CPSC, L.L. Bean Inc. Announce Recall of Director's Chairs, Replacement Seats
CPSC recall 05561 · announced April 6, 2005 · L.l. Bean · 3,500 units affected
The product
The recalled director's chair is a folding chair with a solid natural-colored wood frame. They have cotton duck fabric seats and backs in navy, red, green and natural colors. The seats are padded and unpadded, and replacement padded seats were sold separately. The director's chair measures 34 inches high, 24 inches wide and 19 inches deep with an 18-inch seat height. The replacement padded seats are navy red, green and natural canvas. The recalled director's chair includes models XS78 and VU67and the recalled replacement seat includes model XS79, which can be found on the label underneath the seat.
The hazard
The wooden dowels in the fabric seats are too small and can break or slide out of the fabric sleeves; the fabric seat can tear from the wooden seat frame; and the chair frame also can break at the backrest upright, the armrest and at the leg axis. These failures can cause the chair's occupant to fall to the floor, and possibly sustain injuries.
What to do (per CPSC)
Consumers should stop using the director's chair and the padded replacement seat immediately and contact L.L. Bean to receive a full refund or an L.L. Bean gift certificate.
Notes
Incidents (per CPSC): L.L. Bean received 10 reports of the dowels breaking, two reports of the fabric tearing and four reports of frame breakage, which involve eight people falling from the chairs. There have been no reports of injury.
Sold at: L.L. Bean catalog, Web site and L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine, from February 2004 through September 2004, for $79 for the padded and $59 for the unpadded chair and $29 for the padded replacement seat.
Consumer contact: Consumers should contact L.L. Bean toll-free at (800) 555-9717 anytime or visit the company's Web site at www.llbean.com/recall for more information.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission public recall data. This page reports official records and is not legal, medical, or repair advice.