US regulators recall 195,000 heated blankets after 53 burn injuries

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled about 195,000 electric blankets and heating pads sold under the JKMAX brand, saying the products' internal wiring can overheat and catch fire. The recall notice, posted September 17 and first reported by CBS News, is the third U.S. safety action against an electrically heated blanket brand since mid-July, as households begin plugging the products back in for the cold-weather months.

The agency said it has received 577 reports of the heating pads and blankets smoking, melting or burning because their internal wire heating elements overheated, including 53 burn injuries. No deaths have been reported. The products were sold exclusively on Amazon.com between September 2022 and July 2026, as one- and two-packs, in blue, gray, brown or red machine-washable polyester. The recalled models are JKMAX-002, JKMAX-7284B, JKMAX-6284B, JKMAX-10090B and JKMAX-8490B, with numbers printed on the control unit and on a tag sewn into the product. The importer of record is Jiande Pengshuai Trading Co., a China-based company, according to the CPSC filing.

A pattern of recalls

The JKMAX action follows two other CPSC moves against heated bedding sold through Amazon's marketplace this summer. On July 30, the agency announced a recall of roughly 178,000 OCTROT-branded heated throws and blankets, after finding that a power cord could detach and ignite. The CPSC logged 555 reports tied to those products, including 27 fires and 15 burn or shock injuries.

Two weeks before that, on July 16, the commission took the unusual step of issuing a direct public warning about Melinora heated blankets rather than a negotiated recall, after the manufacturer, Leevana Inc., stopped responding to the agency's requests. That product, sold on Amazon from February to October 2025, was tied to five overheating reports and one burn injury among roughly 700 units.

Together, the three actions cover more than 373,000 electrically heated blankets, throws and pads, all sold through Amazon and all recalled or flagged for the same underlying failure: internal wiring or cords that overheat and can ignite bedding. The Electrical Safety Foundation International, a nonprofit funded largely by electrical-product manufacturers, estimates that heating pads and electric blankets cause roughly 500 residential fires in the United States each year, with the overwhelming majority involving older or damaged units.

Who is affected

Consumers who bought a JKMAX blanket or pad in the affected models are told to stop using it immediately and contact the company for a full refund, either by phone at 800-917-5732, by email, or through the JKMAX recall website, without needing to return the product for models sold in that window. The OCTROT remedy is similar but requires photographic proof that the product has been cut apart before a refund is issued. Owners of Melinora blankets have no company to contact, since Leevana Inc. did not cooperate with the agency; the CPSC's advice there is simply to stop using the blanket and throw it away rather than resell or donate it.

All three products were sold exclusively online, a distribution pattern the commission has flagged in other recent cases involving lesser-known brands that manufacture in China and sell directly to American consumers through large marketplaces, with limited physical retail presence and, in some cases, little responsiveness once a safety problem surfaces.

What safety experts advise

Guidance from product-safety researchers has stayed fairly consistent across the various recalls this year. UL Solutions, the independent product-testing organization, recommends warming a bed before sleep rather than leaving a blanket on overnight, replacing units more than 10 years old, and never folding, bunching or sitting on an electric blanket while it is switched on, since that can crimp the internal wiring.

"Turn the blanket on about half an hour before you're planning to retire for the night and switch it off before you climb into bed," advises Dr. Derek E. Bell, a burn specialist cited in UL Solutions' consumer safety guidance.

The organization also advises against using electric blankets on adjustable, sofa or water beds, where the fabric can crease unpredictably, and against combining a heated blanket with an electric mattress pad or heating pad, which can push a shared circuit beyond what it was designed to handle. People with diabetes, limited mobility or reduced sensation to heat are advised to consult a doctor before using any electrically heated bedding, since they may not notice overheating before a burn occurs.

• Check the model number on the remote or sewn-in tag against the recalled JKMAX, OCTROT or Melinora lists before use.
• Inspect the cord and fabric each season for fraying, scorch marks or exposed wire, and retire any blanket older than 10 years.
• Never fold, bunch or sit on a heated blanket while it is switched on, and avoid layering heavy bedding on top of it.
• Warm the bed before sleep and switch the blanket off before getting in, rather than leaving it on overnight.

What happens next

Consumers who cannot reach JKMAX directly can report problems to the CPSC's own hotline, and the agency continues to collect incident reports on all three brands as the cases proceed. Coverage of the JKMAX case noted that the recall covers every heated blanket and pad the company sold, meaning the defect cannot be spotted by appearance alone, and drew a comparison to a 2023 recall of roughly 350,000 Bedsure-brand blankets, which drew 137 incident reports — a smaller share than the JKMAX total. Because the Melinora matter remains an open warning rather than a completed recall, the agency has not said whether it will pursue further enforcement against Leevana Inc. if the company continues to be unresponsive.

With overnight temperatures beginning to drop across much of the country, the commission's practical advice to consumers is to check any electric blanket or heating pad against the recalled model numbers before plugging it in for the season, inspect the cord and fabric for fraying or scorch marks, and register new heated bedding purchases so manufacturers can reach buyers directly if a defect turns up later.