Top 20 Infamous Toys That Were Recalled
#20: Mini-Hammocks
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These hammocks are the opposite of relaxing. Sure, at first glance, there’s nothing inherently wrong with bite-sized canopies for kids. But, just because something’s smaller doesn’t make it kid-friendly. As it turns out, the nature of mini-hammocks - which is that they come without spreader bars - make them incredibly prone to twisting and tangling. Oftentimes, with the kids still inside. Given all that, it’s not too shocking to hear that there are several reports of mini-hammocks causing injuries or worse. That hasn’t stopped several different canopy lines from hitting the shelves, though. And, like clockwork, most of them end up on the wrong side of a recall scandal. Lounging just isn’t worth the risk.
#19: The Alien Wiggle Toy
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If the Trading Standard Officers are to be believed, these extraterrestrials do not come in peace. Several safety tests concluded that a sample of the inner gel from one of the aliens contained high traces of dangerous bacteria, including the likes of E.coli. For what it’s worth, the manufacturer pushed back on that claim, and even conducted their own exams to determine if it was a fluke or not. They also pointed out that it would take quite a bit of force to pierce the outer shell in the first place. Despite either point, the damage was done by then. News of the safety hazard was already out there, and parents were told to return the toys en masse.
#18: Barbie & Tanner
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Apparently, life in plastic isn’t always fantastic. Although, that’s not really Barbie’s fault. In this toyline, she was simply supposed to take care of her dog, Tanner. That meant feeding him, petting him, and yes, even picking up his droppings. However, Barbie’s pooper scooper accessory included a magnet that could easily be swallowed by unsuspecting children because it could come loose. Fearing the worst, manufacturer Mattel ordered a mass recall of Barbie and Tanner’s early models. However, that recall is nothing compared to the fiasco of Rollerblade Barbie. Against that skating fire-hazard, a magnet is getting off relatively easy.
#17: “Battlestar Galactica” Missile Toys
This just goes to show that there are no kind of rules or regulations that can account for everything. Mattel’s line of “Battlestar Galactica” toys successfully passed every single safety check on its way to store shelves. And yet, their small, plastic missiles still caused several aspirations, and at least one fatality. In response, Mattel voluntarily issued a withdrawal on the missiles of four products: Colonial Viper, Colonial Scarab, Colonial Stellar Probe, and Cylon Raider. In return, the original buyers got a free-of-charge Hot Wheels car as an apology. Later, the “Battlestar Galactica” toys were redesigned altogether, ensuring that their missiles would never fire again.
#16: “I Heart Guts” Uterus Plush
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Yep, you heard that right. They really made a stuffed pillow in the shape of this organ. They marketed it to kids and everything. As expected, the Uterus Plush was eventually pulled out of circulation, but not because of highly-questionably theming. Instead, its anatomically-correct ovaries were deemed a choking hazard for young children. Technically, you can still buy one on the “I Heart Guts” website. But, now, alongside teaching kids about their body, it’s also suggested as a gift for an older audience. The most ironic part of this whole thing is that ovaries have their own plush for sale, and they’ve never been recalled.
#15: Polly Pockets “Quik Clik” Line
Apparently, toymaker Mattel never heard the saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The Polly Pocket brand hit a few speed bumps in the early 2000s, but nothing to warrant how aggressively they pushed the new-and-improved “Quik Clik” line. Instead of rubber accessories, the updated dolls used magnetized, plastic clothing. Without even broaching the obvious choking hazard, the core issue was the potential for harm if a kid swallowed more than one magnet at a time. The risk was so great that, by 2006, Mattel was forced to recall around 4.4 million Polly Pocket playsets. They’ve removed magnets ever since, and that’s probably for the best.
#14: Pokémon Burger King Toys
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At the height of Pokémania in the 90s, not even fast food joints could escape the hype. As part of a marketing blitz for the franchise’s first movie, Burger King packaged 57 different Pokémon toys inside their kids meals. However, that turned out to be a grave error when the plastic Pokéballs turned out to be a major suffocation hazard. Burger King was left the only one trying to “catch em all” when they issued a recall on the 25 million sold containers. Since so many of them were trashed or destroyed, the Pokémon toy has oddly become more of a collector’s item now than they were back then.
#13: Inflatable Baby Floats
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Infants can’t swim, and neither can these floaties. The inflatables were supposed to act as something of a life raft for small children. But, no matter what company it comes from, the track record doesn’t inspire much confidence. Otteroo’s model was prone to air leaks, causing a very high drowning risk even at max capacity. Aqua Leisure also threw their floatie in the ring, but it didn’t fare much better. At the end of the day, both companies were forced to suspend their inflatables. It seems to have worked since, miraculously, neither have reported any deaths. But, still, odds are these floats won’t hit the water again any time soon.
#12: BuckyBalls
The only word to accurately describe what happened here is “messy.” At first, the magnetic Buckyballs were just another trendy desk item. But, despite the magnets’ very clear marketing towards teenagers and up, several small children ended up accidentally swallowing them. It sparked a highly-publicized legal battle about whether BuckyBalls could be held liable for the misuse of their product. But, no matter the verdict, the court of public opinion had already spoken. Several retailers stopped selling BuckyBalls, all but forcing the toy company to issue an official recall. The remaining stock was sold off at a heavy discount, and eventually, the company dissolved for good.
#11: Sarge Car
A movie like “Cars” basically makes its own merchandise. And it did, for about a year. But, in 2007, they had to shift into reverse when a line of Sarge cars came back with unacceptable levels of lead. A contracted manufacturer allegedly used lead paint during a time period that included the brand’s tight deadlines. Despite the supposedly small sample size, toy company Mattel had no choice but to issue a callback on almost half a million Sarge cars. On the bright side, there’s a whole lot of other Sarge merchandise on shelves these days, and it’s the kind that probably won’t give you lead poisoning.
#10: CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit
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Ironically, this toy set almost became its own crime scene. The Crime Scene Investigation kit included everything a kid needed to dust for fingerprints, including all sorts of vials and powder. However, it also featured one very important ingredient that wasn’t listed on the back of the box: asbestos, and a lot of it. The fingerprint-reading power had at least two different kinds of noxious fibers, neither of which was healthy to ingest even once. Following this revelation, the toy set was recalled in the State of Connecticut, with the rest of the nation following after. Given the contents, it’s probably for the best that this toy stays lost for good.
#9: Sky Dancers
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With a string, some wings, and a whole lot of advertising, these flying fairy-like dolls soared all the way to fame - and, later, utter infamy. See, despite their intuitive design, the original line of “Sky Dancers” failed to account for the dangers of high-speed flying objects. The dolls were blamed for more than one hundred reported injuries, with some even requiring stitches. It took six years of scandal and pushback, but eventually, the spinning toys were called back. That didn’t stop the brand from selling, though. Instead, new lines were produced with improved safety precautions. A few relaunches and an animated series later, “Sky Dancers” have kept twirling on with great success.
#8: Magnetix
Another day, another magnet toy gone wrong. Here, it’s “Magnetix.” They were small, they were multi-colored, and they stuck together. Basically, every danger of a magnet all rolled into one. During their time on shelves, they caused all sorts of injuries ranging from intestinal issues all the way to death. Following several serious injuries, the Consumer Product Safety Commission ordered a recall on upwards of 4 million Magnetix sets. We wouldn’t be crossing our fingers for a relaunch, either. In 2017, the CPSC instilled new safety standards on magnet toys to prevent something as dangerous as Magnetix from ever coming out again.
#7: Cabbage Patch Snacktime Kids
There were a lot of these dolls under the Christmas Tree in 1996. After all, their novel ability to eat certain plastic foods made them a must-buy during the holiday season. As kids soon learned, the issue was that these Cabbage Patch Dolls often ate more than their share. Namely, kids’ hair and fingers. The Snacktime Kids were the cause for all sorts of painful incidents, and by January 1997, they were completely taken off the market. For as quickly as they sold, they were gone just as fast. Chances are the Snacktime Dolls won’t be munching on anything ever again.
#6: Fidget Spinners
Few trends have ever caught on quite like Fidget Spinners, and it’s clear to see why. They’re deceptively simple, highly irresistible, and easy to produce. But, its unprecedented surge in popularity also led to a few cut corners. In the rush to meet the demand, two models of fidget spinners shipped with dangerously high levels of lead. For what it’s worth, retailer Target actually pulled the plug before anyone could even write up an official complaint. Either way, the fact of the matter is you won’t be finding those Fidget Spinners on Target shelves anymore. Considering the dangers involved, that’s probably for the best.
#5: Aqua Dots [aka Bindeez]
Small, multicolored beads for children sounds like a walking recall waiting to happen. As expected, the Aqua Dots were eventually banned, but not for the reason you’d expect. The harm wasn’t swallowing the beads, it was digesting the sedative drug they were laced with. After two kids fell ill in Australia, reports surfaced that Aqua Dots used a cheaper, acid-like plastic as opposed to the non-toxic industry standard. While none of the affected children faced long-term symptoms, the incident was still considered one of the most serious recalls the Consumer Product Safety Commission had ever seen. Aqua Dots has rebranded several times, and now makes beads that are safe for the whole family.
#4: Clackers
Clackers, and their distinctive noise, practically defined recess in the 60s and 70s. But, surprisingly, a lot can go wrong with two balls and a rope. For one, the casings were known to break, often sending pieces flying in all directions. But, even if they didn’t, Clackers also moved fast enough to cause serious harm to anyone who got too close. No matter how they played, most kids who picked up Clackers ended up regretting it. In fact, there were so many accidents, the U.S. Courts prohibited any further shipments of Clackers in the mid-70s. You know you’ve messed up when your toy isn’t just recalled, it’s outright banned. However, there have been redesigned revivals released in later decades and in other nations.
#3: Hoverboards
Electric scooters got you where you needed to go, and made sure you looked cool while doing it. But, as early as 2015, it was clear that Hoverboards were exploding. We don’t mean in popularity; we mean the batteries were overheating and quite literally making the self-balancing scooter go boom. It wasn’t just one singular brand of Hoverboards, either. The faulty battery packs forced a whopping eight different manufacturers to pull their product, adding up to around half a million scheduled withdrawals. Later, in 2016, new hoverboards hit the market with all new safety precautions. But, even still, they haven’t all stopped exploding just yet.
#2: The Easy-Bake Oven
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Despite its name, there’s nothing “easy” about baking with this toy oven. When the 2006 version hit shelves, manufacturer Hasbro became inundated with reports of kids getting their fingers caught in the door. Sometimes, while the oven was still on. Hasbro swiftly recalled the product, made some adjustments, and shipped out replacements. Except, the new Easy-Bakes were just as bad, if not worse than the original. After nearly 250 incidents and counting, Hasbro halted sales for a second time. They ended up resolving the issue, but only after calling back almost a million toy ovens. And yet, against all odds, the Easy-Bake Oven is still around today.
#1: Lawn Darts
This one hit the bullseye in all the wrong ways. To prove it, if you live in the United States or Canada, you couldn’t legally buy a set of Lawn Darts even if you wanted to. Trust us, that’s a good thing. The pointy-tipped lawn game has earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous household toys ever sold. That’s no exaggeration; it’s been blamed for thousands upon thousands of accidents over the years. A number that absurd deserves an equally absurd punishment. So, instead of just recalling them, Lawn Darts were outright banned from the U.S. and Canada. There’s plenty of safer knockoffs on the market, now, anyways.
