Above-Ground Pool Compression Strap Recall: CPSC 26-227 And 26-308 Drowning Hazard Ledger

Status, July 1 source check: source-cleared for a BadPD public-safety recall ledger. This article combines two official CPSC records because they describe the same hazard mechanism in 48-inch and taller above-ground pools: a compression strap, also called a reinforcing belt, around the outside of the pool legs can create a foothold that lets a child access the pool and creates a drowning risk.

The two controlling recall records are CPSC recall 26-227 for Sunneday and Blue Bay brand above-ground pools, dated January 29, 2026, and CPSC recall 26-308 for Evajoy above-ground pools, dated February 26, 2026. This is recall-record accountability reporting, not medical, legal, child-care, pool-installation, repair, drowning-prevention, retailer, warranty, resale, or product-use advice. Official CPSC records, company recall processes, model numbers, UPCs where listed, purchase dates, and any later CPSC amendments control product inclusion and remedy steps.

The Shared Hazard: A Foothold Outside The Pool

CPSC uses the same core hazard language in both recalls. The compression strap surrounding the outside of the pool legs may create a foothold, allowing a child access to the pool and posing a drowning risk. Both CPSC pages also say children can still gain access to the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.

That last sentence is the accountability point. Many pool owners think removing the ladder is the basic access-control step. CPSC’s records say the exterior strap can defeat that assumption by creating another climbing route. A recall brief should therefore preserve the exact pool models, sale channels, repair-kit route, and “ladder is removed” warning in searchable form.

Both recall notices list none reported for incidents and injuries. BadPD is not claiming a drowning, injury, or death occurred in these recalls. The source-backed issue is that CPSC identified a drowning hazard before an incident appeared in the recall notices.

CPSC 26-227: Sunneday And Blue Bay Pools

CPSC recall 26-227 covers Sunneday and Blue Bay brand above-ground pools 48 inches and taller. The recall date is January 29, 2026, and the unit count is about 2,390. CPSC says the model information and Sunneday or Blue Bay logo are printed on the liner on the outside of the pool.

The recalled models listed by CPSC are:

• 70018: Sunneday Oasis Cottage 18 ft x 52 in, UPC 850022858529.
• 70024: Sunneday Oasis Cottage 24 ft x 52 in, UPC 850022858536.
• 358015W: Blue Bay Softsided Pool 15 ft x 48 in, UPC 191127003583.
• 359015G: Blue Bay Softsided Pool 15 ft x 48 in, UPC 191127003590.
• 360018W: Blue Bay Softsided Pool 18 ft x 52 in, UPC 191127003606.
• 361018G: Blue Bay Softsided Pool 18 ft x 52 in, UPC 191127003613.
• 380018T: Blue Bay Softsided Pool 18 ft x 52 in, UPC 191127003804.

CPSC says the Sunneday and Blue Bay pools were sold online at Amazon.com and sunneday.com from January 2024 through October 2025 for between $500 and $1,210 depending on size, model, and accessories. CPSC lists Starmatrix Group Inc., of China, as manufacturer, and says the pools were manufactured in China.

The remedy is repair. CPSC says consumers should contact Starmatrix to request a free repair kit. In the interim, CPSC says consumers should ensure children cannot access the pool unattended or, alternatively, drain the pool until the repair can be installed.

CPSC 26-308: Evajoy Pools

CPSC recall 26-308 covers Evajoy above-ground pools 48 inches and taller. The recall date is February 26, 2026, and the unit count is about 4,000. CPSC says model information and the Evajoy logo are printed on the liner on the outside of the pool.

The recalled Evajoy models listed by CPSC are:

• EJ-HF032: 16 feet in diameter by 48 inches in height.
• EJ-HF044: 18 feet in diameter by 52 inches in height.
• EJ-HF045: 24 feet in diameter by 52 inches in height.

CPSC says Evajoy pools were sold online at Amazon.com from March 2023 through June 2024 for between $550 and $1,050 depending on size, model, and accessories. CPSC lists Shenzhen Danya Tech Co., Ltd., doing business as Evajoy, of China, as manufacturer, and says the pools were manufactured in China.

The Evajoy remedy is also repair. CPSC says consumers should contact Evajoy to request a free repair kit that removes the compression strap from the pool while maintaining the structural integrity of the pool. In the interim, CPSC says consumers should ensure children cannot access the pool unattended or, alternatively, drain the pool until the repair can be installed.

Source Caveat: API Title Corruption

The saferproducts.gov API record for RecallNumber 26227 matches the Sunneday and Blue Bay CPSC page on the URL, description, product name, unit count, hazard, remedy, incident status, retailer field, manufacturer, country, and image URLs. However, the API Title field fetched in this run appears corrupted. It begins with an unrelated Hobby Lobby plush-toy phrase before continuing with the pool-recall wording.

BadPD is not using that corrupted API Title field as the controlling headline. The controlling title and recall facts are the CPSC page body, the recall URL, and the matching API body fields. The mismatch is preserved because public machine-readable recall data should be accurate enough for downstream databases, local reporters, and safety tools to use without hand-cleaning an unrelated title.

The Evajoy API record did not show the same title issue in this run. Evajoy’s company recall page returned HTTP 402 during source fetch, so BadPD is not relying on it for any Evajoy facts.

Why A Combined Ledger Is Useful

The two recalls involve different brands, different model lists, different sale windows, and different companies, but the public-safety question is the same: can a child climb the outside of a tall above-ground pool using a strap that remains accessible when the ladder has been removed?

A combined ledger helps pool owners, local reporters, resale monitors, and public-safety desks search by the hazard mechanism rather than by brand alone. Someone may search “compression strap pool recall,” “reinforcing belt pool drowning risk,” “above-ground pool ladder removed still access,” “Sunneday 70018 recall,” “Blue Bay 380018T recall,” or “Evajoy EJ-HF045 recall.” The source record needs to catch all of those routes.

This does not mean every above-ground pool is recalled. It means these official records identify specific 48-inch and taller models and a particular strap/foothold hazard. Product inclusion should be checked against the CPSC record, model list, logo, outside-liner markings, sale window, and company remedy process.

Records BadPD Wants To See Next

The first missing record is buyer notification. CPSC lists Amazon.com for both recalls, sunneday.com for the Sunneday/Blue Bay recall, and multiple sale windows. A complete file should show whether direct notices went to all affected purchasers, what the notices said, and whether reminders were sent before warm-weather pool use resumed.

The second missing record is repair-kit performance. A recall is not complete because a page exists. Public records should eventually show how many kits were requested, how many shipped, how long fulfillment took, whether repair instructions were understood, and whether any consumers reported problems installing the remedy.

The third missing record is listing and resale cleanup. Above-ground pools can be resold, stored, transferred, or listed locally. Searchable model and UPC data matters because a later buyer may not have the original order email. The public file should show whether recalled pools or parts remained on marketplace listings after the recalls.

The fourth missing record is incident status. Both notices say none reported. That should remain the public status unless CPSC amendments, company reports, court records, medical examiner records, local police/fire records, or other accountable sources establish a later incident tied to these recalled models.

Why Seasonal Timing Matters

These recalls were published before the peak summer pool season, but the sale windows reach back into prior years. A pool bought in 2023, 2024, or 2025 may be stored through winter, reassembled in spring, sold with a house, passed to another family, or listed used before anyone sees the recall notice. That makes direct notice and search visibility more important than the original recall date alone.

The model and UPC details are not paperwork trivia. They are the way a household can tell whether a pool in a garage or yard is part of recall 26-227 or 26-308. A public ledger should keep those details attached to the hazard language because a vague “pool recall” notice is not enough for a buyer, babysitter, relative, landlord, resale purchaser, or local safety reporter to identify the product.

Repair-kit timing also matters. If a kit is delayed, out of stock, difficult to install, or not clearly tied to the right model, the risk can persist through the same season when the pool is being used. BadPD is not judging the companies’ fulfillment performance here; the point is that repair-kit records are the next proof that the recall moved from notice to actual risk reduction.

Confirmed By Official Records

• CPSC recall 26-227 is dated January 29, 2026, for Sunneday and Blue Bay 48-inch and taller above-ground pools.
• CPSC recall 26-308 is dated February 26, 2026, for Evajoy 48-inch and taller above-ground pools.
• The Sunneday/Blue Bay unit count is about 2,390.
• The Evajoy unit count is about 4,000.
• CPSC identifies the same compression-strap or reinforcing-belt foothold drowning hazard in both recalls.
• CPSC says children can still access the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.
• CPSC lists repair as the remedy for both recalls.
• CPSC says none reported for incidents and injuries in both recall notices.
• The Sunneday/Blue Bay sale channels are Amazon.com and sunneday.com.
• The Evajoy sale channel is Amazon.com.
• Both recall records list China as the country of manufacture.

Pending Or Missing Records

• Buyer-notification proof for Amazon.com, sunneday.com, and affected product pages.
• Repair-kit request, shipment, delivery, and installation-completion totals.
• Proof that online listings and copied listings were removed, blocked, or corrected.
• Explanation or correction of the saferproducts.gov API Title corruption for RecallNumber 26227.
• Any later CPSC amendment, incident update, court filing, state consumer-protection record, or manufacturer response.
• Secondhand-marketplace and seasonal-resale notice records.

Not Established By This Source Set

• That a drowning, injury, or death has been reported in either recall.
• That every above-ground pool, every Sunneday pool, every Blue Bay pool, or every Evajoy pool is recalled.
• That any listed seller or manufacturer failed to notify buyers.
• That all affected pools have received repair kits.
• That removing a ladder alone resolves the risk for the recalled models.
• That a specific pool is included without checking the official model, logo, liner, sale window, and recall instructions.

BadPD Bottom Line

CPSC 26-227 and CPSC 26-308 belong in the BadPD public-safety recall lane because they involve child access to tall above-ground pools, a repeated compression-strap foothold hazard, combined affected units of roughly 6,390, online sale channels, repair-kit remedies, and explicit CPSC language that children can still access the pools even if the ladder is removed.

BadPD will update this ledger if CPSC, Starmatrix, Sunneday, Blue Bay, Evajoy, Shenzhen Danya Tech, Amazon, sunneday.com, PoolSafely-linked records, state consumer-protection offices, court records, repair-kit records, marketplace records, or other accountable sources add buyer-notification proof, repair-kit fulfillment data, API correction, incident updates, amended remedy instructions, enforcement action, or litigation tied to the affected models, UPCs, compression straps, or recalls 26-227 and 26-308.

Source Ledger

• CPSC recall 26-227, Sunneday and Blue Bay above-ground pools, January 29, 2026
• CPSC saferproducts.gov Recall API record, RecallNumber 26227
• CPSC recall 26-308, Evajoy above-ground pools, February 26, 2026
• CPSC saferproducts.gov Recall API record, RecallNumber 26308
• CPSC-linked PoolSafely water safety information
• Starmatrix recall page listed by CPSC
• CPSC official image, Sunneday Oasis Cottage pool models 70018 and 70024
• CPSC official image, Blue Bay above-ground pool models
• CPSC official image, Evajoy pool model EJ-HF032
• CPSC official image, Evajoy pool model EJ-HF044
• CPSC official image, Evajoy pool model EJ-HF045

Featured image is symbolic editorial artwork created for BadPD. It is not CPSC, PoolSafely, Starmatrix, Sunneday, Blue Bay, Evajoy, Amazon, retailer, customer, pool, ladder, repair-kit, child, incident, marketplace, or recall-process photography.