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Old 09-20-21, 11:58 AM  
susan p
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Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Kansas City
I am here to GRIPE and COMPLAIN!

And then buy again anyway. Sigh.

I have probably owned 10 fitbits in my lifetime. I'd say in the last 16 years.

WHY do they self-destruct at about a year? Every. Single. One?
And why am I shopping to replace it AGAIN??

If you're thinking " why does she say they only last a year uf she's had 10 in 16 years? That's over a year each! --but my friends, I have had long fitbitless stretches in my life. Yes, I can actually survive without knowing how many steps I took in a day, how long I slept, etc.

However, I do love my Aria scale and the weight tracking function, and I like seeing my heart rate at a glance.....
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Old 09-20-21, 12:19 PM  
bzar
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susan - sorry for your experiences with fitbit.

DH bought me a fitbit charge in 2016. i didn't try to open it until maybe 2017. i was confused about getting my account set up, so i gave up and put it on the side. fast forward to 2020 - i finally decided to set it up, and it's been smooth sailing since then.

i want to shout out to the FitBit check-in gang (Sissy B!!!) for helping me troubleshoot my issues!

edited to add:
had a really bad experience with FitBit Ultra - every replacement they sent would not sync. i ended up giving away 2 devices on VF share the wealth.

if my fitbit dies, i'll go back to a Polar product. had a Polar HRM for years and i used a separate Omron step counter. guessing the Polars now have both combined, and i'd go back to them based on what everyone is saying here about the FitBit!
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Old 09-20-21, 12:40 PM  
Paine
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Susan, I didn't know that Fitbits had such a short lifespan. I understand your disappointment if your Fitbits haven't lasted longer than a year. I use my phone for counting steps.
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Old 09-20-21, 01:18 PM  
kat999
 
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Location: Ohio
Susan, I had similar problems with Fitbits. Some lasted far less than a year. I had at least three different kinds, and they all failed. I switched to a very low-tech Jawbone with no display (you just clipped it onto your belt or stuck it in a pocket; it was about the size of a large coin), and I loved it. It was my absolute favorite fitness tracker, with a great app, and it required no recharging, just a watch battery that you replaced every few months. I had that for several years without issue and then the company that made it went out of business, and finally the app stopped working. Such a huge disappointment.

I wound up splurging and getting a first-gen Apple Watch, which was discounted because the second-gen was out by then. Aside from a few reboots and apps that drained the battery occasionally, the AW has been working perfectly now for almost four years. I don't super love the look of it, and it has some quirks that took some getting used to, but I found it was much sturdier than any Fitbit I ever had.

I still miss my Jawbone. If something happened to my AW, I'm not sure what route I would go.
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Old 09-20-21, 02:23 PM  
cataddict
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LOL I have a fitbit history too, although mine is more positive than yours. I started with a Charge and it was junk after being replaced once (at their expense) and lasted maybe a year and a half. The Charge 2 I bought has lasted well over 5 years (probably closer to 6 or 7 years), so when I bought an updated version---the Charge 3---I expected it to last and it did not. It also was replaced not once but twice and is now garbage (while the charge 2 still works). I decided that the Charge 2 was on borrowed time so I bought the Versa 3. I love it and it's been well over a year now with no problems. I got DH one for Christmas last year and he's had no problems either. So who knows? Sometimes I think it depends on what day it was made, much like it was with cars (although I don't know that it was actually true that you shouldn't buy a car on Monday---and how would you find that out???)
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Old 09-20-21, 02:42 PM  
yogapam
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Location: West coast of Canada, eh. ;)
I also have a Fitbit history, not all bad. I started out with a Flex that I lost due to their faulty strap design. They replaced it for me for free. I had it quite a while until I got it wet & killed it, my fault. I then had a Blaze that worked great. I ended up selling it for a pretty good price to replace it with a waterproof Charge 3. The charge 3 lasted about 2.5 years and then died. I bought a Versa 3 a few months ago, will see how that lasts.
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Old 09-20-21, 04:00 PM  
Pratima
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Mine usually last 2 years and yes, I keep replacing them! At first the company was amazing about sending replacements. I think they'd provide a refurbished model. Recently they only give you a coupon and it's never good on sale items.

Still, I've managed to always find a new Fitbit at a good price. Random online sites had them, and most recently I got a Charge 3 at the local Walmart. The newer models were already out and I guess this one was just sitting there.

I don't like the ones you wear on your wrist though, so I bought a clip for it and wear it just like I did my Ultra and One.

AND--I have a fancy Garmin that I wear all the time and track workouts with. I seriously only get a Fitbit to track steps (even though the Garmin does that) and participate in challenges with Tonyak and her friends!
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Old 09-20-21, 07:26 PM  
Sollamyn
 
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I've only had one Fitbit, the Charge 2, which has been working for me for about 5 years, maybe. I hope it lasts for a while longer, as I just ordered two new watch straps for it!

Before my Charge 2, I was a dedicated Omron pedometer wearer and I didn't really want to change but I kept accidentally laundering them (and having to replace them, then). My last Omron's buttons stopped working for no reason, though, and the model I wanted was discontinued and all the best pedometers seemed to be so high tech so that's when I decided I might as well get a Fitbit.

Donna
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Old 09-21-21, 10:31 AM  
frogribbit
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I've had the same Fitbit One for the last probably 12 years (or longer). I wear it on my bra and use it every day. I even lost it once when I was out riding my horse and thought it was a goner. A week later I was out riding again and lo and behold found it laying in the dirt - still working About a year ago one of the gold charging contacts fell out and I thought I would need to replace it but I just super glued it back in and it's still working.

Now I've probably jinxed myself and it will stop working today
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Old 09-21-21, 10:37 AM  
rhbrand
 
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Most of mine make it almost 2 years. Almost. Like 20 months.
I swear they make these things to break just when a new version is coming out
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