feA Few Apple Watch Users Are Complaining About Rashes

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(Marc van der Chijs)

People get rashes. For every plant, animal, metal, or polymer that exists, there is most likely someone out there who has an itchy skin reaction after contact with it. Yet the popularity of wearable gadgets means that people are now paying hundreds of dollars for devices that they’re supposed to wear constantly. Yes, wearable technology will cause rashes, even the much-hyped Apple Watch.

The important consumer question, then, is what do companies do once a user develops a skin reaction to their device? After the Fitbit Force caused sometimes severe contact dermatitis for many users and was ultimately recalled and taken off the market, every red patch of skin reported by a user has made wearable device fans nervous. Now that people have been wearing Apple Watches for a week and a half or so, are there any signs of irritation?

We learned about these issues from PC Magazine, but the first complaints showed up shortly after the watch was released. Early reports showed up on the subreddit dedicated to the device, where one user reported a reaction to the synthetic band that goes with the “sport” model of the watch. An Italian Apple fan site also posted two users’ rashes that they claimed were caused by the Apple Watch.

Apple responded to early rash reports with a page detailing some watch components that might cause problems. Those include the common skin irritation culprit nickel and methacrylates, which are a common type of adhesive used in everything from bandages to pricey smartwatches. Apple also warns users not to wear their watches too loose or too tight, and to keep the band and the area clean, but not to trap soap or moisture under the band.

If you’ve experienced skin irritation from the Apple Watch or any other wearable device, we’d like to hear about it! Let us know at tips@consumerist.com.

Some Apple Watch Users Complain of Skin Rashes [PC Magazine]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist