Is it possible that they were designed that way to avoid tipping over? I'd contact Pottery Barn for advice.

Hi, yes i think thats the case, im just hoping there is a workaround someone on this forum may be able to suggest!

Can you remove a drawer to see if there is a stopper on the glide mechanism?

If it is indeed a safety issue, then I wouldn't try to change it. You don't want to invite trouble.

You can always secure the dresser to the wall with special hardware - we had antique dressers in my sons’ rooms and did that

Thank you. im going to try to remove a drawer to investigate and will report back!

yes we plan to tether to the wall- it came with hardware to do so.

unfortunately due to the height of the drawers its near impossible to reach or even see the clothes in the back (we’ve filled them and thats how we discovered the issue and my son is beside himself about it 😞 Really hoping to figure out a way to get them to open a bit further while keeping the dresser safe!

it might be the same approach as for their Hudson dresser

I managed to remove a drawer and see they’re on wood glides with a small half moon stopper. im thinking perhaps we could move the stopper back a bit to allow drawers to open further while still keeping the dresser safe. Curiois if anyone in this forum has attempted to do this?

They don't give you much for the prices they charge!

I would anchor the dresser to the wall and move those stoppers.

I would move the stopper all the way to the back of the drawer. Reason 1001 why I buy antique furniture ;)

Yes a safety thing. There have been many reports of small kids having dressers falling on children being injured or killed along with recommendations to anchor them to the wall. If you move the stops please anchor to the wall.

From Wikipedia:

In American English a dresser is a piece of furniture, usually waist high

Somebody is going to have to explain the physics of how a piece of furniture of dresser proportions can fall over on anyone. The cats couldn't even get it to budge, and they managed to knock over a chair or two.

Please anchor all dressers with kids in the home or grandkids that visit.

I think the OP is referring to a chest of drawers, not a dresser. Unfortunately even the seller is not specific enough when describing this item. It's variously referred to as a dresser and a drawer chest. But this is what I believe the OP has purchased:

The Fillmore chest of drawers is 43" high. Children have been known to pull out the drawers and stand on them. This type of chest can easily tip over and seriously harm or kill a child. So anchoring it to the wall is a wise idea.

** Yes, the OP stated below that she will anchor it to the wall. **

I bet it is a legal issue and that is why Pottery Barn made these drawers impossible to open. They don't want to be sued or headline news for their furniture crushing a child to death.

Still, what a PITA. It would be very hard to use a narrow dresser drawer that opens only half way. I loathe Pottery Barn.

Chest or drawers or dresser doesn't matter. They can both tip over on a kid. Enough so that my friend who is a pediatrician asks it as a screening question of all patients - do you use a car seat, are your drawers and shelves anchored to the wall.

I hate to say it is all junk.The hardware is JUNK. It came with the hardware to attach it to a wall, common even in a bedside table of better quality. Separate issue!

Pottery Barn does not use full extension hardware as In a decent kitchen, or higher end dressers.

I needed 3 dressers I could butt together on a long wall in a bedroom. Bought PB Teen for that purpose and a client budget. They are awful. YOU CAN SKIN A HAND TRYING TO GET TO THE BACK OF A DRAWER.

Either get a cabinet maker and his hardware and his skill to replace ? ( Be prepared he tell you the "wood" will not accept, and screws will loosen ) Or return the furniture.

I don't remember ever seeing a dresser with a stop. Would suggest you remove it and attach the dresser to the wall as someone else suggested. It might be for safety but it seems pretty impractical not to be able to open a drawer fully.

A full extension drawer, usually implies a PLYWOOD drawer box...upgraded hardware

If you want quality? Get Room and Board to last until college and far beyond.

Kids or adults, it is still 3/4 access. But a whole lot better than what you have.

You can FIND full extension on even lower end product.......and the only question will be longevity.

Was it easy to remove the drawer? Are you going to move the stopper?

From the product webpage: "Anti-tip kit included: comes with safety-tested mounting hardware, instructions and a nylon strap. To prevent injuries from furniture tip-over, this item should be securely fixed to the wall."

"I managed to remove a drawer and see they’re on wood glides with a small half moon stopper."

Once you've secured the dresser to the wall, I'd try moving the stopper on one drawer, re-insert the drawer, and pull it out fully to satisfy yourself that it won't fall out.