Battery Pack Recalls: How to Check Yours and Store Lithium Safely

A prepared house is full of lithium batteries: power banks, power stations, tool batteries, flashlights, e-bike and scooter packs, even the battery packs in power recliners. They're great until one fails. The latest reminder came on September 24, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of about 51,000 Blue Cactus reclining-chair battery packs sold on Amazon, after reports of the packs overheating, smoking and igniting.

01The Blue Cactus recall

• What: The Blue Cactus Company reclining chair 2500 mAh battery packs, model RWX-RBP02, black with the brand name on the front. They work with many brands of power recliners.
• Sold: on Amazon from May 2023 to July 2026, for about $105.
• Problem: the lithium-ion battery can overheat, a fire and burn hazard. The CPSC listed four reports of overheating, smoking or igniting.
• What to do: stop using it now and contact The Blue Cactus Company for a replacement pack.

02Check every battery in your house

Recalls on cheap lithium products sold online happen often. Once or twice a year, check yours:

1. Search CPSC.gov (Recalls) for the brand and product type: power bank, battery pack, charger, e-bike battery.
2. Check the brand's website and your Amazon order history; Amazon emails buyers about some recalls.
3. Register big-ticket items like power stations with the manufacturer so they can contact you.

03Warning signs a battery is failing

• Swelling or a puffy, bulging case
• Heat when it isn't charging or in use
• Hissing, popping, smoke or a sweet chemical smell
• It won't hold a charge or the charger acts strangely

Stop using it immediately. If it's hot or smoking, get it outside onto concrete if you can do so safely, keep away, and call 911 if it catches fire. Lithium fires can reignite.

04Charge smart

• Use the charger made for it, or a quality certified one.
• Charge on a hard surface, not a bed, couch or carpet.
• Don't charge overnight unattended, especially e-bike and scooter packs.
• Unplug when full.

05Store smart

• Cool and dry, away from heat sources and direct sun. Not in a hot car.
• About half charged for long storage, per most manufacturers' advice, checked every few months.
• Keep terminals covered on loose batteries, so they can't short.
• Never throw lithium batteries in the trash. Take them to a battery recycling drop-off.

06Why it matters for preppers

Your backup power is only backup if it works when you need it, and doesn't start a fire in the meantime. Check your recalls, rotate and test your batteries, and store them right. See our power station vs. generator guide.

Sources (2)

CPSC: Blue Cactus reclining chair battery packs recalled; Houston Chronicle.

Photo: Acer AC10D31 Li-ion battery pack-3588 by Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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