Cots
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Floors, Walls & Ceilings · CPSC Code 4069
Down 23% over 5 years
The verdict
Cots carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,064 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 23% over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,064
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 6.1%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 4069 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for cots - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,064 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)6.1%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-23%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Cots (CPSC product code 4069, in the Floors, Walls & Ceilings category) generate an estimated 1,064 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 21,270 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 23% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2019 (1,898 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (517 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for cots is other to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 2,425 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by internal injury to the head (2,141 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 6,197 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 6.1% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 6 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how cots fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 3,873 | 2,324 | |
| 5-14 | 851 | 673 | |
| 15-24 | 463 | 339 | |
| 25-34 | 1,258 | 1,351 | |
| 35-44 | 1,578 | 1,372 | |
| 45-54 | 1,154 | 1,247 | |
| 55-64 | 1,008 | 1,028 | |
| 65-74 | 893 | 487 | |
| 75+ | 506 | 874 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Elbow | Dislocation | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Upper Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Neck | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Nerve Damage | |
| Not Stated/unk | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
35 YOM INJURED LOW BACK ON A COT DX: PAIN
63 YOF THINKS THAT LOW BACK PAIN IS RELATED TO SLEEPING ON COTS AT SHELTER. DX: LOW BACK PAIN.
18YOM SHOULDER INJURY, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN UP A COT AND FELT A POP IN RIGHT SHOULDER DX: STRAIN OF AC LEFT JOINT
84YOF REPORTS INJURING WHEN A *** SPRING BROKE ON A COT AND HIT HER KNEE. DX KNEE INJURY
2YOM WAS CLIMBING ON COTS AT DAYCARE AND INJURED HIS RIGHT LEG. DX: CLOSED DISPLACED SPIRAL FRACTURE OF SHAFT OF RIGHT TIBIA
42YOM C/O LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS S/P PT WAS IN POLICE CUSTODY IN JAIL AND THE POLICE STATES HE ROLLED OFF OF HIS COT IN THE JAIL CELL, ABOUT 2 FEET TO THE GROUND. DX: ALTERED MENTAL STATUS; SYNCOPE
9 MOM FELL OFF A COT BED AT HOMELESS SHELTER HITTING HEAD, DX; HEAD INJURY
58YOM FELL ASLEEP ON A COT NOW HAS SEVERE PAIN IN HIS LOWER BACK DX: LOW BACK PAIN
68YOM,SITTING ON FOLDABLE COTS OUTSIDE AN WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET UP,COLLAPSE HIT MOUTH WITH CORNER OF CLOT INJURED LMOUTH,DX:LIP LAC
67YOM PRESENTS WITH COMPLAINT OF ARM, SHOULDER, FINGER, KNEE AND PELVIS PAIN AFTER FALLING WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TRANSFER FROM COT TO WHEELCHAIR THIS MORNING AT HOME. DX: SHOULDER PAIN, UPPER ARM PAIN
19YOM, COMPLAINING OF LEFT SIDED RIB PAIN THAT STARTED WHILE LYING ON A CUT IN JAIL CELL DX: JUST WALKING
39YOF INMATE IN THE JAIL HAD TO SLEEP IN A COT NOW HAVING PAIN IN NECK DX: STRAINED NECK
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I bought this folding cot on Amazon and it has collapsed three times, once when my child sat on it and twice when I have. It's very dangerous. Fortunately none of us were hurt. I"m reporting this to Amazon now, as well. [REDACTED]
I ordered the LILYPELLE Folding Camping Cot on Amazon and upon opening it up , realized it was emitting toxic fumes. I should have put it outside to air out, instead I left it in the living room next to my elderly mother's bedroom. The next day she complained that she felt sick perhaps COVID or another respiratory ailment. Tested Negative for all. However, a cough developed and now she has ASTHMA.
Pinched/cut on fingers on Coleman cot
My 5 year old child was sleeping on this cot and hit his head on the tile
I bought a Smart Cot XL Made by Rio brands from Wal-Mart. On the same day of my purchase, I got home and wanted to test it out. As soon as a laid down on it... SNAP!! The middle portion of it broke in two. I bumped my head and pulled a muscle in my back! I looked up reviews of this unit and apparently this is a common issue. The product is rated for up to 350 pounds. I weigh only 280. The product was discounted at Wal-Mart. They had probably 15 to 20 units for sale. I am sure the manufacturer knows about this issue and is trying to push out all the units
We purchased cots to use in our health evaluation rooms at school sites. Our Maintenance & Operations dept. was setting up the cots to prepare for hybrid re-opening and discovered if they push/move a cot with or without someone on it the front and/or back legs collapse. No injuries have occurred at this time, we've contacted the vendor the cots were purchased from to let them know of the issue and they were going to contact the manufacturer. We purchased cots from All Safe Industries, but cot is manufactured by Blantex, Inc.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to cots on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are cots?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, cots have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,064 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from cots?
The most common injury is other to the lower trunk, accounting for approximately 2,425 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from cots increasing or decreasing?
Down 23% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for cots injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 6,197 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by cots?
Of all ER visits involving cots, approximately 6.1% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (93.9%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with cots?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Floors, Walls & Ceilings
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
