The Boppy Company Recalls Over 3 Million Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers After 8 Infant Deaths; Suffocation Risk
By MPB Safety Desk · Reviewed by Faruk Talmaç
Hazard
Infants can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing, or roll off the lounger onto an external surface, such as an adult pillow or soft bedding that obstructs breathing.
What parents need to know
This is the recall behind one of the deadliest infant products of the past two decades. The Boppy Company recalled all of its Newborn Loungers — the Original, the Preferred, and the Pottery Barn Kids version — in September 2021, after eight babies suffocated on them. Two more infants died shortly after the recall was announced, bringing the publicly reported toll to at least ten.
About 3.3 million of these loungers were sold in the United States between January 2004 and September 2021, at retailers including Target, Walmart, Pottery Barn Kids and Amazon. Babies can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that blocks their breathing, or if they roll off onto a nearby soft surface such as an adult pillow.
There is no fix for this product and no safe way to keep using it. The remedy is a refund: contact The Boppy Company at 800-416-1355 or through boppy.com's Recall & Safety Alert page, then dispose of the lounger. Because the remedy was a refund rather than a physical return, millions of these loungers were never collected. They still circulate on resale sites and in hand-me-down bags today. Do not buy one secondhand, and if one is passed down to you, do not use it — request the refund and destroy it.
Recall details
From the official U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission record
- Recall number
- #21198
- Recall date
- Units affected
- About 3.3 million (35,000 in Canada)
- Remedy
- Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled loungers and contact The Boppy Company for a refund.; Refund
- Products and models
- Boppy Original Newborn Loungers, Boppy Preferred Newborn Loungers and Pottery Barn Kids Boppy Newborn Loungers
- Sold at
- Juvenile product stores and mass merchandisers nationwide and online, including Pottery Barn Kids, Target, and Walmart and online at Amazon.com. The loungers were sold from January 2004 through September 2021 for between $30 and $44.
- Consumer contact
- The Boppy Company toll-free at 800-416-1355 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.boppy.com and click "Recall & Safety Alert" for more information.
Recall details are summarized from official government sources and reviewed by our editors before publishing. Information can change after publication — always confirm the current status, affected models, and remedy instructions in the official U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notice before acting.