New safety standards for dressers have made newer models safer, but older dressers still pose a significant risk to children. Consumer Reports experts say that furniture tip-overs have injured and killed too many children "Our family woke up on the morning of Dec. 18, 2004, to every parent's nightmare," said parent Kimberly Amato.
"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 a hard-fought victory when the STURDY Act went into effect late last year, setting stricter rules for furniture manufacturers to prevent tip-overs. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play << "The good news is, all the dressers we tested that were made after September 2023 passed our rigorous tip-over tests," said Lauren Kirchner, an investigative reporter for Consumer Reports. "I was thrilled," Amato said.
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 .
