LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax review
LEGO display windows for the IKEA Kallax convert one of the most satisfying ways to display your LEGO into truly the only way to display your LEGO.
When it comes to displaying LEGO, there is nothing quite as satisfying nor as impractical as doing so with an IKEA Kallax unit. One of the most eye-catching, convenient, stylish and sturdy storage solutions is also unfortunately one of the most perfect vessels for whatever you display on them to attract untold levels of dust.
Put a LEGO set in a Kallax cube and within a month it will be caked in a layer of dust and dirt – you want to display the things you value most, but as with any other place in the home, a Kallax may look great, but it does not offer the protection such items need or deserve.
That’s where Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows for the IKEA Kallax unit are just so brilliant.
— Set details —
Product name: Display Windows for IKEA Kallax unit
Available from: Wicked Brick
Prices from: £14.99 / $20.12 / €18.02
Measurements: W: 33.5cm H: 33.5cm D: 6mm (frame and window)
— IKEA Kallaxes —
Cubed in design and shape; available in any number of combinations of square blocks from a single square to a 1×3, a 2×4 or even a 5×5 set-up; and released through the years in several different finishes, IKEA Kallaxes are organised, sturdy display options that are convenient and affordable.
More relevantly, each cube measures 33x33cm and 39cm deep, meaning that they also happen to be the perfect display solution for all manner of LEGO sets. A majority of models in the LEGO Creator Expert Modular Buildings Collection, for example, seem custom-made to house in a Kallax cube, just as do any number of mid-size Ideas, Star Wars, NINJAGO and Marvel releases.
What’s more, Kallaxes are formulaic and mathematical in that cubed appearance, and offer a sense of squared organisation that shelves can only envy – and that as a design aesthetic just perfectly marries with the structured medium of LEGO.
Chances are with any sort of LEGO collection at your hands, you have sought out display solutions and at least come across IKEA’s Kallax series, if not tried it out. Perhaps you have gone with a single cube or a 2×2 Kallax, or opted for a room-dividing or wall-hugging 4×4 or even 5×5 Kallax. Whatever size or configuration, it’s a certainty that any Kallax will look great packed with any amount of LEGO, with each cube perfectly framing your chosen sets.
It’s not just LEGO sets that look great in Kallaxes too, we’re told, or rather as a quick search online will demonstrate – apparently some people put books on these things, or board games, or other fun things and collectibles (and presumably their LEGO is on another Kallax not pictured?).
There’s a reason Kallaxes are still going strong eight years after being introduced by IKEA. Neat, complementary, long-lasting and unique, Kallaxes are a perfect storage companion for LEGO sets (and other things).
— Dust! —
And yet, Kallaxes are also a nightmare and just as frustrating as many other storage display solutions for your LEGO (or non-LEGO items) simply because they are not dust-free, with IKEA’s own compatible inserts failing to offer the protection our dust-magnet LEGO sets really need.
Set that Kallax up and within a month you’ll be online, frustratingly scrawling through all the reddit threads offering endless DIY solutions that require more than the ability to use a measuring tape.
— Wicked Brick LEGO Display Windows —
That’s where Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows for the IKEA Kallax are remarkable, convenient and an ideal solution. Available right now in black or white options (with a gloss or matte finish), these Perspex acrylic windows are a bespoke, fitted display option to not just LEGO fans wanting to safely and cleanly exhibit items in a Kallax, but for anyone looking to dust-proof and maximise the potential of their Kallax.
Working as easy-to-use, magnetic panel inserts, these windows instantly convert the inside of a Kallax cube from an open, dusty tunnel into a protected, dust-free display case. Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows are lightweight, clear and easy-to-open windows that attach to the front (and back) of an IKEA Kallax cube.
The windows are made from Perspex acrylic plastic, meaning that they are clean, clear, strong and lightweight. They connect to the inside of a Kallax cube via clear Perspex acrylic plastic brackets that contain magnets and are installed to the interior sides.
Installation of the brackets is straightforward but needs some care because they are semi-permanently attached to the interior of your Kallax cube, so they need to line up exactly so you are happy with where the window sits within the frame.
If you want the frame to sit plush with the edge of the Kallax, mark out a 6mm line from the edge for where to place the brackets. The brackets’ design means that this is the only measurement you need to mark out, as they otherwise sit automatically aligned to the top of the interior of the cube.
The brackets are installed with the double-sticky-sided Command Strips, which can be removed and replaced if you aren’t happy or ever want a change – you’d just need to buy more Command Strips as they aren’t reusable. Once the brackets are stuck in place, they are firmly secured and the windows can simply attach to the front with the magnets.
These magnetic attachments keep access in and out of each cube quick and convenient, but still – importantly – secure. The windows are designed to be as visually minimally obtrusive as possible to what’s inside the Kallax – the clear plastic brackets are barely noticeable and the small, coloured frame to each Perspex window serves only as that, a small, coloured frame. It means focus is exactly where you want it to be after installation: on what’s inside.
You can install windows on both sides of the Kallax for a clear view through, or you can purchase in addition to a display window a solid ‘blanking plate’, as Wicked Brick names them, in the same colour and finish as the frame you select (black or white and gloss or matte).
The blanking plates attach in exactly the same way as the windows, and their neutral colours serve perfectly to push focus and bring out the colour of what you want on display in each Kallax cube. Backing plates are also available to purchase individually, for those interested in adding just back to their Kallax and going without a front cover.
Every window and blanking plate is attached using the exact same plastic, magnetic brackets meaning that once they are installed, you can switch out how you set them up to however you want.
— How to dust-proof a LEGO IKEA Kallax —
Attaching a LEGO display window to an IKEA Kallax to dust-proof and protect what’s inside is a 10-minute process, as these steps demonstrate:
— Price —
Individual windows are available with black or white frames and with a gloss or matte finish and are priced at £14.99 each. There are options to add a second window for a combined price of £28.99, or to add a plain blanking plate the same colour as the frame for a combined price of £22.99. Similarly, the blank back plate is available to purchase separately.
For the ingenuity in design and practicality of use, these windows are transformative for anyone using a Kallax to display LEGO or anything else, and it’s hard to argue with the value of dust-proofing and protecting what you are proudest to display in your home.
It’s important to also note that for that price, these things come very well protected in the post. Perspex acrylic plastic is lightweight and otherwise scratchable in nature, so each piece of plastic is wrapped in protective, scratch-proof film before being packaged and protected securely with tape, then wrapped in protective cardboard and then placed in a shipping box with further packaging to protect from any impacts or rough handling. It all means that these items arrive with you scratch- and dirt-free.
— Pictures —
— Summary —
Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows for the IKEA Kallax are a perfect example of what great design really is – they are a simple solution to a common problem, delivered in a smart and effective way.
Anyone with an IKEA Kallax will know the struggles with keeping them – and anything put inside them – clean and dust-free. These display windows offer a genuine solution at a fair price, and they really do transform a Kallax into the perfect display unit for your LEGO (or other, non-LEGO things).
This product was provided by Wicked Brick for review purposes. Opinions expressed remain our own.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your LEGO display windows via our affiliate links with Wicked Brick – thank you!
— FAQs —
How long does it take to build LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax?
LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax from Wicked Brick each take about 10 minutes to unwrap, mark out and install, using Perspex acrylic plastic brackets and magnets.
How much do LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax cost?
LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax are priced at £14.99 each in the UK, $20.12 in the US and €18.02 for Europe. There are options to add a second clear window for a total price of £28.99, or a plain blanking plate of the same colour as the frame for a combined price of £22.99.
Does the IKEA Kallax have a back?
No, IKEA’s Kallax storage units come with both the front and back of them open. Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax provide an easy-to-use, dust-free solution for the front and back.
How do I dust-proof an IKEA Kallax?
Installing Wicked Brick’s LEGO Display Windows for IKEA Kallax on the front and back of an IKEA Kallax will protect what’s inside from dust and dirt, with options for covers in clear, black or white Perspex acrylic plastic.
Author Profile
- As one half of Tiro Media Ltd, I mix a passion for print and digital media production with a deep love of LEGO and can often be found on these pages eulogising about LEGO Batman, digging deeper into the LEGO Group’s inner workings, or just complaining about the price of the latest LEGO Star Wars set. Make a great impression when you meet me in person by praising EXO-FORCE as the greatest LEGO theme of all time. Follow me on Twitter @RobPaton or drop me an email at [email protected].
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To me these shelves look quite useless. How do I put there an ordinary UCS piece like Millennium Falcon and others? There is no modularity …
I really want to know more about that Han in Carbonite … any details?
Brick Bank
I have to know! What is the modular building on the second shelf, left side…white and looks like selling pants?
That’s Brick Bank, unfortunately retired product as well. https://www.lego.com/en-ca/product/brick-bank-10251