Furniture Anchors and TV Straps (2026): Stop Tip-Overs, per the CPSC

A dresser, bookcase or TV that tips onto a small child can kill. The fix is cheap and takes minutes: anchor it to the wall. This guide covers what the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says about tip-overs, what the 2023 dresser rule changed, and six anchor kits and TV straps worth buying.

How we chose: we did not test these products. Each one is sold by Amazon.com or its maker's own store, was in stock in September 2026, and is described from its listing. Safety information comes from CPSC's Anchor It campaign, its 2024 tip-over data release, its clothing storage unit rule, and its 2025 and 2026 recall notices.

Which Anchor Kit Should You Buy?

"Material" and "hardware" come from each listing. None of the six listings says which tip restraint standard it meets, so follow the installation instructions in the box and your furniture maker's instructions.

How Common Are Tip-Overs?

CPSC's February 2024 figures are sobering:

• "17,800 people annually are injured in these incidents," counting emergency department visits for furniture, TV and appliance tip-overs.
• Children under 18 "suffered 44 percent of injuries, amounting to a child being treated in an emergency department (ED-treated) every 53 minutes."
• "Of the 217 reported tip-over fatalities from 2013 through July 2023 to all ages, 47 percent involved a television, and 55 percent involved children between 1 and 3 years old."
• Injuries from furniture alone have grown "from 1,800 in 2013 to 4,300 in 2022."

There is progress too. In July 2025, marking the campaign's tenth year, CPSC said Anchor It efforts "contributed to a nearly 50-percent decline in tip-over-related injuries and deaths in the U.S."

Key point: toddlers between 1 and 3 are the children most at risk. Anchor before your baby starts pulling up on furniture, as our babyproofing checklist by age sets out.

What Does the 2023 Dresser Rule Change?

In 2022 Congress passed the STURDY law, which, in CPSC's words, "directs CPSC to promulgate rulemaking for clothing storage units." The result is 16 CFR part 1261, which applies to "clothing storage units manufactured after September 1, 2023."

It covers free-standing bedroom storage with drawers or doors that is at least 27 inches tall, weighs 30 pounds or more and has at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage: "chests, chests of drawers, drawer chests, armoires, chifferobes, bureaus, door chests, and dressers." Covered units must pass stability tests, including one with a child's weight on carpet. They must also come with an anti-tip device that meets ASTM F3096, the standard for tip restraints.

Key point: the rule does not make anchoring optional. CPSC's 2025 advice is still to "anchor TVs and furniture, such as bookcases and dressers, securely to the wall," and the rule doesn't cover bookcases, TV stands, or dressers made before September 2023.

Why Were Plastic Anchor Kits Recalled?

In October 2025, March 2026 and June 2026, CPSC announced recalls of plastic tip restraint kits of the same design: two white plastic brackets, a white plastic cable zip tie, screws and drywall anchors. In each case, CPSC said the plastic brackets and zip tie "can break or degrade over time, which could lead to furniture tipping over."

• 4our Kiddies (March 2026): about 253,500 kits sold on Amazon from June 2019 to January 2026. CPSC is aware of at least 150 reports of broken kits, including three tip-overs. Owners can get a free stainless steel replacement.
• Cranach Hardware (October 2025): about 55,170 kits sold on Amazon from September 2019.
• Childcraft furniture from School Specialty (June 2026): about 15,616 kits sold in the box with the furniture.

CPSC called it "a hidden defect because consumers who purchase and install this product may be under a false sense of security." CPSC testing found the kits failed the industry standard for tip restraints.

Pro tip: if you already have a kit with white plastic brackets and a zip tie, search the brand in our recall checker or on CPSC.gov. We left 4our Kiddies off this list because of its recall, even though it now sells a steel kit.

How Do You Install a Furniture Anchor?

Anchor It gives five steps:

1. Attach a bracket to the wall.
2. Move the furniture close to the wall.
3. Attach the second bracket to the furniture or TV.
4. Connect the strap between the two brackets.
5. Tighten it, then check it.

For tools, Anchor It lists an anchoring kit, a drill with a bit, a screwdriver and a stud finder. To check your work, it says: "Tug on the straps to be confident everything is secure."

Whether a screw can go into drywall or must find a stud depends on the kit and the furniture, so follow both sets of instructions. The Dreambaby listing, for example, says each piece needs at least two straps and heavier pieces three or four.

Best for renters: Anchor It's site includes tips on repairing the small wall holes anchors leave behind, and patching two screw holes costs far less than an emergency room visit.

How Do You Secure a TV?

TVs were involved in almost half the tip-over deaths CPSC counted from 2013 to mid-2023. A flat-screen on a dresser or stand can fall if a child pulls on it or climbs the furniture beneath it.

• Mount it or strap it. Cable and strap kits like the VIVO and Mount-It! attach to the VESA holes on the back of the TV, then to the wall or the stand.
• Secure the stand too. The Safety 1st TV & Furniture Straps can hold the TV to the stand and the stand to the wall.
• If you can't anchor, CPSC says to "place TVs on a sturdy, low base, push the TV back as far as possible, and keep cable cords out of reach."

What Else Stops a Tip-Over?

CPSC's other advice is about what tempts a child to climb:

• "Avoid storing appealing items such as toys and remotes where kids may be tempted to climb to reach for them."
• "Store heavier items on lower shelves."

The 2023 rule's own tests show what regulators worry about: covered dressers must stay upright with clothing loaded in the drawers, under a horizontal pull, and on carpet with a child's weight applied. Older furniture was never tested that way, which is one more reason to anchor it.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. The rule under 16 CFR part 1261 makes new dressers more stable and requires them to include an anti-tip device, but CPSC still says to anchor TVs and furniture, such as bookcases and dressers, securely to the wall. Use the anti-tip device that came with the dresser, following its instructions.

Are plastic furniture anchors safe?

Not all plastic anchors are unsafe, but three plastic zip-tie kits were recalled in 2025 and 2026 because their brackets and ties can break or degrade over time. If you're buying new, a metal or cable kit, such as the RORMGO 10-pack ($9.99), avoids that design.

How many anchors does a dresser need?

Follow the kit's instructions. Dreambaby says to use at least two straps per piece of furniture, and three or four for heavier pieces.

Can I anchor furniture without drilling?

No-drill adhesive kits exist, but Anchor It's list of tools includes a drill and a stud finder, and all six products here screw into the wall. We haven't found a regulator page that endorses adhesive-only anchors, so we didn't include them.

When should I anchor furniture?

Before your baby starts pulling up to stand. CPSC's data shows children 1 to 3 years old are involved in more than half of tip-over deaths.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: anchor every dresser, bookcase and TV before your baby is mobile. For furniture, a metal-cable kit like the RORMGO 10-pack ($9.99), or Safety 1st's woven straps ($7.33) for a single dresser. For a flat-screen, the VIVO Dual Cable Kit ($24.99). Check any plastic zip-tie kit you already own against CPSC's 2025 and 2026 recalls, then work through the rest of our babyproofing checklist.

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NurseryProof is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This guide summarizes public safety guidance and makers' listings and is not a substitute for your anchor kit's or furniture maker's installation instructions.