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Apple sued over toxic 'forever chemicals' in Apple Watch bands (Updated: Official statement)

The filing follows a class-action lawsuit against Samsung regarding 'forever chemicals' in its straps too.
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Published onJanuary 24, 2025

An Apple Watch Series 10 rests alongside an Ultra 2 and Series 9 device.
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority
TL;DR
  • A lawsuit has been filed against Apple after a study found high concentrations of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in its watch bands.
  • The suit targets the Apple Watch’s Sport, Ocean, and Nike Sport bands.
  • These chemicals can build up in our bodies over time and have been linked to a variety of health issues.
  • Apple has refuted the allegations, saying that Apple Watch bands are safe for users to wear.

Update: January 24, 2025 (12:58 AM ET): Apple has reached out to Android Authority with an official statement regarding the matter and the materials used in Apple Watch bands. Here’s what the company had to say.

Apple Watch bands are safe for users to wear. In addition to our own testing, we also work with independent laboratories to conduct rigorous testing and analysis of the materials used in our products, including Apple Watch bands.”

In 2022, Apple released a whitepaper detailing its plan to phase out forever chemicals from its products. At the time, the company accepted that many of its products contained PFAS and that it would take time to completely phase them out.

“It will take time for Apple to completely phase out PFAS from our products and processes because of the challenges related to compiling a comprehensive catalog of PFAS use, identifying and developing non-PFAS alternatives that can meet the performance needs for certain critical applications, and taking into account the time needed for material qualification,” Apple wrote in the paper.

The same year, Apple also released a toxicological assessment report for materials used in Apple products, including the Apple Watch. You can read the extensive report here, wherein Apple notes how it conducts internal testing and qualification of materials used in its smartwatches.

Here’s an official list of all the materials Apple uses in all its watches and watch bands.

Original article: January 23, 2025 (3:32 AM ET): A recent study found that smartwatch bands from popular brands, including Apple, contain high concentrations of toxic ‘forever chemicals.’ Now, a lawsuit has been filed against Apple regarding these watch bands.

A lawsuit was filed in California’s Northern District Court (spotted by The Register) and targets three Apple Watch fluoroelastomer bands that are said to contain “forever chemicals.” These bands are the Sport band included with the smartwatch, the Ocean band, and the Nike Sport band that ships with the Apple Watch Nike devices.

So what are “forever chemicals,” then? These are also known as PFAS chemicals (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and are synthetic chemicals that don’t break down easily over time. Instead, they build up in our bodies and have been linked to increased risk of specific cancers, weakened immune systems, developmental delays in children, and hormone disruption. In addition to fluoroelastomer watch bands, these toxic chemicals have also been found in non-stick cookware, mattresses, water-resistant clothes, and more.

Do you care about 'forever chemicals' in your wearables?

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Apple isn’t the only smartwatch brand to offer bands with forever chemicals, though. Other offending straps include the Pixel Watch 3‘s default watch strap, the Galaxy Watch Sport T-buckle band, and the OnePlus Watch 2’s fluoro-rubber strap. You can check out our more comprehensive list of watch bands with forever chemicals.

This filing nevertheless arrives a couple of years after Apple first pledged to phase out these toxic chemicals from its products. It also comes after a separate suit was filed against Samsung late last year for its own use of forever chemicals in certain watch straps. Either way, we hope all wearable manufacturers act quickly to ditch these chemicals in its products.

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