Exercise bands dangerous for kids?

June 19, 2020 7:56 AM

We have a 4 yo and 1 yo. The 4 yo found our exercise bands (like the blue and green ones in this set, each is about 1 meter long laid flat) and started playing tug-of-war with us using the bands and whatever else they can come up with. But are they safe to leave in the play area where the 4 yo alone?

For some reason these bands are setting off my parental "these will get caught around someone's neck" alarm but I don't know if this is really something I should worry about since they are very long. The 4 yo sometimes plays in the basement without us (not for hours, but for 20+ minutes sometimes) so if these are too dangerous for a child to have alone then I have to move them somewhere inaccessible.

I don't know if the 1 yo is relevant here since they're never out of our sight for a meaningful amount of time, but I mentioned them in case it's relevant.

The "obvious" answer is "just put them away whenever they're played with" but I doubt we can do that 100% of the time, and I worry that the 4 yo will see where we put them and go looking for them. So if they're too dangerous for a 4 you to have without supervision I'll have to disappear them completely and permanently.

posted by Tehhund to Health & Fitness (16 answers total)

I was actually having similar concerns watching my 5 and 7 year olds play with our exercise bands just yesterday. I was less concerned with it wrapping around their necks as I am with a band being pulled tight and released, slingshotting a handle into someone's body or face.

I can't really assuage your fears, except to say that stopped worrying about it pretty quickly. The risk seems low (I guess until something happens!). However, these are so easily wrapped up maybe you can find a high shelf or secure location to stash them.
posted by wigner3j at 8:10 AM on June 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

I would also worry, parently. I don't know those particular exercise bands but the ones I have, if they were wrapped around a neck, could cling to themselves and be difficult to unwrap.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:13 AM on June 19, 2020 [4 favorites]

I don't even have kids, and I would be worried about leaving those where a 4-year-old could get to them.
posted by brianogilvie at 8:20 AM on June 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

Latex balloons, a very near cousin of the exercise band, are a major, major choking hazard for children, mainly because once a kid inhales a piece, you cannot get it back out again and the child will suffocate. St. Louis Children’s Hospital agrees. I’ve never had an exercise band that didn’t degrade and break eventually, leaving me with various pieces that could easily fit in a mouth.
posted by corey flood at 8:20 AM on June 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

Anything like that which can be tied into a loop or just looped around a neck is a bad idea. Kids die from things as simple as a blind cord.

I don't know if this is really something I should worry about since they are very long.

This doesn't make any sense to me - once something is longer than the circumference of the child's neck, it could possibly strangle them. I don't see how it could be too long to do that.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:21 AM on June 19, 2020 [9 favorites]

Best answer: I don't have a scientific answer for you, but I have an emotional one from a combination of my age and my own usage of exercise bands. The first thing that came to mind when I read your question was "well, that's what Chris Cornell used to hang himself". Personally, I'm probably always going to associate exercise bands with that.

That said, part of the reason that detail stuck out to me is because it seems pretty inefficient. They're stretchy; not the best way to strangle yourself (unless you've got something else going on). And kids play with all sorts of stuff that could strangle them. It seems unrealistic to get rid of anything that has any small potential of strangling a child, not least because that would include their own pants.

I don't know. Responsible Parent Me says probably not. Realistic Parent Me says it's probably OK. I never know which one is right. But 4 is old enough that you can talk to them about not playing with them.

On preview, yeah, the slingshot issue is probably more of a concern with most bands, but with a meter-long band, I'm not sure if a 4 year old could get enough tension to do that.
posted by kevinbelt at 8:25 AM on June 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

Yeah, no. I have had an exercise band snap on me and fly at my face and that was during normal use during exercise. I’d hate it if my kid snapped their eye or ear which could get very damaged due to the thin skin there. Plus, depending on your kid, they may try to get ever more creative there and I just can’t think how that won’t end up in some issues.
posted by amanda at 8:26 AM on June 19, 2020 [8 favorites]

I totally would have chewed those at that age.
posted by amtho at 8:32 AM on June 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

We’re pretty chill, go-with-the-flow, light-on-baby-proofing parents... and exercise bands freak me the eff out. I keep them stored way out of reach, even for my kid that is older than 4.
posted by whitewall at 8:35 AM on June 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

I would not be worried about a four year old strangling themselves, but I would very much be worried about them snapping themselves in the face, or wrapping it around something and leaning all their weight on it to pull, bringing some large object crashing down, or spring back on themselves and go flying.

So yeah, even without the strangling thing, seems dangerous.
posted by gideonfrog at 8:37 AM on June 19, 2020 [9 favorites]

I have both a four-year-old and those bands, and would like to cast another vote for "not a toy, and never alone." The bands are both strong enough to act as a noose (as in a broken neck, not just strangling: think of how hard you pull on them!) and prone to snapping under load. Either one would be enough, never mind the latex-in-mouth issue, or that they allow for the creation of fantastic leverage.
posted by teremala at 8:50 AM on June 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

I have gotten serious bruises from bands snapping back and me and I'm a full-grown adult. Besides the strangulation and potential choking hazards, it's pretty easy to hit yourself in the face with substantial force with one of these--just stand on one end, pull, and then let go. I would not let your kid use one unsupervised.
posted by epanalepsis at 9:04 AM on June 19, 2020 [3 favorites]

Harry Reid would say it's a bad idea.
posted by fellion at 10:40 AM on June 19, 2020 [2 favorites]

My rule of thumb is trust your gut. The fact that you are asking means you can tell this might not be safe. Better to not leave them alone with this.
posted by tiny frying pan at 12:50 PM on June 19, 2020 [1 favorite]

Super bad idea. They could snap (they do) and hit a child in the eye, resulting in permanent vision loss. It happens.
posted by lysimache at 3:47 PM on June 19, 2020

Yeah, the set of exercise bands I have actually has a warning/recommendation that you should wear eye protection when using them. I mean, I definitely don't use eye protection, but I've had the bands snap back at me just in normal course of exercise use, and there's always the possibility of them snapping because they break.

So I think the most likely major risk would be a kid getting a band snapping them in the eye. Although the choking/strangulation hazard also seems like it could be an issue as well.

I don't have kids, but count me as another vote for, "These are mildly hazardous just in regular adult usage - no way would I let a four year old play with them at least unsupervised."
posted by litera scripta manet at 2:51 AM on June 20, 2020 [1 favorite]