Anker Recalls 79K Amazon Exclusive Portable Speakers After Multiple Units Catch Fire
Anker is recalling around 79,000 portable speakers that were sold exclusively on Amazon through Anker Innovations. The recall affects the Anker Soundcore speaker (A3102) and PowerConf Bluetooth speakerphone (A3302), both of which pose a fire risk due to a defect in the lithium-ion battery packs they use. There have been multiple reports of overheating, smoking, and small fires arising from the defect.
"Only lithium-ion battery packs in Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speakers with models A3102016, A3302011 and A3302031 are included in this recall. The recalled speakers can be identified by the unit’s 'SN Code' which is visible on the underside of the Bluetooth Speakers," Anker states in a recall noticed posted to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
According to the recall notice, around 69,000 units sold in the US are affected, plus another 9,764 that were sold in Canada. It also states that Anker has fielded nearly three dozen reports of overheating batteries in the affected models, "some of those involving incidents of smoking and small fires, including one minor burn injury in connection with an overheating unit."
Anker PowerConf Bluetooth Speakerphone
Suffice to say, owners of the affected speakers should stop using them immediately, and also make sure they're turned off and disconnected from a power source. If you're unsure if your speaker is part of the recall, you can visit https://us.ankerwork.com/pages/a3302-recall or https://us.soundcore.com/pages/a3102-recall and plug in your device's serial number.
Affected models were sold on Amazon from March 2023 through October 2023, priced between $28 and $130. Anker is offering free replacements to anyone affected (hit up either of the links above to check and submit a claim), and has instructions on how to safely dispose of the recalled units.
In case you missed, Belkin recently recalled an Apple Watch wireless charger + power bank combo over a fire risk, and before that, Hyundai recalled nearly every Nexo SUV, also due to a fire risk.
