The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·24118·Announced 2024-02-15

Bell Soquel Youth Bicycle Helmets Recalled for Head Injury Risk

Bell Sports is recalling about 2,425 Bell Soquel Youth Helmets because the strap anchor can become dislodged during a crash, reducing protection and posing a risk of head injury.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: This is a high-severity recall because it involves a risk-of-harm product (a protective device) where the design defect means the product can fail to perform its safety function. Although no injuries have been reported, the potential for head injury in a crash is significant. The source text confirms no reported injuries, which prevents a higher classification.

Plain-English summary

Bell Sports Inc. is recalling approximately 2,425 Bell Soquel Youth Helmets because the strap anchor can become dislodged from the helmet when sufficient force is applied. This design defect violates the CPSC federal safety regulation for bicycle helmets, and the helmets can fail to protect the wearer in the event of a crash, posing a risk of head injury.

The recalled helmets are Bell Soquel Youth models made prior to September 2021 in various colors. They can be identified by the inner helmet sticker labeled with the model name "Soquel" and "B0726Y," and a date code of August 2021 ("8/21") or earlier on the white inner label. The helmets were sold at Fred Meyer, Walmart, and other stores nationwide, as well as online at Amazon.com between January 2017 and January 2024 for between $25 and $50.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled helmets. To obtain a refund, consumers must destroy the helmet by cutting off the straps, upload photos of the helmet with the straps cut to [email protected] as proof of destruction, and dispose of the helmet. For more information, consumers can contact Bell Helmets at 800-456-2355 (Option 3) between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, by email at [email protected], or online at www.thebellgarage.com.

No injuries have been reported in connection with this recall.

The recalled product

Product
Bell Soquel Youth Helmets
Manufacturer
Bell Sports Inc, of Irvine, California
Category
Consumer Product — Bicycle Safety Equipment
Hazard
  • strap-dislodgement
  • head-injury
  • impact-protection-failure
Affected units
2,425

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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