American outdoor products and coolers company YETI Holdings, Inc. has issued a nationwide recall of nearly two million soft coolers and gear cases over Magnet Ingestion Hazard concerns.
The recall involves at least four variants of the soft cooler and gear cases, including the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0, Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 2.0, Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler, and the SideKick Dry Gear Case.
The recalled coolers come with a main pocket closure lined with high-powered magnets. While the magnets are enclosed in a heat-sealed plastic strip, consumer reports suggest that the closures can degrade or fail, causing the high-power magnets to get detached from them or go missing.
If a child or pet ends up ingesting a magnet, they could be prone to experiencing severe to life-threatening health risks that can result in death.
Announced on Thursday, March 9, 2023, the recall is being initiated jointly by YETI Holdings, Inc., United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and Health Canada. Currently, neither the agencies nor the company have received reports of any fatalities or incidents concerning the ingestion of detached magnets.
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The recall affects nearly 1.9 million soft coolers and gear cases manufactured in the Philippines, Vietnam, and China, sold across the United States. An additional 40,760 soft coolers and gear cases were also sold across Canada.
Customers could have bought the affected products from major retailers in their home region, including - Academy Sports + Outdoors, ACE Hardware, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Yeti stores, and more. The recalled coolers were also available online at www.yeti.com and www.amazon.com. The affected products were sold across the United States and Canada between March 2018 and January 2023.
The recalled soft coolers and gear cases were distributed in various colors and came with a hand tag with the product name. Customers could have paid around $50 for the SideKick Dry Gear Case, $325 for the Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler, and between $300 and $350 for the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 2.0.
Customers who may have the recalled soft coolers and gear cases in their homes are strictly advised not to use them anymore. The affected products can be returned to the company free of charge for a replacement product of equal or greater value or a full refund.
The company will offer a refund in the form of a gift card equal to the value of the product purchased by the customer, plus an additional $25.
To get a refund or replacement, consumers should contact the company toll-free at 833-444-3151, Monday to Sunday, 7 am to 7 pm, CT. The company can also be contacted via email at [email protected] or through https://www.yeti.com/M20-M30-sidekick-product-recall.html.