What is The STURDY Act?

The Stop Tip-Overs of Unstable, Risky Dessers on Youth, also known as the STURDY Act, was introduced to Congress in February 2021 and signed into law in December 2022. It went into effect on September 1, 2023, and applies to all furniture made after that date. The act “requires the CPSC to promulgate a consumer product safety rule for free-standing clothing storage units to protect children from tip-over related death and injury” (Bill S.441).

STURDY Act Specifics

After an estimated 84,000 injuries due to furniture tipping over from 2006-2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) decided that the old standard for furniture manufacturing was not enough. The old standard was weak, voluntary, and did not accurately reflect the real world, causing many children to be injured or die. The STURDY Act aims to improve the safety and stability of dressers and other clothing storage units that pose a tip-over risk to small children. The law requires clothing storage units to follow a mandatory safety standard determined by the ASTM F2057-23 Standard Safety Specification or its successor. 

Furniture Specifications

For this bill, “clothing storage unit” means any free-standing furniture item manufactured in or imported to the U.S. that is intended for clothing storage. This typically means bedroom furniture, as the rule only applies to dressers, chests, and any other furniture that holds clothes. The specific qualifications for this rule are any free-standing clothing storage units that are at least 27 inches tall, at least 30 pounds in mass, and have a volume of at least 3.2 cubic feet. The rule does not account for TVs, bookcases, tables, desks, or entertainment consoles.  

STURDY Act Requirements

There is now a safety standard that all furniture manufacturers have to abide by. Safety specification for the STURDY Act applies to children up to 72 months old, as many fatalities from tip-overs relate to children 5 and younger. Any furniture manufactured after September 1, 2023, must follow these requirements: 

• They must pass testing on all clothing storage units. 
• All furniture must have warning labels and safety alert symbols based on ASTM F2057-23. 
• Manufacturers must provide anchoring kits for any clothing storage unit sold. 

STURDY Act Testing

The act requires that there be tests to ensure the safety standard is being followed, and that manufacturers need to pass to be compliant with this law. The tests include: 

• Tests simulating the weight of a 60-pound child, the furniture should support the weight.
• Tests that simulate the real world, finding any impacts on clothing storage unit stability from placing it on a carpet, putting clothes in the drawers, having drawers open, and using dynamic force. 
• During the test, the unit cannot tip over or be supported only by an open drawer, door, or flap.
• Ensuring that safety features work correctly to make sure consumers can’t accidentally disable them when using the furniture. 

King’s Impressions Compliance

At King’s Impressions, our dressers and chests are built with child safety in mind. We use a child-safe coating on our wood, ensuring that nothing toxic is accidentally ingested if your little one is teething. We also use hidden fasteners and mortise and tenon joints in construction, so there is nothing sharp on the outside that can cause injuries. 

When building children’s furniture, King’s Impressions will handcraft quality pieces perfect for a growing child. Our solid wood furniture will stand the test of time and lasts for generations. Check out our children’s collections and contact us today to create your heirloom furniture!