Decathlon pulls watches over fears they may cause burns to users
Decathlon is telling customers to return their Kiprun GPS 500 or 550 watches in exchange for a refund. This comes after a warning from Health Canada that these devices present a fire risk and may cause burns to users. A similar decision was made a couple of weeks ago by Fitbit, which saw some 1.7 million Ionics pulled.
A few days ago the Canadian regulator asked owners of the Decathlon Kiprun GPS 550 to immediately stop using the watch. It seems there is a possibility the battery in the device can overheat while charging or while in use. This “may cause burns or present a fire risk”, the regulator says. All of this sounds along the lines of the Fitbit Ionic issue.
Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets
The Decathlon watch is sold in the US and other countries, but only regulatory authorities in Canada have banned its sale. There was no word from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission or others.
A total of 124 units of the affected product were sold in Canada between July 2020 and February 2022. It is not all models of the watch that are faulty. Only the ones with the moniker 852761 (White and Black) and 852762 (Black), Health Canada said.
The regulator has recommended that the defected product be returned to the nearest Decathlon point of sale. Owners would be eligible for a full refund.
The $84 watch comes with the typical sensors including built-in GPS. You can monitor steps, distance, speed/pace and heart rate from the wrist. The device has coaching, 5 ATM water-resistance and 5 day battery life (10 hours with GPS).
Decathlon pulls another watch
As mentioned, this decision only affected purchases in Canada. Checking the Decathlon website shortly after, it listed the watch as “out of stock”. Now we know why.
The retailer issued a statement today calling on owners to return either the Kiprun GPS 500 or Kiprun GPS 550 to the nearest Decathlon store for a refund. So it added one more watch to the list.
The following warning can be seen now on the Decathlon website.
“As part of our quality processes, KIPRUN’S team have identified a potential risk: the battery could overheat and may cause burns and/or possible start of fire during charging and/or in use.”
“We don’t want to take any risks when it comes to the safety of our users and we have decided to recall all of our products.”
Decathlon warning
Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!