Retailers Go Cordless Today!

Take a moment to think of the movements you have seen come and go throughout your lifetime. Now I encourage you to ponder what worldly issues may be right outside your front door, or more alarming yet, right inside your front door. That’s right, your window blind coverings.

Beginning December 15th a walk through your local retailer will look a bit different. What consumers will find are cordless window blind coverings being held in stock rather than the traditional blinds you more than likely have hanging in your home.

If you haven’t been keeping up with Parents for Window Blind Safety this seems like an odd occurrence. If that is the case, I simply urge you to simply Google ‘how many kids die on window blinds’ and scan the headlines from CNN, CBS News, USA Today, etc. Shockingly, the first blurb to pop up gives a gut wrenching statistic that in a 26 year time frame nearly 17,000 children were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to window blinds and over 600 children strangled after becoming entangled in cords. In that very article our founder, Linda Kaiser, says that this should “be a huge wake-up call to the public, to the retailers, to the manufacturers and to parents all over the nation to really see how hazardous the cords on the blinds are”.

With all of this in mind, Parents for Window Blind Safety is overjoyed to announce that stock window coverings available online and in retailers in the nation going forward are required to be cordless. This is a huge success in the progress our organization has been working tirelessly after for the past sixteen years. We encourage all consumers to purchase window safe window coverings with no hazardous outer cords in order to create safe environments for children and pets.

We are excited to see that the retailers have done consumers no disservice in this transition period as they roll out their stock of cordless window blinds. Options vary in color, texture, size, style, horizontal and vertical design, and everything in between. The idea and heart behind this major change was safety but style has effortlessly followed. This is an encouragement to PFWBS as we hope to see more households making the change to a product that supports welfare of all children and pets in the home.

Pricing for the cordless blinds is comparable to say the very least. Price will depend on window size, style and desired type of coverings, but options are available such as a stunning honeycomb style, light filtering blind that can be found as low as $15.95 at Walmart. While we believe that the price of safety is unmatched, once again it is impressive that this new design has changed very little within the pricing margin.

This change is required of the retailers in the production of their stock product, yes, but they have spared no details to be certain that the consumer would be happy with the product and that the advocates urging change would be pleased with the safety protocol. Would PFWBS like to see your entire home shed of corded window coverings and installed with cordless products? Absolutely. Why? Because change is here: a change ushered by too many little lives lost.

As you walk through your Home Depot, Lowes, JCPenney, etc. and glance through the window covering aisles don’t forget the heart behind PFWBS. We have fought for the day when parents could make dinner and not have to consider the cords on their blinds. What many parents have walked through, a generation coming will never fathom.

Stock window coverings are now required to be cordless. However, the call to action does not end with this, it simply begins. Pass along this accomplishment with others as your local retailers roll out innovative, life-saving products this December.

Please visit the product page on our website pfwbs.org/ and look for the “Lab Tested Mom Approved” Seal of Approval on other products. 

Happy shopping!