The safety of Pelotons, the immersive home workout experience with virtual classes that claims to rival a full gym membership, has been thrust back in the media spotlight following a shocking storyline in the Sex And The City reboot.
In the first episode of ‘And Just Like That’, Carrie’s husband Mr Big (Chris Noth) dies of a heart attack shortly after a 45-minute session on a Peloton Bike, the piece of high-end home gym equipment – prices starting at £1,350/$1,495 – that’s become a must-have in affluent homes.
The brand has also been hit with real-life tragedies, mainly concerning its $2,400 treadmill, the Tread+, which was only released in the US and has since been recalled.
A six-year-old in the US died in an accident in March, although details have never been released. Another incident saw a three-year-old child, who went on to make a full recovery, suffer head injuries after becoming trapped underneath the machine.
Other children have reported ‘burns’ or abrasions, with the family of one three-year-old boy pulled under a Tread+ treadmill saying he will be scarred for life.
In the UK, Peloton customers have reported minor injuries resulting from the use of the £2,295 Tread treadmill, resulting from the screen falling off.
The safety fears have cast a cloud over the success of the brand, which soared during lockdown when people couldn’t access gyms.
Peloton’s popularity, which soared during lockdown when people couldn’t access gyms, has taken a blow in recent months over safety fears, mainly concerning its $2,400 treadmill, the Tread+, pictured, which was only released in the US and has been recalled
Jocelyn Ratliffe, 6, suffered from severe abrasions to her legs after being sucked under a Peloton Tread+, her father revealed in April, sharing this photo on Good Morning America
It was dealt another blow following the release of the And Just Like That premiere – with shares tanking 11.35 per cent since the show aired at 12.01am PT in the US.
US product safety regulator, the CSPC, first raised concerns about the safety of the Tread+, which is not available in the UK, on April 17, and called on Peloton to recall it.
The death of the six-year-old child had been made public by the company the previous month.
Regulators said they needed to ‘warn the public quickly of the hazard’ after nearly 40 incidents have come to light of children becoming ‘entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller’ of the Peloton Tread+.
At the time, Peloton CEO John Foley resisted this request.
However on May 5 Peloton announced a US recall on the Tread+ because of these issues, and acknowledged that it had made a mistake in its initial response.
It simultaneously recalled the Tread, which is available in both the US and UK, due to the Tread’s faulty display, which had fallen off and caused injury.
Some 12 minor injuries such as abrasions, cuts or bruises linked to use of the Tread had been reported in the UK at the time of the recall.
The safety of the brand’s popular exercise bikes have also been put under scrutiny.
In 2020, 27,000 Peloton Bikes in the US had to be recalled because of a pedal safety issue.
The Peloton Tread remains on sale in the US and the UK. The Tread+ is currently not available in the US. It was never revealed in the UK.
Customers can still shop the Peloton Bike and the Peloton Bike+ in the US and the UK.
Peloton has explained how children and pets should be kept away from Peloton and other home exercise equipment at all times.
The equipment is not designed for use by children.
THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY LEFT WITH THIRD-DEGREE BURNS
The three-year-old boy suffered third degree burns to his back and sides after he became trapped under a Peloton Tread+ in Brooklyn, New York last year
A three-year-old boy suffered horrific third-degree burns after getting trapped underneath a ‘defective and dangerous’ Peloton treadmill, a lawsuit filed in July claimed.
Sarah and Ygal Saadoun, of Brooklyn, New York, filed a lawsuit against Peloton in New York State Supreme Court regarding the severe injuries their son suffered.
They claim their son was sucked under the Peloton Tread+ in July last year 2020. The boy became trapped under the treadmill’s ‘rotating belt’ and it continued to run while he was underneath it, the lawsuit says.
He suffered third degree burns to his back and sides as a result of the incident.
The little boy has been left with permanent scarring and disfigurement, as well as ‘shock, emotional distress, pain and suffering’, according to the lawsuit.
The Saadouns argue that Peloton knew, or should have known, that the treadmill was ‘extremely and unreasonably dangerous’.
Safety regulators had issued a warning about the model back in April, urging people with children and pets to immediately stop using the Tread+ after one child died and dozens were injured.
They released released footage that showed how one boy became trapped head-first under the running treadmill before eventually wriggling free.
The fitness company then recalled about 125,000 of the Peloton Tread+ models and agreed to stop selling them the following month.
The Saadoun family are seeking unspecified damages from Peloton as a result of the boy’s injuries.
DEATH OF A SIX-YEAR-OLD CHILD
Peloton co-founded and CEO John Foley shared news of the fatality in a letter addressed to owners of Tread+ in March. He urged customers to exercise caution when using the equipment
In March 2021, Peloton CEO John Foley revealed in a letter to customers that a six-year-old child had died in an accident involving Peloton’s Tread+ treadmill.
No details of the child, their family, or how the accident occurred have been made public.
However, it did prompt Mr Foley to urge parents to keep children away from Peleton exercise equipment.
‘While we are aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt, each one is devastating to all of us at Peloton, and our hearts go out to the families involved,’ Foley wrote.
Foley, who is also a co-founder of Peloton, went on to share the company’s standard safety warnings, among them keeping children and pets away from exercise equipment at all times, and removing the safety key from the treadmill at the end of a workout.
‘We design and build all of our products with safety in mind,’ Foley stated.
‘But in order to help ensure that you and your family members stay safe with Peloton products in your home, we need your help.
‘This is especially true during what I hope is the final stretch of the pandemic where everyone is still at home.’
CHILD DRAGGED UNDER A PELOTON WHILE PLAYING
In April US federal regulators released a terrifying video of a child being dragged under a Tread+ treadmill as they warned consumers to stop using the equipment. The child, seen bottom right, was pulled under the treadmill while it was in use
In April US federal regulators released a terrifying video of a child being dragged under a Tread+ treadmill as they warned consumers to stop using the equipment.
In the harrowing video, a little girl is seen walking on the treadmill which is turned on.
A little boy then walks behind the exercise machine and picks up a big pink ball.
He holds the ball toward the back of the treadmill and the ball is seen being pulled under the machine, dragging the boy’s arms with it.
This appears to cause the treadmill to stop moving as the boy’s arms lift the machine slightly off the ground.
The little girl gets off the treadmill and dashes off out of view, while the boy appears to be stuck.
The treadmill moves again, slowly at first as it appears the boy is trying to resist it moving and pulling him further under the equipment.
At this point, the power of the machine appears to cause the little boy to shake and suddenly the treadmill resumes a faster speed, dragging the boy further underneath to his head.
He continues to be pulled under more and more until only his legs are sticking out as he appears to thrash his legs in an attempt to free himself.
The boy manages to pull himself back out from underneath the treadmill which continues to move and he is seen walking out of view away from the machine.
Peloton has explained how children and pets should be kept away from Peloton and other home exercise equipment at all times. The equipment is not designed for use by children.