by Numbers from CPSC indicate fewer incidents and injuries last year compared to 2022
HIGH POINT — As 2023 came to a close, we took the time here at Home News Now to review the list of furniture and furniture-related recalls for the year to get a sense of how the industry fared compared to 2022.
At a glance, it appears that 2023 was a safer year for consumers related to furniture products overall based on data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Altogether, there were 28 furniture recalls involving some 690,402 individual items. Some 55 injuries also were reported because of a variety of safety issues involving these items.
The year prior, there were 15 furniture recalls involving some 681,727 items and resulting in 144 injuries and one death. The higher number of injuries that year was partly related to the recall of 182,000 Bestar wall beds sold in the U.S. and Canada that were tied to 60 injuries and one death dating to 2018.
The other involved the recall of 8,200 Cyne Tech wall beds that were tied to 62 injuries. Another incident representing the remainder of the injuries that year was the TJX recall of some 30,600 outdoor hanging chairs sold at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods and Homesense stores that were tied to 19 injuries.
This past year, the largest recall announcement involved Ashley’s Party Time power loveseats, sofas and recliners, some 262,450 of which were recalled in the U.S. and Canada because of a potential fire hazard that could result from the overheating of cupholders with LED lighting. While there were some reports of damaged furniture and smoke damage inside people’s homes, there were no other incidents or injuries reported, meaning the issue was caught and reported well before a disaster occurred.
Another major recall involved some 121,000 Walker Edison bunk beds. The recall arose because of 14 incidents involving the breaking of slats that support the mattress. Fortunately, only one minor injury occurred.
In other cases, consumers weren’t so lucky. For example, there were 17 reported injuries related to a fall hazard involving benches that were sold at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. The recall involved some 10,850 of the benches, which posed a fall hazard because of the legs breaking.
In March, TJX also announced the recall of some 82,700 office chairs sold in the U.S. and Canada because of a fall hazard involving the chair back breaking or detaching from the unit. This resulted in 10 consumer injuries, according to the recall announcement.
In a year when tip-over regulations were the most-talked-about issue in the industry, there were only two recalls related to an actual tip-over.
One involved a wall bed recalled by SourceOne Ventures in early December. Although shorter in scale than other Murphy wall beds, it also presented a fall hazard that resulted in 19 reports of the outer frame of the unit breaking and falling, which resulted in 11 injuries. The company ended up recalling some 12,275 of the units.
Another involved a bookcase unit sold at Marshalls, HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx that posed a tip-over hazard. Fortunately, while there were a couple of reports of the unit being unstable and starting to tip forward, there were no actual incidents or injuries. An annual CPSC report with more specifics regarding tip-over incidents involving furniture is expected to be published soon.
Other recalls this year involved a wide variety of furniture and bedding products, including mattresses.
For example, several play yard mattresses were on the government’s radar as they posed a suffocation hazard to infants and toddlers. Fortunately, there were no incidents or injuries related to these specific units.
In September, FXI recalled 48,000 of its Novaform ComfortGrande and DreamAway mattresses sold at Costco because of mold exposure. While there were no incidents or injuries reported, the recall will help avoid mold-related ailments in the future, including allergic reactions affecting eyes, skin and the respiratory system.
Indoor and outdoor fireplace units also were recalled including some 14,670 infrared quartz fireplaces sold by Twin-Star that were tied to 24 incidents of overheating, including two reports of property damage from smoke and heat. BestBuy recalled some 1,490 fire table units with lava rocks that were tied to six incidents of the rocks splitting or ejecting from the units and one report of minor property damage.
Fall hazards also were reported associated with the recall of some 11,000 folding bistro table sets sold at Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods and Homesense stores and the recall of 1,400 leather woven lounge chairs sold at H-E-B. In both cases, the wood frames of chairs cracked, causing them to break or collapse.
Fall and laceration hazards were associated with mirrors that were sold at Ikea and online at Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, Houzz, Target, Wayfair and Walmart, although fortunately no injuries were reported.
Additional fall and injury hazards also were reported with some 30,400 platform bed frames sold by Zinus, to online resources including Amazon, Wayfair, Overstock, Target and Home Depot as well as with some 12,000 Ikea swivel chairs whose leg base is prone to breaking. And in late December, TJX recalled some 29,000 bistro sets featuring chairs whose bases were also prone to breaking, which resulted in six minor injuries.
Child and baby products prone to fall and related injury hazards included some 500 bunk beds sold at Room & Board (despite two collapses involving the units, there were no injuries reported) and some 310 convertible cribs sold at Pottery Barn Kids whose end panels posed a laceration hazard. Again, fortunately no injuries were reported.
The point in all this? Recalls can involve most any kind of furniture, and the reason we report on them is simple: The mistakes made with such products likely can be avoided in the future by being aware of various manufacturing pitfalls and the safety standards that are in place to help keep all consumers safe.
That said, we will continue to bring news of these recalls to the industry’s attention along with new, developing and changing safety standards as they arise, now and in the future.
