Key takeaways: Furniture, TV, and appliance tip-overs send about 17,800 people to U.S. emergency departments each year, and children make up 44% of those injuries and 71% of tip-over deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Anchor dressers, bookcases, and TVs to the wall, keep heavy items low, and don’t put toys or remotes where a child would climb to reach them. Anchor older furniture too: a stronger federal stability rule only applies to clothing storage units made on or after September 1, 2023.
As babies start pulling up, cruising, and climbing, furniture that seemed perfectly stable becomes a real hazard. A dresser with open drawers can work like a ladder, and a TV on a stand can come down when a child pulls on it. The good news is that tip-overs are largely preventable with a few inexpensive steps.
How Big Is the Risk?
These figures come from the CPSC’s February 2024 tip-over report:
- About 17,800 people are treated in U.S. emergency departments each year for tip-over injuries involving furniture, TVs, and appliances (2020–2022 average).
- Children under 18 account for 44% of those injuries, which works out to about one child treated every 53 minutes.
- From January 2013 through July 2023, CPSC recorded 217 tip-over deaths of all ages. Children made up 71% of them.
- 47% of those deaths involved a television, and 55% involved children ages 1 to 3.
How Tip-Overs Happen
- A child climbs open drawers or shelves like steps.
- A child pulls on furniture to stand or cruise.
- A TV sitting on a dresser or an unstable stand gets pulled down.
- A child reaches or climbs for something interesting on top, like a toy or remote.
What to Anchor
- Dressers and chests of drawers. CPSC advises anchoring all clothing storage furniture, no matter when it was made or bought.
- Bookcases and shelving units.
- TVs. Wall-mount flat screens, or anchor both the TV and the stand.
- Entertainment centers and cabinets.
- Ranges and stoves, using the anti-tip bracket that comes with the appliance.
From the author
From First Breath to First Birthday is my month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, written as a NICU and postpartum nurse. My book is a month-by-month guide to your baby’s first year, including the warning signs that mean it’s time to call the doctor.
How to Anchor
- Use anti-tip kits (straps or brackets) designed to attach furniture or TVs to the wall.
- Attach into wall studs when you can, and use hardware suited to your wall type when you can’t.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for both the furniture and the anchoring hardware.
- Recheck anchors after moving furniture, and whenever you rearrange a room.
If you rent and can’t anchor something, CPSC’s advice for TVs is to place them on a sturdy, low base, push them as far back as possible, and keep cords out of reach.
Other Safety Tips
- Keep heavier items on lower shelves.
- Don’t store toys, remotes, or treats on top of furniture or anywhere a child might climb to reach them.
- Keep TV and electrical cords out of reach, since a pulled cord can bring a TV down.
- Avoid placing TVs on dressers or other furniture that wasn’t made to hold them.
- Close drawers when you’re done, and supervise climbing as your baby becomes mobile.
The STURDY Act and Older Furniture
The Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, signed into law in December 2022, led CPSC to adopt a mandatory stability rule for clothing storage units such as dressers and chests. Units manufactured on or after September 1, 2023 must meet it. Furniture made before that date, including most secondhand and hand-me-down pieces, may not, so anchor it anyway. You can check for recalls at CPSC.gov.
When Is the Right Time?
Before your baby can pull up or climb. Many families babyproof in stages, and anchoring is easiest to do when the nursery is first set up. See the babyproofing checklist by stage.
If a tip-over happens: call 911 if your child is unresponsive, having trouble breathing, or seems seriously hurt. If your child hit their head, call your child’s doctor for advice on what to watch for. See head bumps: when a fall needs medical care.
The Bottom Line
Anchor dressers, bookcases, and TVs before your baby is mobile, keep tempting items off the top of furniture, and don’t count on older pieces being stable on their own. It takes a few minutes and inexpensive hardware, and it prevents a type of injury that hits toddlers hardest.
Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.
Related Articles
- Setting Up a Safe Nursery
- Babyproofing Checklist by Stage: Before Crawling, Crawling, Walking
- When Your Baby Stands Up in the Crib
- Your Baby at 10 Months
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Ahead of Sunday’s game, CPSC reminds families to tackle the deadly hazard of TV and furniture tip-overs [news release]. February 8, 2024. https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2024/Ahead-of-Sundays-Game-CPSC-Reminds-Families-to-Tackle-the-Deadly-Hazard-of-TV-and-Furniture-Tip-Overs
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Anchor It! https://www.anchorit.gov
- Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act (STURDY Act), enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Public Law 117-328.
Last updated November 3, 2026. This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
