Amazon Pulls Viral Haribo Power Banks From Sale

We’ve got a weird one for you. A few months back, a particular piece of branded merch went viral online. Haribo (yes, that Haribo) was selling a branded power bank that picked up viral attention. Gram for gram, these banks offered the single highest ratio of power to weight among any comparable design, and for an especially low price. After a few months of increased sales, the banks came under scrutiny for shoddy design and pulled from sale. This has created a vacuum in the market that has drawn resellers’ attention. Let’s take a look.

First, a disclaimer: we’re not product safety experts. But the timing of Amazon’s action, combined with increasing scrutiny of budget power banks, suggests these ultralight specs may have come at a cost.

The Haribo Mini Power Bank looked like a joke when it first appeared on Amazon earlier this year. A white brick with a fake gummy bear attached to its USB-C cable, branded under the German candy company’s name. But ultralight backpackers weren’t laughing at the specs. At 286 grams for the 20,000mAh model, it was lighter than the $120 Nitecore NB 20000 that dominated the ultralight scene. And it cost just $22.

Developed by Hong Kong-based DC Global and sold through a crowdfunding partnership with Haribo, these power banks gained cult status among weight-obsessed hikers. The 10,000mAh version weighed only 165 grams, undercutting every premium competitor while matching their 22.5W fast-charging specs.

Then Amazon pulled the plug. On November 12th, the retailer removed both models from sale, citing “a possible quality or safety defect.” All pending orders were canceled and product pages scrubbed. Amazon offered no specifics about what safety issue had been identified.

This came shortly after an investigation published by Lumafield, showing that the banks were poorly designed and poorly built. They almost certainly didn’t live up to the stated specs, and were at a risk for short circuiting or even fires in a worst case scenario.

Many resellers are speculating that short-term market might emerge for these power banks due to the delisting, but it’s not clear if the money will back it up.

The Amazon removal created instant scarcity. eBay listings for both models started appearing within days. Some 20,000mAh units have sold for around $50, roughly double the original retail price. Other listings pushed toward $200, banking on buyers who’d already committed to the ultralight specs and didn’t want to switch to heavier alternatives.

The 10,000mAh versions are trading similarly, though with less dramatic spikes since alternatives remain available. Unlike typical recalled products, these power banks have no official recall notice from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Amazon’s action appears preemptive, not mandated. That means buyers who already own these units aren’t being offered refunds through official channels.

This is where reselling gets complicated. These aren’t officially recalled products, so there’s no legal restriction on selling used units. But the ethical and practical considerations are serious.

Amazon identified an unspecified safety defect serious enough for immediate removal. There’s no way to verify if individual units are affected without technical equipment. Lithium-ion battery fires can cause significant property damage and injury, and selling potentially defective power banks exposes both seller and buyer to liability.

Short term, prices will likely stay elevated as buyers who missed the Amazon window try to source units. Those $50 to $200 sales represent people willing to accept unknown risks for the lightest option.

Longer term, this market will probably collapse. If Amazon’s concerns are validated or a proper recall gets issued, resale values will crater. Even without that, as ultralight enthusiasts realize alternatives like the Nitecore NB Plus 10K (155g) or Flextail Zero (145g) offer nearly identical weight at $40 to $60 with established safety records, demand will shift.

If you own a Haribo power bank, stop using it until more information emerges about what concerned Amazon. The weight savings aren’t worth potential fire risk, especially when backpacking in remote areas.

If you’re considering buying one secondhand, understand you’re taking on unknown risk for marginal savings. Yes, it’s the lightest 20,000mAh power bank ever made. But that matters less if it can’t be trusted to charge safely.

For resellers: this is a final sale situation with no manufacturer support. The potential $30 to $180 flip might not be worth the liability exposure or ethical weight of selling something Amazon deemed unsafe.

The ultralight community is moving on. Nitecore, Anker, and other established brands produce power banks within a few grams of the Haribo models, with proper safety certifications. Sometimes the lightest option isn’t the best option.