Branch Recalled 16,000 Chairs. Check the Backrest, Not Just Color

Branch is recalling about 16,000 Ergonomic Chairs in the United States because incorrectly installed backrest anchors can allow the backrest to detach. Owners should stop using a potentially affected chair, check its production details through Branch’s recall process, and obtain the free replacement backrest if the unit is confirmed affected.

The September 3 recall is narrower than “every Branch chair.” It concerns specified Ergonomic Chair models manufactured from September 10, 2025, through April 22, 2026, with incorrectly installed anchors. The date, product identity, and anchor check matter together.

Hero photo: CPSC / Branch Furniture, official recalled-product image. Image source · CPSC recall-photo redistribution permission. Resized with white padding; no endorsement implied.

Start underneath the seat, not with the order date

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission notice places the manufacturing label underneath the seat cushion. The product SKUs appear on the side of the original packaging. An order confirmation can help identify the purchase, but the purchase date is not the manufacturing date.

CPSC lists US sales from approximately December 2025 through July 2026, at prices between $320 and $350. The manufacturing window begins earlier and ends earlier. Mixing those two windows could lead someone to dismiss an affected chair merely because it was bought after April.

The official notice identifies the product as the height-adjustable Ergonomic Chair. A broad resemblance to an office chair is not enough to determine inclusion, and the recall does not list every product in Branch’s catalog.

For a practical first check, collect three things: a photo of the underside label, the product name or SKU if available, and the official recall link. That creates a useful record for the manufacturer’s review without requiring you to diagnose an internal connection by sitting in the chair or repeatedly testing its backrest.

The US recall lists these models

CPSC lists Standard and KD Base versions across eight color combinations. The following table condenses the sixteen US SKUs into pairs; it does not merge them into a new model number.

Color combination	Standard SKU	KD Base SKU
Black / Black	11-01-00-50-V5	11-01-00-50-V6
Black / White	11-01-00-40-V5	11-01-00-40-V6
Pebble / White	11-01-00-53-V5	11-01-00-53-V6
Sand / White	11-01-00-51-V5	11-01-00-51-V6
Graphite / White	11-01-00-54-V5	11-01-00-54-V6
Light Blue / White	11-01-00-43-V5	11-01-00-43-V6
Poppy / White	11-01-00-55-V5	11-01-00-55-V6
Baltic / White	11-01-00-56-V5	11-01-00-56-V6

The final V5 or V6 suffix is part of the SKU. Keep it when sending information to Branch. Color can help you locate the right row, but it should not substitute for the model and production check.

This is a US-focused list. Health Canada’s joint notice lists a smaller Canadian SKU selection. A missing color on the Canadian page therefore does not overrule its appearance in the US notice.

Why the backrest anchors decide the final answer

The manufacturing window identifies a group that needs attention. The defect is an incorrectly installed backrest anchor. CPSC says the recall applies to chairs with those incorrectly installed anchors, rather than every chair in the date range regardless of how it was assembled.

Branch describes three anchors securing the backrest to the chair mechanism. Its recall page provides an identification guide and a submission process through which a representative reviews the unit. The manufacturer asks owners to stop using the chair while determining whether it is affected.

Use the official guide for the physical inspection. This article is an identification and remedy summary, not replacement assembly instructions. If you cannot locate the label, cannot confidently compare the anchors, or need help handling the chair, contact Branch rather than guessing from the product’s appearance.

The repair replaces the backrest—not the whole chair

The CPSC remedy is a free kit containing a replacement backrest, installation instructions, three bolts, and an Allen key. It is a repair recall, not a promised cash refund or automatic whole-chair replacement.

That distinction affects what to keep. Do not discard the entire chair simply because you read the recall headline. First complete Branch’s identification process, obtain confirmation and instructions, and follow the remedy for the affected backrest.

Branch’s recall page says a receipt is not required and that third-party purchases and gifts can qualify. It also says owners will be asked to render the affected backrest unusable after the company confirms inclusion. Follow that sequence; do not destroy parts before confirmation just to prepare for a claim.

The manufacturer’s page provides the registration route and customer-support email, customersupport@branchfurniture.com. CPSC says Branch is contacting known purchasers, but the official support route also gives owners a way to act when a notification never reaches them.

What eleven reports—and no injuries—do and do not mean

Branch reported eleven instances of backrests detaching and no injuries, according to CPSC. Those figures describe reports received for this recall; they are not a test result for your particular chair.

“No injuries reported” does not cancel the stop-use instruction. The reason for the recall is the fall hazard created when a backrest detaches. Waiting for your own chair to show a problem would bypass the identification process intended to address that hazard before an injury.

Likewise, dividing eleven reports by the recalled-unit count would not produce a reliable personal risk estimate. The notice does not provide the exposure information or completeness of reporting needed for that calculation. The useful response is to identify the unit and complete the remedy.

The same model-specific approach appears in our Walmart dresser recall guide. A brand name alone is an alert to investigate; the exact product and official remedy determine what happens next.

What happens next if you own one

Set the potentially affected chair aside and check the official recall page. Photograph the relevant information, follow the identification guide, and submit what Branch requests. If the company confirms the chair is affected, complete its disposal and replacement-backrest instructions before returning the chair to use.

For households or workplaces with several chairs, check each unit. Matching colors or a shared purchase order do not establish that every manufacturing label and backrest is identical. Keep each photo associated with the chair it came from so the response can be matched correctly.

Branch says its official recall communications come from customersupport@branchfurniture.com and will not ask for payment, banking information, or passwords. Starting from the link in CPSC’s notice is a straightforward way to reach the correct process.

The remedy here also differs from our Cuisinart grill-brush recall coverage, where the official process concerns a refund. Recall remedies are product-specific; instructions from another recall should not be transferred to this one.

FAQ

Is every Branch Ergonomic Chair recalled?

No. The notice concerns the listed models manufactured September 10, 2025, through April 22, 2026, with incorrectly installed backrest anchors. Follow Branch’s identification process.

Can I get a refund or a new chair?

The announced remedy is a free replacement backrest and repair kit. Branch says it is not offering refunds or whole-chair replacements through this recall.

Do I need the original receipt?

Branch says no receipt or original order number is required. Owners of gifts and chairs bought through other retailers can participate.

Can I keep using a chair that seems fine?

Branch asks owners to stop using the chair until they determine whether it is affected. A normal appearance is not a substitute for the recall check.