Is your Fitbit smartwatch among the 1.6 million recalled after more than 110 burns?
Smartwatches should tell you how far you’ve run or walked, not require you to know how far it is to the nearest emergency room or urgent care center. That’s why Fitbit recalled 1,693,000 of its Ionic Smartwatches worldwide Wednesday, one million of those in the United States.
The problem, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall alert puts it: “The lithium-ion battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.”
Can overheat and, according to Fitbit, actually has overheated at least 174 times worldwide, 115 times in the United States. Fitbit says there have been 118 reports of burn injuries worldwide. Of the 78 reports from the United States, there were four reports of second-degree burns and two reports of third-degree burns.
The recall covers Fitbit’s Ionic Smartwatch, Model Nos. FB503CPBU, slate blue and burnt orange; FB503GYBK, charcoal and smoke gray; FB503WTGY, blue gray and silver gray; and FB503WTNV, the adidas edition. The model number is on the back of the watch, near the band attachment.
These were sold at Target, Best Buy, Kohl’s and other brick-and-mortar stores, as well as on Amazon.com and Fitbit.com, for $200 to $330. Fitbit is eating the cost offering refunds.
Customers should contact Fitbit for pre-paid packaging to return the smartwatch. Fitbit will send a refund of $299 and a discount code for 40% off certain Fitbit devices.
Contact Fitbit at 888-925-1764, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or one of the other ways the company lists.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 8:22 AM.
