What's Hiding Inside Haribo's Power Bank and Headphones?

Summary

Before it disappeared from Amazon, the Haribo 20,000 mAh power bank spread quickly through backpacking communities. It offered high capacity at a low weight, and its specs made it attractive to ultralight hikers who count every gram. And it was cute to boot; Haribo branding adorns the front and a gummy bear is attached to the charging cable. For a few months it looked like a great deal with broad appeal. Then the listing was pulled, with Amazon telling customers there was a “potential safety or quality issue.” DC Hong Kong Global, the manufacturer of Haribo-branded electronics under license from the gummy bear company, didn't publish a statement about the issue. We CT scanned the power bank along with a couple of the brand’s earbuds. Every product we scanned shows battery defects that increase the likelihood of failure and possibly fires. Why backpackers loved itA power bank sits at the intersection of energy storage, reliability, and field conditions. Backpackers rely on GPS, weather forecasts, and emergency communication. A battery failure can end a trip or create a dangerous situation. When a lightweight pack promises substantial capacity and has a great price, it's too much to resist.The Haribo power bank weighs roughly 286g and has a capacity of 20,000 mAh. That ratio drew attention because it implied efficient cell packaging. Our scans show that the structure inside the pouch has bigger problems than sheer capacity.Overview of the Haribo 20,000 mAh power bankWhat we found inside the power bankThe power bank contains two pouch cells with poor edge alignment. The electrodes don’t form a uniform block. Instead, the layers bend and rise in a wavy pattern. This pattern reflects uneven winding during assembly. It also indicates that the electrodes were not stabilized before sealing. Poor edge alignment can lead to uneven lithium plating, which in turn can cause dendrite formation. This increases the risk of shortened battery life, failure, and, depending on where th...