Bean Bag Chairs
CPSC Recall #96-093 — April 1, 1996
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 96-093 |
| Recall Date | April 1, 1996 |
| Remedy Type | Inspect, Repair |
| Units Affected | 150,000 |
Where It Was Sold
| Meri-Jon Artist Colony has sold bean bag chairs nationwide since 1980 at small retail furniture stores. The chairs |
| which are sold in a variety of styles and colors |
| can be identified by the manufacturer's label on the product. |
Product
Bean Bag Chairs
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C.- As part of its ongoing investigation of zippered bean bag chairs that may present a suffocation hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Meri-Jon Artist Colony of Lexington, N.C., announced today a major cooperative repair program for 150,000 zippered bean bag chairs. CPSC's ongoing investigation has included corrective actions and repair programs implemented by 15 other bean bag chair manufacturers. Previous corrective actions have affected over 12 million bean bag chairs. CPSC is aware of 5 deaths from suffocation and at least 23 cases where children recovered from their injuries involving zippered bean bag chairs. The children who died unzipped the bean bag chairs, crawled inside, inhaled and ingested the small pellets of foam filling. In other cases children choked while playing with pellets from unzipped bean bag chairs which clogged their mouths and noses. None of these deaths and incidents involved bean bag chairs manufactured by Meri-Jon Artist Colony. Meri-Jon Artist Colony has sold bean bag chairs nationwide since 1980 at small retail furniture stores. The chairs, which are sold in a variety of styles and colors, can be identified by the manufacturer's label on the product. Owners of Meri-Jon Artist Colony's bean bag chairs can contact the company at (800) 476-4618 to receive instructions for repairing their bean bag chairs. Bean bag chairs manufactured and sold by Meri-Jon Artist Colony with an outer zipper with no pull tab are not affected. Any manufacturer's zippered bean bag chair that freely opens should be taken away from children IMMEDIATELY. Consumers should be aware that bean bag chairs manufactured with a small, T-shaped plastic tab attached to the zipper head are in need of repair. This repair program does not affect bean bag chairs that have been retroffitted to prevent children from freely opening them. Consumers who are not sure whether their bean bag chairs are included in this repair program or need help identifying their bean bag chair's manufacturer should call CPSC's toll-free hotline at (800) 638-2772 for assistance.
Hazard
The zippered bean bag chairs present a choking hazard, as children can unzip and go inside the chairs and pellets fill their noses and mouths.
Incidents & Injuries
CPSC is aware of 5 deaths from suffocation and at least 23 cases where children recovered from their injuries involving zippered bean bag chairs. The children who died unzipped the bean bag chairs, crawled inside, inhaled and ingested the small pellets of foam filling. In other cases children choked while playing with pellets from unzipped bean bag chairs which clogged their mouths and noses. None of these deaths and incidents involved bean bag chairs manufactured by Meri-Jon Artist Colony.
Remedy Instructions
Any manufacturer's zippered bean bag chair that freely opens should be taken away from children IMMEDIATELY. Consumers should be aware that bean bag chairs manufactured with a small, T-shaped plastic tab attached to the zipper head are in need of repair.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Inspect, Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
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 (Inspect, Repair) at no cost to you.
Federal law prohibits the sale of toys with small parts for children under age 3. CPSC uses a standardized small parts cylinder to test whether pieces from a toy can fit entirely inside — if they can, they are considered a choking hazard. Products marketed for children under 3 must not contain any small parts. Beyond the legal requirements, the CPSC and pediatricians recommend keeping all small objects away from children under 4, as the risk of choking extends beyond the formal legal age threshold.
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.