If you have a Yoto Mini speaker, you need to stop using it straight away. The firm has recalled its child-friendly speakers because of a fire hazard, and it's a serious one. As the US Consumer Product Safety Commission explains: "the speaker’s lithium-ion battery can overheat and catch fire, posing burn and fire hazards to consumers."
According to Yoto: "We have received seven reports of Yoto Minis which contained a battery that overheated, posing a potential burn or fire hazard. There have been no reported injuries."
Of course, seven overheating batteries is still seven too many – and potential burns or fires are bad enough with any speaker, but when it's a speaker designed primarily for children the risk is even more of a worry.
Here's what you need to know.
Which Yoto Mini speakers have been recalled?
The recall applies to all Yoto Mini speakers sold between November 2021 and April 2024. That's 251,165 speakers in the US and a further 19,271 speakers in Canada.
The affected speakers have the product SKU (product number) PRPLXX00860. If you turn the speaker upside down you'll see the SKU printed in two places: in the second half of the FCC ID, and immediately to the right of that.
Do you have to send your whole speaker back to Yoto?
No. The problem is with the charging cable, not the speaker. As a reuslt, Yoto is offering affected customers a free replacement which, according to The Verge, the firm says will "keep the battery charge within safe limits" and "minimize the risk of overheating".
Yoto has also issued a software update for the speakers that it says improves battery management.
How do you get your replacement Yoto Mini charging cable?
In order to get your safer cable, you'll need to visit the Yoto website and enter the serial number of your device, which is printed below the SKU and immediately above the QR code. Once you've done that you need to get your (unplugged!) charging cable, cut it in half and upload a photograph of the cut cable to the same web page. In exchange Yoto will send you a replacement cable and a $20 voucher.
If you have any questions, you can contact Yoto directly at minihelp@yotoplay.com.
