Mike Peterson
Peloton has announced a voluntary recall of both its Tread and Tread+ treadmill machines after reports of injuries and one death, marking a major reversal.
The fitness company is advising owners of the treadmill machines to immediately discontinue and contact Peloton for a full refund. The move represents a reversal of Peloton's position on the products.
In April, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning about the Peloton treadmills. In its report, the CPSC said that the machines were a danger to children or pets. It released a graphic video showing a young boy being pulled underneath a Tread+ and struggling to free himself.
According to the CPSC, the Peloton products use a different design than other treadmills on the market. They feature "an unusual belt design" of rigid, rubberized slats or treads. Additionally, there's a large gap between the belt and the floor.
Peloton pushed back on the CPSC warning, claiming that there was no reason to stop using the Tread or Tread+. On Wednesday, Peloton CEO John Foley walked back on those claims.
"I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize," Foley said.
In addition, Peloton said it would work with the CPSC on new industry safety standards for treadmills and workout equipment.
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Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Stephen Silver
Charles Martin
6 Comments
It would seem to me they could engineer a two fold solution:
1. Add a physical shield at the back end of the belt that prevents sucking / dragging of things under the system. This is similar to how professional treadmills in gyms seem to work.
Note: the image atop this article
does not appear to be the device involved in the recall.It appears the actual device(edit) is only one of two devices involved in the recall. The other one particularly has a fairly large, exposed surface area where the tread belt goes across the back roller and underneath the device. Any child or pet that touches that area while it's in motion could easily be snagged and pulled under. Look at a picture of theactualsecond device, which is the one shown in the CPSC notice, and it seems pretty obvious. (Comment corrected for better accuracy.)I still wish Apple would take fitness EQUIPMENT more seriously. They should strike up a GymKit deal with gyms or have a spin-off gym equipment manufacturer that subsidizes gym equipment in exchange for GymKit support.
Buying Peloton of course is a dream but there’s other manufacturers like Nordic Track and Life Fitness. Apple could innovate and distribute. Even if Apple loses 10 billion on deals it would be recouped in Watch lock-in and Apple stickiness. Gyms are already 80% Apple (anecdotal) so getting that extra 10% is sure worth it.