The Only 4 Tools You Need for Furniture Assembly

Forget the Toolkit

Flat-pack assembly needs four tools — not the 20-piece set the instructions imply. Here's the short list that handles 95% of builds.

1. A #2 Phillips Screwdriver

The single most-used tool. A medium-length #2 Phillips drives every cam screw and every wood screw in flat-pack furniture. A power driver with a clutch is faster, but a hand screwdriver won't over-tighten and strip a cam.

2. A 4mm Hex (Allen) Key

IKEA includes a hex key with every piece that needs one — but they're short and hard to turn. A 4mm hex bit on a screwdriver handle gives you leverage and saves your fingers.

3. A Rubber Mallet (or a Hammer and a Block)

Dowels go in with a tap. A rubber mallet seats a dowel without marring the wood; a hammer with a block of scrap wood does the same. Don't use a bare hammer — it dents the surface.

4. A Tape Measure

For confirming clearances and checking square (the diagonal-to-diagonal check). The only measuring you'll do is "does it fit where I want it" and "is it square."

What You Don't Need

A drill (IKEA holes are pre-drilled), a level (use a phone app), and a wrench (IKEA uses hex, not nuts). Skip the full toolkit — the four tools above handle every flat-pack.

Book assembly — we bring the tools.