The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada announced a recall of approximately 5.2 million above-ground swimming pools on Monday due to a drowning hazard.
The pools, sold by Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup, are 48 inches or taller and have compression straps that can serve as footholds, allowing young children to access the water unattended. The recall only applies to pools that have a compression strap passing over the vertical support legs.
The CPSC reported nine children, aged 22 months to 3 years, drowned between 2007 and 2022 in these pools in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri. Three additional incidents involved children accessing the pools via the compression strap.
No further deaths have been reported in Canada, where 266,000 pools were sold.
The recalled pools, manufactured in China, were sold from 2002 to 2025 at retailers including Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Costco, and Amazon, with prices ranging from $400 to over $1,000.
The CPSC advises consumers to contact Bestway, Intex, or Polygroup for a free repair kit, which includes a rope to replace the compression strap. The recall number is 25-393.
Consumers should ensure that children cannot access the pools without supervision and should drain them until repairs are made. For more information, please contact the manufacturer directly using the consumer contact information provided on the CPSC website.