Skip Hop Elmo Teether Recalled Over Choking Hazard
Skip Hop is recalling its Baby Sesame Street Elmo Silicone Teether after reports that the black pupils can come away from Elmo’s eyes, leaving a small part a baby could choke on.
The recall was announced on 3 September 2026 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, with a parallel recall in Canada. Only one model is affected — 9R263210 — so the first thing to do is check the tag, not the freezer.
Which teether is recalled
One product only: the Skip Hop Baby Sesame Street Elmo Silicone Teether, model 9R263210.
It is a silicone Elmo face — red, with an orange nose, white eyes and black pupils — joined by orange ribbon tabs to a blue textured key and a small fabric crayon box in beige, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.
Where to find the model number: on the red Skip Hop tag stitched to the side of the fabric crayon box. That tag carries both the brand name and the model number.
If you own a different Skip Hop or Sesame Street teether, it is not covered by this recall. Check the number on the tag before you throw anything away.
Why it was recalled
The problem is the black pupil section of Elmo’s eyes. If the teether has been frozen, those pieces can separate from the silicone — and a detached pupil is small enough for a baby to choke on.
The CPSC describes the risk in its strongest terms: a risk of serious injury or death from a choking hazard. Health Canada’s parallel notice puts it the same way, describing the pupil segment separating during use if the teether has been frozen.
Between them, the two agencies record four reports of the eyes detaching — three in Canada and one in the United States. No injuries have been reported.
Freezing a teether to make it more soothing is common advice, and Skip Hop sold this one as a teether. That is precisely why the recall exists rather than a warning label.
Take it out — and don’t hand it back
A frozen teether is the exact condition in which the eyes have been reported to come away, so it should not go back to your baby to thaw in their mouth.
Skip Hop’s instruction is to remove it from the freezer, let it thaw on its own, and then follow the disposal steps below. The thawing step exists so you can safely cut the teether up for your refund claim, not so it can be used once more.
How to get the refund
Skip Hop is refunding owners with a gift card, and the claim is handled entirely online. You destroy the teether yourself and send a photograph as proof — there is no need to post anything back.
- If the teether is frozen, take it out and let it thaw.
- Write “Recall” and the date you destroyed it across Elmo’s nose in permanent ink.
- Cut through the black pupil of each eye with ordinary household scissors.
- Photograph the teether showing both the cut eyes and the writing on the nose.
- Submit the photograph with your name, address and phone number through the submission form at skiphoprecall.com.
You will get a confirmation email once the form goes through. If you would rather speak to someone first, the CPSC notice lists Skip Hop on 800-692-4674 and Skip Hop’s own recall site lists 888-782-9548, both 9:00am–5:30pm ET, Monday to Friday.
Where and when it was sold
The teethers were sold in Carter’s stores across the US and online at Carter’s and Skip Hop, for about $12. The CPSC puts the US recall at about 22,660 units, with roughly 3,177 more sold in Canada.
On dates, the two official sources do not quite agree. Skip Hop’s recall page says the teethers were sold between June 2025 and March 2026. Health Canada’s notice gives a wider window of January 2025 to March 2026.
That gap is worth knowing rather than glossing over: if you bought an Elmo teether at any point in 2025 or the first quarter of 2026, check the tag. The model number settles it either way.
Quick recall check
| Product | Skip Hop Baby Sesame Street Elmo Silicone Teether |
| Model number | 9R263210, on the red tag on the crayon box |
| Announced | 3 September 2026 (CPSC, with Health Canada) |
| Hazard | Black pupils can detach if the teether has been frozen — choking risk |
| Units | About 22,660 in the US, about 3,177 in Canada |
| Incidents | Four reports of eyes detaching; no injuries |
| Sold at | Carter’s stores, carters.com and skiphop.com, about $12 |
| Remedy | $12 US / $14 CAD gift card after photographing the destroyed teether |
| What to do | Stop using it immediately and claim at skiphoprecall.com |
Common questions
Do I need the receipt?
No. Skip Hop’s published process asks for a photograph of the destroyed teether plus your name, address and phone number. Proof of purchase is not part of the stated instructions.
Mine has never been frozen. Is it still a problem?
Freezing is the condition linked to the eyes detaching, but the official instruction is not simply “stop freezing it”. The CPSC tells owners to stop using the recalled teether altogether and take the remedy. Follow the recall rather than keeping it in use.
Can I return it to a Carter’s store?
No. Skip Hop states that the teether cannot be returned at retail locations. The claim is online only, through the recall form.
I have a different Skip Hop teether. Is it recalled?
Not by this recall, which names model 9R263210 only. Check the red tag on the crayon box before disposing of anything.
I am in Canada. Does this apply to me?
Yes. Health Canada issued a parallel recall on the same day, covering roughly 3,273 units. The refund is a $14 CAD gift card. Note that Canadian law prohibits recalled products from being resold, redistributed or given away.
Checking any teether for small parts
Teethers take more punishment than almost anything else a baby owns. They get bitten, pulled, frozen, thrown and used daily for months on end, and multi-part designs have joins that wear.
Whether or not a product has been recalled, it is worth looking over a silicone or multi-piece teether every few weeks for:
- pieces that have begun to separate or feel loose when tugged
- tears or splits around joins, ribbon tabs and edges
- cracking, stickiness or unusual softness in the silicone
- attachments, clips or rings working their way free
- any part small enough to fit through a toilet-roll tube if it came away
A recalled product is a different matter: it should be handled exactly as the manufacturer or safety agency instructs, not repaired at home and put back into use, and never passed on to another family.
Sources
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — recall notice
Skip Hop Recalls Baby Sesame Street Elmo Silicone Teethers Due to Risk of Serious Injury or Death from Choking Hazard. Recall 26739, 3 September 2026. Source of the model number, unit counts, hazard description and product photograph.
cpsc.gov: Skip Hop Elmo teether recall
Health Canada — parallel recall
Skip Hop Baby Sesame Street Elmo Silicone Teether recalled due to choking hazard, 3 September 2026. Source of the Canadian unit count, the January 2025 sale start date and the incident split.
recalls-rappels.canada.ca: Skip Hop Elmo teether
Skip Hop Inc. — official recall programme
Source of the destruction and claim steps, the $12 US / $14 CAD gift card values, the two-to-three week delivery time and the June 2025 sale start date.