U.S. agency recalls Kobayashi, Gobi Heat hand warmers over fire risk

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled tens of thousands of rechargeable hand warmers from two brands due to fire and burn hazards.

The recalls affect about 77,000 Kobayashi HotHands hand warmers and 5,500 Gobi Heat hand warmers sold in the United States.

Federal officials said the products' lithium-ion batteries and electrical components can overheat and ignite.

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"Consumers should stop using the devices immediately and follow the manufacturers' refund and disposal instructions," the CPSC said.

The Gobi Heat recall covers about 5,500 units sold in the United States and 47 sold in Canada.

Consumers can receive a full refund or store credit equal to the purchase price plus an additional 20 per cent.

To file a claim, consumers must visit Gobi Heat's recall website to obtain a claim number, write "Recalled" on the device with a permanent marker, and email a photo of the marked product and model number to [email protected].

The Kobayashi recall involves about 77,000 HotHands units sold in the United States and 72 sold in Canada, with the company offering full refunds.

Consumers must visit Kobayashi's recall website for a claim number, write "Recalled" and the claim number on the device, and submit a photo showing the marked product, model number, and four-digit batch number.

The CPSC warns against throwing recalled lithium-ion batteries in the trash, curbside recycling bins, or battery recycling boxes.

The agency said recalled lithium-ion batteries pose a greater fire risk than other batteries and should be disposed of according to local and state hazardous-waste regulations.

Consumers are encouraged to contact their local household hazardous-waste collection centre or municipality for disposal guidance.

Novello Desserts reported in October that Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had issued new recalls for hand warmers and other products.

With files from Yahoo News