Outdoor accessory behemoth YETI recently recalled 1.9 million coolers. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the magnets used in closures can detach and be swallowed on YETI's Hopper M20, Hopper M30 1.0 and 2.0, and SideKick Dry products. In February, YETI issued a Stop Sale to retailers carrying the products. So far, no injuries have been reported, but YETI has received 1,399 reports of the closures failing. The reports have included detached and missing magnets.
"When two or more high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system," CPSC wrote. "This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death."
The company issued the stop-sale on Feb. 8 and notified the CPSC and global regulatory authorities of their next steps. The global stop sale includes Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler, the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler, and the SideKick Dry Gear Case. According to the release, the coolers were sold at "Dick's Sporting Goods, ACE Hardware, Academy Sports + Outdoors, YETI, and other stores nationwide and online at YETI.com and amazon.com from March 2018 to January 2023 for about $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 2.0."
The CPSC recommends that any consumers with the products should stop using them and contact YETI for refund information. On their fourth-quarter call, YETI stated they took a $129 million charge to cover the voluntary recall on their coolers. It includes a $38 million sales reduction, mostly for consumer returns, write-downs of goods sold to the tune of $59 million and future customer remedies, and a $32 million impact on SG&A expenses related to the overall costs of a recall.
If you own any of these products, stop using them immediately and contact YETI for further instructions.
