Is a dangerous product hiding in plain sight in your child’s bedroom? It could be the dresser you use every day.
Many dressers are safer than before, thanks to new safety standards, but older models could still pose a deadly risk.
Consumer Reports details what you need to know to keep your kids safe.
For years, furniture tip-overs have injured and even killed far too many children.
“Our family woke up on the morning of Dec. 18, 2004, to every parent’s nightmare,” Kimberly Amato said. “Our beautiful 3-year-old twin daughter, Megan, was found lifeless beneath her dresser. It had tipped over on her.”
Since her tragic loss, Amato and other parents have been fighting for change. They finally won the hard-fought victory when the STURDY Act went into effect late last year, setting stricter rules for furniture manufacturers to prevent tip-overs.
The good news is that all the dressers CR tested that were made after September 2023 passed its rigorous tip-over tests, and Amato is thrilled.
Consumer Reports tests include pulling out the drawers and hanging 60-pound weights from one of the top drawers for at least 10 seconds, simulating a child climbing or hanging off the furniture. If the dresser stays upright, it passes.
But that doesn’t mean every dresser in every bedroom is safe. Older dressers prone to tip-overs are still on the market.
In fact, two dressers manufactured before September 2023 failed CR’s recent tests. Both Ashley and Bassett confirmed that their dressers had been built before the new standard went into effect.
The new rule only applies to dressers built after Sept. 1, 2023. Anything built before that date doesn’t have to meet the new requirements but can still be sold.
Responses from retailers have varied. IKEA announced in April that all its U.S. dressers now meet the new standard, while Bassett Furniture told CR that 10% to 20% of its dressers currently being sold were built before September 2023.
Target said they expect all dressers sold to pass the new tip-over tests, and Amazon said all its dressers are compliant with the STURDY Act.