Yeti has recalled 1.9 million soft coolers and gear cases because of magnets that could detach and be ingested. The magnet-lined closures on Yeti’s Hopper M20, Hopper M30 1.0 and 2.0, and SideKick Dry products could fail and the magnets could dislodge, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Yeti issued a Stop Sale notice on these items in early February. See SGB Executive coverage on the recall HERE and the resulting economic impact of the massive recall HERE.

Yeti received 1,399 reports of the magnet-lined closures degrading or failing, including reports of missing or detached magnets. No magnet ingestions or injuries have been reported.

“When two or more high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or to another metal object, and become lodged in the digestive system,” CPSC wrote. “This can result in perforations, twisting and/or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death.”

On February 8 according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, Yeti implemented a global stop sale of its Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler, the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler and the SideKick Dry Gear Case and notified the CPSC and other global regulatory authorities on appropriate next steps.

The items were sold Dick’s Sporting Goods, ACE Hardware, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Yeti, and other stores nationwide and online at yeti.com and amazon.com from March 2018 to January 2023 for about $50 for the SideKick Dry Gear Case, $325 for the Hopper M20 Soft Backpack Cooler and between $300 and $350 for the Hopper M30 Soft Cooler 1.0 and 2.0.

The CPSC said consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and contact Yeti for refund information.

On its fourth-quarter analyst call on February 23, Yeti said it took a $129 million charge to cover the proposed voluntary recalls regarding certain of our Soft Cooler and SideKick Dry gear bags, which resulted in a charge that the company recognized during the fourth quarter.

The charge included a $38 million reduction in sales, primarily for estimated future returns, a $59 million impact to the cost of goods sold primarily with inventory write-downs and estimated future customer remedies and a $32 million impact to SG&A expenses associated with the recall-related costs.

Photo courtesy Yeti