If you bought a $15 magnetic wireless charger at T.J. Maxx or Marshalls in the last 18 months, unplug it now—13,200 units can overheat and blow apart while stuck to your phone.
The Isla Rae magnetic wireless charger—a palm-size 5,000 mAh power bank sold in white, pink, and lavender—has been yanked from shelves after U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission filings confirmed the lithium-ion cell inside can ignite, turning the $15 accessory into a pocket-sized firework.
Which Units Are Affected
- Models RM5PBMDP, RM5PBMSL, or RM5PBMPW
- Label reads “5000 mAh 3.7V” on the side of the charger
- Sold June 2024 – March 2025 at T.J. Maxx and Marshalls
- Price: $15
- Total recalled: 13,200 in the U.S.; 7,000 in Canada
Flip your charger over—if the model number matches, stop charging immediately.
What Can Go Wrong
Lithium-ion cells are packed with energy. When a manufacturing defect creates an internal short, the cell enters thermal runaway: temperature spikes, flammable electrolyte vents, and the sealed casing pressurizes until it ruptures. CPSC incident reports list “explosion” and “burn hazard” as the primary risks; no injuries have been reported yet, but property damage has occurred.
Your Immediate Action Plan
- Unplug and isolate the charger—don’t toss it in a junk drawer next to paper clips.
- Photograph the label showing the model number.
- Visit the official recall portal and upload the photo with “Recalled,” your initials, and today’s date written on the unit.
- Expect a full-refund check in 4–6 weeks.
- Follow local hazardous-waste rules for disposal—never trash or curbside-recycle lithium-ion devices.
Safe Disposal Cheat-Sheet
- Call your county’s household hazardous-waste site—many accept recalled power banks free.
- Retail take-back boxes (Home Depot, Best Buy) do not accept recalled batteries; they’re for intact, non-defective cells only.
- If no local option exists, place the charger in a metal can or sand-filled bucket until you can transport it to a certified e-waste center.
Why This Keeps Happening
Low-price power banks often use Grade-B lithium cells—surplus stock with thinner separators and less rigorous QA. As brands race to hit impulse-buy price points near checkout lines, corners get cut. The Isla Rae recall joins a 2026 spike in cheap-electronics recalls that already includes 400,000 off-brand vapes and 50,000 Amazon-basics surge strips.
Shop Smarter Next Time
- Look for UL 2056 or ETL certification marks on the package—third-party labs test for thermal, short-circuit, and crush safety.
- Skip no-name Amazon brands priced under $20; reputable names (Anker, Belkin, Mophie) rarely appear in CPSC alerts.
- Register your device on the manufacturer’s site—recalls reach owners faster than store receipts.
Until standards tighten, treat every bargain-bin power bank as a potential firecracker. Check your bag, tag your unit, and cash in on the refund before the next charge cycle.
Get the fastest lifestyle safety alerts—bookmark onlytrustedinfo.com and skip the scramble when the next recall drops.
