Break Away Band

[coastalcastaway]

I work as an Engineer in a paper making and converting mill, spending a lot of time on the plant floor. I am fairly excited about the Blaze, and was looking at pre-ordering one. Unfortunately, the mill requires that any watch or activity tracker that is worn on the wrist have a break away band (a common manufacturing requirement due to safety concerns). Basically, if the watch gets caught in a machine the band will "break" or seperate, allowing the watch to come free of the wrist and get sucked into the machine. In other words, the band breaks and sacrafices the watch instead of dragging your arm into the machine. 

Could I request that you consider creating a break away band for the Blaze.

I realize that this might compromise some of the features (heart rate strikes me as the most affected), but I think there would be a lot of people interested in purchasing it if they were allowed to wear it in manufacturing plants. I certainly would be pre-ordering if there was a break away band offered, as it stand there isn't.

On a side note, my research has shown very few activity trackers that have break away bands availble. So this may be an underserved market. Particularly with a device containing call/text notification and activity tracking.

[Michael · Accepted solution]

You should post that in the Feature Request forum. (If you haven't already.)

Given that the band can be replaced, it would be possible for a 3rd party to make a band to put on the Blaze that was a break away band. (I'm not sure but you might even be able to use some standard watch bands.)

I have never seen a break-away band so I don't know what they look like or how they work...

[ErickFitbit]

@coastalcastaway That's an interesting thought. Do you know how much pressure a break away band needs so it breaks away? For a fitness tracker that may take a lot of bumps and pulls during exercise, it may not be ideal but then again, I have never used a break away band or even seen one for that matter.

I recommend doing as @Michael said above, and creating and voting for it as an idea within our Feature Request board. The more votes we see in those ideas, the more likely we are to consider them. Hoping to see your vote in the idea soon. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Rich_Laue]

Personally around machines, i woild not want to have jewelry of any type on. Having repaired many automated cabinetry production equipment i uderstand tge risks around such.

[coastalcastaway]

Thanks, I didn't know Feature Request existed. The Chat person just told me to post my suggestion here. I will repost to the Feature Requested section shortly.

@ErickFitbit According to a patent filing, a break away band seperates when more than 5lbs of force is placed on the band. Also, I don't think the band would survive exercise without seperating, but for the majority of the work day that wouldn't be an issue. That's what makes the Blaze a better candidate than the Surge, the Blaze was designed to change bands.

@Rich_Laue I agree comptely. If I was working in/on or near the machinery I wouldnt have anything on my wrists or fingers. But, in my experience (and in my company), break away bands are required the moment you step into the plant. So wearing a non-break away band, even in the front office, is a violation of safety policy. 

[Rich_Laue]

What if a user like me, doesnt want to wear a band of any type all. 5 pounds seens like a pretty heavy force to try and resist, when getting pulled into a machine.

"  But, in my experience (and in my company), break away bands are required the moment you step into the plant"

[coastalcastaway]

@Rich_Laue You're right. It should be something to the affect of if you are wearing a watch/activity tracker it has to have a break away band.

As for 5lbs, it's just the first return I got off a Google search. Our safety person doesn't even know what the point of failure on a break away band is (I asked when I was told that we had to have break away bands).

[ErickFitbit]

@coastalcastaway Very interesting! Thanks for taking the time to create the Feature Request idea. I suggest anyone interested in such a thing go ahead and vote for it here.

[Rich_Laue]

@coastalcastaway you might want to add a link to your request into a signature, that way with rvery post you will be advertising your request.

While i currently have no need for a breakaway band, many jobs I've had in the past dkd. So gave yours a vote of yes.

[Rich_Laue]

@Michael As for a breakaway band the Charge would be considered to have one, tho not advertised or tested as such, it has a latch that while firmly held has the ability to release when tugged by an extrrnal force. When my arm got wedged in while working on something the Charge got caught and easily pulled off.

Here is another type off breakaway latch and have seen them with velcro closers.

.

[donhiltz]

I have a Charge HR, and I learned that my workplace also requires watches with breakaway bands.  I discovered that mine does.  The buckle on the strap is attached by a typical spring-pin found on many watch faces. (see attached picture)  This should qualify as a breakaway device.strap compressed in a vise for visibility

[HoneyBoy3rd]

Hi Eric,

My job has required the safety watch band policy next week (& I just got my fitbit this week) we have lanyards with the safety clip for our work id's. I'm having trouble uploading pics from my phone.  Hope Fitbit considers this. 

Thanx

FibitLover

[Rich_Laue]

The Blaze is not made or sold anymore @HoneyBoy3rd,, I'm not sure of Fitbit will be developing a brand for this model,  but thank you for incoming your fellow Fitbit users.