HotHands Rechargeable Hand Warmer Recall: 77,000 Units Can Overheat and Ignite

As temperatures drop, rechargeable hand warmers are coming out of drawers and backpacks. One popular model is now recalled. Kobayashi Consumer Products, the company behind the HotHands brand, is recalling about 77,000 HotHands rechargeable hand warmers sold in the United States, plus about 72 in Canada. Their lithium-ion batteries and electronics can overheat and catch fire. The CPSC announced the recall on October 1, 2026 as recall number 27-011.

Which hand warmers are affected

The recall covers only electric, rechargeable HotHands warmers with the white HotHands logo. The familiar disposable, air-activated HotHands packets are not part of it.

Detail	Recalled product
Name	HotHands® Rechargeable Hand Warmers
Look	White with orange; hard plastic shell with LED indicator lights; silicone lanyard
Pack	Two warmers that join together magnetically, plus a charging cable
Charging	USB-C port; built-in lithium-ion battery in each unit; adjustable heat
Model number	H163650, with a batch number, on the underside of each warmer
Where sold	Bass Pro Shops, Meijer, Target, The Home Depot and other stores nationwide, and online including Amazon.com
When sold	July 2025 to August 2026
Price	$30 to $40
Units	About 77,000 in the US (about 72 more in Canada)

The hazard

The CPSC says the lithium-ion battery and electrical components can overheat and ignite, which poses a risk of serious fire and burn injuries. The recall notice lists no reported incidents or injuries. Even so, hand warmers are used in places where a fire is especially dangerous: in a pocket or glove, in a backpack, or charging overnight next to a bed.

How to get a refund

Kobayashi is offering a full refund. The claim process asks you to destroy the warmer, so follow the steps in this order:

1. Stop using and charging the hand warmers right away.
2. Go to hothands.com/recall-notice-rechargeable, or the "PRODUCT RECALLS" link at the top of hothands.com, and follow the instructions to get a claim number.
3. With a permanent marker, write "Recalled" and your claim number on the warmer.
4. Take a photo that shows the marked warmer, the model number and the four-digit batch number, and submit it as instructed.
5. Dispose of the warmer safely, as described below.

Questions: Kobayashi at 866-534-9986, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, or by email at [email protected].

Disposal: why the trash is the wrong place

The CPSC notice is unusually specific here. Do not put the recalled warmer in household trash or curbside recycling. Do not use the battery drop-off boxes found in many retail and home improvement stores either. A damaged or recalled lithium-ion battery can ignite in a garbage truck, at a sorting facility or inside a collection box. Instead, call your municipal household hazardous waste (HHW) center first and ask whether it accepts recalled lithium-ion batteries. If it does not, your city or county can tell you what to do.

Until you can dispose of it, do not charge or use the warmer, and keep it away from anything flammable.

Staying warm safely this winter

• Single-use air-activated HotHands warmers are not part of this recall. Follow the directions on their package.
• If you use another rechargeable warmer, charge it with the supplied cable on a hard surface, not under a pillow or in a coat pocket.
• Stop using any battery device that swells, smells of chemicals, gets unusually hot or makes hissing sounds.

More recalls

The same CPSC announcement day brought recalls of Walmart Expert Grill brushes and Dollar Tree electric balloon pumps. To check whether anything else you own has been recalled, see our step-by-step guide on how to check if a product has been recalled.

Source: CPSC recall notice 27-011, HotHands recall notice and Health Canada. Model number quoted exactly as listed by the CPSC.