Fitbit recalls Ionic smartwatch after overheating causes major burns

• The Fitbit Ionic has been recalled by its parent company Google.
• Fitbit said it had received 115 reports in the US of the smartwatch overheating, resulting in burn injuries in 78 cases.
• People who own the Ionic can return the device to Fitbit for a refund and a 40% discount code.

Update: March 5, 2022, 5;10 pm – We have been sent this statement from a Fitbit spokesperson

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.

Original story: March 2, 2022, 9:55 am – Fitbit is facing a major recall of its first true smartwatch. Parent company Google has issued a voluntary recall of the Fitbit Ionic, which launched in 2017 and stopped production in 2020.

According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fitbit confirmed that it had received at least 115 reports of the Ionic overheating in the US. That number expanded to 59 more reports internationally.

Unfortunately, 78 of the US reports also reported burn injuries as a result of the overheating. This includes four second-degree burns and two third-degree burns. There were also 48 reports of burns outside the US.

The agency said that the Fitbit Ionic recall affects one million units that were sold in the US between September 2017 and December 2021. Another 693,000 units were sold outside the US.

Fitbit has set up a web page for Ionic owners to answer questions about the recall and to help send back the smartwatch. Owners will get a $299 refund. They will also get a 40% discount code they can use to purchase another Fitbit device.