The voluntary withdrawal includes exclusively Fitbit Ionic smartwatch models that contain a lithium-ion battery that could potentially overheat and pose a risk of burns to consumers, according to the CPSC. The agency said the withdrawal affected one million devices sold in the United States and an additional 693,000 sold internationally.
Fitbit has received at least 174 worldwide reports of battery overheating, according to the CPSC, with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States, including two third-degree burn reports and four second-degree burn reports.
Andrea Holling, a spokeswoman for Fitbit, owned by Google (GOOG), confirmed the withdrawal in a statement to CNN Business and said the number of injury reports was less than 0.01% of units sold.
“Customer safety has always been a top priority for Fitbit, and because of this, we conduct a voluntary download of Fitbit Ionic smartwatches,” Holling said in a statement. ”
Fitbit added in a statement on its website that its Ionic smartwatches were introduced in 2017 and production for them was discontinued in 2020.
The company called on those who own a Fitbit Ionic watch to stop using the device. CPSC said users will be refunded $ 299 upon return of the Fitbit device, and the company will also provide participating users with a 40% discount code on selected Fitbit devices.
Google has announced plans to acquire Fitbit in a $ 2.1 billion deal in late 2019 as it seeks to compete with Apple’s smartwatches. The acquisition was completed last year.