The Biggest Recall In IKEA History

IKEA has long been celebrated for its sleek Scandinavian designs and home decor essentials that are always worth buying. But beyond its minimalist furniture and infinitely hackable storage solutions, the trusted home brand has offered some products that are downright dangerous. From water dispensers and simple toys that pose choking risks to lamps and dining tables that can cause lacerations and even strangulation, dozens of products have been recalled by the popular company. But the biggest recall in IKEA's history involved over 100 different dressers that caused several devastating fatalities.

For many of us, a dresser offers an affordable storage solution for clothes, bedding, and towels. IKEA has long offered a wide range of dresser styles and sizes at accessible prices, selling millions of flat-packed pieces, promising functional convenience. Yet in 2016, the company recalled its MALM line and other children's and adult dressers due to their instability when not properly anchored to a wall. Sadly, several young children were crushed to death after unsecured IKEA dressers fell on them, and others were badly injured. These events became a stark reminder that even basic furniture can carry unforeseen risks when safety oversights meet mass production.

As IKEA became aware of the potential for injury, the Swedish retailer advised anyone who owned one of the chests or dressers to move it out of the reach of children and offered free wall attachment kits. But as more injuries and fatalities were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), IKEA fully recalled the items and offered compensation to grieving families while acknowledging that money couldn't make up for the tragic loss of life.

The dresser recall wasn't just the largest one in IKEA's history. It was the biggest recall in American history, too. But it didn't happen overnight. Reports of dresser tip-over accidents trickled in over several decades. Despite the incidents, IKEA stood behind its furniture, claiming that it meets safety standards, so long as it is properly anchored to the wall.

CPSC investigations are complex and heavily regulated, requiring examination of injury and fatality claims, manufacturing processes, and assessment of how millions of units across different production years (and potentially, facilities) could pose risks to consumers. Coordinating the national recall involved notifying IKEA customers, producing and distributing free wall attachment kits, managing legal and regulatory considerations, and ensuring clear communication with impacted families while minimizing risks to the brand's reputation. Each new injury report added urgency, eventually making it clear that the dangerous dresser could remain on the market. 

Recognizing the severity of the situation and the responsibility to protect families, IKEA's President Lars Petersson addressed the public in a video posted on YouTube. "A chest of drawers is tempting for a small child to climb ... The best way to ensure the safety of your family is to properly anchor all chests or drawers to the wall," he said before urging everyone to ensure their IKEA dressers are properly anchored. Petersson went on to provide additional information and guidance about the dresser recall, which you can still find prominently displayed on IKEA's website today.