Every 24 minutes, a child in the United States is injured by a piece of furniture tipping over. Every two weeks, one of those incidents is fatal. These aren't rare freak accidents. They're predictable and preventable.
Why Furniture Tips Over
Kids climb. That's what they do. They pull open dresser drawers and use them as stairs. They hang on bookshelf edges. They try to scale TV stands. And when the center of gravity shifts, physics takes over.
A standard 4-drawer dresser can weigh 100 pounds. But with the top two drawers pulled out, it becomes top-heavy and can topple forward with less than 50 pounds of force. A two-year-old can generate that.
What Needs Anchoring
Short answer: everything taller than it is wide. But specifically:
How to Anchor Furniture
You need anti-tip straps or L-brackets. Both work. Here's the process:
- Anti-tip straps:
- Find a wall stud with a stud finder
- Screw one end of the strap into the stud
- Attach the other end to the back of the furniture
- Make sure there's minimal slack
- L-brackets:
- Screw the bracket into a wall stud
- Screw the other side into the furniture frame
- Use screws long enough to bite into solid wood
Both methods take about 10 minutes per piece of furniture. The hardware costs $5-10.
Common Mistakes
Screwing into drywall only. Without a stud, the screws will pull right out when force is applied. Always anchor into studs.
Too much slack in the strap. If there's 6 inches of slack, the furniture can still tip forward enough to injure a child before the strap catches.
Only anchoring one piece. If you anchor the bookshelf but not the dresser, you haven't solved the problem. Do them all.
Thinking your furniture is "too heavy." It's not. A determined toddler and gravity are a powerful combination.
Renters: You Can Still Do This
Most landlords will approve furniture anchoring if you explain it's for child safety. The holes are small and easy to patch. Some anti-tip straps use adhesive mounts, but honestly, screws into studs are the only method I'd trust with my kid's life.
Do It Today
This is one of those things that takes 30 minutes and costs $20 to protect your whole house. There's really no excuse to wait. Grab a stud finder, some straps, and a drill. Your future self will thank you.