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Yeti Recalls Nearly 2 Million Coolers and Cases Over Magnet Hazard

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Yeti Recalls Nearly 2 Million Coolers and Cases Over Magnet Hazard
The recalled YETI Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler. (Consumer Product Safety Commission via AP)
3/11/2023
Updated:
3/11/2023

Yeti Holdings Inc., a maker of coolers and other outdoor gear, is recalling 1.9 million soft coolers and gear cases because of magnets that could detach and be ingested, posing a risk of serious injury or death.

The voluntary recall is in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recall affects the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and 2.0, the Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler, and the SideKick Dry Gear Case.

The Commission issued a recall notice on Thursday, saying the magnet-lined closures of the recalled products could degrade or fail and release stray magnets.

If swallowed, two or more high-powered magnets can attract to each other or to another metal object and get stuck in the digestive system.

“This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning and death,” the agency said.

An additional 40,800 units were sold in Canada, according to the notice.

The recalled units were sold between March 2018 and January 2023 at various retailers, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware, Academy Sports and Outdoors, YETI, and others, as well as online and on Amazon.

The gear case sells for about $50 and the coolers for between $300 and $350.

The Austin, Texas-based company received 1,399 reports of the magnet-lined closures degrading or failing, including reports of missing or detached magnets. So far no magnet ingestions or injuries have been reported, the notice said.

Recall Contact Info

Both Yeti and the CPSC urged customers in possession of any of the affected products to immediately stop using them.
Customers can choose a replacement of equal or greater value than the recalled product or “a full refund in the form of a YETI gift card with an additional value depending on product and market,” the company said in a statement on its website.

Customers who opt for full refunds will also receive a $25 Yeti gift card.

Yeti customers can also visit the brand’s site directly for more information on “returning the product free of charge for the choice of a suggested replacement product of equal or greater value,” according to the company.