Product safety recalls affect potential holiday gifts

Product safety recalls overview: 

• Who: Several companies, including Dorel Juvenile Group, Polaris, Tractor Supply Company, Best Buy, Buffalo Games, Make Believe Ideas and Little Sleepies, recently issued product safety recalls in the buildup to the holiday shopping season
• Why: The companies initiated the recalls over concerns such as choking and fall hazards, among other things. 
• Where: The recalls may affect holiday shoppers nationwide. 

Consumers should be aware of recent product safety recalls when buying gifts for friends and family this holiday season. 

Recent product safety recalls involve items spanning from kitchen appliances to children’s toys and off-road vehicles, among other things. 

A manufacturer may initiate a recall if it determines a product could pose a risk of injury to its user. 

Child activity centers sold exclusively by Walmart recalled over fall, injury concerns

Dorel Juvenile Group recalled more 115,700 of its Cosco Jump, Spin and Play Activity Centers in October over concerns their straps could detach or break, posing a fall or injury hazard. 

The recall involves two models of Cosco Jump, Spin and Play Activity Centers sold exclusively at Walmart and on Walmart’s website from Nov. 2020-Oct. 2023 for around $70. 

Dorel says it received 141 reports of the straps detaching or breaking on the recalled activity centers, including 38 minor injuries involving bumps, bruises and scratches. 

Polaris recalls off-road vehicles over brake line damage, brake loss concerns

Polaris initiated a recall for around 2,500 of its model year 2023-2024 off-road vehicles in the United States and about 170 in Canada over concerns they may contain an improperly routed brake line, leading to brake line damage and brake loss. 

The recall involves Polaris’ model year 2023 RZR PRO XP and PRO XP 4 and model year 2024 RZR XP and XP 4 recreational off-road vehicles.

Polaris says the improperly routed brake line could make contact with the front wheels on the recalled off-road vehicles while they are in use, according to the recall. 

It received three reports of the brake lines on the recalled off-road vehicles being improperly installed, leading to a loss of brake function, the recall notice states. In one case, this led to an impact with a large rock. 

Tractor Supply Company recalls Red Shed hammock swing chairs due to fall risk 

Tractor Supply Company recalled about 7,500 of its Red Shed Hammock Swing Chairs last month over concerns a plastic buckle that supports the back of the chairs could break, causing a fall hazard. 

The recall involves Red Shed Hammock Swing Chairs sold on Tractor Supply’s website and at its store locations nationwide from April-June 2023 for around $70. 

Tractor Supply Company says it received 13 reports of the buckle located on the strap of the recalled hammock swing chairs either breaking or its stitching breaking, causing three consumers to fall to the ground. 

Best Buy recalls Insignia pressure cookers over burn hazard 

Best Buy initiated a recall for around 930,000 Insignia brand pressure cookers over concerns their inner pot contains incorrect volume markings, causing consumers to overfill the pot and creating a potential burn hazard. 

The recall, which was done in conjunction with Canada, involves Insignia pressure cookers with model nos. NS-MC60SS8, NS-MC60SS9 or NS-MC80SS9 and inner cook pots sold separately as replacements with model nos. NS-MCRP6NS9 and NS-MCRP6SS9. 

Best Buy said it received 31 reports of contents under pressure being expelled from the recalled pressure crookers, resulting in a total of 17 injuries, including some second degree and severe burns. 

Buffalo Games recalls children’s toy water beads following death

In September, Buffalo Games recalled 52,000 of its Chuckle and Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits sold exclusively at Target over concerns the water beads could grow in size if eaten, causing choking, ingestion or intestinal obstruction. 

The recall involves Chuckle & Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits with UPC no. 079346627035 and sold in a purple box on Target’s website and at its store locations nationwide from March-November 2022 for around $15. 

Buffalo Games initiated the recall following the death of a 10-month-old Wisconsin child in July 2023 and an incident in November 2022 that required a 9-month-old child in Maine to undergo surgery to remove water beads they’d eaten, which caused an intestinal obstruction. 

In response to the incidents, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission called for a full ban on children’s toy water beads. 

Make Believe Ideas recalls Rainbow Road books over choking hazard 

Children’s book publisher Make Believe Ideas recalled almost 273,000 of its Rainbow Road series board books in September over concerns their plastic binding rings could detach, posing a choking hazard. 

The recall was conducted in conjunction with Canada and involves all seven books in the Rainbow Road series, including Dinosaur’s First Words, Old Macdonald Had a Farm, Rainbow Road Book Box, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Things that Go!, Unicorn’s Colors and Where’s My Bottom. 

The recalled Rainbow Road series board books were sold nationwide by a variety of stores and websites from March 2022 through August 2023 for around $10 and $11 for an individual book and about $21 for a box set. 

Little Sleepies recalls Sleepyhead Loveys, Bandana Bibs over choking hazard concerns

In October, Little Sleepies recalled around 450,000 of its Sleepyhead Loveys and Bandana Bibs in the United States and about 3,331 in Canada over concerns their care instruction labels could detach, creating a choking hazard. 

The recall involves Sleepyhead Loveys and Bandana Bibs sold on Little Sleepies’ website and at boutique stores nationwide from Feb. 2021-Sept. 2023 for $12-$48. 

Little Sleepies says it received two reports of the care instruction labels on the recalled baby bibs detaching, with no injuries. 

Have you been affected by a product safety recall this holiday shopping season? Let us know in the comments.

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