Infant neck floats — the ring-shaped flotation devices that support a baby’s head above water — have killed infants and sent dozens more to emergency rooms, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the first-ever federal safety standard for these products in June 2026. At the same time, CPSC renewed its urgent warning against Otteroo LUMI and Otteroo MINI infant neck floats, which have been linked to one confirmed infant drowning death, one serious injury, and dozens of incidents in which caregivers had to physically rescue infants who had slipped through the device.
The Scale of the Problem
Between January 2019 and January 2024, CPSC received reports of 115 incidents involving infant neck floats. Two of those incidents resulted in infant fatalities. Victims whose ages were known ranged from just 17 days old to 12 months old. In many documented cases, a caregiver was nearby and actively watching when the incident occurred — underscoring how quickly a child can slip through a neck float or become submerged.
The incidents associated with Otteroo LUMI and Otteroo MINI specifically involved infants slipping through the product when it deflated, underinflated, or failed its restraint system — plunging the infant’s face into the water. CPSC first issued a warning against these products in 2022. That warning remains in full effect and CPSC continues to urge consumers not to buy, use, resell, or donate any Otteroo LUMI, MINI, or earlier versions of Otteroo infant flotation rings.
The New Federal Standard
CPSC’s first federal safety standard for infant neck floats, effective June 15, 2026, requires that neck floats meet specific performance requirements to prevent infants from slipping through due to deflation, underinflation, restraint failure, or other causes. The standard applies to neck floats manufactured after June 15, 2026.
What CPSC Says Every Parent Must Understand
Even with the new standard in place, CPSC is emphatic: no flotation product can substitute for constant adult supervision. CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman stated directly that the new standards reduce some known risks but do not eliminate them.
- Stop using Otteroo LUMI, Otteroo MINI, and all earlier Otteroo infant flotation rings immediately.
- Do not sell or donate these products.
- Always stay within arm’s reach of an infant using any flotation product, keeping the child’s mouth above water at all times.
- Follow age and weight limits stated on any neck float product.
- Check that any neck float purchased after June 15, 2026 meets the new federal safety standard.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, visit SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.
