That Battery You’re Using Has Been Recalled

I’ve covered the dangers of button batteries in this column on several occasions — but it’s time to once again revisit the topic. Batteries can be incredibly dangerous. They can cause harm by overheating, or worse catching fire, but in the worst case possible, batteries can fall out of devices and be swallowed by young children. Information on just which of the many brands of the popular small round batteries are unsafe can be hard to come by. And if you’re waiting for notification from the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission about recalled batteries, you may not find out at all.

Case in point, the recall for a Bluetooth remote paired with several models of popular ring lights among Instagrammers, TikTok stars (and wannabes), and millions of work-from-home employees collaborating and communicating every day on Zoom or other video collaboration platforms. During the pandemic, with so many of us working and staying at home, sales of several ring light models from Australian manufacturer Cygnett skyrocketed. These ring lights are marketed as V-Glamour, V-Pro, V-Pro Travel, V-Tuber Pro and V-Dual Classic Ring Lights. While the lights themselves are currently not being recalled, the remote that comes with them is being recalled by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, an organization similar to the United States Consumer Protection Safety Commission. And so, you ask, why have you likely NOT heard about this? That would be because the Bluetooth remote has NOT (yet) been recalled in the United States, and as of this writing, is still for sale with ring lights at Costco, WalMart, Amazon, and even online at Lowe’s Home Improvement stores.

“If young children gain access to the button batteries and ingest them, they may suffer internal burn injuries, which can result in serious illness or death,” warned the alert posted on the Product Safety Australia website. “The remote control's battery compartment is not adequately secured and the button battery in the product may be easily accessible. Consumers should immediately stop using the remote and store it out of the reach of children. Consumers should not return the product to the place of purchase, but instead fill out the recall form at http://www.cygnett.com/pages/recallform to request a replacement remote. The new remote will have a screw mechanism to secure the button battery compartment. Cygnett will also send a return envelope for the consumer to send back the old remote, so that it can be safely destroyed.”

But, this is a prime example of a major manufacturer NOT doing the right thing for consumers in every market unsafe products were and are being sold.

The Cygnett recall form linked above makes it very clear IN ALL CAPS that all of the recall terms involving the free replacement remote and free return and proper destruction of the faulty remote are FOR AUSTRALIAN CUSTOMERS ONLY. 

It is also an example of the USCPSC’s lack of attention to what is a very dangerous situation for millions of U.S. consumers and their families who are potentially in danger as a result of these improperly secured remote devices, and who remain largely unaware of that.

So, in the U.S., you’re basically on your own here as it relates to the safety, or lack thereof, of that ring light and remote that you’re using until the USCPSC wakes up and pushes for a similar recall here. Which I’m pretty sure is the organization’s entire reason for being — to protect consumers from dangerous products.

Unfortunately, about the only solution right now is to make sure that if you have Cygnett ring light devices and remotes in your home or office, be sure to always secure the Bluetooth remote far away from children. Here are the specific models that should have also been recalled in the U.S.:

• V-Glamour, 10-inch LED ring light with tripod and Bluetooth remote, Model CY3441VCSLR

• V-Pro, 10-inch LED ring light with tripod and Bluetooth remote, Model CY3442VCSLR

• V-Pro Travel, 12-inch LED ring light with tripod, travel pouch and Bluetooth remote, Model CY3443VCSLR

• V-Tuber Pro, 19-inch LED ring light with carry case, tripod, DC charger and Bluetooth remote, Model CY3485VCSLR

• V-Dual Classic, 2-in-1 selfie ring light with phone holder and Bluetooth remote, Model CY3538VCSLR