Fitbit, in conjunction with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced a voluntary recall of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches, which the company introduced in 2017 and stopped producing in 2020. The lithium-ion battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.

This recall only involves the Fitbit Ionic Smartwatch which 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. 

Fitbit has received at least 115 reports in the United States (and 59 reports internationally) of the battery in the watch overheating with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns (and 40 reports of burn injuries internationally). About 1 million of the watches were sold in the US and about 693,000 were sold internationally.

The Fitbit Ionic watch was manufactured in Taiwan and sold in the US at Best Buy, Kohl’s, Target, and other stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and Fitbit.com from September 2017 through December 2021 for between $200 to $330. Fitbit stopped production of Ionic in 2020.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Ionic smartwatches and contact Fitbit (visit the refund center) to receive pre-paid packaging to return the device. Upon receipt of the device, consumers will be issued a refund of $299. Fitbit will also provide participating consumers with a discount code for 40% off select Fitbit devices.

Kevin Clemens is a Senior Editor with Battery Technology.