Chest of Drawers vs Sideboard vs Highboard: Which Furniture Unit Offers More Storage?

A chest of drawers focuses on vertical storage through stacked drawers, a sideboard provides ample surface space due to its width, and a highboard combines both advantages as a mid-height cabinet for maximum volume.

Anyone wishing to furnish living space efficiently is often faced with the question of which cabinet unit is the right choice. Whether in the hallway, living room or bedroom: the decision between a chest of drawers, sideboard and highboard depends on room dimensions, required storage space and the types of items to be housed. For the DIYer assembling their own furniture, the various designs also involve different construction requirements.

This guide breaks down the structural differences and helps with planning room layouts.

What is a Chest of Drawers?

A classic chest of drawers is a dedicated drawer unit. It is designed to neatly organise small items, clothing or documents. The typical height is between 70 cm and 100 cm. In width, models measuring 70 cm or 75 cm are very common, whilst variants with a width of 100 cm are often chosen for larger rooms.

A crucial factor when planning is the depth. For narrow hallways or small bedrooms, a chest of drawers that is merely 30 cm or 35 cm deep is suitable. Here, open drawers do not project too far into the walkway. Visually, clean colours and materials often dominate: a white or anthracite modern chest of drawers blends subtly into the wall design, whilst wood-effect or all-black models make bolder statements.

When assembling a chest of drawers yourself, the focus is on the precise installation of drawer runners. A full-extension runner allows the drawer to be pulled out 100%, which makes accessing items at the rear much easier, especially with a shallow carcass depth. A single-extension runner, on the other hand, only releases the drawer box to around 75%. Important: a runner with integrated soft-close dampening shuts gently – this mechanism is the exact opposite of a spring-loaded push-to-open latch for handleless fronts.

What is a Sideboard?

A sideboard is significantly wider than a chest of drawers and primarily relies on doors or a combination of doors and central drawers. The width usually starts at 100 cm and can reach up to 200 cm or more in large living rooms. With a height of 70 cm to 90 cm, it is often slightly lower than a chest of drawers.

Due to its expansive width, a sideboard provides a generous upper surface, frequently used for decoration, lamps or as a stand for the television. Inside, internal shelves divide the storage space. These rest on shelf supports inserted into a pre-drilled row of holes – often in the standardised System 32 with 5 mm drill holes.

Assembly requires some floor space due to the long base and top panels. For models made from solid chipboard or heavy MDF, having a second person to lift the carcass upright is advisable. Aligning the doors is achieved using concealed hinges. A standard sideboard typically uses a full overlay hinge, where the door rests over the carcass side when closed. Using the adjustment screws on the hinge arm, the reveal gaps can be precisely adjusted in height, depth and lateral alignment after installation.

What is a Highboard?

The highboard is the multi-tool among cabinet furniture. It bridges the gap between a low sideboard and a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe. With a typical height of 110 cm to 140 cm, it offers an enormous amount of storage space on a relatively compact footprint.

The front layout of a highboard is usually varied and asymmetrical. It combines closed wooden doors, drawers, and open compartments or glass display sections. Because of this layout, it is the classic piece of furniture for the dining room to store crockery, glassware and table linen. Glass elements can be enhanced with targeted LED furniture lighting, lending visual lightness to the substantial unit.

When building a highboard, wall anchoring is a critical step. Due to the height and the dead weight of the materials – especially when heavy plates are stored in the upper section – the centre of gravity can shift high upwards. Anti-tip restraint hardware with suitable wall plugs and screws is mandatory.

The Differences in Direct Comparison

To facilitate the decision for your project, chests of drawers, sideboards and highboards can be distinguished using three main criteria:

• Dimensions: Chests of drawers are tall and narrow. Sideboards are low and very wide. Highboards are tall and medium-length.
• Storage Type: A chest of drawers organises contents horizontally in pull-out units. A sideboard offers wide shelves behind doors for bulky items. A highboard blends both systems and frequently adds display areas.
• Visual Impact: A long sideboard visually elongates a room across its width. A highboard makes use of vertical wall space, yet does not appear as overbearing as a full-height wall unit due to its lower height.

Which Furniture Piece Suits Which Scenario?

The choice of the right piece is primarily determined by room layout and intended purpose.

The narrow hallway: Here, depth is limited. A chest of drawers with a depth of 30 cm or 35 cm is ideal. It does not obstruct the walkway and provides the perfect place in its drawers for keys, hats and gloves.

The living room: When planning a modern media wall, a sideboard with a width of 150 cm to 200 cm forms a solid focal point. It conceals cables, routers and games consoles behind closed doors. If extra storage for books or box files is needed, a matching highboard can be positioned on an adjacent wall.

The bedroom: For storing socks, underwear and T-shirts dust-free and neatly organised, a chest of drawers is indispensable. A width of 70 cm to 100 cm is usually sufficient to significantly relieve the contents of a main wardrobe.

Tips for DIY Assembly and Customisation

Regardless of which furniture unit you choose: assembly demands precision. A level floor and a spirit level are essential prerequisites so that the carcass does not twist when screwed together. A twisted carcass inevitably leads to sticking drawers or uneven door gaps.

For joining carcass panels, wooden dowels are usually used alongside cam and dowel connectors. If you wish to add extra reinforcement, look for high-grade wood screws and furniture screws. A Torx drive provides significantly better torque transmission than a simple cross-recess, without stripping the screw head.

A standard furniture unit can also be upgraded with a few simple hardware changes. Basic plastic handles supplied with flat-pack units can be swapped out during assembly for solid modern metal furniture handles. The stance of the furniture can also be modified: instead of plain plastic glides, black furniture legs made of powder-coated steel raise a sideboard or chest of drawers to a practical height and make cleaning underneath much easier.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I use a sideboard as a TV stand?

Yes. Due to the low height of typically 70 cm to 80 cm, the television sits at a comfortable eye level on a sideboard when viewed from the sofa. For very wide models (from 150 cm upwards), ensure that the top panel is supported in the centre by a vertical partition panel or an additional central support leg to prevent it from bowing under the weight of the television.

What depth should a chest of drawers have for clothing?

For folded T-shirts, jumpers and trousers, a depth of 35 cm to 40 cm is optimal. With a depth of only 30 cm, bulky garments can rarely be placed one behind the other, making drawer space less efficient. For socks and underwear, however, a shallow depth is completely sufficient.

How do I correctly adjust the doors on a highboard?

If doors are hanging crookedly, the concealed hinges must be adjusted. The front screw on the hinge arm regulates lateral overlay (left/right). The rear screw loosens the fixing on the mounting plate to adjust the door depth (distance from the carcass). Vertical adjustment (up/down) is carried out via the screws securing the mounting plate to the cabinet side wall.