Decathlon urgently recalls children's bike seat over choking risk

Parents are being warned to stop using a children's bicycle seat sold by Decathlon after safety officials discovered a small label could come loose and put youngsters at risk of choking.

The Hamax Buddy Baby Seat has been recalled following the discovery that a fabric safety label attached to its harness could become detached. Officials have warned that a young child could put the loose material in their mouth and choke.

The Decathlon product recall affects seats sold between December 28, 2020, and August 6, 2026, meaning families who bought one several years ago could still have an affected product.

However, there is some reassurance for parents: the seat itself does not necessarily need to be thrown away. Decathlon says the danger can be eliminated by completely removing the offending label, while customers can also take their seat into a store for help or request a refund.

Which Decathlon baby seats are being recalled?

The warning applies specifically to the red and black Hamax Buddy Baby Seat, which is designed to attach to a bicycle so parents can take young children along on rides.

The affected product can be identified using the following details:

• Product: Hamax Buddy Baby Seat
• Colour: Red and black
• Model code: 8591602
• Item code: 4091054
• Sales dates: December 28, 2020, to August 6, 2026
• Risk: Choking from a detachable textile label

The official Government product recall notice confirms that the seat does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005.

What is wrong with the Decathlon bike seat?

The problem concerns a textile safety label attached to the shoulder harness, rather than the main structure of the seat.

Safety officials discovered that the label might not be securely fastened and could come away from the strap. That could leave a small piece of material within a child's reach, creating a potentially serious choking hazard.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) explained: "This label may detach, creating a small part. A young child may place the small part in their mouth and choke."

The Government's safety warning advises parents to keep the affected product out of children's reach until the label has been removed.

What should parents do if they have one?

Decathlon is urging customers to inspect the shoulder harness of their child's bicycle seat before using it again.

If the affected textile label is attached, parents can carefully cut it off completely, following the retailer's official product recall instructions. Once the label has been removed, Decathlon says the identified choking risk has been eliminated and the seat can be used again.

Parents who would rather not carry out the removal themselves can take the seat to the workshop counter at any Decathlon store, where staff will remove the label free of charge.

Alternatively, customers can return the affected seat to Decathlon for a full refund. Seats which do not have the relevant label are not affected by the recall.

A Decathlon spokesperson said: "There's a risk that a child could detach the label, creating a potential choking hazard. Please stop using this child seat until the label has been removed."

The retailer added: "Once the label has been removed, the choking hazard is eliminated and the seat is safe to continue using."

How to contact Decathlon about the recall

Customers can find further details, including information to help identify the affected label, on Decathlon's official product recall website.

The retailer's customer relations team can also be contacted by email at [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 07483 068343.

Decathlon said: "We appreciate your understanding and apologise for any inconvenience caused."

For parents who have had the seat tucked away in a garage or shed since a previous cycling season, it is worth checking the harness before their child's next ride.