Consumers seeking low-cost storage solutions began finding a new option online in the fall of 2023: a product marketed as a "fabric dresser." More than 60,000 of the lightweight units with fabric drawers have now been recalled for failing to meet requirements set forth in the STURDY Act* – a federal regulation implemented in September 2023 that sets a stability standard for furniture that consumers use to store clothing.
Although no injuries have been reported as part of the recalls, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) describes these units as unstable if not anchored to the wall. The agency began recalling them in December 2024, starting with 800 units sold by Walmart.com. Since then, seven additional models have been recalled, with the most recent announcement on October 2 for over 600 "Gunaito" 10-drawer dressers, also sold by Walmart.com.
© AHFA
All the recalled fabric dressers were produced in China, and all were sold online at either Amazon.com or Walmart.com. One model was additionally sold on Wayfair, Tic Tok, Shopify and Temu.
"We want to draw attention to these units during Furniture Safety Week, because, despite recent recalls, hundreds of additional models of 'fabric dressers' remain available on e-commerce websites," notes Patricia Bowling, vice president of communications for the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), which sponsors Furniture Safety Week in conjunction with the Alliance4Safety.
In many cases, slight variations of the recalled units remain available for sale. For example, although Walmart.com no longer sells the 10-drawer Gunaito dresser recalled on October 2, both 8- and 9-drawer versions remain available in multiple colors.
© AHFA
"These fabric dressers are frequently promoted as being especially useful in children's rooms, and online consumer comments and reviews confirm they are frequently used for young
children," Bowling says. Promotional copy for some fabric dressers sold online even suggests they be used to hold televisions, adding to the potential for tip-over and injury.
AHFA purchased one of the recalled units earlier this year, assembled it, and tested it, Bowling notes. The GIKPAL 10-drawer unit recalled in March 2025 is subject to requirements of the STURDY Act, which defines covered products as being:
· 27 inches or greater in height; and
· 30 pounds or greater in weight; and
· containing 3.2 cubic feet or greater of enclosed storage volume.
Furniture that complies with the STURDY Act standard must pass three performance tests:
1. Simulated Clothing Load. All extendible elements are loaded with 8.5 pounds per cubic foot. Then, with all loaded drawers open, the unit must remain upright for 30 seconds.
2. Simulated Child Play. With all drawers open, a 10-pound horizontal force is applied to the highest drawer. This is meant to simulate the force of a child up to six years old grabbing onto a drawer. The unit must not tip while the force is applied and held for 10 seconds.
3. Simulated Carpet Test with Child Weight. Finally, a test block that measures just under a half-inch is placed under the rear legs or base of the unit to simulate the impact on stability when a chest or dresser is placed on carpet. The unit must not tip when all drawers are opened, and a test weight of 60 pounds is applied over the top of a drawer for 30 seconds.
The unit AHFA purchased failed all three stability tests (The last test could not be completed because the fabric drawer collapsed under the test weight).
Although the last step in the assembly instructions for AHFA's test unit included the advice, "be sure to install an anti-tipping device," no further anchoring instructions were provided. An anchoring device and instructions for installing it are required under the STURDY Act.
In addition, the unit failed to carry the required warning label shown at left, which must be permanently affixed inside a top drawer. Instead, the unit that AHFA tested included an incomplete version of the label printed on the back cover of the assembly instructions.
Notably, the label shown on the back of the assembly instructions omitted the "no TV" verbiage and icon. Under the stability standard established by the STURDY Act, clothing storage units that are not specifically engineered to hold the weight of a television must carry a warning label that warns consumers not to place a TV on the product.
"A cursory online search shows dozens of these fabric dressers being used to hold TVs. Promotional copy even recommends using them for large screen TVs, some stating they can be used for TVs weighing more than double the weight of the entire unit," Bowling notes.
This week the recalled GIKPAL 10-drawer dresser was still being offered for sale on Shein.com.
In addition to the seven fabric dressers recalled, seven "traditional" chests or dressers with wood frames and drawers also have been recalled this year for failing to meet the stability requirements of the STURDY Act. All but one of these units also was sold exclusively online. Six were produced in China and one in Indonesia. These recalls involve a total of 5,280 units sold.
AHFA advises consumers to confirm STURDY Act compliance before purchasing any clothing storage furniture and to anchor all new and existing cabinets, chests and dressers to the wall if small children are present. A Furniture Tip-over Prevention Checklist is available in the Consumer Resources section of the Alliance4Safety.org website.
More information:
AHFA
[email protected]
www.ahfa.us
