedroom. However, dressers typically contain three to five drawers while a chest of drawers can have six or more drawers.

Dressers are made up of smaller pieces of wood joined at joints where chests may be constructed from various materials, including plywood and particleboard. Dresser finishes tend to be sleek with little to no gap between boards while chest finishes can vary greatly.

By understanding the difference between these two-bedroom pieces, consumers can select the right dresser or chest of drawers to meet their needs.