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Stanley has recalled 2.6 million of its viral travel mugs because they pose a ‘burn hazard’.
The recall involves the popular drink and food container brand’s Switchback and Trigger Action travel mugs.
Stanley has received 91 complaints about the products worldwide, 16 of which camr from the US, with consumers stating that the recalled travel mugs’ lids detached during use.
This has resulted in 38 burn injuries worldwide, including two in the US, and 11 of these have had to seek medical attention.
The mugs were sold by various retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart, and Target, between June 2016 and December 2024 for between $20 and $50, depending on the model.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that both mug models have faulty threads which can shrink when they are exposed to heat and pressure.
This means the mug lids can come off unexpectedly while being used.
The CPSC says consumers should immediately stop using the recalled travel mugs and contact Stanley to receive a free replacement lid, including shipping.
It estimates that the recall affects around 2.6 million products.
The recalled double-walled mugs were sold in a variety of colors including white, black and green, in 12oz, 16oz and 20oz sizes with a polypropylene lid.
The Stanley logo appears on the front and bottom of the mug.
Consumers can identify the recalled mugs with one of the following product identification numbers, which will be printed on the bottom; 20-01437, 20-01436, 20-02211, 20-02033, 20-02779, 20-02825, 20-02030, 20-02745, 20-02957, 20-02034, 20-02746.
The mugs were manufactured in China and imported by Stanley’s Seattle-based parent company Pacific Market International, LLC.
It isn’t the first time Stanley has been in hot water over its mugs.
Earlier this year the company admitted its viral tumblers contain some amount of lead, triggering multiple lawsuits.
Several consumers from California and Nevada filed class action complaints against Stanley cups’ parent company.
Four California complainants said the company falsely advertised its tumblers as ‘BPA-free,’ but failed to warn the public that lead is a ‘key ingredient’ in its vacuum seal, in a February 1 filing seeking $70 million.
They claim they purchased Stanley cups prior to the January 2024 announcement from the company and insist they would not have purchased them if they knew they contained lead.
‘Our manufacturing process currently employs the use of an industry standard pellet to seal the vacuum insulation at the base of our products; the sealing material includes some lead,’ Stanley said on its support page.
‘Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers. Rest assured that no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product.’
A second lawsuit filed by a Nevada woman seeking an unspecified amount on February 12 said she purchased a Stanley cup for $35 from Target in March 2023 and accuses Pacific Market International of breaching its warranty.
Millions of consumers who bought a Stanley tumbler in the past several years have just been informed in the last month that the tumbler as designed for use contains lead, a toxic substance that can cause serious health problems,’ the lawsuit said.
‘They have become a viral sensation on social media, and the surge in popularity has been particularly acute in young women.’
‘Lead is a heavy metal that can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system, especially in children and pregnant women – part of the market targeted to purchase these products. Exposure to lead can result in developmental delays, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, anemia, kidney damage, and even death,’ the lawsuit said.
A third lawsuit filed by a California woman on February 14 accuses Pacific Market International of fraud by omission and negligent misrepresentation.
The lawsuit said, ‘PMI knew that Plaintiff and the Class could not reasonably have been expected to learn or discover that the Stanley cups were misrepresented in the packaging, labels, advertising, and website prior to purchasing the Stanley cups.’
Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in small amounts of the earth’s crust that can be toxic to humans and animals, according to the EPA.
Lead poisoning is often caused by exposure to contaminated paint and dust in water, air, and soil. Young children are particularly vulnerable to overexposure because poisoning can damage their mental and physical development.
‘Even low levels of lead that were once considered safe have been linked to harmful changes in intelligence, behavior, and health,’ Paul Allwood, the lead poisoning prevention and surveillance branch chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health, told Today.com.
Since Stanley cups have gone viral on TikTok, they have become a status symbol for school children.
Videos of people fighting over the latest color shade of the insulated beverage containers in Target have gone viral on social media as the craze swept the country.
Children have revealed that they are being bullied at school for have knock-off versions of the mug rather than the name brand.
The Stanley brand was born in 1913, when William Stanley invented an all-steel, double-wall vacuum bottle and stuck his name on it.
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