Product Recall: Pilates Exercise Balls

Jan. 13, 2006 -- Tens of thousands of Pilates exercise balls are being recalled because of an increased risk of injury during their use.

The recall was voluntarily conducted on Jan. 10 by LTD Commodities and The Lakeside Collection in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Pilates Balls

Units: About 34,600

Distributors: LTD Commodities of Bannockburn, Ill., and its subsidiary, The Lakeside Collection of Lincolnshire, Ill.

Hazard: The plastic black clips at the end of the rubber tubing can come apart when in use. In addition, the grommet used to hold the black rubber tubing could separate from the nylon webbing. Consumers using the Pilates balls could fall and be hit by pieces that separate.

Incidents/Injuries: The firms have received four reports of minor bodily injuries.

Description: The inflatable Pilates balls are blue with black handles. They are about 26 inches in diameter when inflated. They are sold with a blue air pump.

Sold by: Catalogs nationwide from August through Sept. 1, 2005, for about $9.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these Pilates balls and contact the manufacturer to obtain instructions on how to receive free replacement handles. All consumers who purchased these Pilates balls were notified directly about the recall.

Consumer Contact: For additional information and a picture of the product, visit the Consumer Product Safety Consumer Product Safety Commission web site.

To contact the manufacturer, call either LTD Commodities toll-free at (866) 736-3654 or The Lakeside Collection toll-free at (866) 847-4327 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT, or visit their web sites at www.ltdcommodities.com or www.lakeside.com.