Wednesday, March 19, 2025

February 14, 2025

Igloo Warns Customers Of “Fingertip Amputation” As It Recalls 1 Million Coolers

Igloo has been hit with complaints ranging from bone fractures to lacerations due to a defect in their Flip & Tow coolers.

[Image: Amazon]

Popular cooler brand Igloo has recalled 1 million coolers after several customers reported fingertip injuries – including at least one amputation.

The company has recalled a million of the more than 1.1 million coolers sold in North America after acknowledging that there was a severe pinching hazard with the cooler’s tow handle.

Igloo has been hit with complaints ranging from bone fractures to lacerations due to a defect in their Flip & Tow coolers. All the affected coolers were produced before January 2024. Fortunately for South African consumers, the issue seems to be isolated to coolers shipped to US stores like Costco, Target, Academy and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

The massive recall was done after 12 people reported injuries, and although the number seems small, Igloo is not taking any chances after having faced recall nightmares before.

In 2023, the brand had to recall more than 30,000 units of its youth sipper bottles last May due to a choking hazard after the silicone cover on the sipper was found to detach while in use.

They are not the only lifestyle brand to have suffered reputational damage due to dodgy designs. In 2014 Anker Coolers recalled roughly 5,500 of its EverFrost battery-powered coolers due to a battery fire hazard, and Yeti Coolers recalled almost 2 million soft coolers and gear cases in 2023 because of failures with the magnet-lined closures, causing an ingestion hazard.

Igloo products are popular in South Africa, with outdoor places like Cape Union Mart and Outdoor Warehouse stocking their products. Everything seems to be fine with these though.

[Source: Forbes]