About 250,000 Cooluli 10-liter and 15-liter mini fridges — the compact kind stocked in dorm rooms, home bars, and offices — are being recalled after the manufacturer received reports that the electrical switch can short-circuit and spark while the unit is simply plugged in, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s August 13 recall notice. The timing lands right as families are stocking dorm rooms for the fall semester.
Key Points
- Cooluli has received at least 19 reports of the fridges smoking, sparking, burning, melting, overheating, or catching fire, according to CPSC.
- Those incidents caused more than $80,000 in property damage and at least one smoke inhalation injury.
- The recall covers roughly 250,000 units sold for $80 to $120 between January 2019 and October 2024.
- Units were sold on Amazon.com and directly through Cooluli.com.
What’s Included
- Cooluli mini fridges in 10-liter and 15-liter sizes
- Batch numbers 1535-1545 and 1200000-1202080, printed on a label inside the fridge door
- Sold in multiple colors marketed for dorm rooms, offices, and home bars
- Units sold over a nearly six-year window, meaning fridges bought as early as 2019 are still covered
What Consumers Should Do
- Unplug the mini fridge immediately and stop using it, even if it has been running fine so far.
- Check the batch number on the label inside the door against the ranges listed above.
- Cut off the original power cord so it can’t accidentally be plugged back in, then photograph the unit’s model and batch numbers.
- Submit the photos to Cooluli through cooluli.com/pages/product-notices-recalls to receive a free replacement DC power cord and a permanent sticker covering the original AC port.
- Questions? Call Cooluli at 718-834-5312 (8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday) or email [email protected].
The recall notably does not require consumers to stop using the fridge entirely once the fix is installed — the free cord and port cover are meant to eliminate the specific short-circuit risk while letting the appliance keep running. Until that fix arrives, though, the CPSC’s guidance is to treat the unit as unsafe to plug in.
Recall number 26-685 was announced alongside several other CPSC recalls in mid-August, and with so many of these compact fridges headed to college dorms and small apartments this month, it’s worth checking the label before one gets tucked behind a bed frame or a couch, exactly the kind of spot where a spark could smolder unnoticed for a while. Dorm rooms in particular often route several small appliances through a single outlet or power strip, which is its own separate fire-safety consideration worth double-checking at move-in.
