Do not buy the Charge 5!!

[camila_daquino]

I'm truly frustrated with my recent experience with Fitbit, since I've been loyal over the last 5 years. Last year I purchased a Charge 5, and within just a few months, it inexplicably ceased to function. It wouldn't charge, and it was completely unresponsive. I exhausted every troubleshooting method available, but nothing worked. I thought it might be an isolated incident, so I took advantage of a promotional offer to purchase a new one. What a mistake that turned out to be!

Within a week of using the new Fitbit, it essentially gave up on me. It wouldn't charge properly, occasionally starting but failing to hold a charge, and at times, it would become stuck on the logo screen. What's worse, the reset button seemed impossible to access – I found the usability of this device baffling. Even following the instructions to "press the charging button three times for eight seconds" proved futile. This whole experience has left me thoroughly disillusioned with Fitbit. I'm now seriously considering switching to a different brand.

[KeithBurley]

Thanks for your review, I will keep it in my mind.

[Richiescal]

If i would have written about my experience with my charge 5, it would have been nearly exactly the same as yours. The worst part is I have never been a fan of these trackers but after extensive research,  I chose the charge 5.  Big mistake!  I specifically chose it for its sleep tracking capabilities. Which turned out to be the biggest of many problems with the device. My charge 5 has never, and I mean never tracked a single second of any of my sleep, or any of the other parameters included in the sleep tracking area. I am more than pissed off and frustrated. I also performed every single troubleshooting option know to the industry, with zero results. Customer service is by far the most unreliable, source of help I have ever dealt with, and the responses I receive are ridiculously inadequate especially after explaining in detail what is, and always has been wrong and continually occurring. I on my second fit bit charge 5 because the first one ceased to operate at all after 3 months of ownership. I will never ever buy another tracker with the fitbit name attached to it as long as i live. 

Signed, Sleepless and Pissed off in New Hampshire 

[SunsetRunner]

Me too! Totally frustrated. Fitbit support has no idea what is wrong. I bought this crap ONLY for the EKG app and this does not work. They offer me a new strap!  People in the "technical support" hotlines and also the mail support do not speak English or German. Sending mine back, as just bought it.

[Mikamouse67]

I also chose this model after extensive research and am very disappointed with my sleep tracking. People with sleep disorders don't sleep straight all night and if I sleep three different times during the night I have to look at three different lines for that day and I can't see my sleep pattern at it all at once!

[RiekoC]

Hello @Mikamouse67 

You can combine your broken up sleep into a single sleep session by editing your sleep log with your start and wake times. Most likely, you will have to delete the middle and end logs so you can combine them into a single sleep session. When you delete a sleep log, you are only deleting a time interval and not the actual data recorded in your device. Based on my experience, it often takes a couple of hours for your sleep session to update in the Fitbit app so it shows a single log with the data. 

[srbw]

Camila--thanks for your post.  I've been a fitbit user for even longer--starting with the Charge 2 (which incidentally still works).  I had the same issues as the other Charge 5 users have written about and tried all the fixes; finally succumbed to the 35% savings offer on a new one and have been waiting every since.  Every month or so I get an email asking if I still want it because its back-ordered.  I was wondering if they are still planning to make them now that they have the new ones.  Your and others advice will be heeded.  I will not wait for the backordered version and will switch to the apple watch as many other have done.  Very disappointing from a company that I wholeheartedly supported and highly recommended to others in the past.

[Harrietstrouble]

Me too 

[RacketMan]

The charge 5 is complete rubbish.

You know it, I know it, everybody on here knows it.

Even Fitbit know it and as soon as you start saying it the administrator will take your message down.

Keep posting everybody, Fitbit need to own this .