Jo-Ann Stores, Kohl’s, Shein join major retailers in stopping water bead sales

Update:

• Jo-Ann Stores, Kohl’s and Shein have committed to stop selling water beads at their stores in the wake of safety concerns surrounding the children’s toy. 
• The commitment comes after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and others called for a full ban on the product. 
• Amazon, Target, Walmart and other retailers also made commitments to stop selling water beads. 
• The CPSC says it is aware of one child’s death following the ingestion of water beads.

Water bead sales suspended overview: 

• Who: Amazon, Target and Walmart announce that they will no longer sell children’s water bead toys. 
• Why: The retailers cited safety concerns in their decision to suspend the sale of the water bead toys, which can be harmful and potentially deadly if swallowed. 
• Where: The decision to stop selling water beads affects consumers nationwide.

(Dec. 21, 2023)

Amazon, Target and Walmart are among retailers who have announced they are suspending the sale of children’s water beads in the wake of mounting safety concerns following the death of a 10-month-old Wisconsin child and thousands of reported injuries.  

Water bead products — small, colorful balls made from water-absorbing polymer — are often sold as a children’s toy or as a sensory tool for children with developmental disabilities, The Associated Press reports.  

The concerns about water bead products center around the possibility of young children ingesting the beads, which are reportedly able to swell to many times their size on account of their ability to absorb water. 

Amazon, Walmart and Target all cited safety concerns in their decisions to stop sales of the water beads, with Walmart and Target beginning to remove the products from their stores and online and Amazon giving sellers until Dec. 22 to comply, according to The Associated Press. 

Hospital ERs treated 7,800 water bead-related injuries between 2016 and 2022, CPSC says

Ingesting the water beads could ultimately lead to an obstruction, which, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, could lead to severe discomfort or potentially life-threatening injuries. 

The CPSC said hospital emergency departments treated an estimated 7,800 water bead-related injuries between 2016 and 2022; the commission is aware of one death. 

“CPSC has heard heartbreaking stories from parents whose children ingested water beads and suffered severe consequences, including grave internal injuries, lifelong health impacts and death,” the agency said in a notice. 

Last month, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., was joined by the CPSC and others in calling for a full ban on children’s toy water beads with the introduction of a bill called the Ban Water Beads Act. 

“They look and sound fun, but the reality is these colorful products can become deadly or cause serious injuries when swallowed by children. That’s why I’m introducing legislation to ban water beads marketed for kids nationwide,” Pallone said in a statement. 

What do you think of the decision by Walmart, Target and Amazon to stop their sales of children’s water beads? Let us know in the comments.

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