Ikea’s latest recall is terrifying
Months after Ikea recalled a product that killed two dogs from its first line of pet furniture, Ikea announced a sweeping recall of a popular ceiling lamp that has a tendency to fall off by surprise above unsuspecting people (and their pets), showering them with dangerous glass shards and “posing impact and laceration hazards.”
The recall of the lamp–which has a surprisingly pronounceable name free of Swedish-inspired epithets with too many consonants, Calypso–follows 19 complaints filed to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the independent government agency that develops safety standards and tries to protect buyers against unreasonable risks. The reports describe the $34.99 Calypso’s frosted glass shade detaching from its steel base plate at random, crashing to the floor (or unfortunate passersby).
The reports include three minor injuries. Fortunately, that only means a few bumps and cuts. The affected lamps, which have an average rating on Ikea’s U.S. site of two stars out of five over 30 reviews, were sold from August 2016 to July 2018 (I’ve reached out to Ikea and will update this post if I receive more information.)
If you have a Calypso you can check out the manufacturing codes on the base plate: If it’s between 1625 and 1744, you have a killer lamp. If you do, approach with care, try not to startle it, capture it carefully, and take it to your nearest Ikea for a refund or a replacement.
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