CHARLOTTE — A young student died at a Florida elementary school earlier this month after an interactive display board, similar to a flat-screen TV, fell on him in his classroom. This tragic event is still being investigated, but we know that thousands of children are injured every year in tip-over incidents involving TV’s and furniture. Consumer Reports safety experts have advice on how to avoid a tragedy like this in your own home.
Tip-overs can happen when a child tries to climb, pull, or attempts to move furniture, large appliances, or televisions that are either unstable or not properly anchored to the wall.
TV mounts are sold according to the maximum weight and screen size. Just because two mounts can handle the same-size television, don’t assume they’re rated for the same weight; that can differ by brand. For maximum security, CR says to secure your TV mount to wall studs.
Along with the risk of a TV being improperly mounted to a wall, putting a TV on top of a dresser or bookshelf is never safe without properly installed safety anchors, for both the TV and the piece of furniture it’s sitting on!
While testing anchor kits in its lab, Consumer Reports experts used a special machine to see how much force each kit could handle before breaking or detaching from the wall. CR’s tests found that, in general, metal or nylon strap components drilled into wall studs performed best.
It’s also important to choose an anchor designed for the specific wall and stud material in your home. Simple Mount Furniture Anti-Tip Kit performed best in CR’s test on wooden studs behind drywall. If you have metal studs, CR recommends QuakeHOLD! Furniture Securing Straps. Both products cost less than $15, a small price for peace of mind.
CR did not test TV mounts but recommends choosing one that’s been certified to the UL 2442 standard, meaning it has been tested for structural strength and load capacity.
CR recommends calling a professional to anchor into trickier surfaces, such as exposed brick or concrete walls. For step-by-step instructions on anchoring furniture, we’ve posted a video from Consumer Reports below.