How do I secure furniture against tipping?

A chest of drawers becomes unstable the moment a drawer is opened, and a climbing child applies exactly the load that tips it. The fixings are inexpensive and the job is an afternoon.

Safety

What you'll need

• Anti-tip straps or L-brackets
• Stud detector and a drill
• Fixings suited to the wall type
• TV mount straps rated for the set

Step by step

1. Identify what actually needs securing.Chests of drawers, bookcases, wardrobes, shelving units, televisions on stands, and anything taller than it is wide. Drawers are the key risk because they move the centre of gravity forward.
2. Understand the mechanism.An open drawer shifts the weight outside the footprint. A child leaning on or climbing it then only needs to add a little force. That is why chests are the most common item involved.
3. Find the studs.A strap is only as strong as what it is fixed to, and plasterboard alone will not hold under a tipping load. Studs at 400 or 600mm centres, or masonry with an appropriate plug.
4. Use proper anti-tip hardware.Straps or L-brackets designed for the purpose, rated for furniture. Not picture wire or a cable tie — they are not rated and they fail suddenly.
5. Fix into the furniture's frame, not the back panel.The thin hardboard back will tear straight off. Fix into the solid top, side or the frame members.
6. Use two fixings per item.One at each side rather than one in the middle. It resists twisting as well as tipping, and it halves the load on each fixing.
7. Load the bottom drawers heaviest.Free, and it lowers the centre of gravity substantially. Light things at the top, heavy at the bottom, in every unit.
8. Fit drawer stops or locks where relevant.Stops that prevent all the drawers opening at once, or child locks. Several open drawers together is the worst case.
9. Deal with televisions specifically.Wall mounting is the safest option. On a stand, use the strap kit supplied or a rated aftermarket one, fixed to the wall and to the VESA points on the set.
10. Check the stand suits the set.A large television on a narrow unit is unstable regardless of straps. The base should be wider than the set and rated for the weight.
11. Remove the climbing incentives.Toys, remotes and anything attractive on top of tall furniture. A child climbs for a reason, and removing the reason is as effective as any strap.
12. Do it in every room, including rented ones.Bedrooms especially, where furniture is tall and supervision is lower. Most landlords accept small fixings for safety — ask, and make good on leaving.
13. Recheck after moving anything.Straps get disconnected during cleaning and rearranging and not reconnected. Worth a look every few months.

Tips

• Heaviest items in the bottom drawers. Free, immediate, and it lowers the centre of gravity more than people expect.
• Two fixings per item, into studs or masonry. A strap into plasterboard is not a fixing.
• Take the toys and the remote off the top. Removing the reason to climb is as effective as the strap.

Common mistakes

• Fixing a strap into plasterboard alone — A tipping load is exactly the kind that pulls hollow fixings out. It has to reach a stud or masonry to hold.
• Screwing into the thin hardboard back panel — It tears away under load and the furniture tips with the strap still attached to a piece of the back.

If it doesn't work