Fitbit recalls roughly one million smartwatches in US over burn hazard

Fitbit, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc., has received at least 115 reports in the U.S., and 59 reports internationally, of the battery in the Ionic model of its watches overheating, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday.

There have been 78 reports of burn injuries in the U.S., including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns, the regulator added.

Customers should immediately stop using the recalled smartwatches and contact Fitbit to receive prepaid packaging to return the device, the commission said.

Upon receipt of the device, consumers will be refunded $299, the CPSC said. Fitbit will also provide customers with a discount code for 40% off select Fitbit devices, according to the regulator.

The voluntary recall is being carried out in conjunction with health regulators in Canada and Mexico, according to the CPSC.

Fitbit stopped production of the Ionic model watches in 2020. The company has also sold about 693,000 internationally, according to the CPSC.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we are conducting a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches,” a Fitbit representative said.

“We received a very limited number of injury reports—the totals in the CPSC announcement represent less than 0.01% of units sold—of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard,” the representative added. “These incidents are very rare and this voluntary recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.”