The Recall Desk
SevereCPSC·11054·Announced 2010-12-01

Lowe's Recalls Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds Due to Strangulation Risk

Lowe's is recalling Roman shades and roll-up blinds because exposed cords and loops pose a strangulation hazard to children. Two near-strangulation incidents involving young children have been reported.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a significant injury report (rope burn to the neck) and a high-risk strangulation hazard for children, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating under the rubric for significant injury reports.

Plain-English summary

Lowe's is recalling approximately 6 million Roman shades and 5 million roll-up blinds sold between 1999 and 2010. The recall excludes Roman shades that already have repair kits installed and roll-up blinds equipped with release clips right below the head rail on the backside. The products were sold at Lowe's stores, other retail locations, and online for prices ranging from $10 to $1,800.

The recall is due to a strangulation hazard. For Roman shades, children can become entangled if they place their neck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind, or if they pull the cord out and wrap it around their neck. For roll-up blinds, the hazard occurs if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child's neck becomes entangled in the free-standing loop, or if a child places their neck between the loop and the blind material.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is aware of two incidents involving children becoming entangled in the exposed cords of Roman shades. In November 2009, a 2-year-old boy in Arvada, Colorado, was found with the inner cord wrapped around his arm and neck. In July 2010, a 4-year-old boy in Lexington, South Carolina, suffered a rope burn to his neck after becoming entangled in a Roman shade cord. No incidents have been reported related to the roll-up blinds.

Consumers should stop using the recalled products immediately. They can contact the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) at (800) 506-4636 or visit www.windowcoverings.org to obtain free repair kits. For additional information, consumers can contact Lowe's at (800) 445-6937 or visit www.lowes.com.

The recalled product

Product
Roman shades and roll-up blinds
Category
Consumer Product — Window Coverings
Hazard

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same hazard · strangulation

See all →