The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2023–2026
GOPO's teething toy: a silicone string that reaches the throat
Strings longer and thinner than the toy standard allows can lodge in child's throat. 70,410 recalled after three choking reports; refund on a DESTROYED photo.
GOPO Toys · 2026-06-18
What happened
GOPO Toys LLC of San Bernardino, California sold about 70,410 pull-string teething toys at $11 to $15 from August 2023 through March 2026, across six batch numbers.
The silicone strings are smaller and longer than the mandatory toy standard permits; they can reach the back of a child's throat and lodge — respiratory distress and deadly choking. Three reports of strings reaching the back of a child's throat. The CPSC recalled all 70,410 on June 18, 2026.
The remedy is a refund after the owner cuts every string, writes DESTROYED on the body in permanent marker, and emails the photo. The teether's last word is written on it.
Why it happened
- Silicone strings longer and thinner than the toy standard permits can lodge at the back of a child's throat — three reports of respiratory distress or choking
- 70,410 teethers at $11–15 sold Aug 2023–Mar 2026 across six batches — three years in small hands before the standard was enforced
- The refund requires cutting the strings and writing DESTROYED on the body — the marker photo closes the batch
The lesson
The toy standard measures the string in millimetres because a throat is one — 70,410 teethers shipped with a string the rule already forbade, and three children found it.
Sources
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