Following Deaths Of 2 Children, 2.2 Million Bean Bags Recalled

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the voluntary recall of 2.2 million Ace Bayou Corporation bean bag chairs after two children opened them, crawled inside and tragically suffocated to death.

The voluntary industry standard requires non-refillable bean bag chairs to have closed and permanently disabled zippers. However, the recalled chairs have two zippers that can be opened, providing enough space for a child to enter. The child can then become trapped and suffocate or choke on the bag’s foam beads.

A 13-year-old boy from Texas and a 3-year-old girl from Kentucky died inside the Ace Bayou chairs after suffocating and inhaling the beads, CPSC reports.

Affected chairs include both round or L-shaped, vinyl or fabric, and are filled with polystyrene foam beads. The chairs were sold in a variety of colors, including purple, violet, blue, red, pink, yellow, Kelly green, black, port, navy, lime, royal blue, turquoise, tangerine and multi-color.

Round bean bag chairs were sold in three sizes, 30, 32 and 40 inches in diameter, while L-shaped bean bag chairs measure 18 inches wide by 30 inches deep by 30 inches high. “ACE BAYOU CORP” is printed on a tag sewn into the bean bag chair’s cover seam.

The chairs, which retailed for between $30 and $100, were sold at Bon-Ton, Meijer, Pamida, School Specialty, Wayfair, Walmart and Amazon.com before July 2013.

The CPSC urges consumers to check their bean bag chairs for any zippers that can open and take those that can open away from children immediately.

Owners should contact New Orleans-based Ace Bayou for a free repair kit to permanently disable the zippers so that they cannot be opened.

Two Deaths Reported with Ace Bayou Bean Bag Chairs; Recall Announced Due to Suffocation and Choking Hazards [U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist