Childproofing Your Nursery: Complete Safety Checklist
Nursery safety is the foundation of every decision you make when setting up your baby's room. Before your baby arrives — and as they grow — your nursery needs to evolve to meet new risks at every developmental stage. This complete checklist covers everything you need to make your nursery as safe as possible from day one.
Why Nursery Safety Must Come Before Aesthetics
The Most Common Nursery Hazards
Nursery safety risks include furniture tip-overs, unsafe sleep surfaces, blind cord strangulation, toxic materials, and electrical hazards. Many of these risks are invisible until your baby becomes mobile. The safest approach is to childproof before your baby arrives — not after an incident prompts it.
When to Reassess
Childproofing is not a one-time task. Reassess your nursery at every major developmental milestone. Check when your baby begins rolling (around 4 months), sitting (6 months), crawling (7–10 months), pulling to stand (9–12 months), and walking (10–18 months). Each stage introduces new reach, new mobility, and new risks.
Nursery Safety: Safe Sleep Checklist
The Sleep Surface
Use only a certified crib, bassinet, or play yard that meets current safety standards. The mattress must be firm and flat with no more than a finger-width gap between the mattress and the crib frame. Never use a secondhand mattress — it may harbor bacteria and may not meet current firmness standards. Browse our certified baby cribs and cots for tested, safe options.
What Belongs in the Crib
Only a fitted sheet and your baby. No pillows, no loose blankets, no bumper pads, no stuffed animals, and no sleep positioners. All of these increase the risk of suffocation and SIDS. Use a certified baby sleeping bag or sleep sack rated for your nursery temperature instead of loose blankets.
Crib Placement
Position the crib away from windows, blinds, curtain cords, and wall decorations that could fall. Keep it away from radiators and heating vents. Never place the crib next to an exterior wall in cold climates without adequate insulation.
Room Temperature
Keep the nursery between 16–20°C (61–68°F). Use a room thermometer to monitor temperature accurately. Overheating is a risk factor for SIDS — err on the cooler side and dress your baby in layers rather than turning up the heat.
Furniture and Fixture Safety
Anchor Everything Tall
Every tall piece of furniture — dressers, wardrobes, bookshelves, changing units — must be anchored to the wall with anti-tip straps. Furniture tip-overs cause serious injuries every year. Anti-tip kits cost very little and take minutes to install. This is non-negotiable.
Changing Table Safety
Never leave your baby unattended on a changing table — not even for a second. Use the safety strap at every change. Keep all supplies within arm's reach before you begin so you never need to turn away. A dresser-top changing pad with raised edges is a safer alternative to a standalone changing table.
Drawer and Cabinet Locks
Fit magnetic or adhesive cabinet locks to all drawers and cupboards in the nursery before your baby begins crawling. This prevents access to nappy creams, medications, and small objects that are choking hazards.
Corner and Edge Guards
Fit soft corner guards to all sharp furniture edges at floor level. As your baby begins pulling to stand, sharp corners on low furniture become significant head injury risks.
Window and Blind Safety
Blind Cord Hazards
Looped blind cords are a strangulation hazard for babies and young children. Replace any looped cords with cordless blinds or fit cord wind-ups and cleats that keep cords out of reach at all times. This applies to every window in the nursery — not just those near the crib.
Window Restrictors
Fit window restrictors to all nursery windows so they cannot open more than 6.5cm (2.5 inches). A window restrictor prevents falls once your baby can pull to stand and reach window ledges. Never rely on window screens — they are not designed to hold a child's weight.
Electrical Safety
Outlet Covers
Fit tamper-resistant outlet covers or safety plates to every electrical outlet in the nursery. Standard plug-in covers can be removed by curious toddlers — fitted safety plates with a sliding mechanism are more secure and more reliable.
Cable Management
Route all electrical cables — monitor cables, lamp cords, chargers — through cable management channels or behind furniture. Loose cables are both a strangulation risk and a pull hazard that can bring lamps or monitors crashing down.
Baby Monitor Placement
Keep the baby monitor at least 1 metre (3 feet) from the crib. Route the cable away from the crib entirely. A monitor pulled into the crib by a curious baby poses a serious strangulation risk. Check our range of baby monitors for wireless models that eliminate cable hazards.
Air Quality and Toxic Materials
Paint and Finishes
Use zero-VOC or low-VOC paint in the nursery. Apply it at least 2–4 weeks before your baby's arrival to allow full off-gassing. Ensure good ventilation during and after painting. Avoid oil-based paints and standard gloss finishes in the nursery.
Furniture Off-Gassing
New furniture — especially flat-pack MDF and particleboard — releases formaldehyde and other VOCs. Air out new furniture in a well-ventilated space for at least one week before assembling in the nursery. Choose solid wood with water-based finishes where possible.
Air Purifiers and Ventilation
A HEPA air purifier can reduce airborne allergens, dust, and VOCs in the nursery. Ensure daily ventilation by opening a window for at least 20 minutes each day. Avoid aerosol sprays, scented candles, and plug-in air fresheners in or near the nursery.
Fire and Carbon Monoxide Safety
Smoke and CO Detectors
Install a working smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home — including outside the nursery. Test them monthly. Replace batteries annually and replace the entire unit every 10 years.
Fire Escape Plan
Have a clear fire escape plan that includes how you will safely exit with your baby. Practice it. Ensure all adults and caregivers in the home know the plan and their role in it.
Nursery Safety as Your Baby Grows
Mobile Stage (4–6 Months)
Lower the crib mattress to the middle position before your baby can push up on their hands and knees. Remove any mobiles or hanging decorations above the crib that your baby could reach and pull down.
Crawling and Pulling to Stand (7–12 Months)
Lower the crib mattress to the lowest position. Ensure all furniture is anchored. Fit all outlet covers and cabinet locks. Check that no small objects — coins, batteries, button cells — are accessible anywhere in the nursery.
Walking Stage (12+ Months)
Review the entire room at floor level — get down on your hands and knees and look for hazards from your toddler's perspective. Check for gaps they can get stuck in, items they can climb, and anything they can pull down.
Build a Safe Nursery From the Start
The best time to address nursery safety is before your baby arrives. See our nursery design guide for budget-smart setup ideas, our newborn essentials checklist for everything to have ready before birth, and our baby shower gift guide for safety-focused product recommendations across every category.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I start childproofing the nursery?
Start before your baby arrives — ideally by 32–34 weeks of pregnancy. Many hazards are easier to address before your baby is home. Reassess at every developmental milestone as new risks emerge with each stage.
Do I need to anchor furniture if my baby can't walk yet?
Yes. Furniture tip-overs often happen when babies pull themselves up using a drawer or shelf as a handhold. Anchor all furniture well before your baby reaches the pulling-to-stand stage — usually around 9 months.
Are crib bumpers safe?
No. Crib bumpers — including mesh bumpers — are not recommended by any major pediatric safety organization. They pose suffocation, strangulation, and entrapment risks. Remove them from the crib entirely.
What is the safest nursery temperature?
16–20°C (61–68°F) is the recommended range for safe baby sleep. Use a room thermometer to monitor accurately — the temperature in a closed nursery can vary significantly from the rest of the house.
How do I know if my crib meets current safety standards?
Check the manufacturer's certification against current ASTM or CPSC standards in the US, or BS EN 716 in the UK. Avoid secondhand cribs unless you can verify they meet current standards and have not been recalled. Always check the CPSC recall database before using any secondhand baby furniture.
