Sloosh dive sticks have been recalled because they can create a serious impalement hazard for children during pool play. The recall affects about 254,000 dive sticks sold as part of Sloosh water toy sets, and parents are being urged to stop children from using the affected sticks immediately.
According to the official notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Joyin US Corp. recalled Sloosh dive sticks because they violate the federal dive sticks ban and pose a risk of serious injury from impalement. The affected dive sticks can injure a child if the child falls or lands on them in shallow water.
This is a serious recall because dive sticks are designed for children to chase, retrieve, and grab underwater. That means the toy is used in an environment where children are already moving quickly, diving, slipping, jumping, reaching, and sometimes losing balance. If a hard dive stick remains upright or resists compression, a fall onto it can create a dangerous piercing injury.
Which Sloosh Dive Sticks Are Affected?
The recall covers dive sticks included in the Sloosh 30-piece water toy set, model 40041. The affected dive sticks are made of hard plastic, are cylinder-shaped, and measure about 7 inches long and one inch or less in diameter. Only dive sticks with model 40041 that were sold before October 23, 2025, are included in the recall.
The CPSC notice says the recalled sets were sold online at major retailers including Amazon, Temu, Wayfair, Target Plus, and SHEIN from February 2019 through October 2025. The sets were sold for about $17 to $22. Because the product was available for several years across multiple online platforms, many families may still have the affected sticks in pool bags, garages, backyard storage bins, or summer toy boxes.
People reported that the Sloosh water toy set includes several pool toys, but the recall applies specifically to the dive sticks. Other toys in the set are not part of the recall. Still, parents should carefully identify and remove the affected sticks before allowing children to use the rest of the set.
Why the Dive Sticks Are Dangerous
The hazard comes from the way the dive sticks behave if a child lands on them. Federal rules were created because rigid dive sticks can cause serious internal, facial, genital, rectal, or eye injuries if a child falls onto one in shallow water. The recalled Sloosh sticks exceed the federal compression limit, meaning they may not compress enough to reduce injury risk.
The CPSC says the dive sticks violate the federal dive sticks ban. That ban exists because older-style rigid dive sticks were linked to serious injuries. Pool toys may look harmless, but when a child dives or lands on a hard object in shallow water, the impact can be severe.
A report from People noted that no injuries had been reported at the time of the recall, but the risk was serious enough for Joyin and the CPSC to tell consumers to stop using the affected sticks. A recall before injuries are reported can still be urgent because the goal is to remove the hazard before a child is hurt.
What Parents Should Do Immediately
Parents and caregivers should stop children from using the recalled Sloosh dive sticks right away. The CPSC says consumers should take the dive sticks away from children and discard them. The agency also warns consumers not to donate, resell, or give away recalled products because that can transfer the danger to another family.
Joyin is offering redesigned replacement dive sticks that comply with the safety requirements. Consumers can visit the company’s recall page through Joyin’s Sloosh dive stick recall information or follow the remedy instructions listed in the CPSC recall notice. Consumers are generally asked to provide proof that the recalled sticks have been discarded before receiving replacement sticks.
This step matters because recalls are only effective if the unsafe product is actually removed from use. If recalled dive sticks stay in a pool toy bin, a child may use them again later without realizing they are unsafe.
Why Pool Toy Recalls Deserve Attention
Many parents pay close attention to pool gates, floatation devices, sunscreen, and adult supervision, but pool toys may not always receive the same level of caution. A toy that looks simple can still create a safety hazard if it is too rigid, too sharp, too small, poorly labeled, or used in the wrong setting.
Dive sticks are especially sensitive because they are meant to sink. Children swim down to retrieve them, often in shallow water. If the sticks stand upright or are hard enough to resist compression, they can become dangerous objects at the bottom of the pool.
The CPSC’s Pool Safely campaign focuses on preventing child drownings and pool injuries through layers of protection, including supervision, barriers, alarms, drain safety, and emergency readiness. While the campaign is best known for drowning prevention, the broader lesson applies here: pool safety depends on controlling many small risks at the same time.
Why Federal Dive Stick Rules Exist
Federal dive stick rules were created after regulators identified that certain rigid pool toys could cause severe impalement injuries. These rules limit how dive sticks can be designed and how much force they can resist. A compliant dive stick should not create the same kind of hard, upright hazard as banned designs.
The CPSC has long warned that noncompliant dive sticks can be dangerous because children may jump, dive, or fall onto them. When a toy is used underwater, the hazard may be harder for children to see. Water movement, splashing, and poor visibility can make the exact position of the toy unclear.
This is why compliance matters. A parent may not be able to judge by appearance whether a toy meets federal requirements. The manufacturer and importer are responsible for ensuring that the product is safe before it reaches families.
Why Online Toy Buyers Need to Be Careful
The Sloosh recall also shows why online toy purchases require extra attention. Online marketplaces make it easy for families to buy seasonal toys quickly, often at low prices. But recalls can involve products sold across several platforms and stored in homes for years.
A toy bought in 2019 may still be used in 2026. A family may not remember the brand, seller, model number, or order history. That makes it easier for recalled products to remain in circulation. Parents should check summer toys at the start of each pool season, especially items that children dive for, throw, sit on, wear, or use in water.
The CPSC recalls page lets consumers search for recalled products by brand, hazard, and product type. Checking that page before summer or before using stored pool toys can help families identify hazards they may have missed.
Why “No Injuries Reported” Does Not Mean Safe
Some consumers may see that no injuries have been reported and assume the risk is small. That is not the right way to think about a recall. A product can be dangerous even before an injury is publicly reported. Regulators often act when a product violates a safety standard because the standard exists to prevent serious harm.
In the case of dive sticks, the possible injury is not minor. The recall language points to serious injury from impalement. That is enough reason to stop using the product immediately.
A recalled product should not be tested at home, modified, shortened, softened, or saved for older children. The safest response is to remove the affected sticks and follow the recall remedy.
How to Check Pool Toys for Safety
Parents should inspect pool toys before children use them. A safe pool toy should not have sharp points, cracked plastic, exposed metal, rigid narrow ends, loose small parts, or signs of breaking. Toys used for diving should be designed for that purpose and should comply with safety rules.
If a toy has no clear brand, model number, age guidance, or safety information, parents should be cautious. Unlabeled toys can be harder to check against recalls and harder to trace if a safety issue appears.
Pool toys should also match the child’s age, swimming ability, and supervision level. Dive toys should only be used by children who can swim safely, and adults should supervise closely. No pool toy should be treated as a substitute for supervision.
The Bigger Lesson for Summer Safety
Summer products are often used casually, but they can carry real risks. Pool toys, inflatable floats, water guns, slides, diving toys, swim aids, and backyard play equipment all need to be checked for safety. Sun, chlorine, heat, and repeated use can also weaken materials over time.
The American Red Cross emphasizes active supervision, water competency, and emergency readiness around pools and open water. Product safety is only one layer. Children also need watchful adults, safe pool rules, and quick access to help if something goes wrong.
The Sloosh recall is a reminder that even a small toy can create a serious injury risk in the wrong design. Pool safety is not only about preventing drowning. It is also about preventing impact, entrapment, impalement, slips, falls, and other injuries that can happen around water.
What Retailers and Importers Should Learn
Retailers and importers have a responsibility to make sure children’s products comply with federal safety rules before they are sold. A dive stick is not a complicated electronic device, but it still has to meet specific safety requirements. Simple products can still fail safety rules if the design is wrong.
Online marketplaces also play an important role. When a recalled product was sold through multiple platforms, those platforms should help notify buyers, remove listings, and prevent resales. Recalled children’s products should not continue moving through third-party sellers or secondhand marketplaces.
For importers, the lesson is clear. Safety testing must happen before the product reaches families. A recall can remove dangerous products after the fact, but prevention is far better than correction.
Final Takeaway
Sloosh dive sticks sold in 30-piece water toy sets have been recalled because they violate the federal dive sticks ban and pose a serious impalement hazard to children. The recall affects about 254,000 dive sticks from model 40041 sold online from February 2019 through October 2025.
Parents and caregivers should stop children from using the recalled dive sticks immediately, discard them, and contact Joyin for redesigned replacement sticks. The other toys in the set are not part of the recall, but the affected dive sticks should be removed from any pool toy collection right away.
The recall is a reminder that pool safety includes more than swimming ability and supervision. The toys children use in the water must also be safe. A dive stick may look harmless, but if it fails federal safety rules, it can become a serious injury hazard in seconds.
