Kestrel Basic Meters Get a New Battery Door for Reese’s Law

Kestrel has redesigned the battery door on its Basic Series meters to meet federal Reese’s Law battery-safety requirements.

If you've recently purchased a Kestrel Basic Series meter, you may notice that the battery door looks different from older Kestrel models. This is an intentional design change to comply with updated federal requirements for products using coin-cell batteries.

Why Did Kestrel Change the Battery Door?

Reese’s Law was created to help protect children from the serious dangers associated with swallowing button and coin-cell batteries.

Under the federal requirements, battery compartments must be designed to prevent young children from easily accessing the battery. Kestrel's new battery-door design provides the additional security required while maintaining the rugged construction of its popular Basic Series meters.

The previous battery door was not redesigned because of a product defect. The change was made to meet updated federal battery-safety requirements.

What Changed on Kestrel Basic Meters?

The biggest difference is the battery compartment and the way the battery door is opened.

New-production Kestrel Basic Series meters feature the updated battery-door design. Depending on the model, these include popular meters such as the Kestrel 1000, Kestrel 2000, Kestrel 2500, Kestrel 3000, Kestrel 3500 & Kestrel 3550.

The meters continue to use the appropriate coin-cell battery, but the battery compartment now provides greater protection against accidental access. 

Kestrel Battery Door: What Customers Should Know

• New Basic Series meters have the updated battery-door design.
• The change was made to meet Reese’s Law requirements.
• The redesign is focused on battery safety and accessibility.
• The meter's core functionality has not changed.
• New meters may look different from older Kestrel Basic Series models.

Looking for a Kestrel with the New Battery Door?

If you're purchasing a new Kestrel Basic Series meter, you can expect the latest production design with the updated battery compartment though this is not guaranteed while we work through our current Kestrel inventory.

Shop Kestrel Basic Series meters at Extreme Meters for the latest Kestrel products and battery-door design. If you have any questions about the new design, please let us know!