Costco Solar Umbrellas Recalled on Fire Hazard

The umbrellas have been recalled due to risks of fire and burns.

The umbrellas have been recalled due to risks of fire and burns.

This morning, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a formal recall on solar-powered umbrellas produced by California-based company SunVilla Corp. These umbrellas were sold in Costco stores from December 2020 through May 2022, and feature internal lighting fixtures powered by an external solar panel. According to the CPSC, these fixture pose a real threat of dangerous burns and outright fires.

“The lithium-ion batteries in the umbrella’s solar panels can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards,” the CPSC said in a report. They went on to say that there have been “three reports of solar panels catching fire while charging via the AC adapter indoors and two reports of umbrellas catching fire when the solar panel puck overheated and caught fire while attached to the umbrella and one smoke inhalation injury.” There has also been one report of a similar incident in Canada.

In a joint decision, CPSC, Health Canada, SunVilla and Costco have all called for the umbrellas to be returned to their place of purchase, where customers can receive a full refund. Approximately 400,000 of the umbrellas are estimated to have been sold in the US, plus an additional 33,000 in Canada. The CPSC is advising any owners of the umbrellas to disconnect the solar charging puck immediately and store it somewhere away from sunlight.