Do I Need to Use the Straps Belts on the Baby Swing

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Furniture tip-overs cause injuries to thousands of people, especially children, each year. Yet, preventing furniture tip-overs can be relatively simple and inexpensive.

While newly manufactured furniture may comply with the American Society for Testing Materials (ATSM) standard and even come with tip restraints, older pieces may not be similarly equipped and require these safety measures. If you have children at home, consider these tip restraints part of child-proofing and indoor safety. Attach these straps and brackets to studs in the wall to help prevent furniture tip-overs, but don't consider them a substitute for supervision.

The Safety 1st Furniture Wall Straps are easy to install and sturdy enough to help prevent accidental furniture tip-overs. The straps can be used to help secure shelving, bookcases, chests, or armoires to the wall. As they are installed in the back, you cannot see the straps from the front, but they may be visible from the sides.

There are two straps per package. Make sure to follow instructions to ensure that you are fastening your furniture securely. Also, remember that the weight allowance includes the weight of the furniture and whatever else it is holding, so don't consider furniture safe for children to climb.

KidCo Anti-Tip Furniture Straps also secure furniture to the wall to help prevent accidental tipping. The quick and easy installation helps keep dressers, bookcases, and other furniture relatively safe from tipping over. The straps come in packs of two, and you need at least two straps per furniture piece to keep it secure. The manufacturer recommends using two straps specifically for heavier furniture. Hardware is included, and the white nylon straps are screwed at one end to the furniture and the other to the wall.

The Mommy's Helper Tip-Resistant Furniture Safety Brackets help stop your furniture from tipping over by attaching to a stud in the wall. The brackets are detachable, allowing you to clean behind the furniture or move pieces around your home when needed. Two brackets are required per piece of furniture, but you may use additional brackets for heavy or taller pieces.

These brackets must be attached to a stud in the wall to be secure. If the bracket is not attached to a stud, the piece of furniture can still come crashing down, as the wall finish alone will not be able to hold it in place. Be sure to follow all directions. Many reviewers recommended against using these straps on heavier furniture, but they are useful for smaller or more lightweight furniture.

It isn't just furniture that tips over; flat-screen TVs have also caused a lot of accidents. While it is important to place TVs on furniture designed to hold them, you should take other safety measures. One way is to mount a TV on the wall, or if you're placing it on top of an entertainment stand, secure it with straps.

The KidCo Anti-Tip TV Straps come as a set of two black nylon straps and can be installed with the help of the included screw mounts.

Ease of Installation

Most furniture straps come with brackets that attach to your furniture and to the wall to keep the piece firmly in place—without moving or tipping over, of course. Depending on the weight of the future item, many of these brackets require screws to properly adhere to the wall and support the weight of the item. This may require drilling or power tools. Lighter or smaller pieces (like TVs) may be able to get away with using furniture strap kits without screws or nails needed. Either way, make sure to read up on the proper installation methods for each kit, as you want to follow each step carefully to ensure maximum safety.

Strength

Check each pack of furniture straps to see how many pounds of force they can hold. This will give you an idea of how strong they are and whether or not they're suitable for your furniture item. For heavier or taller objects, you may need to purchase multiple packs of furniture straps to adequately secure the pieces to the wall.

Durability

Once you've gone through the process of installing your furniture straps, you want to be able to rest easy knowing they'll withstand wear. Should your furniture move, the straps should remain sturdy under the weight and pressure of the item. Consider the materials of the straps to ensure they can be reused if you relocate the item or move to a different home altogether.

FAQ

• How do you install furniture straps?

  To install furniture straps, you'll first want to use a stud finder to find out where the studs are in your walls. Each kit comes with a set of brackets: one goes into the furniture itself, while the others go into the studs in the wall. Typically, you'll want to use two straps for each piece of furniture, one at the base and one at the top (more for taller pieces). Nail or screw the brackets into their positions, then attach the furniture straps and pull tightly. Check to make sure the restraints are perfectly tight—not slack as the final step.

• What are furniture straps made of?

  Many of the best furniture straps are made from either nylon webbing or braided steel cable. Both of these materials are recommended by pros because they are strong and durable enough to hold heavy weight without stretching or ripping. If the straps aren't made from one of these two materials, you may want to reconsider your options and go with a different brand.

• Do you need to use furniture straps?

  Furniture straps are highly recommended by child safety specialists to eliminate tip-overs and possible injuries. They protect heavy items tipping due to climbing, bumping, and more. If you live in a climate where earthquakes or tremors happen, it is also a good idea to use furniture traps as a tipping restraint to ensure the longevity of your furniture.

Abe Abbas wrote about furniture for The Spruce for seven years, beginning in 2008. He has been in the furniture industry for more than 30 years and has been responsible for marketing, merchandising, and advertising, in addition to being a successful design consultant for companies such as Sears Home Life, Levitz, and La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries. Additional reporting was done by Mackenzie Dunn, a lifestyle writer and editor whose work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day, HelloGiggles, Real Simple, MyDomaine, and more.

Do I Need to Use the Straps Belts on the Baby Swing

Source: https://www.thespruce.com/brackets-and-straps-prevent-furniture-tips-1391607

Share this post