The Fitbit Ionic is the predecessor to the Fitbit Sense — a smartwatch designed to track GPS, heart rate and more. It was first launched in 2017, but is now being recalled after dozens of burn reports from Ionic wearers.
Fitbit announced today that it was working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to voluntarily recall its Fitbit Ionic smartwatches, following over 100 reports of the watch’s lithium-ion battery overheating.
There have also been 78 reports of burn injuries to people wearing the Fitbit Ionic, which is designed to be worn all day for 24/7 health and sleep tracking. Two of these burn injuries in the US are said to be third-degree, and four have been second-degree.
According to the CPSC's official recall notice, one million of the affected watches have been sold in the US, with another 693,000 sold internationally.
In a statement, Fitbit said, “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.”
What to do if you have a Fitbit Ionic
Fitbit recommends if you have a Fitbit Ionic, you take it off your wrist immediately. Fitbit says it will provide affected users with prepaid packaging to return the item, as well as a refund of $299 for the watch, and a 40% discount code for select Fitbit devices.
The model numbers being recalled are as follows: Ionic FB503CPBU (slate blue/burnt orange), Ionic FB503GYBK (charcoal/smoke gray), Ionic FB503WTGY (blue gray/silver gray) and Ionic FB503WTNV (Adidas edition, ink blue and ice gray/silver gray). The model number can be found on the back of the device, near where the band attaches to the watch.
In the company’s FAQs, they have said you don’t need to be an active Ionic user to benefit from the recall, so even if you have an old Ionic stashed in a drawer somewhere, you can still return the old tech to Fitbit. “Ionic users, including inactive users, are eligible for a refund. For further information on how to receive a refund, visit our refund registration page. After starting the refund process, you’ll also receive information on how to access a special discount on select Fitbit devices, bands, and services, if available in your region, for a limited time.”
If you do have a Fitbit due to be recalled, you can call 888-925-1764, or visit Fitbit’s online refund center. For more advice on what to shop next, check out our roundup of the best Fitbits to buy in 2022 and our best smartwatch page.
