Most toddler towers that families buy aren’t safe, study finds

For parents looking to help their children reach the counter to wash their hands or learn small cooking skills, a toddler tower may be a good option.

Also known as learning towers, toddler kitchen stools or helper towers, the toddler tower comes fitted with guardrails and other safety features so children can safely get a boost. The item has become the new alternative, compared to standing on a chair or step stool.

“They’re very popular because they can be beneficial to a child’s development, help with fine motor skills and encourage independence,” Gabe Knight, a senior policy analyst for Consumer Reports, said.

However, are they safe?

A Consumer Reports study examined 16 of the most popular towers for stability and entrapment risks and checked to see if they provided warning labels and age ranges. Knight said the device currently has no federal safety standard that companies are required to have when selling the product, resulting in injuries.

“There’s kids who have fallen out the back of these and landed on their side, hurt their ribs,” she said. “There’s reports of split lips, there’s reports of concussions, and there’s reports of broken arms, amongst others.”

According to the study, 13 of the 16 towers examined failed stability tests, while 11 failed entrapment tests.

For the stability tests, researchers applied 35 pounds to one side of the tower to see if it held up or tipped over. For the entrapment test, Knight said Consumer Reports looked at the size of the gaps between different parts of the towers.

Only two towers — the Simplay3 Toddler Tower Adjustable Stool and the Guidecraft Contemporary Kitchen Helper — passed both tests.

“We demonstrated basically that across the marketplace, lots of these models can put kids at risk of falls, slips or getting stuck, and there have been numerous injuries report reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission,” Knight said.

For parents considering purchasing a tower, reviewing the product’s safety features before purchasing is key. Toddler towers that are “sturdier, wider and heavier” are the best at resisting tipping over, Knight said.

“It may be harder for toddlers to move those around independently, but that could also prevent little kids from kind of moving them around to potentially unsafe areas without supervision,” she said.

Safety bars aren’t enough, Knight said, stating that the Cosco 2-Step Kitchen Stepper has one, but it broke off so easily that it was ultimately recalled. It’s strongly recommended for buyers to double check to make sure all screws and fasteners are tightened, and that they stay within arm’s length of a child when the device is in use.

Also, make sure the child is wearing socks or shoes.

If parents have a safety scare or an injury, Knight recommends reporting it to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“These things do not yet have mandatory safety standards, so the folks reporting on their incidents will help the CPSC gather data and see what kind of strong safety standards would help best protect children.”

Read the study and see videos of the tests on Consumer Reports.

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