Stretch Cords Or Stretch Straps
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.
Home Communication & Entertainment · CPSC Code 886
Down 31% over 5 years
The verdict
Stretch Cords Or Stretch Straps carry a danger score of 33/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 3,099 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 31% over the last five years.
- 33/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 3,099
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 45-54
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 886 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 33/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for stretch cords or stretch straps - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume3,099 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.6%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-31%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Stretch Cords Or Stretch Straps (CPSC product code 886, in the Home Communication & Entertainment category) generate an estimated 3,099 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 61,979 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 33/100 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 31% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (5,095 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2022 (1,308 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for stretch cords or stretch straps is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 10,512 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the eyeball (8,631 cases). The 45-54 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 10,763 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 4.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how stretch cords or stretch straps 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 | 3,157 | 1,041 | |
| 5-14 | 6,083 | 2,263 | |
| 15-24 | 4,546 | 1,940 | |
| 25-34 | 6,712 | 2,478 | |
| 35-44 | 7,037 | 2,841 | |
| 45-54 | 8,544 | 2,219 | |
| 55-64 | 5,304 | 2,710 | |
| 65-74 | 2,629 | 768 | |
| 75+ | 1,095 | 610 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Face | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Mouth | Laceration | |
| Face | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Hand | Laceration | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Hand | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Mouth | Dental Injury | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
51 YOM WAS PULLING ON A RATCHET STRAP WHEN IT CAME BACK AND CAUGHT FINGER DX LACERATION FINGER
63YOM WAS SECURING ONE OF HIS EXTERIOR DOORS ON HIS HOUSE WITH SOME *** CORDS WHEN ONE SNAPPED BACK AND HIT HIM IN THE MOUTH RESULTING IN AN AVULSION TO TWO OF HIS TEETH. DX: INJURY OF MOUTH; TOOTH AVULSION
29 YOF WAS HIT IN HAND WITH *** CORD AFTER A STAKE BROKE DX: PUNCTURE WOUND
60 YOM CUT L FOREARM ON A *** CORD DX; FOREARM LAC
47 YOF HAD EYE INJURY FROM *** CORD ON 3/15, WAS SEEN IN CLINIC AND HAS HAD PERSISTENT PAIN. DX: INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE INCREASE RIGHT, TRAUMATIC HYPHEMA RIGHT EYE.
50YOM WAS TRYING TO STRAP A *** CORD OVER HIS TRASH CAN WHEN IT SPRUNG UP AND HIT HIM IN THE LEFT EYE DX: LEFT EYE INJURY
6YOM TO ER FOR LACERATION LEFT RING FINGER, PT SAYS CUT IT ON A *** CORD X 1 DAY, DX FINGER INJURY LEFT, LACERATION OF LEFT RING FINGER W/ FOREIGN BODY PREWSENCE UNSPECIFIED
4YOF PLAYING WITH A *** CORD WHICH HIT HER IN FACE DX: LAC TO FACE
71YOF C/O ABRASION OF CORNEA S/P PT STATES SHE WAS IN HER BACK YARD AND BENT OVER TO PICK SOMETHING UP WHEN A *** CORD WAS IN THE GRASS AND WHEN SHE STOOD UP THE *** CODE SNAPPED TOWARDS HER HITTING HER IN THE RIGHT EYE. DX: ABRASION OF RIGHT CORNEA
74 YOF HIT HEAD ON WINDOW SILL WHILE DOING RESISTANCE TRAINING USING STRETCH BANDS ON A DOOR, DOOR SWUNG OPEN AND THE STRETCH BANDS CAME OFF KNOCKING PT BACKWARDS ONTO THE WINDOW SILL, DOES NOT TAKE BLOOD THINNERS, DX: HEAD INJURY, CONTUSION OF SCALP
56YOM WAS AT HOME HELPING A FRIEND MOVE AN ITEM WHEN THE STRETCH CORD ON THE ITEM GAVE WAY AND STRUCK HIM IN THE RIGHT EYE DX: CORNEAL ABRASION
8MOM TO ER W/ PARENTS FOR FACIAL INJURY/ MOUTH INJURY, MOM SAYS 3 DAYS AGO SHE HAD A *** CORD AROUND THE BABY GATE & SHE TURNED P& PT HAD PUT THE HOOK IN HIS MOUTH & STATRTED TO RUN OTHER WAY, PARENTS DESCIBE FISH HOOK TYPE INJURY, PT HAD SOME BLEEDING INSIDE CHEEK, OUTSIDE CHEEK BRUISED DX MOUTH INJURY
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Client was helping to secure patio furniture together, with three other people, in anticipation of a storm. The homeowner took a 28 hook, bungee cargo net out of its original packaging, and the other three people (one being my client) helped to stretch the net over the furniture grouping. Client was hit in the eye with one of the nylon hooks when it released from where it had been placed on the patio furniture. Client was taken to an Emergency Room for treatment and underwent eye surgery . Client suffered total vision loss in the eye.
Client purchased a Keeper Zip Cord 30 bungee cord from the local hardware store. When he attached it to his pick up truck the plastic hook which is flexible rotated and or deformed allowing it to slip out of the attachment and striking the user in the eye permanently blinding [REDACTED].
My son was severly injured by the Banshee Bungie. This product is used with skim boards. There is an anchor attatched to a bungie cord. The anchor is set and the cord is pulled tight. The resistance should send you into the surf on your board. The anchor dislodged and flew towards my son. It struck him in the foot, exploding the bone. It also hit the tailbone, breaking it in two places. It missed his spine by a fraction of an inch. His foot was so badly damaged that we were initionally told he may lose his foot. He spent 5 days in ICU. Surgery was required to rebuild the foot. Due to the injuries, we had to have a hospital bed in our home for him. He did not walk for three months after surgery. He has lifelong limitations due to this injury.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to stretch cords or stretch straps on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are stretch cords or stretch straps?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, stretch cords or stretch straps have a danger score of 33/100 (low risk). An estimated 3,099 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from stretch cords or stretch straps?
The most common injury is laceration to the face, accounting for approximately 10,512 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from stretch cords or stretch straps increasing or decreasing?
Down 31% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for stretch cords or stretch straps injuries?
The 45-54 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 10,763 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by stretch cords or stretch straps?
Of all ER visits involving stretch cords or stretch straps, approximately 4.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (95.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with stretch cords or stretch straps?
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 Home Communication & Entertainment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 33/100 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 45-54 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.
