Fitbit Recalls More Than 1 Million Ionic Smartwatches Due to Burn Hazard

THURSDAY, March 3, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly 1 million Fitbit Ionic smartwatches sold in the United States have been recalled because they pose a burn hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Wednesday. About 693,000 of the smartwatches were also sold in other countries.

The lithium-ion battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat and cause burns, and consumers should immediately stop using them, the CPSC said in a statement.

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States and 59 reports from other countries of the battery in the watch overheating. There have been 78 reports of Ionic-related burn injuries in the United States, including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns. There have been 40 reports of Ionic-related burn injuries from other countries, according to the CPSC.

The Ionic smartwatches have the model number FB503 on the back of the device near where the band attaches, and Fitbit is printed on the front of the watches. They were sold at Best Buy, Kohl's, Target, and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Fitbit.com from September 2017 through December 2021. Fitbit stopped production of the Ionic in 2020.

Consumers with Ionic smartwatches should contact Fitbit to receive prepaid packaging to return the device. After receiving the device, the company will issue each consumer a refund of $299. Fitbit will also provide consumers who return their Ionic smartwatches with a discount code for 40 percent off select Fitbit devices. For more information, consumers can call Fitbit toll-free at 888-925-1764, 24 hours a day, seven days a week or can go to the company's website.

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