Kids Furnishing Standards
When you are purchasing kids furniture you want to make sure that it is safe, durable, and high quality, so that it can last for years to come. There are certain government regulations for furniture safety, as well as internationally recognized standards. At the same time, there are also certain common sense features that are important, especially when shopping for kids furnishings.
ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials. This standards organization is composed of scientists and engineers that determine the levels that furniture must meet to pass their criteria. They do a variety of tests on different materials, structures, and actual furniture lines, and determine whether they are suitable for their seal of approval. While the government does not enforce their decision, when looking for the highest quality furnishings you want them to be at least that good.
There are a variety of features that can be incorporated into kids furniture that you should also look for when shopping. When shopping for wooden beds, dressers, desks, and the like, one thing you want is rounded edges. Children love to run, and they will often bump into the furniture in their room. When they hit it any injury or pain will be worse if there is a sharp edge jutting out.
Another consideration when buying wooden kids furniture are the stains that are used to color them. Sometimes these can contain harmful elements that can seep out into the air over time. This can be especially dangerous to small children, and have an accumulative effect over time. Whenever making a decision, make sure that the retailer of the product explicitly states that the varnish they use does not contain any toxic chemicals.
Bunk beds are an item where it is particularly important to pay attention to safety and standards. These are items that will literally elevate your child several feet above the ground. Even low loft beds can be dangerous if poorly constructed. You want to ensure that anything you buy is made using real, natural wood materials, and that the pieces are connected with metal on metal parts that resist wear and damage over time.
One of the things that KFS Stores prides itself on is the fact that all of our kids furniture not only meets, but exceeds ASTM standards for safety. Our wood items are all crafted with rounded edges, and treated with a gentle, toxin free color treatment, and are manufactured using metal on metal connectors to ensure the strongest bond possible. We also have extremely safe bunk and loft beds that have reinforced safety bars available. We believe in selling only the highest quality furnishings for kids rooms possible.
