Alta HR Band design flaw, monetary and environmental costs vs fitness

[Burlington1987]

I got my Alta HR two years ago for Christmas (2017). After 8 months, the band kept falling off and I bought a new band from Fitbit in September 2018 for $30. Then 8 months later, April 2019, the band kept falling off, so I contacted Fitbit and they sent a new band. Now, after about another 8 months, the band falls off and I haven't been wearing it. Fitbit will not replace the band they sent in April.

So, after 2 years of ownership, the watch has used 3 watch bands.  My watch has been sitting on my counter for weeks because I didn't want to lose it. The watch was ~$120 + $30 for the new watch band. If I buy another Fitbit watchband, it will be $30, and these bands will be the equivalent of half the cost of the watch. I just checked this community board and see that Alta HR bands are a widespread problem.

If you have to keep purchasing bands, even if you buy cheaper ones, it's frustrating and all you are doing is adding  plastic/rubber bands to the trash. If you give up, and simply throw out the watch itself, this is adding a perfectly good watch to the electronic trash. Is this a sustainable model for the environment or our wallets?

[SunsetRunner]

I’m sorry to hear this, @Burlington1987 . Is the band disconnecting from the unit itself? Or is the buckle coming apart?  If it is the buckle, there are quite a few bands available at low cost from third party sellers such as Amazon. I really like my little Alta HR and have purchased bands in many assorted colors from Amazon Prime sellers. (I’ve found the ones that ship from China are of very poor quality.) 

[Burlington1987]

The band disconnects from the watch/unit. It no longer "snaps" in. It appears to attach correctly, but then falls off. This has happened three times with the Fitbit bands in the two years I've owned the Alta HR. I don't understand why the bands only last 8 months+/- for someone who is walking, not running marathons. But to have to buy bands every few months, it seems wasteful in terms of my money and for the environment. I need to decide whether to keep investing in bands, as the unit works fine, or try to find a more socially responsible company from which to purchase a fitness tracker.