09 May 2011 4 Comments
Safety Alert: Phil & Teds Metoo Chairs
I wanted to pass along the information regarding clip-on “metoo” chairs from Phil & Teds. If you have a “metoo” clip-on chairs by Phil & Teds, like we do, I urge you to please visit the alert on the CPSC’s website.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a safety alert about tens of thousands of Phil & Teds ”metoo” clamp-on feeding chairs for babies and toddlers. These are not safe because children could be hurt in certain versions of these clip-on tabletop chairs. The CPSC says numerous children – believed to be about a dozen – have been injured.
The chairs have metal clamps that attach to most table tops, such as a restaurant table. The CPSC says those clamps can easily come loose, causing the chair to detach and sending the child plummeting to the floor. Fingers or hands can also be pinched or crushed when the chairs partially detach from a table, catching a child’s fingers or hands between the clamp and a metal bar on the front of the chair.
The clip-on chairs affected by this warning do not have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar. The clip-on chairs that have plastic spacers between the table clamps and the front horizontal metal bar are under evaluation. CPSC says the company refused to agree to a national recall that was acceptable to the agency.Though ours has the plastic/rubber spacers, I would definitely not use it anymore! Not the we use it that often anyways. We only bought it as back-up chair in case we go somewhere that doesn’t provide or does not have a working high chair.
As a parent, I have been pretty actively tracking alerts and notices from the CPSC and to be honest, this is the first notice I have seen that a company with as big of a name as Phil & Teds not going along with the CPSC’s suggestions. Needless to say, I am beyond disappointed with Phil & Teds.
I put faith in the CPSC because they are there for a reason - to help us look at the safety and well being of not only our children, but also our families. I can’t believe that Phil & Teds would not issue a recall when the CPSC has found such potentially grave dangers in their product. Boo Phil & Teds!
Aug 17, 2011 @ 08:53:47
This was posted by the CPSC in August 2011. Here is the link:
http://youtu.be/evU6HedLyqg
May 13, 2011 @ 20:36:59
Hi – see the Phil&teds website for more accurate info. The videos of the metoo in use make the CPSC’s diabolically sensationalist video look inept. The chairs are entirely safe if attached correctly, however some people were apparently not attaching them correctly leading to dislodgment. The announcement relates only to older style metoo’s but even they are safe if attached correctly (judging by their safety certification and the video). I have never had a prob with mine in 4 years of use – surely any product is unsafe if used incorrectly?
May 14, 2011 @ 09:35:10
Hi Sarah, I talked to someone from Phil & Teds and I did see the video that’s why I have an updated blog post: http://thesmallfry.com/2011/good-to-know/update-on-the-phil-teds-metoo-chairs/
May 09, 2011 @ 14:02:46
Thanks for the info … we used to use the Eddie Bauer Shopping Cart Cover that converts intself to a high chair cover… its not bulky and machine washable and of course not recalled :)
we finally gave up on trying to keep jaxon from being germ free.. so now he rides in cart without the cover and sits in restaurants high chairs/boosters … of course when we get in the car we douse his hands in all natural kid friendly hand sanitizer and when we get home we wash his hands right away..