PALM BAY, Fla., Oct. 25, 2026 —
The cozy hoodie is back. Before it goes on a little one heading to the playground or the bus stop, take a ten-second look at the strings. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has determined that hood and neck drawstrings on children's upper outerwear in sizes 2T to 12 present a strangulation hazard serious enough to count as a "substantial product hazard."
What the rule says
The rule took effect in 2011, according to the Federal Register notice. It covers children's jackets, sweatshirts and other upper outerwear. Under it:
- Hood and neck drawstrings are prohibited on sizes 2T to 12 under the safety standard the rule adopts.
- Waist and bottom drawstrings on sizes 2T to 16 can extend no more than 3 inches outside the drawstring channel when the garment is stretched to its fullest width.
- Those waist and bottom strings must be free of toggles, knots and other attachments at the free ends.
- If a waist or bottom drawstring is one continuous string, it must be bar tacked, meaning stitched through so it can't be pulled out of its channel.
Why it matters
The CPSC says it is aware of 26 deaths and 73 nonfatal incidents tied to neck and hood drawstrings on children's outerwear between January 1985 and June 2019, involving children 18 months to 15 years old. The most common situation, the agency says, involved a toggle or knot catching in a small gap at the top of a playground slide as a child slid down. Incidents have also happened when a long waist drawstring caught on the closed door of a moving school bus.
Stylish swaps
Good news for fashion-loving families: you don't have to give up the look. The CPSC recommends snaps, buttons, Velcro and elastic as alternative closures at the neck.
A quick at-home check
- Hand-me-downs and thrift finds first. Secondhand pieces may not have been checked against the rule.
- Look at the hood. On kids' sizes 2T to 12, a string you can pull at the neck is a red flag. Consider removing the cord or choosing a different jacket.
- Measure the hem. Waist strings longer than 3 inches outside the channel, or ones with toggles or knots on the ends, don't meet the rule.
- Teach the "tuck." Older kids wearing teen or adult sizes can tuck strings inside before climbing or riding.
Spotted a problem product?
You can report unsafe products to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov, the agency's public database. Retailers and manufacturers have their own guidance on the CPSC business page.
Florida "cold fronts" may be short, but hoodie weather is still hoodie weather. A quick string check keeps it fun.
Sources
- CPSC, "Drawstrings in Children's Upper Outerwear" (business guidance): https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Drawstrings-in-Childrens-Upper-Outerwear
- CPSC, "Drawstrings in Children's Upper Outerwear" (FAQ): https://www.cpsc.gov/FAQ/Drawstrings-in-Children%E2%80%99s-Upper-Outerwear
- Federal Register, CPSC final rule, July 19, 2011: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2011/07/19/2011-17961/substantial-product-hazard-list-childrens-upper-outerwear-in-sizes-2t-to-12-with-neck-or-hood
- CPSC, SaferProducts.gov: https://www.saferproducts.gov/
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