On Mar. 2 Fitbit voluntarily recalled over 1 million of its Ionic smartwatches (pictured above), due to a burn hazard posed by the watch’s lithium-ion battery. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) stated that Fitbit has gathered 174 complaints, worldwide, of the battery overheating. Among the 78 burn injury claims within the US, several second and third-degree burns have been reported, according to the CPSC.
A Fitbit Ionic smartwatch is identifiable by the following details: three total buttons on the sides of the watch, a coloured LCD screen, and model number FB503 on the back of the watch, above the clasp. The fitness tracker was sold in slate blue/burnt orange, charcoal/smoke gray, and a special ink blue and ice gray/silver grey in collaboration with Adidas. Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, Amazon, and Fitbit’s site are the retailers that sold the smartwatch between 2017 and 2021. The Fitbit Ionic has been out of production since 2020.
To receive a refund of $299 and a 40 percent discount towards select Fitbit products, Ionic smartwatch owners can go to Fitbit’s refund registration site to file a claim. The recall is only for the Ionic model, according to the company’s site, and does not include other Fitbit devices.
