What Should Parents Know About Hammock Risks?
Yes, hammocks can be dangerous for babies and children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has documented child deaths and serious injuries tied to hammocks, and ten manufacturers recalled more than 3 million net mini hammocks in 1996. 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 brands have been recalled after infant suffocation and child strangulation deaths.
From the backyard to the nursery, hammocks seem to be everywhere. Whether you want a way to lull a baby to sleep, a comfortable spot for an afternoon nap, or a place to store toys, there is a hammock built for it. The appeal is easy to see, but hammocks are not without risk. Our child injury lawyers represent families hurt by preventable accidents and defective products, including baby sleeping hammocks, hammock pods and swing chairs, toy hammocks and backyard hammocks. If your child was hurt in a similar way, speak with a child strangulation lawyer about your family’s options.
Are Hammocks Dangerous for Children?
Yes. Hammock accidents and injuries are most likely when a product is defectively designed or manufactured, or when it is used incorrectly because the instructions and warnings were inadequate. The main hazards are strangulation in loose netting, suffocation when a baby rolls into the fabric, and falls from a hammock that is hung too high or from a weak support. In rare but severe cases, trees or support poles have fallen onto the person in the hammock.
Toy hammocks deserve special attention. Many lack a spreader bar to keep the netting open, which raises the risk of entanglement. Any improperly secured hammock, including backyard hammocks, swing chairs and kid’s hammock pods, can also drop a child onto hard ground. A serious fall can mean fractures or a child brain injury.
Are Hammocks Safe for Babies?
No. 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. She explained that to lower the risk of SIDS a baby needs to sleep on the back on a flat, firm surface, and that a hammock is neither, so a baby who rolls can become entrapped.
Federal law now backs that advice. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act, signed in March 2022, bans inclined infant sleepers with a sleep surface of more than 10 degrees. In 2023 the CPSC recalled about 700 CaTeam Canvas Baby Hammock Swings because they were marketed for infant sleep and exceeded that incline. The American Academy of Pediatrics ABCs of safe sleep still apply: a baby should sleep Alone, on the Back, in a safety certified Crib with a firm mattress and a tightly fitted sheet. Hammocks, stroller and pram hammocks and shopping cart hammocks are not substitutes for any of those. If a sleep product injured your baby, see our page on defective infant sleepers.
How Many Hammock Deaths Happen Each Year?
The official notices cited below describe product-specific incidents, rather than a current annual death total covering every hammock type. Reported hazards include strangulation in netting, infant suffocation and falls involving a support, attachment or stand. Read the dates and product details in each notice; a historical incident total cannot establish the chance of a child dying in a different hammock today.
Government records document these risks. Between 1984 and 1995, 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 in a similar product, and one mother resuscitated her 5 year old son after he became trapped.
What Types of Hammocks Are Made for Babies and Children?
Beyond the traditional canvas or rope hammock hung between two trees, the market now includes baby sleeping hammocks that claim to mimic the womb, shopping cart hammocks that suspend over a cart, stroller and pram hammocks, children’s swing chairs and hammock pods that double as reading nooks, and toy hammocks that store stuffed animals across a bedroom corner. Each category has its own failure points, which is why the recall history below matters.
Which Hammock Products Have Been Recalled?
The CPSC has recalled many hammock products over the years. In 1996, ten manufacturers recalled more than 3 million net mini hammocks without spreader bars, because the netting could suddenly twist around a child’s neck during climbing or play. In December 2009, Amby Baby USA recalled about 24,000 baby motion beds and hammocks after two infant suffocation deaths, when the tilting hammock let infants roll and become wedged against the fabric.
In 2010, MamaLittleHelper recalled baby hammocks after a 2 month old was found face down in a corner, and separately recalled metal hammock stands that could break and drop a baby. In 2014, Bed Bath and Beyond recalled nearly 14,000 Destination Summer hammock stands after 13 reports of bending or breaking hooks, and in 2016 BYA Sports recalled outdoor hammocks with a defective weld ring. Our page on recalled baby products explains what to do if your child was hurt by a recalled item.
Is a Toddler Hammock Swing Safe?
A toddler hammock swing can be safe when it is properly installed, rated for the child’s weight and used under direct supervision. Check that it has a secure, weight rated mounting point and not just a hook in drywall, that the fabric has no gaps large enough to trap a head or limb, that it hangs low enough that a fall would not cause serious injury, and that an adult is present the whole time. Children under walking age should not use one at all.
Is a Hammock for Toys Safe in a Child's Bedroom?
A toy hammock is lower risk than a sleep or swing hammock because a child is not meant to sit in it, but the CPSC has flagged toy hammocks without a spreader bar as a strangulation hazard, since the netting can bunch and tighten around a child’s neck. Choose a model with a rigid frame, mount it where a child cannot climb into it, respect the weight limit, and check the netting for fraying or widening holes.
How Can Parents Keep Hammock Use Safe?
Never put a baby in a hammock to sleep. For older children, inspect the hammock and hanging gear for tears, fraying and weak points, and always respect the weight limit. Do not hang a hammock from dead trees or under large dead branches, keep it low to the ground (a child’s hammock should never sit more than two feet up), and never hang one over slopes, rocks or water. Do not let children bounce or jump in it, and avoid hammocks with loose netting or wide openings. Infants and toddlers should stay out of every type of hammock.
When Should You Contact a Child Injury Lawyer After a Hammock Accident?
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 warnings. The hammock, its packaging and the instructions can disappear quickly after an accident, so early legal guidance helps preserve the evidence. If a child died, you may also have a wrongful death claim.
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.
