There comes a time when you may find that closet space and foldable shelves isn’t enough to house multiple layers of self-expression. Understanding the difference between a dresser and chests of drawers is key in figuring out the best way to stay ready for the next scene.
Fortunately, there’s different types of dressers for different folks. You can find a short chest of drawers just for your black turtlenecks or get a clothes dresser for your paisley pajamas and head scarves. Get a sense of what’s currently missing from your room or organizational needs first, and you’ll find a variety of options to choose from.
What Is a Chest of Drawers?
A chest of drawers is a stationary piece of furniture with individual drawers and a simplified design. You’ll find some benefits and disadvantages with all chest of drawers depending on your needs and the space you have available.
Benefits of Chest of Drawers
- More suitable for smaller and even more narrow spaces because they’re usually more vertical in height with a simpler design
- Multipurpose pieces of furnitures that can function effortlessly in different rooms
- Space efficient
Disadvantages of Chest of Drawers
- Larger, bulky items like sweaters or jeans can get jammed due to limited width or height space
- Height can be a challenge in rooms with lower ceilings or hanging plants
What Is a Dresser?
Dressers are most commonly used as bedroom furniture, but can also be used as storage and surface space in a large bathroom or in a dressing room. Dressers are versatile when it comes to your wardrobe changes. For example, you can have anywhere from 4 to 9 drawers and still have plenty of space to paint your face.
Benefits of Dressers
- Dressers are usually wider and provide more horizontal space for clothing
- Broad surface functions as a dressing table
- Easy to attach mirrors and add smaller storage accessories like jewelry boxes or tie racks
Disadvantages of Dressers
- Requires more real estate in the room
- Can be more expensive than other chests with less features
Types of Dressers
The double dresser doubles its drawer features with two columns of horizontal drawers, making couple-life and living a double-life less overwhelming in smaller spaces.
The horizontal dresser usually has multiple small drawers on top which can fit compact items like socks or photo albums and usually have a few long, wider drawers below for bulky items or plenty of shirts.
A combo dresser is great for those mixing fashion with other functions. With a wardrobe and multiple deep drawers, you can showcase items like coats and utilize the drawers for hats or USB drives.
Types of Chest of Drawers
A vertical chest is a standard chests of drawers, tall in height and narrow in space.
You don’t have to wear or even call them PJs to bed to find use for lingerie chests. These chests of drawers are tall and lean on space, making them ideal for organizing smaller items like fancy gloves, ties or, even lingerie.
A media chest has many of the same functions as most standard dresser sizes, but the design stands out with open top shelving above layers of wide, horizontal and double drawers.
Chest of Drawers vs Dresser: Bottom Line
Whether you choose a short chest of drawers for your entryway or a vintage chest dresser for a bedroom, understanding how much you have now, and how much you’ll accumulate will help you figure out the standard dresser size and even the chest of drawer sizes. Once you’ve taken stock and picked a location, you’ll be prepped with all the right info to purchase a chest of drawers or a dresser.
Need help setting one up? Taskers provide dresser and furniture assembly, plus clean-up at your doorstep, on your time.
