Toy Chest Safety: What To Look For

Whether you're buying a toy chest for your own children or for another special child in your life, toy chest safety is the most important factor to consider.

A safe toy box can create an excellent place to store playthings, but it can be difficult to know what safety features to look for.

Before you purchase storage for your child's toys, learn more about what makes each option safe and what you should keep an eye out for.
This can help alleviate any worries and reduce the chance of injury. A Safe Toy Box Should Be Ventilated Manufacturers understand that children will sometimes crawl inside their chests, whether they don't want to do their homework or they're just playing an indoor game of hide and seek.
For this reason, it's important that each box includes ventilation.
This will ensure proper air flow throughout the chest, even when the lid is closed.
A Lead-Free Finish Is Vital The problems with lead poisoning have come to light in the past few decades, which is why your child's pediatrician likely asks about the age of your home and possible lead exposure at each visit.

Lead poisoning can cause learning and behavioral problems that can last a lifetime and in severe cases can even lead to death. It was just a few years ago that toys from China were found to have lead in their finishes, which led to a major recall and a rush of panicked parents into their pediatricians' offices for lead testing kits.
To help keep your children protected from the dangers of lead, look for a safe toy box that has a lead-free finish. Make sure that each part of the box offers a lead-free finish, including the hinges and lid supports, so that you're not accidentally exposing your children to lead.

Toy Chest Safety Must Include Lid Supports If you've ever had a hard suitcase or trunk lid close on your fingers, you know just how much this pinch can hurt! Now multiply this pain and imagine that you have tiny little fingers, and you can appreciate just how important a lid support system is.
Lid supports will keep the lid up in any position, whether it's open all the way or just cracked an inch or two, to ensure that little fingers aren't pinched between the lid and the side of the chest. Lid supports should be approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and be a spring-loaded support device.
The CPSC works diligently to ensure that products are safe for the public.

If you have questions regarding toy chest safety, ask the manufacturer if they use lid supports that are recommended by the CPSC.
If the manufacturer gives you a blank stare or doesn't know, look for another company to make sure your children are as safe as possible. Ventilation holes, a lead-free finish and lid supports all work together to create a safe toy box.

Before you purchase a chest for your children, take a few minutes to make sure that it meets all these safety requirements.