If you have a Bose S1 Pro speaker in the garage, the church basement or the back of the family truck, it is worth a look before the next gathering. Bose is recalling about 634,759 lithium-ion battery packs in the U.S. because they can melt, smoke or catch fire.
The recall covers battery packs for the S1 Pro and S1 Pro+ Bluetooth speaker systems. Roughly 35,400 more packs are included in Canada, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Seven Packs Melted, Smoked Or Caught Fire, And Six Damaged Property
The agency says there have been 7 reports of the packs melting, smoking or catching fire. Six of those reports involved property damage, and no injuries were reported.
That is a small number against more than 634,000 packs, but fire is the kind of risk that nobody wants to wait around for. A battery pack sitting in a hot car or a closed case is not where you want a problem to start.
The packs were sold from December 2017 through July 2026 at Bose, Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart.com and other retailers. A replacement pack cost between $100 and $160, and a speaker system sold with the pack cost about $700.
Portable speakers like these travel a lot. They ride in trunks, get stacked in storage rooms and spend long afternoons in the sun at outdoor events, which is why a battery that can overheat deserves attention even when nothing has gone wrong yet.
Your $700 Speaker Still Works Plugged In While The Pack Comes Out
Here is the part that surprises people. You do not have to stop using the speaker. The instructions are to remove the battery pack, and the speaker can keep running when it is plugged into a wall outlet.
That means a band, a karaoke night or a backyard party can carry on, as long as there is an outlet nearby and an extension cord that is up to the job. You only lose the cord-free convenience until the replacement arrives.
Pull the pack out, set it somewhere safe, and keep the speaker on AC power. Do not charge the recalled pack in the meantime.
Check Your Serial Number For These Seven Starting Digits
Not every pack is part of the recall, so the serial number is the key. The affected packs have 17-digit serial numbers that start with 083723, 078352, 084105, 078591, 078592, 084106 or 086409.
Look for the serial number on the battery pack itself. If it begins with any of those seven sets of digits, you are in the recall, and you should move to the next step.
It helps to jot the number down or snap a photo of it before you do anything else. You will need it when you register, and it is much easier to read in good light than at the back of a speaker case.
How To Get A Free Replacement Pack
Bose is offering a free replacement. You register at bose.com/support/s1-battery-recall and follow the steps there.
The company has made this free for anyone with an affected pack, so there is no reason to pay for a new one out of pocket. If you bought your speaker secondhand, or got it as a gift, you can still check the serial number and register.
If you share a speaker with a band, a church group or a community club, tell the others too. These speakers often get passed around, and the person who last had it may not be the person who reads the news.
Plenty of owners use these speakers for music at weddings, school events and weekend gigs. If that is you, plan ahead so a missing battery does not become a surprise on the day of the event, and test the plugged-in setup at home first.
Do Not Toss The Old Pack In The Trash Or The Recycling Bin
This is a detail that is easy to miss. The old pack should not go in your regular trash or your curbside recycling.
Lithium-ion batteries can start fires inside garbage trucks and recycling facilities when they are crushed or punctured. Many communities have a hazardous waste drop-off, and many retailers take rechargeable batteries, so check with your local program about where yours can go.
Until you get it there, store the old pack away from anything that burns, out of direct heat, and somewhere pets and children cannot reach it.
A Few Habits For Every Rechargeable Gadget In Your House
This recall is a good reminder about every battery-powered device we own. Charge them on a hard surface, not on a bed or a couch, and take them off the charger once they are full when you can.
Keep batteries out of a hot car, and pay attention if one swells, smells odd or gets unusually hot. Those are signs to stop using it.
It is also smart to register your products when you buy them, so a company can reach you if something like this happens. Many people skip that step, then find out about a recall by accident.
If you have one of these speakers, take five minutes today. Check the serial, take the pack out if it is on the list, and register for your free replacement.
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