Fitness tracker maker Fitbit has recalled a line of their Ionic smartwatches due to a burn hazard. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 1 million units have been sold across the country and about 693,000 were sold internationally.
A Fitbit spokesperson told Mashable, “Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches.
“We received a very limited number of injury reports — the totals in the CPSC announcement represent less than 0.01 percent of units sold — of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard. These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.”
Fitbit also posted a portion of this statement to followers on Twitter.
As the company stated, Fitbit Ionic smartwatch contains a lithium-ion battery that can overheat, which poses the burn hazard. The CPSC reported that Fitbit had received “at least 115 reports in the U.S. (and 59 reports internationally) 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 (and 40 reports of burn injuries internationally).”
How to tell if your Fitbit needs to be recalled:
So, if you’re glancing nervously at your Fitbit right now, it’s important to note the recall only applies to the Iconic line and does not impact Fitbit’s other smartwatches or trackers.
According to the CPSC, only Ionic devices with the model number FB503 are counted in the recall (you can find the model number on the back of the device near the band attachment) and specifically in the following colours:
Ionic FB503CPBU — Slate Blue/Burnt Orange
Ionic FB503GYBK — Charcoal/Smoke Gray
Ionic FB503WTGY — Blue Gray/Silver Gray
Ionic FB503WTNV — Adidas edition, Ink Blue & Ice Gray/Silver Gray
If you have one of these watches, the CPSC recommends you to immediately stop using it, and contact Fitbit — toll free call 888-925-1764 24 hours a day or on Fitbit’s website — to get pre-paid packaging sent to you to return the watch. When Fitbit receives in, you’ll get a refund of $299, and a 40 percent discount code for Fitbit purchases.
