The past few weeks we’ve been advertising a sale on Graber cellular blinds where you receive a free cordless lift with select blinds. One of the benefits of cordless lifts is the Best for Kids certification. In today’s blog, we’ll talk about what that certification is and how it can benefit you and your family.
What is Best for Kids?
The Best for Kids™ certification program, launched by the window covering industry, assists in educating consumers about potential window-cord hazards facing young children and will aid consumers in making the right choice when selecting window coverings. In order to be eligible for this certification, manufacturers must meet the specified program criteria and submit their window covering products to a designated third party testing laboratory. Once products pass testing they may be labeled “Best for Kids”.
Products that qualify for “Best for Kids” either have no cords, no operating cords and inner cords that are not accessible, or if accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop.
“Parents with young children should replace their corded window coverings with the cordless products available.” says Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) Executive Director, Peter Rush. “The new ‘Best for Kids’ certification label recently launched makes it easy for parents and caregivers to easily identify which products are best suited for their home.”
Why is there a Best for Kids certification?
For years, the window covering industry together with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and safety groups have urged parents to use only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. The Best for Kids program provides clarity to the marketplace as consumers and retailers will be able to easily identify those products that have been independently tested to meet the Best for Kids criteria.
This is the first time the industry has embarked on a certification program that delineates between products so as to help consumers identify those products best suited for use in homes with young children as they make their purchase decisions. Manufacturers that want to qualify their products for the program must submit these products for third party testing. A new label will be placed on the product or package that demonstrates that the product meets the criteria of the program. Retailers will be encouraged to include point of sale information about the Best for Kids program and those products that are “Certified.”
What’s the technical mumbo jumbo?
Window coverings must be manufactured in compliance with ANSI/WCMA A 100.1-2012. In an effort to make it easier for consumers with young children to choose the correct product for their application, WCMA has detailed a set of criteria that will ensure a product is best suited for use in homes with young children. Further, WCMA has developed a third party certification program that will make it clear that products labeled as certified are manufactured to these criteria. Products certified under this program will be eligible to be labeled and listed as “Certified”. This certification program in no way diminishes the requirement that all products must comply with the most current version of the ANSI standard.
Products that have no cords or inner cords that are not accessible in accordance with Appendix C of ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2012 are eligible for the certification program. If accessible inner cords are present in products with no operating cords, the accessible inner cords cannot create a hazardous loop in accordance with Appendix D of the current version of ANSI/WCMA A100.1, or in any way create a potential wrap around hazard. The third party testing laboratory, will determine if the products meet the criteria of the program.
How will the Best for Kids certification benefit you?
Besides the added safety factor for your family and pets, cordless window treatments are easy to operate. Simply lift up and down. Then, of course, comes aesthetic appeal. Cordless window coverings give your windows a more streamlined, modern look that is sure to compliment your home decor. No more cords to try and hide. No more cords for your dog or cat to play with and ultimately ruin your window treatments. No more cords to…well, just no more cords. Period. Sleek, easy to use, and safe, cordless is the future of window coverings.
If you’re shopping for blinds, give us a call or stop into the store to see our options for blinds and shades that are Best for Kids – and you!