Energizer today announced the launch of new Energizer Ultimate Child Shield lithium coin cell batteries, available in the 2032 size used in Apple AirTags.
Child Shield batteries do not cause ingestion burns if swallowed and also include an element that turns the mouth blue when exposed to saliva. Energizer says this will allow caregivers to be alerted if ingested, so they can act quickly. Batteries also have a bitter coating to deter children from ingesting them.
When AirTags launched in 2021, an affected Australian retailer stopped selling them because the back of the tracker can be opened to remove the battery inside. Opening the AirTag requires pressing and twisting, a two-step process that Apple says meets international child safety standards.
After the situation sparked public interest, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission warned parents to keep AirTags out of reach of children. The ACCC expressed concern that the squeezing and twisting motion was not enough to keep the battery out of the reach of children.
In the United States, Apple added a warning label to the AirTag box stating that the AirTag coin cell battery should be kept out of the reach of children due to the risk of injury or death if the battery is swallowed. Apple also added a warning about the risks of button batteries in the Find My app when the AirTag battery is replaced.
Apple put the warning on the AirTag labels after the United States passed “Reese’s Law,” named after a toddler who died in 2020 after swallowing a coin cell battery that was inside a remote control. Button batteries can get stuck in a child’s esophagus, with saliva triggering an alkaline reaction that can lead to burns in less than an hour.
Energizer’s new battery could ease the fears of parents who want to use an AirTag while ensuring their children are safe from accidental ingestion, and they are available for purchase in stores in the United States.
Apple has cautioned against using batteries with a non-toxic bitter coating, as these batteries may not work with AirTag depending on the alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts.