Quick Answer
Yes, hammocks can be dangerous for babies and children. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), hammocks cause an estimated 3,000 or more injuries and deaths across North America every year. The greatest risks come from strangulation in toy hammocks and hammock pods without spreader bars, suffocation in baby sleep hammocks, and falls from improperly hung backyard or toddler hammock swings. Several hammock brands have been recalled after infant suffocation and child strangulation deaths.
From the backyard to the nursery, hammocks seem to be everywhere these days. Whether you’re looking for a way to lull a baby to sleep, a comfortable spot for an afternoon nap, or a convenient place to store children’s toys, there’s a hammock built for it. But while it’s easy to see the appeal, hammocks aren’t without risk.
Our Child Injury Lawyers have extensive experience representing victims of preventable accidents and defective products, including baby sleeping hammocks, child hammock pods and hammock swing chairs, toy hammocks, and outdoor and backyard hammocks. Our team has earned national recognition for aggressively pursuing justice on behalf of injured children and their families.
What Types of Hammocks Are Available for Babies and Children?
When most people think of a hammock, they picture canvas or rope mesh suspended between two poles, trees, or walls by cords at each end. Today’s market includes several versions built specifically for infants and children.
- Baby Sleeping Hammocks: Manufacturers claim an infant hammock mimics sleep in the womb and helps newborns with sleeping difficulties. Some hang from their own stand, while others suspend over a crib or pack-and-play.
- Baby Shopping Cart Hammocks: These infant hammocks suspend over a shopping cart so a baby can accompany a parent or caregiver into a store.
- Children’s Hammock Swing Chairs and Kid’s Hammock Pods: These indoor or outdoor hammocks are designed for kids to use as a swing or reading nook, and this includes many products marketed as a toddler hammock swing.
Hammocks for Toys: A hammock for toys is designed to store stuffed animals and other items off the floor, usually strung across a bedroom corner.
- Backyard and Camping Hammocks: Traditional hammocks suspended between two trees or poles for outdoor rest or sleep.
Are Hammocks Dangerous for Children?
Yes. Hammocks can be dangerous, especially when they are defectively designed or manufactured, or used incorrectly due to inadequate instructions or warnings. According to the CPSC, hammocks injure or kill over 3,000 people in North America annually.
Baby sleep hammocks do not meet the criteria for safe infant sleep. “Hammocks are an extremely dangerous sleep surface,” Dr. Gina Posner, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in California, told Healthline. “Numerous studies have shown that to decrease the risk of SIDS, the baby needs to sleep on his or her back on a flat, firm surface. The crib hammock is neither firm nor flat, and that can cause the baby to become entrapped in it if he or she rolls.”
A hammock for toys carries its own risk. These products are especially dangerous because they often lack a spreader bar to keep the netting open, which raises the risk of child entanglement and strangulation. Any improperly secured hammock, including backyard hammocks, hammock swing chairs, and kid’s hammock pods, poses a fall hazard as well. In rare but severe cases, trees or support poles have fallen onto a hammock’s occupant, causing serious injury or death.
How Many Hammock Deaths Happen Each Year?
The CPSC estimates that hammocks contribute to more than 3,000 injuries and deaths across North America every year. This figure spans all hammock categories, including backyard and camping hammocks, baby sleep hammocks, hammock swing chairs, and toy hammocks. The most common causes of hammock deaths are:
- Strangulation: Children become entangled in loose netting or mesh, particularly in hammocks without spreader bars.
- Suffocation: Infants roll into the fabric or mattress pad of a baby sleep hammock and become trapped face down.
- Falls: A hammock hung too high, attached to a weak support, or fitted with a defective stand or hook can cause a serious fall.
Government recall records document these risks in detail. Between 1984 and 1995 alone, the CPSC received reports of 12 children between the ages of 5 and 17 who died after becoming entangled in mini-hammocks. A 7-year-old girl suffered permanent brain damage after becoming entangled in a similar product, and one mother was able to resuscitate her 5-year-old son after he became trapped in a mini-hammock.
Which Hammock Products Have Been Recalled?
The CPSC has recalled numerous hammocks over the years, including products tied to serious or fatal child injuries.
Net Mini-Hammock Recall
In 1996, 10 manufacturers recalled over 3 million light-weight, net mini-hammocks that lacked spreader bars to hold the netting open. For years, mini-hammocks and baby hammocks without spreader bars have been linked to strangulation deaths in children. According to the CPSC, the netting can suddenly twist around a child’s neck while they climb into or out of the hammock, or while playing or swinging on it.
Amby Baby Motion Bed/Hammock Recall
In December 2009, Amby Baby USA recalled 24,000 Baby Motion Beds/Hammocks following two infant suffocation deaths. The CPSC explained that side-to-side shifting or tilting of the hammock could cause an infant to roll and become trapped against the hammock’s fabric or mattress pad, creating a suffocation hazard.
MamaLittleHelper Baby Hammock Recall
In August 2010, MamaLittleHelper recalled hundreds of baby sleeper hammocks after receiving three reports of hammocks becoming unbalanced. In one case, a 2-month-old infant rolled to the side corner of the hammock and was found crying face down.
MamaLittleHelper Hammock Stand Recall
That same month, MamaLittleHelper recalled a number of infant and toddler hammock stands that could break and cause a baby to fall. A four-month-old infant girl fell when the metal stand broke, though she was not injured.
Bed Bath and Beyond Hammock Stand Recall
In September 2014, Bed Bath and Beyond recalled nearly 14,000 Destination Summer Hammock Stands because the hooks attaching the hammock to the stand could bend or break. The retailer received 13 reports of hook failure, resulting in falls and injuries to various body parts.
BYA Sports Hammock Recall
BYA Sports recalled hundreds of outdoor hammocks in August 2016 due to a defective weld ring. The firm received two reports of ring failure, including one report of bruising from a fall.
Is a Toddler Hammock Swing Safe for Young Children?
A toddler hammock swing can be safe when it is properly installed, rated for the child’s weight, and used under direct supervision. The risk comes from how these products are marketed and used in practice. Many toddler hammock swings are sold as indoor reading nooks or play seats, and parents sometimes assume they are as safe as a standard porch swing.
Before letting a toddler use a hammock swing, confirm the following:
- The swing includes a secure, weight-rated mounting point, not just a hook screwed into drywall or a single ceiling joist.
- The netting or fabric does not have gaps large enough to trap a small child’s head, neck, or limbs.
- The swing sits low enough that a fall would not cause serious injury.
- A supervising adult is present the entire time the child is in the swing.
Toddlers and infants should never be left unattended in any hammock swing, and children under walking age should not use one at all.
Is a Hammock for Toys Safe to Use in a Child's Bedroom?
A hammock for toys is generally lower risk than a sleep or swing hammock because a child is not meant to be inside it, but it is not risk-free. The CPSC has specifically flagged toy hammocks that lack a spreader bar as a strangulation hazard, since the netting can bunch and tighten around a child’s neck if they climb on it or become tangled while reaching for a toy.
Before installing a hammock for toys, parents should:
- Choose a model with a rigid spreader bar or frame that keeps the netting open at all times.
- Mount it high enough that a child cannot climb into it, but low enough that it will not fall and injure someone below.
- Check the weight limit and never overload it with heavy toys that could pull the mounting hardware loose.
- Inspect the netting periodically for fraying, stretching, or holes that widen the gaps in the mesh.
How Can Parents Keep Hammock Use Safe?
Never place a baby in a hammock to sleep. Instead, follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ ABCs for Safe Sleep:
- A for “Alone”: A baby should sleep alone, without toys, stuffed animals, or blankets nearby.
- B for “Back”: Infants should sleep flat on their back, something a hammock’s curved shape prevents.
- C for “Crib”: Babies should only sleep in a safety-certified crib with a firm mattress and a tightly fitted sheet. No co-sleeping or hammock-style arrangements.
When using any hammock with older children:
- Inspect the hammock and hanging gear regularly for tears, holes, fraying, UV fading, or weak points, especially at the hanging points.
- Always check and respect the hammock’s weight limit.
- Read the safety and setup instructions fully before using a new hammock for the first time.
- Never suspend a hammock from dead trees or saplings. A tree can look sturdy while lacking the strength to support an occupied hammock.
- Look up before hanging a hammock and avoid trees with large dead branches, since wind can knock unstable branches onto the hammock below.
- Keep the hammock low to the ground so a fall will not cause serious injury. A child’s hammock should never sit more than two feet off the ground.
- Never hang a hammock over hazardous terrain, such as slopes, rocks, or bodies of water.
- Do not allow children to bounce or jump inside a hammock.
- Avoid hammocks with excess material, loose netting, or wide holes, and always choose models with a spreader bar to prevent entanglement.
- Keep infants and toddlers out of every type of hammock. Older children should only use a hammock once they can get in and out safely and understand the safety rules, and even then, only with adult supervision.
When Should You Contact a Child Injury Lawyer After a Hammock Accident?
You should contact a child injury lawyer as soon as possible if your child was hurt by a hammock, especially if the injury involved a recalled product, a defective spreader bar, a failed stand or mounting hardware, or inadequate warning labels. Evidence such as the hammock itself, packaging, and instructions can be lost or discarded quickly after an accident, so early legal guidance helps preserve what is needed to support a claim.
As a nationally recognized child injury lawyer, Jeffrey Killino has extensive experience litigating dangerous product cases and consistently secures favorable verdicts and settlements for his clients. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any individual case, but our team will work diligently and aggressively to pursue the compensation your family deserves. If your son or daughter was injured while using a hammock, please contact us at 1-877-875-2927.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are hammocks dangerous for babies?
Yes. Pediatricians and the CPSC agree that baby sleep hammocks do not meet safe sleep guidelines because they do not let an infant lie flat on their back on a firm surface, which raises the risk of suffocation and SIDS.
How many hammock deaths happen per year?
The CPSC estimates hammocks cause more than 3,000 injuries and deaths across North America each year, across all categories including backyard hammocks, baby sleep hammocks, and toy hammocks.
Is a toddler hammock swing safe?
A toddler hammock swing can be used safely with proper installation, a weight-rated mount, close-fitting netting, and constant adult supervision. It is not safe for unsupervised use or for children too young to sit up on their own.
Is a hammock for toys a strangulation risk?
Yes, if it lacks a spreader bar. The CPSC has linked toy hammocks without a rigid frame to child strangulation, since the loose netting can tighten around a child’s neck.
What should I do if my child was hurt by a hammock?
Preserve the hammock, its packaging, and any instructions, seek medical care, and contact a child injury lawyer promptly to review whether the product was defective, recalled, or improperly labeled.
