Cybex recalls 1100 strollers

Following in the footsteps of Maclaren, Cybex has announced a voluntary recall of their Gems series strollers – the Ruby, Onyx and Topaz models. These umbrella-fold strollers have a nearly identical folding mechanism to Maclaren, so this should come as no surprise.

According to the press release we received from Regal Lager, the US distributor of Cybex, there has been one report of injury – a fractured finger.

As with the Maclaren recall, if you have a Cybex, please don’t panic. Regal Lager has made a fabric hinge cover that, I assume, is very similar to the one fashioned by Maclaren. Once that is in place, the stroller poses no risk to you or your children. If you have one of these Cybex models, you can contact Regal Lager for a repair kit at (800) 593-5522 or visit regallager.com/recalls. 

To see the official announcement from the CPSC, click here.

Since the news broke about Maclaren, a bright spotlight is shining on the mechanical design of strollers. The CPSC’s uncompromising stance on safety is coming face to face with the pinch hazards that are standard with any folding product. I don’t think this will stop with umbrella-fold strollers.

When I was in elementary school, a friend of my sister’s got her fingertip amputated when a heavy school door slammed on her finger. It was totally traumatic. But the lesson is clear – little fingers are delicate, and heavy, moving objects are hazardous. Whether there are more recalls coming down the pike or not, always use common sense when folding and unfolding your stroller. Keep your children out of the way and make sure you know how the fold works, so YOUR fingers stay out of harm’s way. (I’ve pinched my fingers more than a few times when demonstrating strollers to customers, always when I’m too busy talking to notice where I’m putting my hands.)

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