I am a stroller junkie. Since my son Liam was born over 2 years ago, I have purchased at least five strollers. My all-time favorite stroller, which I still use today, is my Maclaren. While other strollers have their benefits, the compact Maclaren is perfect for getting the kids around Shanghai, with its narrow streets, elevators and tiny doorways. The stroller is so lightweight and easy to fold that it is a great travel companion for long airplane trips and day trips by taxi/car around the city. And, no matter how much I beat it up, it still looks great –likely due to its high quality. Every afternoon, when it is time for my son’s nap, he prefers to crawl into his Maclaren to sleep over this own bed.

The Recall

To my dismay, I just found out that my Maclaren could be dangerous. According to recent news reports, British stroller manufacturer, Maclaren and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) is recalling approximately one million strollers after the company received dozen reports of children’s fingertips getting amputated by a hinge on the strollers. The recall concerns Chinese-made models sold in the US between 1999 and today. Specific models include: Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller.

To Use or Not to Use?

The US CPSC advises customers to stop using the strollers immediately until they can get a repair kid. Maclaren will provide a hinge cover that can be ordered through its website

Interestingly, Maclaren’s European arm said that no recall was being issued in the European Union, where there have been fewer reported injuries, despite higher sales. “We wish to reassure our customers that they should continue to use their existing Maclaren buggies since they are safe when opened and closed correctly,” it said. “Our advice is that consumers should take the same level of caution and care as when opening or closing a car door or any other moving part that can be found in many other baby and toddler products.”

Personally, I am planning on continuing to use my stroller and begin investigating how to get a hinge cover, which may prove difficult as we are living in Shanghai. In the meanwhile, I will just be very careful to not let the children play with the stroller or be around it while I am opening/closing it.

What are your thoughts?