Fitbit Recalls 1.7M Smartwatches Amid More Than 100 Reports of Burns, Some Severe

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Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Recall Overview:

• Who: Fitbit is recalling its Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced.
• Why: The watch battery can overheat. Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States of the battery in the watch overheating with 78 reports of burn injuries.
• Where: The watch was sold internationally.

Fitbit is recalling its Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch after receiving at least 115 reports of the battery overheating with 78 people burned in the United States so far.

The recall was issued Mar. 2 on the the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website with the commissioner warning consumers to “immediately stop using” the recalled watch.

This recall involves the Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch, which is sold with a polyurethane band and has a 1.4-inch color LCD screen. The smartwatch tracks activity, heart rate and sleep.  

About 1 million watches are being recalled in the United States and about 693,000 internationally. 

“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Ionic smartwatches and contact Fitbit to receive pre-paid packaging to return the device,” the recall says. 

Fitbit Received Reports Of Burn Injuries Both In U.S., Internationally

The recall comes after Fitbit received at least 115 reports in the United States of the battery in the watch overheating with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns.

Internationally, Fitbit had another 59 reports of overheating and 40 reports of burn injuries. The recall is being issued in conjunction with Canadian and Mexican authorities.

The company is not currently facing legal action over the recall, but Top Class Actions follows recalls closely as they sometimes end in class action lawsuits.

After returning the watch, consumers will be issued a refund of $299, the company said. Fitbit will also provide participating consumers with a discount code for 40% off certain other Fitbit devices, it said. 

The watches were sold at Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Fitbit.com from Sept. 2017 through Dec. 2021 for between $200 to $330, the recall said. 

Fitbit stopped production of the model in 2020. 

In 2019, Fitbit reached a settlement deal resolving a class action lawsuit that claimed the fitness device’s sleep-tracking capability was defective. The plaintiffs claimed, over three years of litigation, that the Fitbit device was incapable of accurately tracking sleep despite the fact that the company advertised the device’s accuracy. Under the settlement, Fitbit agreed to provide affected customers with a $5 voucher and a $10 cash payment.

Have you been burned by a smartwatch? Let us know your experience in the comments.

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