HAIARA power bank recall: no date code? You’re owed a refund

Only one model is included: the HAIARA W5 PRO, sold on Amazon by Mitrytech. Other HAIARA chargers are not part of this notice. To confirm you have the right one, look for all of these:

• Color and front marking: a black case with “20W” printed on the front.
• Model name: the words “Model: W5 PRO” on the side.
• The deciding check: no date code on the side. A date code, where one exists, is eight digits written as year, month and day (YYYYMMDD).

That last point trips people up, so here is the plain version. If your W5 PRO has an eight-digit date code on its side, it is not recalled. If the side shows the model name but no date code, it is.

Not sure where your charger came from? Open your Amazon order history and search for HAIARA. The order page shows the brand and the seller name, Mitrytech, even when the charger itself doesn’t. Mitrytech is the trading name of Huizhou Yancheng Trading Co., Ltd., a company based in China.

The remedy is a full refund, and you don’t send the charger anywhere. The CPSC is clear that this is a fire hazard, so it should not go into a shipping box or back to an Amazon drop-off point. Instead, the process works like this:

1. Stop using it now. Unplug it and don’t charge it again, even to drain it.
2. Mark it. Use a permanent marker to write “Recalled” across the case.
3. Take a photo. Make sure the word you wrote is easy to read in the picture.
4. Send it to Mitrytech. Submit the photo through the dedicated HAIARA recall email address or the refund page on HAIARA’s website, both listed in the official CPSC recall notice.
5. Confirm disposal. Mitrytech also asks you to confirm that you got rid of the charger in line with your local rules.

Keep a copy of your photo and your Amazon order details until the money lands. If the seller asks for proof of purchase, the order page is the quickest thing to send.

A power bank is a lithium-ion battery in a case, and it should never go in your household trash or the curbside recycling bin. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that batteries tossed in with ordinary garbage or recyclables can get crushed by trucks and sorting machines, and that crushing can start a fire.

Here’s the safe route, based on EPA guidance:

• Prepare it. Put the charger in its own plastic bag, and cover any exposed metal contacts or ports with non-conductive tape such as electrical tape.
• Find a drop-off. Look for a certified electronics recycler, a store that runs a battery take-back program, or your city or county household hazardous waste collection site. The Earth911 and Call2Recycle locators list options near you.
• Ask before you go. Some sites handle damaged or recalled batteries differently, so call ahead and mention it’s a recalled unit.

Even a battery that seems dead can hold enough charge to start a fire, so treat an old charger with the same care as a full one.

You don’t need a recall notice to spot a dangerous charger. Stop using any power bank, HAIARA or not, if it is swollen or bulging, gets hot when it shouldn’t, gives off smoke, or has a cracked or dented case. Don’t charge it, puncture it or try to open it.

The reason is a process called thermal runaway. When a lithium-ion cell is faulty or damaged, it can produce heat faster than it can shed it, and that heat triggers more heat. Once that chain reaction starts it feeds itself, which is why these fires are so hard to put out. If a power bank is actively burning, leave the area and call 911.

For the HAIARA W5 PRO, the numbers are what make this recall stand out. Six hundred incident reports against about 11,000 units sold works out to roughly 5.5 percent of every charger out there. Of those reports, nine involved damage to property and three involved burns.

No, don’t bring it to the airport at all, not even to throw it away there. Under TSA rules, power banks are only ever allowed in carry-on bags, never in checked luggage, because a battery fire in the cargo hold can’t be reached by the crew. A model with hundreds of fire reports is the last thing you want in the cabin either.

Air travel rules for power banks have also tightened this year. International rules that took effect on March 27, 2026 limit passengers to two power banks each and bar charging them on board, and some airline groups, including the Lufthansa Group and Qantas, have banned using them in flight entirely. If you travel often, it’s worth checking your airline’s current policy before you pack any charger.

This isn’t a one-off. The CPSC has issued a string of similar recalls in the past two years for budget power banks sold on Amazon, including models from Hererod, INIU, NEWDERY and Casely. In each case, the problem was the same kind of lithium-ion cell that can overheat and catch fire.

The practical lesson is simple. Before you buy, favor brands that list a real model number and a clear seller name, and keep your order confirmation so you can check future recalls quickly. After you buy, skip charging power banks overnight on a bed or sofa, and retire any charger that shows the warning signs above.

The CPSC notice covers chargers sold on Amazon’s US store, and it doesn’t mention buyers in Canada or the UK. If you bought a black W5 PRO from another Amazon store, stop using it anyway and contact the seller through your order page.