CPSC Urges Consumers to Remove Latches/Locks on Cavalier Cedar Chests; Three Suffocation Deaths Reported

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to remove the latch or lock on all “Cavalier” brand cedar chests immediately. The chest’s lid locks automatically when the lid is closed, presenting a serious danger to children. Three children have suffocated to death after becoming locked inside these chests in incidents between 2004 and 2019. 

CPSC is extremely concerned that many thousands of these cedar chests remain in consumers’ homes and continue to pose a danger to children. These chests were sold by Cavalier Corporation (formerly Tennessee Furniture Company) since the early 1900s, and they are still being sold or resold at antique stores, secondhand stores and by consumers through online marketplaces across the country. Cavalier Corporation is no longer in business.

CPSC is urging consumers to check their homes, basements and attics for these cedar chests, and to remove the latch or lock immediately from the lid, to protect children from becoming trapped inside and suffocating. These chests can be identified by the Cavalier company logo and name imprinted inside the lid. However, not all of the chests have the logo and name. Consumers should check to see if their chest’s latch or lock engages automatically when the lid is shut. 

Not all chests will look like those pictured here – there are numerous variations that may exhibit this unsafe latch or lock feature. Look in your home for one of these chests; act immediately, and remove the latch or lock.