Feds Order Parents to Pitch the Fort Due to Choking Hazards

A product funded by one of the largest Kickstarters in St. Louis history is now being ordered into the trash.

It's the latest unfortunate chapter in what started as a  feel-good pandemic story. Local dad Conor Lewis dreamed of magnetic cushions that would allow his kids to easily build forts in the living room — and raised $3.1 million on Kickstarter from parents entranced by his vision.

But the Fort was plagued by pandemic-era supply chain issues — and Lewis ultimately admitted on an episode of Shark Tank that he lost money on every order, even though he'd sold the cushions on Kickstarter for more than $200 a set. Angry buyers who didn't get their goods demanded refunds, and the Fort wound up with an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau.

But a new advisory from the Consumer Products Safety Commission suggests parents who didn't get their order may have been the lucky ones. The federal agency is telling people to pitch their Fort sets, saying the large magnets sewn into the cushions are a hazard.

"There have been 17 reports of loose or broken magnets associated with The FORT children’s play tents, resulting in laceration injuries to two adults and a pinched finger to one child," the agency reports. "CPSC urges consumers to dispose of recalled children’s play tents and NOT to resell or donate them. It is a violation of federal law to sell or distribute recalled products."

But no chance for a recall: The agency says the company that makes the Fort is out of business.

Perhaps there's a reason most kids are stuck using blankets and couch pillows to put together their living room forts? Some ideas, apparently, are just cursed.


Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News |  Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed