Energizer today announced the launch of new Energizer Ultimate Child Shield coin lithium batteries that are available in the 2032 size used in Apple's AirTags.
The Child Shield batteries do not cause ingestion burns if swallowed, and they also include an element that turns the mouth blue when exposed to saliva. Energizer says this will allow caregivers to be alerted when ingestion has occurred, so they can act quickly. The batteries also have a bitter coating to deter children from ingesting them.
When AirTags launched in 2021, a concerned retailer in Australia stopped selling them because the back of the tracker can be opened up to remove the battery inside. Opening the AirTag requires pressing down and twisting, a two-step process that Apple said met international child safety standards.
After the situation sparked public interest, Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission warned parents to keep AirTags out of reach of children. The ACCC said it was concerned the press and twist motion did not do enough to keep the battery away from children.
In the U.S., Apple added a warning label to the AirTag box that says the coin-cell battery in the AirTag should be kept out of reach of children due to the risk of injury or death should the battery be ingested. Apple also added a warning about coin-cell battery risks in the Find My app when the AirTag battery is changed.
Apple put the warning on AirTag labels after the U.S. adopted "Reese's Law," named for a toddler that died in 2020 after swallowing a coin-cell battery that was inside a remote control. Coin-cell batteries can get stuck in a child's esophagus, with saliva triggering an alkaline reaction that can lead to burns in under an hour.
Energizer's new battery could alleviate fears for parents who want to use an AirTag while also making sure their children are safe from accidental ingestion, and they are available for purchase at stores across the U.S.
Apple has warned against using batteries with non-toxic bitter coating, because these batteries may not work with AirTag depending on the alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts.
