1. Purchase furniture anchors

Purchase furniture restraints, also called furniture anti-tip devices or anchors, from safety specialists. Not all devices are created equal! Your furniture might have come with small plastic cable ties but we do not recommend you use them (the plastic can degrade and break over time or they may not be appropriate for forces applied in a tip-over). L brackets (angle braces) and earthquake anchoring products work well for some furniture. Click to learn about millions of plastic tip-over restraint kits that have been recalled.

2. Use two for each piece of furniture

Plan on using at least two (2) restraints per piece of furniture. Wide pieces of furniture might need additional restraints. For stacked pieces of furniture, anchor the top piece (e.g., hutch, additional bookcase, etc.) to the base and then anchor to the wall.

IAFCS-Furniture-Restraint3. Install into solid wood

Ensure the restraints are installed into a solid piece of wood on the back (or the top) of the furniture. You will find that some furniture has very thin pieces of wood or other materials on the back that would not be able to hold a screw.

4. Attach anchor to a wall stud

Use a wood stud (stud finders are available to assist you in locating them). DO NOT attach a product with plastic drywall anchors. You may need to adjust the size of the screw that you are using to ensure it is installed securely into the stud.

5. Ensure restraints are tight and regularly check them.

Many products require the installer to tighten them during the last step of installation. There should not be slack in the furniture strap/anchor.

6. Consider hiring a professional childproofer to help.

They are experienced and very familiar with the proper installation of furniture restraints.

Children ages two to five are the most frequent victims of fatal furniture tip-over incidents.

CPSC’s AnchorIt! Campaign

Wondering what furniture you should anchor?

Don’t forget to anchor your TVs – Click Here for more info.

Click here to view in Spanish.

Click here to view a video and tips about anchoring furniture.