Orbeez toys
14 reports to CPSC, the latest made Sep 20, 2025. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 14reports to CPSC
- Sep 20, 2025the latest report was made
- Sep 8, 2011the earliest
- 7with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Orbeez
- Makers
- Spin Master, Ltd and The Maya Group IncMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- ToysToys without a type of their ownCPSC’s product type: Toys, Not Elsewhere Classified (code 1381), in Toys & Children: Toys
Other ways the reports write the brand (1)
“Orbeez, Water beads, Jelly beads- child could not specify”
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| September 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 1 |
| June 2023 | 1 |
| August 2022 | 3 |
| May 2022 | 1 |
| April 2022 | 1 |
| February 2018 | 1 |
| January 2016 | 1 |
| June 2013 | 1 |
| September 2012 | 1 |
| May 2012 | 1 |
| September 2011 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- Hospital admission 6 CPSC: Injury, Hospital Admission
- Emergency room 1 CPSC: Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received
- Seen by a doctor or nurse 3 CPSC: Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
- First aid 1 CPSC: Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional
- Hurt, no treatment 1 CPSC: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
- No incident, no one hurt 1 CPSC: No Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
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Emergency room Made Sep 20, 2025, sent to the company Sep 24, 2025, published by CPSC Nov 28, 2025
The product, in the report: Orbeez beads in a childrens toy. I do not know much product information because it belonged to another child and I was not there at the time of the incident. My son was in his afterschool program and another child (not in the program) was playing with the toy on the public playground.
My son was playing with a child on the playground who had a toy that contained water beads. The child told him he could eat the beads so he did. We had to spend hours in the ER getting X-rays and CT Scan to see if he would need emergency surgery. Thankfully they didnt detect a blockage and sent us home to monitor him. So far he has been ok, but these beads have NO PLACE in childrens toys!
- Where
- Leonia, New Jersey: Place of Recreation or Sports
- Who was involved
- Age 5, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Emergency Department Treatment Received
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Hospital admission Made Jun 27, 2025, sent to the company Jul 2, 2025, published by CPSC Jul 24, 2025
The product, in the report: Giant orbeez
I had to scan (ultrasound) a young toddler that was having belly pain. They ordered a scrotum ultrasound to rule out a hernia. I saw a little free fluid in the lower pelvis so I kept scanning. A giant water bead had become stuck in his small intestine. He had an obstruction.
- Model
- I only saw the orbeez on ultrasound
- UPC
- Na
- Serial number
- Na
- Where
- Wheeling, West Virginia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 1, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Hospital admission Made Jun 2, 2023, sent to the company Jun 7, 2023, published by CPSC Jun 29, 2023
The product, in the report: Water beads. This is a small bead that expands when wet. It has become increasingly popular and is used in a wide variety of toys and products for children. When dry it can be as small as a BB, but can expand to marble size when wet. Frequently seen as pea size.
Water beads. May 2022 my 3 year old granddaughter came into contact with water beads from an unknown source. Her parents and I had no idea such toys existed. She placed the beads into her ear. No one was aware until she began having excruciating pain in her right ear. The ear became severely infected and would not respond to anti-biotics. After multiple trips to the pediatrician regarding the ear infection, she suddenly began having seizures. She was admitted in [REDACTED] Childrens Hospital. She had CT and MRI. The MRI found a shadow in her ear canal that was believed to be a cyst. During exploratory surgery the ENT extracted a water bead. It had expanded inside her ear, completely destroyed her ear drum, and entered into her inner ear. There it had festered for weeks resulting in the untreatable ear infection and triggering the onset of seizures. She spent 27 days in the hospital. 18 of those days were in the ICU on [REDACTED] and Ketamine drip. She had a complete plasma exchange to essentially replace her immune system. It has been nearly 13 months and she continues to have as many as 10 seizures per day. There is no family history of seizures, no genetic predisposition, no brain structural anomalies. There is no other explanation for her seizures than having been caused by the damage to her body by the water beads.
- Model
- Orbeez Soothing Foot Spa
- Where
- Malvern, Arkansas: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 3, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Other Relative
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Hospital admission Made Aug 25, 2022, sent to the company Aug 31, 2022, published by CPSC Sep 15, 2022
The product, in the report: Water Beads Water-absorbing polymers, also known as hydrogels, absorb aqueous solutions through hydrogen bonding with water molecules.8 In distilled water, a SAP may absorb up to 300 times its own weight, but also can liquify depending on the submerging solution.3 Hydrogel polymers are commonly used in agriculture, sanitary napkins, fillers inside disposable diapers and bed liners, and recently as children’s toys. SAP toys were marketed in the early 2010s as 1-2 mm rapidly expanding gel beads, but recalled following a case report that led to a small bowel obstruction in an 8-month-old infant.9 Since the recall, SAP are currently available in 1-2 mm size but only expand to about 7-10x its dehydrated size. SAPs are non-toxic and biodegradable, and no poisoning events have been reported from ingestion nor external exposure.10 This is in stark contrast to another Otolaryngology foreign body emergency, button batteries. Due to the alkaline content of the battery when in contact with soft tissue, the resultant liquefactive necrosis also requires operative extraction prior to significant internal injury.11 SAP beads do not cause caustic injury.
Findings: Four patients have presented to the otolaryngology clinic with destructive otologic findings both on clinical and radiologic exam. Each patient required surgical repair due to long-standing damage caused by this not-so-benign foreign body. Meaning: Water beads are superabsorbant polymers that cause significant damage to the structures of the ear. There should be significant awareness of the damage caused by these seemingly benign children’s toys, as their size makes them very conducsive to being placed in the ear canal.
- Where
- Washington, District of Columbia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 10, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Seen by a doctor or nurse Made Aug 25, 2022, sent to the company Aug 31, 2022, published by CPSC Sep 15, 2022
The product, in the report: Water Beads Water-absorbing polymers, also known as hydrogels, absorb aqueous solutions through hydrogen bonding with water molecules.8 In distilled water, a SAP may absorb up to 300 times its own weight, but also can liquify depending on the submerging solution.3 Hydrogel polymers are commonly used in agriculture, sanitary napkins, fillers inside disposable diapers and bed liners, and recently as children’s toys. SAP toys were marketed in the early 2010s as 1-2 mm rapidly expanding gel beads, but recalled following a case report that led to a small bowel obstruction in an 8-month-old infant.9 Since the recall, SAP are currently available in 1-2 mm size but only expand to about 7-10x its dehydrated size. SAPs are non-toxic and biodegradable, and no poisoning events have been reported from ingestion nor external exposure.10 This is in stark contrast to another Otolaryngology foreign body emergency, button batteries. Due to the alkaline content of the battery when in contact with soft tissue, the resultant liquefactive necrosis also requires operative extraction prior to significant internal injury.11 SAP beads do not cause caustic injury.
Findings: Four patients have presented to the otolaryngology clinic with destructive otologic findings both on clinical and radiologic exam. Each patient required surgical repair due to long-standing damage caused by this not-so-benign foreign body. Meaning: Water beads are superabsorbant polymers that cause significant damage to the structures of the ear. There should be significant awareness of the damage caused by these seemingly benign children’s toys, as their size makes them very conducsive to being placed in the ear canal.
- Where
- Washington, District of Columbia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 7, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
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Seen by a doctor or nurse Made Aug 25, 2022, sent to the company Aug 31, 2022, published by CPSC Sep 15, 2022
The product, in the report: Water Beads Water-absorbing polymers, also known as hydrogels, absorb aqueous solutions through hydrogen bonding with water molecules.8 In distilled water, a SAP may absorb up to 300 times its own weight, but also can liquify depending on the submerging solution.3 Hydrogel polymers are commonly used in agriculture, sanitary napkins, fillers inside disposable diapers and bed liners, and recently as children’s toys. SAP toys were marketed in the early 2010s as 1-2 mm rapidly expanding gel beads, but recalled following a case report that led to a small bowel obstruction in an 8-month-old infant.9 Since the recall, SAP are currently available in 1-2 mm size but only expand to about 7-10x its dehydrated size. SAPs are non-toxic and biodegradable, and no poisoning events have been reported from ingestion nor external exposure.10 This is in stark contrast to another Otolaryngology foreign body emergency, button batteries. Due to the alkaline content of the battery when in contact with soft tissue, the resultant liquefactive necrosis also requires operative extraction prior to significant internal injury.11 SAP beads do not cause caustic injury.
Findings: Four patients have presented to the otolaryngology clinic with destructive otologic findings both on clinical and radiologic exam. Each patient required surgical repair due to long-standing damage caused by this not-so-benign foreign body. Meaning: Water beads are superabsorbant polymers that cause significant damage to the structures of the ear. There should be significant awareness of the damage caused by these seemingly benign children’s toys, as their size makes them very conducsive to being placed in the ear canal.
- Where
- Washington, District of Columbia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 5, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
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Hospital admission Made May 12, 2022, sent to the company May 17, 2022, published by CPSC Jun 8, 2022
The product, in the report: Orbeez
Patient admitted to hospital with emesis that eventually became bilious in nature. Patient underwent an upper GI which found obstruction in jejunum. Patient taken to the operating room where patient had to undergo exploratory laparotomy for which 2 Orbeez were retrieved causing obstruction.
- Where
- Chesapeake, Virginia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 1, Unknown
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Hospital admission Made Apr 15, 2022, sent to the company Apr 19, 2022, published by CPSC May 10, 2022
The product, in the report: Orbeez. Details are available in their website: https://orbeezone.com/en_us
Orbeez (also known as water beads) are advertised as nontoxic toys. They are colorful beads that grow when exposed to water. We had a patient that ingested multiple Orbeez that belonged to his older siblings. The beads grew within his intestinal tract and he required two major operations to remove them as they were causing an intestinal obstruction. Other surgeons within my practice had a recent patient with similar Orbeez ingestion requiring surgical interventions.
- Where
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by Spin Master, Ltd
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Hurt, no treatment Made Feb 26, 2018, sent to the company May 11, 2018, published by CPSC Jun 1, 2018
The product, in the report: Little balls that swell in water and become squishy
Child snorted Orbee up each nostril. He did not tell us immediately. Orbeez swell in the presence of water. When our child told us, his nasal cavity was full of these swollen Orbeez. His breathing by nose was completely blocked. My husband removed them tiny piece by piece with tweezers. It took quite a while. We removed all the orbeez from our home. I believe these are dangerous for households with younger and or immature children.
- Bought from
- Ebay
- Bought
- Feb 15, 2018
- Where
- Wichita Falls, Texas: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 9, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
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Hospital admission Made Jan 25, 2016, sent to the company Feb 2, 2016, published by CPSC Feb 25, 2016
The product, in the report: This is a super absorbent polymer bead such as the popular toy orbeez and also called water beads or jelly beads. The beads begin as smal 1mm size and can grow to 1/2-3/4 inch with water. The children in this case did not specify which product was used and the incidents were un-witnessed though an example from the ear of child #2 is shown in picture.
Destructive otologic foreign body- dangers of the expanding bead
Objective: Case report of two patients with super-absorbent polymer bead ([REDACTED], water beads, jelly beads) otologic foreign body leading to hearing loss and middle ear destruction. Methods: Two patient case report Results: Patient one with prolonged course (>1 month) with external ear granulation non responsive to medical management. Biopsy negative for tumor. Imaging suspicious for bony erosion. MRI with evidence of middle ear foreign body and otic capsule erosion. Surgical exploration revealed gelatinous middle ear foreign body with hypotympanic erosion, ossicular destruction, and erosion of the otic capsule. Patient with resultant complete auditory and vestibular loss. Second patient presents with 3 day history of “bead” in ear, mother brings in example of foreign body which is consistent with a super absorbent polymer bead. Taken to OR and bead had expanded within the canal leading to near complete tympanic membrane erosion, partial ossicular erosion, and mild conductive hearing loss. Conclusion: Super absorbent polymer beads pose a serious risk when placed in the ear as a foreign body, especially in the case of moisture in the canal leading to expansion of the bead, subsequent inflammation, and erosion of the otologic structures. ER and ENT providers should be aware of the dangers of this product and should avoid adding moisture to any external ear foreign body.
- Where
- Washington, District of Columbia: Other
- Who was involved
- Age 5, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, Water beads, Jelly beads- child could not specify, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- Reports CPSC links to it
- 20210622-28087-2147363362
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Hospital Admission
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Seen by a doctor or nurse Made Jun 14, 2013, sent to the company Jun 24, 2013, published by CPSC Jul 16, 2013
The product, in the report: Orbeez
My 7 year old daughter developed an allergic reaction on her fingers after playing with and squishing Orbeez. The doctor diagnosed contact dermatitis, which took the form of a noisyery rashon several fingers, bewteen fingers and on her hand. I was bewildered by what she might have been touching that was in any way unusual, when my mother told me she had been squeezing and breaking open Orbeez. There is no information to be found anywhere on the Orbeez web site that explains any risks of allergy, [REDACTED] there a clear explanation of what orbeez are made from.
- Bought from
- Gift
- Bought
- Dec 25, 2012, about then
- Where
- Alexandria, Virginia: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 7, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
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First aid Made Sep 28, 2012, sent to the company Oct 9, 2012, published by CPSC Oct 30, 2012
The product, in the report: Orbeez beads
My daughter has a few sets of Orbeez. The last 2 times she played with the Orbeez my daughter;s fingertips started to peel and to hurt. Even after washing her hands after using them, her fingers still hurt. She needed to wrap her hands in wet paper wotes for a long time or soak her hands in cold water - like she would for a burn - to make them feel better. Her fingers have never peeled like this before or since. Obviously this is a reaction to the Orbez, but there is no mention on thier website that this is a possiibilty. This is concerning since they m,arket Orbeez in”Spa” products.
- Bought from
- Target
- Bought
- Jul 1, 2012, about then
- Where
- Hicksville, New York: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 10, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- My Child
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional
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No one hurt Made May 24, 2012, sent to the company Jul 10, 2012, published by CPSC Jul 24, 2012
The product, in the report: Orbeez Mood Lamp,
I purchased two different Orbeez toy products for my daughters. Shortly after the purchase, the Orbeez (little balls which are grown in water) turned moldy. I returned one of the products to Toys R Us, the Orbeez Spa, and they issued me a full refund (also indicated that they have been receiving them back with similar mold related complaints.) The other product, a mood lamp, was purchased at Target, and they refused to take it back or issue a refund. They told me I should contact the manufacturer, which I did on March 1, 2012. I never received a returned phone call. I called again this afternoon and spoke with a supervisor, who informed me that they will not issue a refund, and they are unaware of any mold issues (although they have a statement on their website indicating that if the Orbeez get moldy, they should be replaced with new ones....)
I believe the Maya Group is selling a known defective product, which they are aware could potentially be dangerous for children if ingested, and this product should be pulled from the shelves and discontinued. They are extremely small, so can be mistaken for candy, and I have read many complaints on line regarding similar mold issues, slippery issues, and size issues. The potential is there for harm to children, and I believe it would be in the CPSC’s best interest to further investigate this issue before any harm is done.
- UPC
- 086080234
- Serial number
- 00811 12529E
- Bought from
- Target, Connecticut
- Bought
- Oct 15, 2011
- Where
- Brookfield, Connecticut: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Unknown
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
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No incident, no one hurt Made Sep 8, 2011, sent to the company Sep 19, 2011, published by CPSC Oct 12, 2011
The product, in the report: I have written my concerns about the safety of Orbeez toy product in the section provided at the beginning of this form.
Orbeez (via The Maya Group in CAl has taken an agricultural/floral industry product and has marketed it as a child’s toy. My grandson received it for his 3rd birthday. Being unusal, I took it to read and understand before “dumping” it among his other toys. The one he got is with a water tank in which the pellets grow. Yes, they grow in size according to instructions, but are still very small and very slippery. The box it is packaged in says for 3+,’ the instruction booklet says 5+. Even at that age, I feel the “blobs” are extremely dangerous the young kids. I actually see no use for this toy. Maya (or actual person responsible for converting to a toy) just exploited this technological advancement purely for profit. Though that is a way of life and part of our freedom, putting a dangerous toy out is against all safety concerns of many for years now. I did advise my son (his father) and when he saw what it was and did, he told me to trash it. Please look ito it, please. A young child could so easily swallow these miniature, slippery pellets, or slip on them. They ultimately would just be looked at then thrown around, leaving a potential accident to happen. I have never reported any concerns I may have had about a product. But, when it comes to my grandkids (and all children), then I must be as proactive as possible. Thank you for listening to my concerns.
- Where
- Leesburg, Virginia: Unspecified
- Who was involved
- Age 3, Male
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Other Relative
- As this report names them
- Brand Orbeez, made or sold by The Maya Group Inc
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- No Incident, No Injury
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.