How to Fix a Wobbly Chair in 6 Easy Ways

Learning how to fix a wobbly chair can save you money and frustration. Whether you’re dealing with a wobbly dining chair, an office chair, or an armchair, replacement chairs can cost hundreds of dollars, so it’s well worth repairing them whenever possible.

In some scenarios, a wobbly chair can be more than a simple annoyance, as it may be a sign that the chair may break under stress, leading to injury. Below, we’ve rounded up 6 ways to fix a wobbly chair, making them sturdier and safer.

Cause: Worn Fasteners

Many chairs are assembled with screws and bolts. Overtime, these fasteners may strip out or loosen.

Solution: Remove Fasteners and Replace

1. Locate the fasteners. Locate the fasteners holding the chair together. They may be hidden beneath filler or wooden plugs. Additionally, some fasteners may be strategically hidden beneath other chair components. You will have to remove parts of the chair to find them.
2. Tighten the fasteners. If the fasteners have come loose, tighten them to see if this improves the chair’s sturdiness.
3. Remove and replace the fasteners. If you’re dealing with worn-out fasteners, remove them and replace them. For screws going into wood, choose a screw that’s slightly thicker than the one you’re replacing.

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Cause: Slightly Uneven Legs

If your chair wobbles on the ground, check the legs. There’s likely one that’s too short, one that’s too long, or a combination of leg issues.

Solution: Shorten Longer Legs

Shorten the longer legs by sanding or cutting them down until they match the length of the shorter legs.

Cause: Very Uneven Legs

If your chair has very uneven legs, it may require a more in-depth repair to make it sturdy again.

Solution: Shim Short Leg and Add Furniture Sliders

If you have one leg that’s much shorter than the rest, follow these steps to remedy the wobble.

1. Buy a pack of nail-on furniture sliders. Hammer them to the bottom of the three normal legs.
2. Shim the Short Leg. For the short leg, cut a wood shim to make up the difference in length.
3. Attach the shim. Apply wood glue to the shim and the bottom of the chair leg, then nail the furniture glider through the shim into the bottom of the chair.

Cause: Loose or Broken Wheels

If you’re rolling chair is wobbly, there’s likely a problem with the hardware or wheels.

Solution: Tighten Hardware or Replace Wheels

1. Inspect and tighten hardware. Look at the hardware holding the rolling base to the chair. Tighten any loose fasteners.
2. Inspect and tighten wheels. Look at each wheel and check that it’s tight and functioning properly. Tighten any loose hardware.
3. Replace broken wheels. If a wheel is broken or worn out, replace the wheel with a compatible replacement. If you can’t find a compatible replacement, it’s better to replace all the wheels.

Cause: Poor Quality and Design Defects

Today’s mass-produced, RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture can be lacking in the quality department, leading to cheaper construction and design defects.

If your chair is wobbling after assembly, you may be quick to blame yourself for poor assembly, when it’s likely due to cheap, poorly designed components.

Solution: Upgrade Fasteners and Replace Dowels

If your chair is a little wobbly but you can’t tighten the bolts and screws more, a dab of wood glue can help make it sturdier. If the fasteners continually loosen, glue can prevent that as well.

If your RTA furniture uses wood dowels in the assembly, adding wood glue will make the end product much sturdier, though most manuals don’t call for glue in the assembly process.

Cause: Worn-Out Joints

Over time and with use, the joinery holding a chair together can wear out, making the chair increasingly wobbly with every use.

Solution: Disassemble and Re-Glue Chair

1. Disassemble the chair. Disassemble the chair by pulling the joints apart. It may require a reversed trigger clamp to pry them apart.
2. Clean up the joints. Look for rounded-off wood and mismatched joinery. Clean it up with sandpaper and a chisel if necessary.
3. Mockup the assembly. Reassemble the chair to check the dry fitment of the joints. Clean them up more if necessary.
4. Glue the joints. Take the chair apart once more and reassemble it. This time, glue the joints.