Buying wardrobes from China
Robes are the simplest joinery to import: boxes, shelves, rails and drawers. The risk is in the internal layout and the doors.
What to spec
- Internal layout per robe: long hanging, double hanging, shelves, drawers, shoe racks.
- Door type: hinged, sliding or none (walk-in), and the track brand for sliders.
- Board, finish and edge colour.
- Lighting and power inside the robe, known at rough-in.
What it costs landed
On the house we fitted out, bedroom robes were $2,714 to $4,635 a room at the factory gate in a woodgrain melamine board.
Elje estimate, October 2026. Not yet from a delivered job; replaced with real landed numbers as jobs land.
| Item | Factory gate | Landed estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom robe, woodgrain board, internals | $2,714 to $4,635 (real quotes) | $3,500 to $6,700 |
| Granny flat bedroom robe and cabinets | $3,727 (real quote) | $4,800 to $5,400 |
What to check
- Board emission class, E0 or E1.
- Illegal logging due diligence (furniture and board are regulated timber products).
- Mirror doors: safety glass or backed mirror to AS 1288.
- Sliding tracks and runners named by brand.
Mistakes we have seen
- A robe drawn to the plan, not the built wall.
- Hanging heights that suit nobody in the house.
- Sliding doors too heavy for the track supplied.
Questions
Can I order robes without the kitchen?
You can, but robes are light and cheap to ship only when they share a container. Order them with the rest of the joinery.
Sources
- Elje job file: a five-bedroom Brisbane house and granny flat we fitted out, factory quotes and proforma invoices, March to May 2026 (held by Elje)
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, regulated timber products (illegal logging rules)
- ABCB, NCC 2022 Housing Provisions Part 8, Glazing