The STURDY Act
Sauder Education Furniture is STURDY compliant
Sauder Education® is in business to serve others. Providing safe, well-designed, high-quality products that solve problems for our customers is at the heart of our mission. Compliance with the STURDY Act is mandatory, as a manufacturer of compliant furniture, we are proud to say that our products meet the rigorous standards set forth by the STURDY ACT.
“We agree that furniture should be designed with safety and stability in mind. We look at STURDY as an opportunity to better serve our customers,” said Chris Baden, head of Product Engineering. “The Sauder Education New Product Development Team is working to ensure that Sauder products are in compliance.”
What is the STURDY Act?
The STURDY Act (Stopping Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act) (ASTM F2057-2023) ) is a law passed in December in coordination with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The law aims to improve the safety of dressers and other free-standing furniture that poses a tip-over risk to smaller individuals. The law requires clothing storage units to meet certain stability standards and undergo testing to prove compliance.
The STURDY Act became a law on September 1, 2023 and The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will actively enforce the standard.
Do ALL furniture manufacturers need to comply?
Yes, All manufacturers of furniture are required by law to meet labeling, testing, and reporting standards. The STURDY Act is universally applicable, there is no distinction made between residential and commercial manufacturers.
Stephen Lee Program Specialist at CPSC shared, “The definition of a consumer product under section 3(a)(5) of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) includes products that a consumer may use located in permanent or temporary housing; therefore, furniture intended for use in College and University student housing would be considered a consumer product that must meet applicable CPSC requirements of the STURDY Act. If the furniture item, then meets the criteria for a clothing storage unit, it is subject to the requirements of 16 CFR part 1261. All of this remains true regardless of who purchases the furniture.”
What type furniture is subject to this ruling?
The STURDY Act encompasses free-standing clothing storage units, including but not limited to chests, chests of drawers, armoires, bureaus, wardrobes, and dressers that are:
- 27 inches or greater in height; AND
- are 30 pounds or greater in weight; AND
- contain 3.2 cubic feet or greater of enclosed storage volume.
What does STURDY Act compliance mean?
STURDY states furniture must pass mandatory ASTM testing requirements involving testing furniture with various load scenarios to measure tip-over risk. Furniture that does not pass is unsafe and is subject to recall. Fines maybe be imposed on manufacturers who sell non-compliant products after the fall 2023 deadlines.
