On June 28, Swedish retailer IKEA recalled their popular MALM dresser and a number of other similar styles, totaling roughly 29 million pieces of furniture.
The store issued the recall, which can be read in full here, in response to reports of children injured by pulling the top-heavy dresser over. Tragically, the dresser has also been linked to the deaths of three small children.
Much like the button-cell batteries that can create hazardous conditions for little ones, the dresser is a popular and seemingly innocuous piece of furniture. Many parents had no idea of the potential danger.
The lifestyle and furniture giant, known for producing affordable, “assembly required” furniture, released a video campaign encouraging customers who had purchased the MALM and similar dressers to anchor the dresser to the wall, and offering free anchoring kits.
Though the campaign encouraged 300,000 customers to request the kit, IKEA realized that many more customers had not responded and still had unsecured furnishings in their home.
With that conclusion, the retailer made the decision to voluntarily recall the product. Read on below to learn more about the recall, and what IKEA is offering for MALM owners.
In a press release on the IKEA website, the company stated that they will no longer be selling their MALM line of dressers and chests.
The simple style comes in a variety of shapes, dimensions, and colors, but is defined by flat, handleless drawers that lie flush against the body of the dresser.
These pieces are generally assembled by the buyer at home, and were historically favored for their simple style and ease of use.
A large part of the popularity of this piece of furniture is the versatility, which can be incorporated into various room plans.
The dresser is easy to customize with paint or with drawer pulls, so it became a frequent pick for so-called "IKEA hacks," where crafty people would upgrade basic IKEA furniture into a more high-end piece at minimal cost.
The upgrade pictured above involves adding label decals and hooks to the piece, and is intended for a child's bedroom.
The danger, according to the IKEA statement, is that these dressers are very easily pulled over if they aren't anchored to the wall.
According to their statement, "The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing a tip-over and entrapment hazard that can result in death or injuries to children."
Furniture tip-overs account for an injury to a child every two weeks, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The CPSC, the U.S. government regulatory body for consumer goods, initiated the recall after it became increasingly clear that the product is unstable for small children.
In 2014, two little boys, aged 2 and 23 months, died after pulling the structures down on themselves.
These two deaths led to the widespread IKEA campaign urging parents to anchor their furniture to the walls.
In spring 2016, a third little boy, aged 22 months, died in a similar accident involving the retailer's furnishings.
This led to an overall recall of the entire MALM product line, which will no longer be produced at all.
Additionally, IKEA has issued voluntary recalls of a number of other dressers that fit similar dimensions. A full list of the affected products can be seen here.
If you already own one of the recalled products, you have two options.
IKEA is still offering free anchoring kits for people who would like to keep their furniture, but secure it more stably to the wall.
Additionally, they are offering full refunds for anyone who prefers to stop using the dresser all together, along with a helpful FAQ for anyone not sure whether their furniture qualifies.
Ultimately, the message here is clear. If you own a MALM dresser or a similar furnishing, IKEA advises, "Please immediately stop using any recalled chest or dresser that is not properly anchored to the wall and place in an area not accessible to children."
Further, take a close eye at any other furnishings in areas that kids can access, especially kids of "cruising" age, the pre-walking phase where tots will often pull themselves up using furniture, doors, and curtains.
If you have anything that could be tugged over by a tot, make sure it's secured, or move it out of harm's way.
And please make sure to SHARE this potentially lifesaving piece of news with any grandparents or parents in your life!
