Fitbit is one of the leaders in the fitness tracking market, so it’s unsurprising to see them being proactive when a risk is identified. The company has voluntarily recalled approximately 1.7 million of the Fitbit Ionic devices due to burning risk.
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 battery in the Ionic smartwatch can overheat, posing a burn hazard.
The health and safety of Fitbit users is our highest priority. We are taking this action out of an abundance of caution for our users. We will offer a refund to Fitbit Ionic customers.
This voluntary recall is specific to Fitbit Ionic devices. It does not impact any other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.
If you own a Fitbit Ionic, please stop using your device.
For information on how to receive a refund, visit our refund center. You can also receive access to a special discount on select Fitbit devices, bands, and services, for a limited time.
We’ve reached out to Fitibt for confirmation as to whether — we believe at this time, it is — it is a concern for Australian stock and whether there will be a process for refund in stores here. This article will be updated if we receive any new information from that communication.
**UPDATE**
Fitbit Australia has already returned our email with the following information:
Customer safety is always Fitbit’s top priority and out of an abundance of caution, we are voluntarily recalling Fitbit Ionic smartwatches. We received a very limited number of reports – the totals in the U.S. regulator 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 recall does not impact other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.
Those impacted outside the U.S. should visit help.fitbit.com/ionic for information on how to receive a refund. All current or former Ionic users are eligible to receive a refund and we urge all Ionic users to participate. This does not impact any other Fitbit smartwatches or trackers.
So I filled in the form, which was relatively painless. I like my Ionic and would prefer to get something like it again. Nowhere was I told what amount to expect or if, as is the case in other countries, I’ll be offered a discount to buy another Fitbit product. I’d like to know if I’ll get 40 percent off before I make another purchase. Well done Fitbit for taking the responsible route–it’s very generous (with or without the discount).
Hi @Philip, I can confirm that the 40% off is in Australia, but you have to make all your purchases in the one go. I’m currently wearing the Fitbit Sense I got yesterday after processing the refund on Monday (not joking), I live in Sydney.
That’s a good outcome!
Thanks for the update.