CPSC Dresser Recalls and STURDY: Checks for India

US dressers and chests at least 27 inches tall, 30 lb and 3.2 cu ft of enclosed storage must meet the STURDY Act rule, 16 CFR 1261. CPSC has recalled India-made dressers that failed it. Clear To Load checks labels, tip restraints, drawer stops and model match at the factory. The stability test itself is done by an accredited lab.

An India-made dresser recall

On 20 June 2024, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced recall 24-279. It covered about 400 Cedona Natural View six-drawer dressers, model 33117082, manufactured in India. They were imported by Global Homes USA of Charlotte, North Carolina, and sold only at Rooms To Go from November 2023 to February 2024, for about $1,000.

CPSC said the dressers were unstable if not anchored to the wall, posing tip-over and entrapment hazards. They did not meet the performance requirements of the STURDY Act. No incidents were reported. The remedy was a free replacement, with delivery of the new unit and removal of the recalled one.

Three points matter for exporters:

No one was hurt, and it was still recalled. Failing the mandatory standard was enough.
This was a heavy solid unit. CPSC lists it at about 238 lb, 36 inches tall. Weight alone does not make a chest stable.
The importer carried it. The recall was announced under the US importer and retailer, but the dressers were made in an Indian factory to a design that did not comply with the rule.

Light units are in scope too

STURDY recalls are not limited to big wooden pieces. On 26 November 2025, CPSC announced recall 26-107 for about 285 Ebern Designs Ojaswi 12-drawer dressers. They had a metal frame, a wooden top and fabric drawers, weighed about 31.7 lb, and were made in China. CPSC said they violated the mandatory standard required by the STURDY Act. At just over 30 lb, they were still in scope. If you make iron-frame chests with fabric or cane drawers, measure the weight, not just the height.

What the rule requires

The STURDY Act directed CPSC to adopt a mandatory tip-over standard. The result is 16 CFR 1261, which incorporates ASTM F2057-23. CPSC's business guidance, checked on 15 October 2026, sets out the scope and requirements:

Requirement	What it means
Scope	Free-standing clothing storage units at least 27 in tall, at least 30 lb, with at least 3.2 cu ft of enclosed storage, made after 1 September 2023
Stability tests	Three tests: a clothing load test, a 10 lb horizontal force at the highest hand-hold, and a carpet test with a 60 lb child-weight load
Interlocks	Must work without extra action by the user, and must not need assembly by the consumer on a unit shipped assembled. Under test, an interlocked drawer must stay closed under 30 lb of force for 5 seconds
Warning label	Required statements and pictograms on the unit
Tip restraint	An anti-tip device meeting ASTM F3096 packed with the unit
Certificate	A General Certificate of Conformity (or Children's Product Certificate) citing 16 CFR part 1261

Units below any one threshold, office, dining and entertainment furniture, and built-in units are outside this rule. Our page on the STURDY Act and ASTM F2057-23 covers scope in more detail. Under US consumer product safety law, the importer is treated as the manufacturer, so the legal duty sits with the US importer. The Indian exporter's job is to ship exactly what was tested. For the wider US picture, see CPSC and CPSIA rules.

Why Indian chests are at risk

Indian case goods have features that work against stability:

Heavy solid wood high up. Sheesham, mango and acacia drawers are heavy. When every drawer comes out, the weight moves forward past the front feet.
Hand-fitted drawers. Extension and stop positions can vary from unit to unit. A drawer that opens further than on the tested unit changes the result.
Changes between batches. A new timber, runner or top thickness changes weight and centre of gravity. Treat it as a change to the tested model.
Forgotten kits and labels. The label and the tip-restraint kit are easy to miss at the packing table, especially in mixed containers.

We have seen this on the factory floor. In January 2023, in Jodhpur, a five-drawer wood and iron cabinet tipped forward with all drawers open, and the design had no provision for an anti-tip kit. A tip-over hazard is a critical defect, so the lot was Not cleared on that finding alone. The anonymised report is our mango wood tip-over sample report.

What to check before a US shipment leaves

An inspection cannot certify compliance. That rests on a lab test report and the importer's records. It checks that the goods leaving the factory match the unit that was tested. This is what we check on chests of drawers:

Check	How it is checked	Typical class if it fails
Warning label	Present, permanent, legible, in the position on the artwork	Critical for a US unit in scope
Tip restraint	Kit in the carton, parts against the list, fixing point on the unit	Critical for a US unit in scope
Interlock	Open one drawer and try a second; works without the user setting it	Critical
Field tip screen	Level floor, all drawers open, empty	Critical if the unit tips
Drawer extension and stops	Each drawer's travel measured against the tested unit	Major
Model match	Height, depth, weight and photos against the test report	Hold, for your decision

Agree the defect classes in your inspection plan before the visit. The field screen is a screen, not the tip-over test in the standard. A unit that passes it can still fail at a lab. A unit that tips on a level floor will not pass.

A checklist for exporters

Get an ASTM F2057-23 test report for each model, naming the standard edition, dimensions, weight and photos of the tested unit.
Freeze the tested design: timber, runners, stops, top thickness. Re-test or ask the lab before changing any of them.
Control drawer stops in production, and measure extension against the tested sample.
Put the label artwork and the tip-restraint parts list on the packing instructions.
Send the test report to your inspector with the booking.
If you need a new or confirmation test, have samples pulled and sealed at random from production.

We have no laboratory of our own and no commercial ties to any lab. For a stability test, we pull and seal samples for an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab you choose or that we suggest. Every report ends in a verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Check the current CPSC rule before relying on any detail.

Shipping dressers or chests to the US? Send your test report and book an inspection. We confirm bookings within 24 hours.

CPSC dresser recalls and the STURDY Act: what exporters in India should check