Bestar wall beds, sold by Amazon, Costco, and Wayfair, are being recalled after one came detached from a wall and fatally crushed an elderly woman.
The joint recall effort between the Government of Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns consumers that the affected Bestar products “can detach from the wall and fall onto those nearby, posing serious impact and crush hazards.”
Some 53,000 of the affected Bestar wall beds have been sold in Canada, and 129,000 units sold in the U.S.
In July 2018, a Bestar wall bed fell on a 79-year-old woman from the U.S., injuring her spine. She died from her injuries.
In a letter to its customers, Bestar said that it is aware that its wall beds pose a safety issue if not installed correctly. They write: “If the wall mounting screws are not properly installed to the wall structure (wood studs, metal studs, or masonry), or if ‘hollow wall’ anchors have been used, then the wall bed can suddenly detach from the wall and fall, resulting in serious injury or death.”
According to the Government of Canada, 15 reports of Bestar wall beds dislodging have been filed in Canada, causing eight reports of injuries. In the U.S., there have been 60 additional injuries caused by the falling beds, alongside the elderly woman’s death.
The affected Bestar products include the following models sold between July 2014 and March 2022: the Nebula, PUR, Versatile, Edge, Cielo, Audrea, Lumina, Orion and Novello Full and Queen Wall Beds.
Consumers of Bestar wall beds are advised to stop using them immediately and are entitled to a free safety inspection of the products. If reinstallation is required, then Bestar is offering reimbursements between $216 and $527, depending on costs.