A toy box is a huge part of your kid’s toy organization. Something your dear child will constantly involve with.
And if this big guy has slamming issues, then that’s definitely not good news for you as a safety conscious parent.
You would like to sidestep the risks of it hurting your kid and learn how to keep toy box lid from slamming and make it safe for your kids.
Well, apparently you have a few solutions to this whole situation. And those solutions are pretty inexpensive and easy to get. Most of us call them lid support or lid stay.
If you are into woodworking then probably you’ve already heard of soft close lid stay hinges, something that can also be a great safety solution for a toy box. However, there are other ways also. Keep On Reading…
How to Stop Toy Box Lid from Slamming & Make it Safe for Kids
There are plenty of advice that I can give you about a toy box that slams a lot. For example, being watchful when your kids are around it. Or familiarizing them on how to safely open and close the toy box lid.
But those are not enough of a fix to these circumstances. We need something more solid, to be able to provide safety even when small kids can be safe around the toy box.
Use Chest Lid Stay Support Hinges
Having proper chest lid support is one of the most effective solutions to this whole slamming issue. You can also install lid support hinge that is even better at this.
This usually comes with spring-loaded inside. And can be easily mounted on the lid as well as the box. With these, the lid of toy box will be open and stead. And so, there’s less to fear about slam shutting. Because of the mechanism, the lid does not suddenly shut on little hands of your kids.
If you have never seen one in the toy box, then maybe in some other application. These are very common in storage chests as well. Similarly in stereo cabinets as well as window seats. You can easily mount the support hinge on the center of the case as well as on the left or right. Also, the hinge comes in many types.
The folding lid support hinges are pretty common. This hardware basically can work well for situations where interfering with close-by shelf or cubbies is visible. It intrudes really little. So for such cases, the thing helps.
Because of the specific design of this type, lids can open a bit more than 180 degrees. You see, it has no chance of closing again unless you release the joint slightly by using the pull or push mechanism.
However, one thing that is a big issue with folding lid support hinge is the fact that accidental release can take place. And that can cause slamming. So, for very small children, it’s best to not go with this type.
Dual Action Hinges
There’s another type of lid support hinge that allows opening both upward and downwards for easy application. These are swing-up lid support and comes with a dual-action mechanism. You would be able to mount these on the left or right.
Adjustable Soft Down Hinge
There’s also adjustable soft-down hinge with support. These are great for upward-opening lids, same as toy boxes one. After opening the lid, it can hold it into the fully opened position. And so, it’s a great option to install and stop a lid from slamming.
Torsion Hinges
For toy boxes, this hinge style basically is quite similar to the ones in laptops. The price of typical torsion hinges is more on the expensive side. But the mechanism to prevent any sort of slamming is way better in this type.
The good ones are usually made of strong cast-zinc materials. And these should be able to fit any size lid for opening without any problem. Plus holding the position when you take it up to 90 degrees.
Soft Close Hinges
Depending on the weight of the lid, you should be able to adjust a soft close hinge accordingly. The good ones out there can be available for 75-, 90- and 110-degree opening mount options. And this type specifically is best at avoiding slam and making a toy box lid safe.
Buying Tips for Lid Support Hinges That Will Make a Toy Box Lid Safe
- When picking, make sure the product mentions to be appropriate for toy chests. The ones that work for blankets should also work.
- Screws may not be included with the lid support, make sure you get those separately in that case.
- It should be able to hold the lid at any position, the self-balancing mechanism is a must to keep slam issues aside. Go for the ones that allows the self-balancing up to 85 degrees.
- If you are getting just the support, then make sure it can work in conjunction with the hinges. Usually, people buy support alone for piano hinges and that works for preventing slam shut problem.
- Finding the inch/pound rating of your lid could be necessary. You simply need to take half the distance between front and back lid and multiply with lid’s weight. The measurements should be in inches and pounds.
- Also, while choosing the lid support, you don’t have to necessarily bring the heavier rated option for your lid. It won’t be safe enough. You must take the weight of your lid and make the calculations needed to refer it with suggesting range of weight rating for the support. That’s the only way to tell if the lid support will be compatible or not.
- To keep slamming off, you can go for more than just one lid support or hinges. Make sure the combination of hinges is meant to avoid that issue.
Wrapping Up
And now you know how to keep toy box lid from slamming by getting a proper lid support hinge. Of course, this is not the only solution. To make sure of your kid’s safety, there’s no doubt you or someone else have to keep an eye on them.
Mishaps are something that can take place because of so many other things, and a toy box is one of those. Its best to be too careful than too careless, especially when it’s the matter of kids. Have a Nice Day!
This is Adam Sullivan, the author of tchardwaretools.com! I started my days as a mobile carpenter to become a full-time shop owner, and have been living my professional life for more than 8 years now.
Here I want to share my thoughts, experiences, and ideas through this platform. Stay Tuned!