Recall of Black Anker 535 Power Bank (PowerCore 20K A1366) over fire risk

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published a product recall on 1 February 2023 for the black Anker 535 Power Bank (PowerCore 20K) A1366, a portable charger sold in the UK only through Amazon and the Anker website¹. The recall is of the product from end users, and the OPSS states that owners should stop using it immediately¹.

The OPSS describes the hazard as a risk of fire, because an internal defect can lead the battery to overheat¹. In its explanation of the cause, it says the negative temperature coefficient thermistors ("NTCs") may have been misplaced during the production process, which causes the NTC to press on and damage the battery cell, and this can lead to overheating of the power bank¹. The product is listed as an electrical appliance and equipment power bank, brand Anker, with country of origin Hong Kong, and is described as a portable charger for electronics on the move, compatible with a variety of devices including laptops, iPhones and iPads¹. The OPSS gives the case number as 2205-0134 and records that the alert was notified by the Office for Product Safety and Standards¹. No risk level is given on the notice, which lists it as not provided¹. No injuries or incidents connected with the product are reported in the notice.

The OPSS directs owners to contact the distributor they purchased from for further information or to request a refund, or to use the Anker recall page at anker.com/uk/a1366-recall¹. The notice does not state how many units are affected, the dates between which the product was sold, or how a household can identify an affected unit beyond the model name and number. Those details have not been reported in the notice.

Why it matters for households

The recall covers a power bank of the kind households keep for charging phones and other devices during a power cut. The OPSS states that affected products were sold in the UK only via Amazon and the Anker website, so units bought elsewhere are not covered by this notice¹. The action requested by the OPSS applies from the date of the notice, 1 February 2023: owners should stop using the product immediately, and refunds are handled through the distributor the product was bought from or through Anker's recall page¹. The notice does not say what owners should do with a unit once it has been withdrawn from use, and this has not been reported. Households checking electrical equipment they hold for emergencies can find general guidance in the guide on how to check if an electrical product has been recalled, and background on choosing and using power banks for keeping phones charged in an emergency sits in the wider backup power section.

What happens next

The notice sets out no further timetable. It states that the product has been recalled from end users and that owners should contact the distributor they purchased from, or use the Anker recall page, for information or a refund¹. No end date for the recall, no unit numbers and no further OPSS updates are given in the notice.