Apple defends Watch bands amid lawsuit over 'toxic' design fail

By Joe Foley | MSN | January 26, 2025

Read the full article by Joe Foley (MSN)

"It's not often that Apple responds to criticism. Even in cases like its disastrous AI news alerts, it preferred to quickly and quietly roll out an update. But the Cupertino tech giant has come out with a public statement in response to fears about the safety of Apple Watch bands triggered by a scathing report and a class action lawsuit.

The company insists that all Apple Watch bands are safe to use but notes that it is working to phase out the use of PFAs, the forever chemicals at the centre of the controversy.

The lawsuit lodged at California’s Northern District Court singles out three Apple Watch bands that are made with fluoroelastomer: the standard sport band along with the Sport band on Nike-branded models and the Ocean band. It cites a study published in December 2024 that found that these along with some watch bands from Google, Samsung, Fitbit, OnePlus, Garmin and others contain high levels of PFAs that can be absorbed through the skin."