Thursday, November 6th, T3 Micro Inc. issued a recall for the T3 Twirl 360 curling iron. Apparently, there have been over 130 reports of the device's clamp detaching during use, which could potentially lead to serious burn injuries.
Who Makes the Product?
The product is imported by T3 Micro Inc and is manufactured in China, though its specific manufacturer was not named in the recall.
Which Products Are Affected?
All Twirl 360 curling irons appear to be affected. The irons are colored all-white with rose-colored grips and were sold at Nordstrom and Sephora.
How Widespread is the Problem?
It is being reported that 8,400 of these curling irons have been sold in the United States. If there have been 130 reported incidents, one might reasonably assume that the total number of incidents is higher than that. Given the relatively small quantity of products sold, the failure rate seems abnormally high. So far the most serious injuries that have been reported are two burn cases.
What Can Be Done?
Everyone who owns one of these devices is asked to stop using them immediately. They can contact T3 Micro at 866-376-880 to receive prepaid shipping materials to return the product.
What This Means
You might safely assume that I'm a little out of my element talking about curling irons, but I do have a wife and I'm well aware that the clamp on curling iron should not detach. From what I can gather, watching their fantastic promotional videos, this iron rotates at the push of a button. It seems that should the clamp detach while it is in the process of curling, tangled up in hair, there is really nothing stopping it from falling with the hair into the scalp or along the neck and shoulders. I would gather that is how some of the burn injuries occurred.
If people weren't getting hurt, it might be a little funny that this curling iron is packed with all sorts of gadgets and push-button technology to adjust heat settings and curling speed, but the basic mechanical parts—like a clamp that stays attached—are faulty. When I first learned that this product was recalled, I assumed that it was for its more obvious hazards, like the fact that it's a hot, spinning pole that you use in close proximity to the your head. It's not the most dangerous product we have featured, but if you own one, get rid of it.