Window covering cords are a known strangulation hazard for young children. Here is what the voluntary industry standard changed, what the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends and how to make existing windows safer.
Pull cords, lift cords, continuous loops and inner cords can form a loop that a young child can get tangled in. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that about nine children under age five die each year from strangulation in window covering cords, and that from 2009 through 2021 it counted more than 200 incidents involving children up to age eight, with a child dying in 48 percent of them.
Injuries in the other incidents ranged from neck scarring to severe, permanent harm. These events can happen quickly and quietly, even when a caregiver is in the next room, which is why prevention is the focus rather than supervision alone.
Part of the danger is that the hazard looks harmless. A cord that hangs near a crib, a sofa or a window seat is easy to overlook, and children climb and reach in ways adults do not anticipate. That is why CPSC's guidance emphasizes removing the cord from the equation entirely rather than relying on supervision.
The Window Covering Manufacturers Association worked with the American National Standards Institute on ANSI/WCMA A100.1, a voluntary standard. The updated version took effect on December 15, 2018. For stock window coverings, meaning products made in standard sizes and sold off the shelf in stores and online, the standard requires that they be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords.
WCMA said stock products make up more than 80 percent of window coverings sold in the United States. Corded products remain available as custom orders, with added requirements such as a shorter default operating cord length and a tilt wand in place of a tilt cord on blinds. The standard is voluntary, and WCMA described the changes as industry commitments rather than a government rule.
The standard also reflects a compromise. Corded products are still needed by some people, such as those with disabilities or windows that are hard to reach, which is part of why they remain available as custom orders with added requirements. The shift to cordless in stock products aimed to remove most cords from the market while leaving that option open.
CPSC says the safest option when young children are present is to go cordless. It recommends choosing products labeled as cordless in every room where a child may be present. For federal rulemaking on custom coverings, CPSC has been working on rules to address operating cords and inner cords, and the current status is best checked on CPSC.gov because it can change.
Cordless is the only option that eliminates the cord hazard. Motorized shades also have no operating cord. See motorized and smart shades and the power options guide for how they work.
Replacing corded products is the best fix, but CPSC lists steps that reduce the risk in the meantime. They reduce it. They do not remove it.
Check every window in the home, not only the nursery. Children move through the house, and a living room blind with a loop cord is as dangerous as one in a bedroom. Walk through with a tape measure and look at how cords hang when the blind is fully raised and fully lowered, and note anything within reach.
The Window Covering Safety Council offers free kits for some corded products, such as cord stops and tension devices. CPSC cautions that retrofit kits do not solve the dangling pull cord problem on many common blinds. The Council can be reached through windowcoverings.org.
A kit is a stopgap, not a cure. If a window is in a room where a young child sleeps or plays, replacing the covering is the more reliable move.
When shopping, look for products described as cordless. Spring-assisted lifts, push-and-pull designs, cordless cellular shades and motorized shades all qualify in general terms. Confirm that no cords or chains remain anywhere in the design, including on tilt controls and bottom rails.
Rules for custom products and for specific uses differ by product type and by place, so confirm with the maker. If you want a cordless bedroom setup, read the bedroom shade guide, and see blackout and privacy shades for nursery-friendly options.
Remember guests and rentals. If you rent, ask the landlord about replacing corded blinds in rooms where children stay, and check holiday rentals and relatives' homes for dangling cords. A short conversation can prevent a tragedy.
Walk through each room and list every window covering with a cord. Mark the ones in rooms where children under about eight spend time, since CPSC's incident counts cover children up to that age. Fix or replace those first.
Tell caregivers, relatives and babysitters what you did and why. Safety measures work only when everyone follows them, and a quick explanation prevents a cord from being pulled down for a better view.
Child safety also applies to other cords near windows, such as those on baby monitors, lamps and blind-adjacent decor. Keep any cord out of reach of cribs and play areas, and treat window areas with extra care. If you are unsure whether a covering meets current guidance, the Consumer Product Safety Commission publishes information at CPSC.gov, and the manufacturer can answer questions about a particular product.
Not all. Since December 15, 2018, the voluntary standard calls for stock products to be cordless or have inaccessible or short cords, but corded products remain available as custom orders.
ANSI/WCMA A100.1 is a voluntary industry standard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has pursued federal rules for some products, so check CPSC.gov for the current status.
They reduce risk, but they do not eliminate it. CPSC says cordless is the safest choice when young children are present.
Replace them if they are old. CPSC says blinds sold before November 2000 often have inner lift cords that can form a loop, and these should be replaced immediately.
If a child is caught in a cord, call 911 immediately.
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