H&M Sold Thousands of Bracelets With High Levels of Lead — Government Recall Issued

Federal officials found an accessory sold at H&M contained too much lead. Now, a nationwide recall has been issued by the fast fashion retailer. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission officials recalled more than 12,200 units of its clasp-beaded bracelets for men on Thursday, Sept. 21, citing lead poisoning risks.

As of Sept. 21, no injuries have been reported due to the bracelets, which were made with glass and wooden beads and had trigger clasps with lead levels that "exceed the federal lead content ban." Due to high levels of lead that exceed federal limits, H&M has recalled a range of men's clasp-beaded bracelets sold in its stores and online. 

"H&M discovered that the limit of lead in the clasp of a men's bracelet violates the European regulation for lead content so decided to voluntarily recall the men's clasp beaded bracelets globally out of an abundance of caution," a company spokesperson told McClatchy News. 

This triple-strand trinket, which has brown, orange, and green beads, was sold in stores and online between January and July of this year at a cost of $13, according to the commission. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to lead can have adverse effects, particularly in children. It is possible that a child may experience delayed growth and development, speech difficulties, and neurological damage as a result. 

Customers are advised to stop wearing the bracelets and contact H&M for a prepaid return mailer to receive a full refund. Consumers can contact the company by calling 855-466-7467 between 8 a.m. and 1 a.m. Eastern Time or online by clicking on the "Customer Service" link at the bottom of the website's homepage. More information can be found on the recall by clicking the "Recalled Items" link on the page's left-hand side. Visit the CPSC's website here to learn more about the recall.

Another commonly-used item was pulled from store shelves due to unsafe amounts of lead in July. Soojimus voluntarily recalled more than 345,000 8-ounce and 12-ounce models of its Cupkin Double-Walled Stainless Steel Children's Cups due to them having "levels of lead that exceed the federal lead content ban." The recalled cups were manufactured in China and sold in pairs online at Amazon.com and Cupkin.com from January 2018 through March 2023 for about $20.

"When we initially developed these cups, our manufacturing partner confirmed multiple times that absolutely no lead was used in any part of our production process," Cupkin said in a message shared to its website. "Learning that our manufacturing partner and not one, but two CPSC-accredited labs let us down is a heavy set back both financially and emotionally, However, no matter the cost...we are going to be as transparent and proactive as possible to resolve this ASAP."