These Furniture Safety Tips Could Save Your Child's Life

You made the trip to the furniture store, picked out a new dresser or shelf, brought it home and painstakingly put it together. Now you probably want a well-deserved flop on the couch but there's one more task that could save your child's life.

Two-thirds of Americans don't anchor their furniture to the wall. And a 2023 report from the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says about 17,800 Americans head to hospitals for emergency room treatment of furniture tip-over injuries each year. A tip-over injury or fatality is when someone is hurt or killed by falling furniture after some sort of interaction, like climbing a chest of drawers.

Other causes of tip-over incidents include faulty design, unstable surfaces, multiple open drawers and placing heavy objects on top of furniture. According to the CPSC release,  most reported tip-over deaths between 2013 and 2023 involved children under 18 years old. And it's not just furniture in kids' rooms that needs to be secured to the wall. According to a Health Canada report, at least 60 percent of all furniture tip-over injuries involve desks, dressers, chests, buffets and TVs.

Nancy Cowles is the executive director of Kids in Danger, an organization dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety. Cowles wants parents to know that tip-over incidents can happen quickly, even silently since kids' bodies cushion falling furniture. 

“You can’t watch your child closely enough to prevent it,” said Cowles. “Buying furniture that meets the STURDY Act, and anchoring furniture, will keep your children and grandchildren safe.”

The STURDY Act is a law laying out safety standards for clothing storage furniture. STURDY-compliant pieces are tested for stability when placed on carpeting, when drawers are loaded, when drawers are open and when interacted with by small children. 

“It took years of effort to get this new strong standard in place and consumers should make sure their dresser meets it if they are buying a new unit,” said Cowles.

IKEA launches new STURDY-compliant products

IKEA U.S. recently announced two new additions to its chests and dressers range. 

The GULLABERG and the STORKLINTA feature a new, patented safety innovation thoughtfully designed to prevent tip-over problems. This Anchor and Unlock solution stops multiple drawers from opening at the same time unless the product is properly attached to a wall. 

The GULLABERG was created with a Scandinavian influence and is available in both a dresser and nightstand format.

Cowles says furniture manufactured after September 2023 must comply with the STURDY Act, but items manufactured earlier may remain on store shelves and require anchoring. According to the CPSC’s website, “Installing anchors isn’t a project you have to save for a long weekend. Once you have the supplies, it only takes a few minutes.” Check out this wall-anchoring guide for more information.

Common misconceptions

Myth: My child is too small to cause an accident

Cowles identified some common misconceptions about furniture safety for parents and guardians looking to better protect their families.

You may think a tiny toddler can’t possibly tip over a large dresser but it can happen very easily. A child attempting to stand on furniture with open drawers could cause an incident with many units that don’t meet STURDY standards.

Myth: Expensive furniture won't tip over

A pricey dresser isn’t necessarily a safe dresser. “We’ve seen recalls for both expensive and more affordable furniture,” said Cowles.

Accordingly, it is important to take safety measures—like anchoring—even with high-end pieces.

Myth: You can't anchor while renting

Many landlords are supportive when anchoring is a matter of child safety. Plus, small holes caused by anchoring are easy to patch before moving out.

The CPSC’s website says “Getting rid of an anchor and repairing the wall only takes a few minutes. Don’t let it keep you from installing the anchor in the first place!”

Myth: Anchoring depends on wall-types

It is not true that you can only anchor on certain wall types. Whether it’s plaster, drywall, concrete or brick, the CPSC has instructions and tips to suit your needs. If your furniture is STURDY-compliant, it should come with an anchoring kit and helpful directions.

Prevent tip-over incidents

Follow these tips from The CPSC to keep your kids safe.

• Always place televisions on a sturdy and low base.
• Push TVs as far back as possible. Tube-type televisions are very heavy, tipping easily on unstable stands and small dressers or tables.
• Keep the cable cords out of kids’ reach. 
• Store heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers.
• Avoid displaying or storing tempting items like toys or remotes in places where children might try to reach or climb for them. Tip-over incidents typically occur when children have climbed onto, fallen against or pulled themselves up on furniture.