When Hasbro brought back three classic Super Soakers this spring, I was pretty pumped – but now two of them are being recalled. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced that the Super Soaker XP20 and XP30 used too much lead in the ink when the manufacturer printed their labels, and should be returned directly to Hasbro for a full refund.
They were sold exclusively at Target between March and July of this year, and the CPSC says Hasbro managed to ship about 52,900 of them. If you are one of those nearly 53,000 buyers, you can email [email protected] or click here for an online form.
(If you are not sure which Super Soakers we are talking about, check out the photos above and below.)
You may also be wondering: have these new Super Soakers done anything good? I’ve only had one chance so far to try the blue Super Soaker XP100, and … I can not say that it is my favorite, but it’s fun. It throws up a nice sharp stream of water, and I like how it now has a quick-release tank instead of inverted every time you need a refill, screw and unscrew.
Unfortunately – perhaps because Hasbro uses the original, classic pinch trigger mechanism, see the BlasterHub review here – it also has a tendency to leak all over the place, drip constantly or even spray the water when you use it pump to full pressure.
I want another CPS2000 instead. As before, I will leave you with this excellent oral history of the Super Soaker, and this video about the black NASA scientist, Lonnie Johnson, who originally came up with the idea.