Some of America’s largest retailers including Walmart and Amazon are recalling a popular winter product following hundreds of injuries and the death of an 83-year-old in San José.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall alongside Shenzhen Street Cat Technology for the brand’s Ocoopa Rechargeable Hand Warmers, which are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Rechargeable hand warmers operate as small battery powered heating devices which convert energy from the battery into heat to help warm up users during the warm months.
On May 18, months before regulators recalled the product, Felicia Tan filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Amazon.com and OCOOPA Innovations LLC in Santa Clara County in California. Reportedly, Tan filed the complaints following her mother’s death, which occurred when the devices ignited while Tan’s mother was using them in bed.
“The handwarmers ignited and caught fire, causing severe thermal injuries to decedent, ultimately leading to her death on February 16, 2026,” the complaint says.
According to the July 30 announcement, the company has recalled 1.5 million hand warmers originating from China and sold through Walmart, Amazon, and the Ocoopa website.
“The lithium-ion battery in the recalled hand warmers can overheat and ignite, posing a risk of serious injury or death from fire and burn hazards,” the recall announcement said.
To date, 1,470 reports have been received by the company, of which 15 resulted in fires and 350 led to burn injuries. The most extreme case of overheating led to the death of one individual.
The recalled batteries include the following models sold from September 2018 through May 2026: UT3053, UT3056, ZLS-118, ZLS-118S, ZLS-118D, H01 and H01(PD). The model number may be found at the back of the device.
Those whose purchases fall within those dates and match the models will be eligible to ask for a refund directly from Ocoopa. Consumers are urged to stop the use of the device immediately.
The devices should not be thrown out with the regular trash due to fire risks, with consumers needing to contact their municipal Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection center or their municipality for guidance for disposal.
Those wishing to submit a claim may do so via the company’s recall page, or by contacting the company via email. To receive the refund users will need to write “recalled” on the device using permanent marker and submit photographic evidence that the device falls within the recall parameters. The refund may either be a gift card or a direct refund to the original form of payment.
