A pool toy that looks harmless can be dangerous when it stays upright and rigid in shallow water. Joyin’s expanded recall now includes about 404,000 Sloosh dive-stick sets, up from the 254,000 units named in June. Owners are being told to throw away the covered sticks, photograph them in the trash and email the image to receive redesigned replacements.
The July expansion added two models to the earlier recall
The original June 11 action covered model 40041. On July 30, the Consumer Product Safety Commission added models 40003 and 16154 and raised the total to about 404,000. The expanded recall notice says the sticks exceed the federal compression limit and can create an impalement hazard if a child falls or lands on one.
The remedy is replacement, not a cash refund. Consumers should immediately take the sticks away from children, dispose of them and send a trash photo to [email protected]. Once Joyin receives the photo, the company says it will send redesigned dive sticks that meet federal requirements. CPSC reports no incidents or injuries in connection with the recalled products.
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Model numbers and purchase dates identify the covered sticks
Models 40041 and 40003 have the number printed near the barcode on the package and on one end of each stick. Model 16154 has the number on the polybag above the barcode and on the stick. Model 40041 is covered when sold before October 23, 2025; models 40003 and 16154 are covered when sold before December 31, 2025.
The sets came in several configurations. Model 40041 included five sticks in a 30-piece water-toy package, model 40003 included four sticks in an 18-piece package, and model 16154 was sold as eight dive sticks. The other toys in the multi-piece packages can continue to be used; CPSC’s action is directed at the rigid cylinder-shaped dive sticks.
The replacement process leaves a useful paper trail
Before disposal, an owner should photograph the model marking and the complete set, then take the required trash image. Keeping the sent email and any reply creates a record if the replacement does not arrive. Joyin lists 800-781-3067 and its product-safety and recall page as additional contact routes.
No payment should be required to receive the redesigned product. Recall scams often copy a real product notice and then ask for card information or shipping fees. Starting from the CPSC notice, rather than a social-media advertisement or unsolicited text, keeps the contact details tied to the official action.
Rigid dive sticks have been subject to a federal ban
The danger is tied to how a stick behaves in water. A recalled stick can remain upright on the pool bottom and resist compression, creating a piercing hazard in the abdomen, face or eye. CPSC’s dive-stick safety guidance explains the federal restrictions that apply to rigid products intended to be retrieved underwater.
A product does not become safe because a child has used it without incident. The recall tells families to stop use immediately, and the replacement is designed to satisfy the rules the recalled models violated. Community pools, camps and grandparents’ homes should check shared toy bins as well as recently purchased sets.
The official notice fixes the remedy and the count
The 404,000 figure includes the 254,000 units in the June recall; it is not 404,000 plus another 254,000. CPSC lists online sales through Amazon, Target, Temu, Wayfair and SHEIN, depending on the model, at prices ranging from about $10 to $22. Purchase history from those sites may help locate a model even when the original packaging is gone.
Recall 26-654 is current, names all three models and states the exact proof step: a photo of the disposed sticks in the trash emailed to Joyin. That current federal notice should control over older posts that mention only model 40041 or the smaller June total.
Families should not mail the sticks or hand them to a retailer unless Joyin gives different case-specific instructions. The published remedy says disposal, photograph and email, followed by a redesigned replacement. Anyone who no longer has a receipt can still identify the product by model marking and should contact Joyin rather than assuming proof of purchase is required.
CPSC also reminds consumers that recalled products may not legally be resold or given away. Removing the covered sticks from a yard sale, donation box or shared pool supply protects another family and preserves the replacement route established in the July 30 notice.
This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by a human editor. Figures are linked to their primary sources; where a claim could not be verified from the public record, we say so.
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