Kolcraft/Graco/Simplicity Recalls
Kolcraft/Graco/Simplicity Recalls
With all the recent recalls its a wonder how some of these products ever got to market. As a parent myself I am always looking for the best products and not always the cheapest. A couple of things all of these products have in common are that they are made overseas and they are all very inexpensive. Now I don't think expensive is always best, but a $50.00 playpen can't be all that great. It cost the retailer probably about 1/2 this so you can imagine that the materials and labor being used to construct such a product was close to pennies to the manufacturer.
As a retailer I pride myself in finding good products that may cost a bit more but are solid, well constructed and JPMA certified. As a consumer I do the same thing. I don't always think cheap is best and visa versa. I don't think because something is on the market it is always safe or well made. My advice is to buy from a local specialty store or online business that knows there products and are selective when purchasing these products. Mass stores pick product based on price to sell high volumes. They don't know anything about these products nor do the staff that sell the items. Find a good solid retailer that can advise you and stand behind each and every product they sell. As a side note don't forget to read the directions when putting products together, don't skip steps and don't substitute parts. It is always a safety hazard when this is done.
We don't need anymore devastating deaths to teach us to be more selective when making purchases for our most precious children. We need to demand better products and more testing done on these products before they are put out on the market.