OCOOPA Direct is recalling about 1.5 million rechargeable hand warmers in the United States due to safety risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, after the company reported the death of a customer.
The recall is applicable to OCOOPA-branded warmers with model numbers UT3053, UT3056, ZLS-118, ZLS-118S, ZLS-118D, H01, and H01(PD), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said in a July 30 recall notice.
The lithium-ion battery in the hand warmers can overheat and ignite, posing a serious health risk or death from fire and burn hazards, the notice said.
The company received 1,480 reports of the devices overheating, which have collectively resulted in 15 fire incidents and 350 burn injuries. This includes the death of an 83-year-old customer from San Diego, California, in February.
OCOOPA Direct is a brand under Shenzhen Street Cat Technology Co., Ltd. from China. The items subject to recall can be identified by the “OCOOPA” label printed on the warmers, with the model number on the products’ underside.
The China-manufactured hand warmers were sold online through company websites, Amazon, and Walmart for around $15 to $60 between September 2018 and May 2026.
The notice advised customers to immediately stop using the recalled hand warmers and contact the company for a full refund, either as a refund of the original payment or as a gift card.
Customers must not throw away the defective lithium-ion battery in the trash, used battery recycling boxes at retail stores, or the general recycling stream, such as street-level recycling bins, the notice said.
Since defective lithium-ion batteries pose a greater fire risk, they must be disposed of differently than other battery types. The notice suggested contacting the municipal household hazardous waste collection center to check whether they accept defective lithium batteries.
In a message to consumers, OCOOPA said they have conducted a systematic review of customer feedback, product information, and relevant records related to the recalled hand warmers.
The recall includes certain widely sold batches of hand warmers, as well as units from earlier models manufactured by OCOOPA.
According to the company, it “no longer sells certain earlier models through its official channels and has continued to advance safety design improvements in subsequent product development and product updates.”
“Product safety is a core priority for OCOOPA. This review has further accelerated our efforts to implement more comprehensive and rigorous safety improvements,” it said in a statement.
Lithium Battery Fire Risks
When lithium-ion batteries overheat, they can pose serious safety risks, according to the U.S. Fire Administration.
Uncontrolled heating can trigger a thermal runaway, resulting in the ejection of gas or shrapnel, smoke, and fire. In some cases, batteries may get ejected from the battery pack, which can spread the fire. Even after extinguishing the flames, lithium-ion batteries pose a risk of reignition.
Some signs of thermal runaway include mechanical damage to the battery, rising temperature, bulging, and the venting of visible gases.
CPSC is taking action to tackle risks posed by lithium-ion batteries.
Last month, the commission proposed a rulemaking to address the “unreasonable risk of death and injury” associated with lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility products due to threats such as thermal runaway, according to a June 24 notice published in the Federal Register. In this case, micromobility products refer to lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles such as electric scooters, bikes, and skateboards.
The agency proposed that electrical systems that use lithium-ion batteries in micromobility devices comply with certain standards to ensure safety.
CPSC said it was aware of 227 incidents between 2019 and 2023 involving fires, burns, gas releases, explosions, smoke inhalation, and overheating that could have been avoided had the proposed rule been implemented during this period. In 90 of these incidents, there were 39 fatalities and 181 injuries.
In a July 16 comment submitted on the proposed rule, the National Bicycle Dealers Association said it “strongly” supports CPSC’s efforts to establish a mandatory federal safety standard for e-bike electrical systems.
A national standard is preferable to an “expanding patchwork” of state and local regulations on the issue, which only ends up creating confusion among businesses and consumers, the association said.
