Fitbit Severely Burns Man, What Happened as He Slept…
While he was asleep, Ethan Landers got a surprise alarm. It wasn’t one on his phone, though, or from his bedside clock. Instead, he awoke to the smell of burning plastic and skin, because his Fitbit was so hot against his wrist it was smoking.
Landers, who had to go to the emergency room, says that the experience was “traumatic” and posted photographs of his injury to alert others that this could happen to them, too.
Makes you think twice about going to bed with it on, doesn’t it?
Ethan Landers Got a Rude Awakening with his Fitbit
While deeply asleep over the weekend, Landers woke up to a hot, uncomfortable feeling on his wrist. It didn’t take long for his groggy mind to wake up fully and realize that his Fitbit was literally burning the skin off of his arm.
He frantically tried to pull it off, but couldn’t manage to unlatch it in his state. He turned on the light and woke his wife, who was able to unlatch the device and remove it. By the time they got it off of his wrist, the Fitbit was smoking and he says the bedroom smelled like an “electrical fire”.
He immediately called a nurse to find out what the best course of treatment would be. With his skin already turning white and blistering, the nurse directed him to the ER immediately. Despite the hour, they both went.
Fitbit Caused Third-Degree Burns

The wound was x-rayed and inspected for any debris before Landers was referred to a wound clinic for proper treatment. It was there that he learned the device had caused third-degree burns on his wrist.
He was given cream and treatment instructions and will learn soon at a follow-up appointment if he needs a skin graft in the area.
In the meantime, Landers says that there are parts of his wrist numb due to “nerve damage”, and he believes he will always carry a scar around where he was injured. He says that the entire experience was deeply “traumatic” for him.
Landers shared his story on social media, alongside some nasty photographs, and it has since gone viral, being shared and commented on thousands of times. A Fitbit is something people wear every day without a second thought — the idea of it burning a hole in your wrist really is terrifying.
Official Spokesman for Fitbit Speaks
Fitbit did comment on the injury, saying that the company had been in touch with Landers hoping to determine what went wrong. They say that his report is taking “very seriously”, and they are “actively investigating” the issue.
In the meantime, they refer all Fitbit owners to the website, which states that you should not remove the battery, expose your Fitbit to extreme temperatures, get it wet, or use any charging cords that are not certified.
