Electric throw blankets sold on Amazon are being recalled after 27 fires and 15 injuries

A popular line of heated Sherpa throws and blankets sold on Amazon has been pulled from the market after regulators tied the products to dozens of fires and a string of injuries. The Chinese seller behind the brand, OCTROT, is recalling about 178,000 of the electric throws and blankets because their power cord can detach and ignite, and federal safety officials warn the defect carries a risk of serious injury or death.

The action is one more entry in a growing list of low-cost heated textiles sold through online marketplaces that have overheated, sparked, or caught fire. It also arrives at a moment when regulators are pressing Amazon to take greater responsibility for hazardous goods shipped through its warehouses.

The defect and the toll behind the recall

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall notice, the electrical cord on the recalled throws and blankets can come loose at the point where it plugs into the controller and then ignite, posing fire, burn, and shock hazards. The agency reports that OCTROT received 555 reports of the products melting, sparking, and smoking, which led to 27 fires and 15 burn or electrical shock injuries. The recall was announced on July 30, 2026. The danger is heightened by how these products are used: a heated blanket typically runs for hours, unattended, directly against bedding and a sleeping person, so a cord that arcs or a controller that overheats can escalate into a house fire before anyone notices.

Which blankets are affected

The recall covers OCTROT-branded sherpa heated throws and blankets sold in several color combinations, including gray and yellow, and white paired with gray, yellow, blue, or red. They came in five sizes ranging from 50 by 60 inches up to 84 by 90 inches, each with a white controller offering five temperature settings. A recalled unit can be identified by the model numbers OCT-5060, OCT-5062, OCT-6248, OCT-7284, or OCT-8490 printed on the packaging, and by a controller cord with two or four small holes at the lower connection point. The blankets sold on Amazon from August 2021 through December 2025 for between $40 and $60.

What owners are told to do

The safety commission urges anyone who owns one of the throws or blankets to stop using it immediately and contact OCTROT for a full refund. Rather than shipping the item back, consumers are asked to destroy it by unplugging the cord and cutting it in half, then emailing the company a photo of the cut cord before disposing of the product. The destroy-in-place instruction has become standard for imported electrical goods, where return shipping often costs more than the refund and where the priority is getting a dangerous item out of use as fast as possible. Because the seller is based overseas, owners who no longer have the packaging can still confirm eligibility through the model numbers and the distinctive controller cord.

Why Amazon’s role is under scrutiny

Recalls involving products from overseas third-party sellers have become a flashpoint between the marketplace and federal regulators. In 2024 the safety commission ruled that Amazon is legally a “distributor” of items stored and shipped through its Fulfilled by Amazon program, and therefore shares responsibility for recalling defective goods sold by outside merchants. That decision reached more than 400,000 products, including faulty carbon monoxide detectors, hair dryers without electrocution protection, and children’s sleepwear that failed federal flammability standards. Amazon has since challenged the order, arguing the agency overstepped its statutory authority, which leaves unresolved who must act when a marketplace seller disappears or refuses to cooperate with a recall.

A recurring hazard in cheap heated goods

Heated blankets and throws have a long track record of fire and burn recalls, especially among inexpensive imports. The pattern predates this recall: in 2021 another Amazon seller pulled tens of thousands of InvoSpa heated blankets after reports that they could overheat and cause fires and burns. The underlying failure is usually the same: thin internal heating wires, cords, or controllers that break down under repeated flexing and heat cycling until they short or arc. Because the wiring sits inside soft fabric that is folded, sat on, and washed, damage is easy to miss until the moment it fails.

Safety specialists generally advise replacing any heated bedding that shows scorch marks, frayed cords, discoloration, or hot spots, never folding or bunching a blanket while it is switched on, and unplugging it whenever it is not in use. Older adults and anyone with reduced sensation in the skin face a higher burn risk, because they may not feel a blanket growing dangerously hot. Shoppers can also check a product against the safety commission’s recall database before buying, since heated textiles from little-known brands turn up there with unusual frequency.

This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by the Morning Overview editorial team.

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