How to Anchor a Dresser So It Cannot Tip Over

The dresser went together, the small bag with the strap went into a drawer, and the drawer got filled with sweaters. The assumption that costs the most is that a heavy chest standing flat on the floor is stable, when an open drawer with a child hanging off it turns the whole piece into a lever. CPSC recalled three six-drawer dressers in the first two weeks of September 2026 for exactly that, and the remedy on those was a refund, not a strap.

Search the recall list before you drill anything

Open CPSC's recall list and search the brand and model. The Gizoon dresser recall, dated September 3, 2026 and covering about 4,396 units, says the dressers are unstable when not anchored and violate the mandatory standard required by the STURDY Act. On a recalled unit CPSC tells owners to stop using it, move it out of reach of children, write RECALLED on the top and sides in permanent marker, email a photo to the company, and dispose of it once the refund is authorized. Anchoring is not a substitute for that; see claiming a refund on a recalled product.

Buy a kit rated above the weight of the furniture

CPSC's anchoring guide describes a kit as two mounting brackets or plates and a connecting strap, with metal or thick plastic brackets and straps of heavy nylon or braided steel. Read the specification and confirm the rating is higher than what the dresser weighs, and plan on two straps, which is the usual number. Most kits run under $20 and many under $10 as of September 2026. You also need a stud finder, a pencil, a drill and bits, screws, and a screwdriver.

Drill the wall bracket into the middle of a stud

The installation steps say studs in modern homes sit 16 or 24 inches apart and run floor to ceiling. Find the nearest one, mark its middle in pencil, hold the bracket at the height you want, and trace its screw holes. Use the bit size on the kit packaging, which is the size of the screw shaft without the threads, drill until you feel the resistance of the stud, then line up the bracket and drive the screws.

Fasten the other bracket to solid wood on the dresser

Pick a thick, sturdy spot on the furniture rather than a thin back panel or a drawer face. Trace the holes, drill a pilot hole smaller than the screw, and drive the screws through the bracket.

Tighten the strap and pull on both ends

Push the dresser back against the wall, connect the strap to both brackets, and tighten it. Then pull on each end. There should be no slack and no movement.

If the wall is brick or concrete. Anchor into the face of a brick rather than the mortar between bricks, drill with a masonry bit at the size the kit lists, and drive self-anchoring masonry screws with an impact driver.

If the kit already on the wall is plastic. CPSC recalled about 55,170 Cranach Hardware plastic tip restraint kits on October 23, 2025 after testing found they failed ASTM F3096-23, the tip restraint standard, because the plastic brackets and the cable tie can break or degrade over time. Owners get a free stainless steel replacement.

If the piece cannot be anchored at all. CPSC advises putting a television on a sturdy low base pushed as far back as possible with cords out of reach, keeping toys and remotes off high surfaces so there is nothing to climb for, and storing heavy items on low shelves.

Sources. CPSC anchoring campaign, what you will need, how to install a kit, CPSC recalls and product safety warnings, Gizoon six-drawer dresser recall, Cranach tip restraint kit recall, CPSC anchoring campaign ten year update.