Wooden furniture should have strong joins and be free of splinters. Metal furniture should have strong rivets or welds that are not rough or sharp to touch. Hanging furniture Chains used to support hanging toys, seats and swings that weigh more than 10kg, should either be covered so that the chain is contained in a sheath or the distance between links should be less than 5mm to prevent fingers being caught. Springs used for hanging furniture like bouncers designed to hang from door frames should also be covered or made inaccessible to the child. An uncovered spring or chain can pinch skin and limbs.
Plastic furniture Look for ribs and bracing moulded into the product for strength.
Avoid injection-moulded chairs with unmelted beads of plastic showing through when held to the light. Make sure plastic legs do not splay too much and break under weight, particularly when used on smooth shiny floor surfaces. Tubular plastic components should feel strong and be able to take the weight required. Nursery furniture Check out Safe furniture for kids for more information on nursery furniture.