Reese’s Law impacts several US cycling & sports electronics firms from TODAY

Garmin HRM-FIT looks compliant to me

Reese’s Law impacts several US cycling & sports electronics firms from TODAY

In the USA from today (19 March) every company selling products with coin cell/button batteries must comply with Reese’s Law (P.L. 117-171). This directly affects several power meter companies like Stages, Garmin and 4iiii plus many other companies selling heart rate monitors like Garmin and Polar.

The law is relatively onerous and has packaging requirements, certification requirements, and further potential requirements to redesign the product. All of which take weeks to design and implement.

By way of an example, a CR2032 battery compartment must require multiple hand movements or tools to open it. Even if the product already meets this criterion (like Garmin Rally), instruction manuals and relevant warnings must also be included with the product at the point of sale. Furthermore, a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) or General Certificate of Compliance (GCC) must be obtained.

This law was enacted some time ago and as of today, products must be compliant. Non-compliant products cannot be legally sold in the USA.

I know of a few companies, including one power meter company, who have overlooked compliance and have now temporarily halted sales as a result.

Yikes.

the5krunner.com © 2010-2025

Reader-Powered Content

This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively, please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

3 thoughts on “Reese’s Law impacts several US cycling & sports electronics firms from TODAY

  1. It`s about time. Too many people have died in the past by wrongly inserting these vicious batteries, either in their devices or orifices. I am so glad, that the governments of this world tackle the real problems of our time! I will sleep better tonight.

  2. totally overdone. In EU we have all of this already I guess. Opening the packaging requires a tool like a serious scissor or cutting pliers. Very irritating.

    1. not sure about that in the uk/eu. i think there was someone pushing for a law on it on the radio last year (uk). i could be wrong

      i suspect the biggest issue is people leaving batteries out rather than young kids removing them from devices. they do look like sweets…well, to a two year old they might

Comments are closed.