Make sure your furniture doesn’t tip over
No one wants an accident to happen in their home. A piece of furniture, such as a chest of drawers, that tips over can seriously or even fatally injure a child or an adult. That’s why it must be secured to the wall. You can find more information below about tipping accidents and preventing them by securing your chest of drawers to the wall.
What causes tip-overs?
Some causes are illustrated below. Remember also that an uneven or leaning floor, the edge of a carpet or rug, and soft or thick carpets and rugs can also cause instability and tipping accidents.
Opening several drawers at the same time, in search of something. This makes the centre of gravity of the chest of drawers shift outside the base of the furniture and it tips over.
Using the drawers as a ladder to reach an object. Putting a toy or some other attraction on top could tempt a child to climb up.
Putting a heavy object on top of a chest of drawers increases the tip-over hazard.
Pulling or hanging on a drawer for fun can increase the risk of tipping.
Sitting in a drawer during play can cause the furniture to tip over.
Opening all the drawers at the same time out of curiosity. This makes the centre of gravity of the chest of drawers shift outside the base of the furniture and it tips over.
Leaning on a drawer for support or to rise up from the floor.
The science of tipping
When we develop furniture, we do everything we can to make it as stable and safe as possible. But we can’t outsmart the laws of physics. Like the fact that when the centre of gravity of a piece of furniture shifts outside the base of the furniture, it will tip over if it is not secured. Or the fact that a pulled-out drawer works like a lever.
Because of the physics of levers, even a small weight can shift the centre of gravity a lot if the weight is applied to a pulled-out drawer (or an open door). So a small child who stands, sits or climbs on an open drawer can make a large chest of drawers tip over if it’s not secured – despite the child’s low weight.
Children and tipping chests of drawers
Children are curious and creative, always learning and discovering. This helps make children aged 1-7 years more accident-prone. And the smallest ones, aged 1-4 years, are most at risk of serious injuries. That’s why a chest of drawers – no matter what model or size – can be a hazard if it isn’t secured to the wall. There are many examples where children have pulled out one or several drawers and pulled themselves up, climbed up, hung on or climbed into them.
Adults and tipping chests of drawers
We adults are at risk, too, not just children. We sometimes open several drawers at the same time. Sometimes we put too many or too heavy things in the front of the drawers. In these cases, the centre of gravity shifts outside the base of the furniture and it tips over. Leaning on a drawer for support or when we get up from the floor can also cause tipping.
Secure your chest of drawers, simple and safe
When you buy a chest of drawers at IKEA, always follow the assembly instructions and secure it using the included safety fittings. They’re easy to install—just purchase screws and plugs suitable for your wall type. If you ever want to move your chest of drawers or relocate, all you need to do is fill the holes with putty for a seamless fix.
For your convenience, we offer sets of screws and plugs for purchase. If you're unsure which ones to choose, it’s best to seek professional advice.
See how easy it is!
Want to know how to secure your piece of furniture to the wall?
Watch this short film.
If you’re finished here and want to get back to finding the right chest of drawers for you, use the link below.