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Furniture Tip-Overs: Anchoring Dressers and the 2023 Rule

Why CPSC says to anchor dressers and TVs, what the 2023 dresser rule requires, how to fit an anti-tip kit, and which plastic tip kits were recalled.

By Baby Product Recalls editorial teamUpdated 3 min readHow we research

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A child bedroom with a wide white eight-drawer dresser under the window

Anchor dressers, bookcases and TVs to the wall: CPSC says anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves prevents tip-over injuries and deaths. Dressers made after September 1, 2023 must pass federal stability tests and ship with an anti-tip device meeting ASTM F3096. Older pieces need a kit, and some plastic tip kits have been recalled.

Why furniture tip-overs are a baby-proofing job

CPSC’s childproofing guide says furniture, TVs and ranges “can tip over and crush young children,” and that deaths and injuries happen “when children climb onto, fall against or pull themselves up on television stands, shelves, bookcases, dressers, desks, chests and ranges.” Its advice is to anchor these to the floor or attach them to the wall, and to install freestanding ranges with anti-tip brackets.

Tip-over recalls of dressers and chests are frequent. Searching CPSC’s 2016 to 2025 recall records for titles that name a dresser, chest or drawer unit, or its restraint kit, together with a tip-over hazard, we found 68 recalls, 26 of them in 2025 alone. The best known is IKEA’s June 28, 2016 recall of 29 million MALM and other chests and dressers, whose remedy was a choice of a refund or a free wall-anchoring repair kit.

What the 2023 dresser rule requires

Under the STURDY law, CPSC’s rule for clothing storage units, 16 CFR part 1261, applies to units made after September 1, 2023. CPSC defines a clothing storage unit as free-standing, at least 27 inches tall, at least 30 pounds and with at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage, which covers dressers, chests of drawers, armoires and bureaus, including fabric dressers that meet the criteria.

Requirement What CPSC says it involves
Clothing load test Drawers and doors opened and loaded, held for 30 seconds
Horizontal force test 10 pounds of force at the highest hand-hold, for 10 seconds
Carpet with child weight test A test block under the rear legs and a 60-pound test weight on the front of the drawer or door most likely to tip it, for 30 seconds
Anti-tip device One meeting ASTM F3096 “must be packaged with the product”
Warning labels Required statements and pictograms

Bookcases, entertainment furniture, office furniture and some other items are outside this rule, so they may not come with any anchor at all.

How to anchor a dresser or TV

A child bedroom with a wide white eight-drawer dresser under the window

CPSC’s Anchor It campaign lists the tools: an anchoring kit, a drill and bit, a screwdriver and a stud finder. Its steps:

  1. Attach a bracket to the wall.
  2. Move the furniture close to the wall.
  3. Attach the other bracket or plate to the furniture or TV.
  4. Connect the strap to both brackets.
  5. Tighten the strap and make sure it is secure.

Then, in CPSC’s words, “tug on the straps to be confident everything is secure.” Follow the kit’s own instructions for your wall type.

Check the kit you already have

Recalled plastic tip kits

CPSC’s notices describe plastic zip ties and brackets that “can become brittle or break” or “break or degrade.” Recalls include New Age kits sold by 31 furniture companies (January 11, 2024), Sauder’s restraint straps for some dressers made July 2020 to August 2023 (February 20, 2025) and Cranach Hardware’s plastic kits (October 23, 2025). Each notice says to keep children away from the unit until the free replacement is installed.

If your dresser came with a plastic zip-tie kit, read these notices and contact the company named in the one that matches.

Metal furniture and TV anti-tip kits

Shop metal furniture and TV anti-tip kits

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The federal dresser rule uses ASTM F3096 as the benchmark for the anti-tip device that ships with a new dresser, so a replacement kit that states it meets F3096 is the closest match. Check any kit’s listing for the maker’s name and the weight it is rated for.

More ways to make a room safer are in childproofing devices. Back to baby gear recalls, or see recall remedies for how an anchoring-kit remedy works.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to anchor a new dresser if it meets the 2023 rule?

CPSC's Anchor It campaign says anchoring all furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall prevents tip-over injuries and deaths, and dressers made under the 2023 rule come with an anti-tip device in the box for that reason. Install it.

Is my dresser's anti-tip kit recalled?

Check it. Plastic tip restraint kits with zip ties were recalled in January 2024 (New Age kits sold by 31 furniture companies with units made from November 2019) and in 2025 (Cranach Hardware, and American Bolt and Screw), and Sauder recalled the straps sold with some dressers made from July 2020 to August 2023. Each notice explains how to get a free replacement.

What do I need to anchor a dresser?

CPSC's Anchor It campaign lists a furniture or TV anchoring kit, a drill and drill bit, a screwdriver and a stud finder.

Does the dresser rule cover bookcases and TV stands?

No. CPSC says bookcases, entertainment furniture, office furniture and some other items are outside the clothing storage unit rule. CPSC's childproofing guide still says to anchor TVs, shelves, bookcases, desks and similar furniture to the wall.

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Photo: ajay_suresh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

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