Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch Recalled Globally Over Burn Injuries Due to Overheating

Fitbit Ionic has been recalled by the Google-owned firm as a result of overheating points that might doubtlessly trigger a burn hazard, a US regulator mentioned on Wednesday. The recalling choice comes after Fitbit acquired greater than 100 studies of burn accidents owing to overheating of the smartwatch. Launched again in September 2017, the Fitbit Ionic supplied options together with exercise monitoring in addition to coronary heart and sleep monitoring. About a million models of the Ionic smartwatch have been bought within the US till December 2021, with a further 693,000 bought globally together with India.

Because of the recalling, Fitbit will situation a refund of $299 (roughly Rs. 22,700) as soon as house owners will return their Ionic watch to the corporate. It would additionally present shoppers with a reduction code to supply 40 % off on choose Fitbit gadgets, the US Client Product Security Fee famous in its announcement.

Fitbit acquired not less than 174 studies of the watch’s overheating, with 118 studies of burn accidents that embody two circumstances of third-degree burns and 4 of second-degree burns, the US fee mentioned.

“We acquired a really restricted variety of studies — the totals within the US regulator announcement signify lower than 0.01 % of models bought — of the battery in Fitbit Ionic smartwatches overheating, posing a burn hazard,” Fitbit mentioned in an announcement emailed to Devices 360.

The corporate acknowledged that the recall didn’t influence different Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.

Fitbit stopped the manufacturing of Ionic in 2020. The smartwatch was launched in India at Rs. 22,990 in January 2018.

Devices 360 requested Fitbit to verify how Indian shoppers can avail the refund, and the corporate responded by saying that the customers impacted exterior the US ought to go to assist.fitbit.com/ionic for info on obtain a refund.

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“The refund will likely be equal to USD $299 in native forex. We urge all Ionic customers to take part,” the corporate mentioned.

The recall is proscribed to 4 variants of the Fitbit Ionic which have the next mannequin numbers: FB503CPBU, FB503GYBK, FB503WTGY, and FB503WTNV.

Eligible shoppers within the US can proceed for the refund by contacting Fitbit helpline at 888-925-1764 or visiting the assistance part on the corporate’s web site.

Person studies on the Fitbit Group boards counsel that the overheating points with the Ionic watch began to emerge shortly after its launch in 2017.

“At the moment my Fitbit Ionic burnt my wrist. I observed I had a stinging feeling,” one of many affected customers mentioned in a discussion board put up.

That is notably not the primary time when Fitbit is recalling considered one of its standard wearables. In 2014, the corporate recalled its Power wristband after dealing with complaints of pores and skin rashes and irritation. Fitbit additionally prevented recalling the Flex wristband regardless of getting related pores and skin irritation studies and mentioned that it made some changes and put a warning that it might trigger allergic reactions as a result of nickel.