Peloton has issued a voluntary recall of all its treadmills in the US, following the death of a six-year-old child who became trapped underneath one of the exercise machines. The company has also received 72 reports of injuries involving its treadmills, from grazes to broken bones.
Peloton has two treadmills: the Tread and Tread+. Both have been recalled, and if you own either you should stop using it immediately and contact the company for a refund. The Tread+ was the machine involved in the fatal accident.
The Tread+ has an unusual design that features rubberized slats rather than a conventional belt, which is intended to feel more like a real road underfoot. The way these slats separate and then close as they move over the rear roller, combined with the lack of any sort of safety bar, means it’s possible for objects, hair or clothing to become trapped and pulled underneath.
Initially, Peloton rejected requests from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for the treadmills to be recalled. “CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death. In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller of the product,” the agency said in a statement.
Peloton itself warned Tread+ owners to only use the machine in a room with no children or pets present, and no objects nearby. It also urged users to unplug the treadmill when not in use, and keep the key to unlock it out of reach so it can’t be turned on. However, it denied that the treadmill’s design made it unsafe to use, saying that the CPSC’s press release was “inaccurate and misleading”.
Now, the company’s CEO John Foley has reversed his decision. “I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+,” Foley said in a statement. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”
What to do next
There are two separate product recalls, one for the Peloton Tread and another for the Tread+. Users of both machines should stop using them straight away, but if you own a Tread, you can choose to have it repaired.
The problem with the Tread is its touchscreen, which can come loose and cause injury. Since this is a less serious problem than the belt design of the Tread+, users can either claim a refund, or stop using the machine for the time being and wait for a free inspection and repair to attach the screen more firmly.
Whichever machine you own, you can call Peloton to arrange a refund on 844-410-0141 from 9am to 7pm ET Monday through Friday, and 9am to 6:30 pm ET on weekends. The company also suggests you can visit OnePeloton.com and click ‘Product Recalls’ at the bottom of the page, but at the time of writing, this link doesn’t seem to have been published.
While the Tread+ was only ever available in the US, the Tread was also sold in the UK, Canada and Germany, and users in these countries have reported minor injuries such as cuts and bruises. TechRadar has contacted Peloton to ask what Tread owners in these countries should do, and whether they will also be able to claim a refund or have their treadmill repaired. We’ll update this article once we know more.