A Fitbit Ionic smartwatch recall has been announced today after multiple reports of the device overheating and causing burn injuries to owners…
“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% 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.”
The announcement was made by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Fitbit told us that the recall doesn’t affect any other models.
This recall only involves the Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch. It was sold with a polyurethane band and has a 1.4-inch color LCD screen. The watches were sold in slate blue/burnt orange, charcoal/smoke gray, blue gray/silver gray, and a special edition co-branded with Adidas in ink blue/silver gray. The smartwatch tracks activity, heart rate, and sleep.
Only the following models and colors are included in this recall. For the Ionic device, the model number (FB503) is on the back of the device near where the band attaches. Fitbit is printed on the front of the Ionic Smartwatch […]
Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Ionic smartwatches and contact Fitbit to receive pre-paid packaging to return the device.
The company says that once it receives your watch, it will issue a refund of $299, which was the typical retail price when sold. Given that used devices are now worth less than $100, owners who haven’t been burned by them should be pretty happy! If you want to replace it with a brand new Fitbit device, the company – since acquired by Google – is additionally offering a 40% discount code.
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% 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.
Alternatively, if you want to switch to an Apple Watch, the $299 refund will completely cover the cost of some SE models.
The Ionic was first launched back in 2017, and affected models were sold until 2020.
You can begin the return process online.
Fitbit Ionic features built-in GPS for outdoor fitness tracking, water resistance up to 50 meters for swim tracking, an all-day heart rate sensor, contactless payments, and an app platform. Aside from a cheaper price, Ionic also promises up to 4+ day battery life with sleep tracking and includes a relative SpO2 sensor not found on the Apple Watch. Fitbit says the new SpO2 sensor measures blood oxygen levels and could be used to discover sleep apnea in the future.
