Children's Furniture: What To Check Before You Buy

Are you looking for baby or kids furniture in Singapore? Here are some shops selling baby/children’s furniture in Singapore.

The main risk from children’s furniture isn’t what it’s made of. It’s that it falls on them.

Anchor everything tall to the wall. Chests of drawers, bookcases, wardrobes, televisions.

A toddler climbing an open drawer applies enough leverage to bring an entire chest of drawers over, and furniture tip-overs are among the more common causes of serious injury and death to young children at home. The taller and the more drawers, the worse.

Brackets cost a few dollars and take ten minutes. Do it for anything a child could climb, including pieces that feel far too heavy to move.

What to check before buying

Does it come with an anchoring kit? Good manufacturers supply one. If not, buy brackets separately.
Stability test: open the top drawer fully and press down on it. If it tips or feels close to it, that piece is a hazard whatever you do with it.
Rounded or softened edges, particularly at toddler head height.
No gaps that trap fingers: hinges, sliding parts, drawer runners.
Soft-close drawers if you can, which removes a common source of trapped fingers.
Weight-bearing: children climb on furniture regardless of intent. Assume they will.
Finishes. Cheap MDF and particleboard can off-gas formaldehyde for weeks. Air new furniture out before it goes in a child’s room, ideally somewhere ventilated for a few days.
Non-toxic paint on anything a young child will chew, which at cot age is everything.

Cots and beds

Slat spacing narrow enough that a head can’t pass through.
Drop-side cots are no longer permitted: don’t accept one second-hand, however good the condition.
A new mattress for a second-hand cot, firm and flat, fitting with no gaps at the sides.
Bunk beds not before six for the top bunk, with guardrails on both sides and a fixed ladder.
No cot bumpers, and nothing hanging over the cot once a child can pull up.
Position away from windows, blind cords, lamps and sockets.

Desks and chairs

Feet flat on the floor or a footrest, and the desk at elbow height. Most children work at adult-sized furniture and it affects both posture and how long they can concentrate.
Adjustable is worth paying for, given they grow for a decade.
A chair that doesn’t swivel or roll for younger children. It becomes a toy otherwise.
Light from the side, and from the left for a right-handed child, so they don’t write in their own shadow.

What to buy, and when

Buy less than you think, later than you think. A matching nursery set is the single largest avoidable expense in a child’s room, and much of it is outgrown or unused.
Storage at child height so tidying is something they can do.
Buy things that convert or last: a cot that becomes a toddler bed, a desk that adjusts.
Second-hand is fine for most furniture, provided it meets current standards and you check for stability, loose fittings and recalls. Not for cot mattresses.
Measure the lift and the doorway before ordering anything large. This catches more people than it should.

While you’re at it

Two things that live alongside furniture and cause more harm than it does:

Blind and curtain cords: a strangulation risk. Cordless blinds, or cleats holding cords high and taut, and never a cot or bed within reach.
Nothing climbable near a window. No bed, chair, chest or storage box. High-rise falls involving children recur here, and they nearly always involve furniture placed under a window.

Frequently asked questions

Why does children’s furniture need anchoring?

Because a toddler climbing an open drawer generates enough leverage to pull an entire chest of drawers over, and tip-overs are among the more common causes of serious injury to young children at home. Brackets cost a few dollars and take ten minutes.

How do I test whether furniture is stable?

Open the top drawer fully and press down on it. If it tips or comes close, it’s a hazard regardless of what else you do. Taller pieces with more drawers are worse.

Is second-hand children’s furniture safe?

Usually, if it meets current standards and you check for stability, loose fittings and recalls. Drop-side cots are no longer permitted and shouldn’t be accepted at all. Buy a new mattress for a second-hand cot.

What should I look for in a child’s desk?

Feet flat on the floor or a footrest, and the desk at elbow height. Most children work at adult-sized furniture, which affects posture and concentration. Adjustable is worth paying for given they grow for a decade, and a non-swivelling chair works better for younger children.

Do I need to worry about what furniture is made of?

Cheap MDF and particleboard can off-gas formaldehyde for weeks, so air new furniture somewhere ventilated for a few days before putting it in a child’s room. Check for non-toxic paint on anything a young child will chew, which at cot age is everything.

What else should I do in the room?

Deal with blind and curtain cords, which are a strangulation risk, and move everything climbable away from windows. High-rise falls involving children nearly always involve furniture placed under a window.

What to remember

Anchor it to the wall. That’s the safety story for children’s furniture, and it takes ten minutes.

Test stability by leaning on an open top drawer. Air new pieces out before they go in the room.

Buy less, later, and adjustable. And move everything climbable away from the windows while you’re in there.