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Crate & Barrel Toy Chests

CPSC Recall #98-146 — July 21, 1998

Recall Summary

Recall Number98-146
Recall DateJuly 21, 1998
Remedy TypeRepair
Units AffectedAbout 7,000

Where It Was Sold

Crate & Barrel stores and catalogs sold the toy chests nationwide from September 1994 through March 1998 for about $130.

Product

Crate & Barrel Toy Chests

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Crate & Barrel of Northbrook, Ill., is recalling about 7,000 toy chests for in-home repair of their lids. The toy chest's lid support can fail, allowing the lid to fall onto a child's head or neck. A child could become entrapped at the neck and strangle. CPSC and Crate & Barrel have received two reports of lids falling. In one instance, a lid fell onto a woman's head, causing her chin to strike the front edge of the chest. Through their retail stores, Crate & Barrel has received about 116 consumer requests for replacement lid supports. The Crate & Barrel toy chests also function as benches. The seat of the bench, which is the toy chest's lid, lifts up to store toys inside. The toy chests, measuring 29 inches long, 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep, are made of maple, birch or beech wood. A 2-inch high railing encompasses the sides and the back of the chest, along with spindle-type rails on the sides. These toy chests have either one or two metal lid supports. Crate & Barrel stores and catalogs sold the toy chests nationwide from September 1994 through March 1998 for about $130. Consumers should immediately stop young children from using the toy chests, and call Crate & Barrel at (800) 352-0688 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CDT Monday through Friday. Crate & Barrel will provide a new lid support, free of charge, to stop the lid from falling to prevent a child from being injured or fatally trapped. Consumers can make this repair easily using a regular screwdriver.

Hazard

The toy chest's lid support can fail, allowing the lid to fall onto a child's head or neck. A child could become entrapped at the neck and strangle.

Incidents & Injuries

CPSC and Crate & Barrel have received two reports of lids falling. In one instance, a lid fell onto a woman's head, causing her chin to strike the front edge of the chest. Through their retail stores, Crate & Barrel has received about 116 consumer requests for replacement lid supports.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should immediately stop young children from using the toy chests, and call Crate & Barrel at (800) 352-0688 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CDT Monday through Friday. Crate & Barrel will provide a new lid support, free of charge, to stop the lid from falling to prevent a child from being injured or fatally trapped. Consumers can make this repair easily using a regular screwdriver.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Repair) at no cost to you.

Furniture tip-overs are a leading cause of pediatric injuries in the U.S., particularly dressers, bookcases, and television stands. CPSC data shows that a child dies approximately every two weeks from a furniture or TV tip-over. Unstable high chairs, baby swings, and bouncers are also frequent recall subjects due to fall risks. ASTM International standards now require that certain furniture must meet tip-over resistance standards, and CPSC has been actively pursuing mandatory requirements for dressers and chests. If you have furniture that was not recalled but feels unstable, wall-anchoring kits are widely available at hardware stores.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.

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