Heidi Klum Stroller Judged A 'Don't Buy: Safety Risk' By Consumer Reports

A Heidi Klum Truly Scrumptious Travel System stroller has been judged a “Don’t Buy” Safety Risk by Consumer Reports after its safety harness failed to stay securely latched during tests.

The Truly Scrumptious Travel System TR252BQR by Heidi Klum is part of a line of strollers and other baby products that's marketed by the supermodel and TV star and sold at Babies ’R Us exclusively.

Of the more than 100 strollers in ratings, the Truly Scrumptious Travel System happens to be the only one with this problem, Consumer Reports said in a press release on Wednesday.

When it comes to stroller risks, falls are the biggest. About 75 percent of the 46,200 stroller-related injuries reported between January 2008 and December 2011 occurred because children fell out of their strollers, the Consumer Product Safety Commission noted.

According to a voluntary industry safety standard, a stroller harness is intended for preventing falls by remaining securely latched while the stroller is in use. However, on the Truly Scrumptious Travel System TR252BQR by Heidi Klum, which sells for around $220, one side of the buckle released intermittently on three samples in the product-testing organization's latest stroller tests.

Like other travel systems designed to accommodate children from birth up to four years, the Truly Scrumptious Travel System TR252BQR by Heidi Klum features the stroller and a detachable infant car seat with its own restraint system and base.

The product was tested by Consumer Reports as part of its regular travel system tests. The car seat and its restraint system performed well in its separate car-seat tests. For the stroller seat restraint, CR applied 45 pounds of force at each harness attachment point based on the voluntary safety standard for strollers.

"The buckle’s right side released 10 out of 15 times in CR’s tests on three separate samples -- three times during five tests with one sample, in two out of five tests with a second sample, and in all five tests with a third sample," the press release noted.

The buckle also released in CR’s impact test, which simulates a stroller hitting a curb and which is designed to evaluate the stroller’s frame and its folding, locking, and latching mechanisms, but not its restraint system.

"This time, the buckle’s right side released one out of five times on each of two samples, and five out of five times on a third sample," the statement said.

Consumer Reports hadn't reported any injuries associated with the Truly Scrumptious Travel System TR252BQR by Heidi Klum when it sent out the press release. But based on the test results, Consumer Reports has designated the product a Don’t Buy: Safety Risk.

Consumer Reports contacted the stroller's company, Dorel Juvenile Group, which said that it disagrees with CR's findings and that is hasn't had any reports or complaints about buckle releases. CR didn’t find a problem with a similar buckle on other strollers made by Dorel that were tested, including the Safety 1st SleekRide Premier Travel System, Disney Saunter Travel System and Cosco Commuter Travel System.

CR advises those who own the Heidi Klum TR252BQR stroller that they can continue to use the car seat in the car and on the stroller considering that it doesn't rely on the stroller's restraint system. But the product-testing organization cautioned that the stroller shouldn't be used on its own.