Our view on storage furniture stability
At IKEA, we want to create a better everyday life for the many people – and we believe a safer life is a better life. This is why we invest in research, innovation, product development and testing to create solutions to improve storage furniture stability. Our goal is that no one should get harmed by storage furniture tipping over – and we work every day to achieve this ambition.
Furniture tipping over is one of the home furnishing industry’s most serious safety issues, and especially so in homes with children. If not properly assembled and secured to a wall, a small shift in the centre of gravity in anything from a tall, narrow piece of furniture to a low, sturdy chest of drawers can put both children and adults at risk. This challenge is at the heart of IKEA product development and involves strengthening the overall safety and stability of furniture. Furniture stability is a top priority, and our products meet all applicable requirements in markets where they are sold. We strive to take the lead and create a collaborative community, working together within the home furnishing industry to increase the impact and reduce the risk of furniture tip-overs.
Stability for a better everyday life
At IKEA, we draw on over 80 years of experience of everyday life at home to make sure we create products that are safe and healthy to use. Our range is developed using a rigorous risk assessment and testing programme. But as much as we believe that product design and construction can significantly reduce the risk of tip over accidents, we know that the hazard remains. This insight is especially important when it comes to the most important people on the planet – children. We know that where you see a kitchen, bedroom or living room, they see a great playground. That is why IKEA chests of drawers and other storage furniture should always be anchored to the wall according to the assembly instructions provided.
For decades we have included tip-over restraints and instructions with our products and customers can also order wall anchoring kits at IKEA.com or pick kits up at any IKEA store. To create a better awareness about the value of anchoring, we make great efforts to stress the importance of anchoring to walls and other safety measures in our communication.
Our way forward
IKEA is heavily investing in research, innovation, product development and testing, which leads to technical solutions for increased furniture stability. We believe innovations will push us and our industry toward long-term solutions to minimise the risks of furniture tip-overs. IKEA plays an active role in the development of standards around the globe, collaborating and leading task groups with safety and industry representatives to strengthen furniture standards in various markets. We test our products at our test centres in Älmhult, Sweden and Shanghai, China, as well as other independent accredited test labs around the world. And we don’t just test during development, but also throughout the lifetime of a product to confirm that they live up to high standards regarding safety and quality.
Solutions for safer homes
We understand that people around the world live differently but face similar potential risks. At IKEA we know we can develop safe products without compromising on design, quality, or price and stay true to democratic design. And we have taken many important steps to improve our range in terms of furniture stability. One recent example is VIHALS chest of drawers that has our new safety feature called Anchor and Unlock. With this feature you must anchor your furniture to the wall to be able to open more than one drawer at a time. Once you’ve anchored the chest of drawers to the wall, the drawers are unlocked, and you can open as many as you like at once.
Another example is GREÅKER cabinet with drawers with a solution that builds upon a couple of simple but important design features: doors with a discreet heel provide support when opened, and special hinges ensure that the doors stop at a 115-degree angle to further enhance the cabinet's stability.
Our commitment to stability
At IKEA we continue to work with innovation and design solutions to enhance furniture stability. On this journey we have gathered and will continue to gather a lot of knowledge that we want as many people as possible to benefit from. We look forward to continuing to play a collaborative role within the industry, as well as with legislators, regulators, standard-setting committees, consumer safety advocates and our customers. We constantly strive to make our products as safe as possible for you, your family, and the environment.