Have you found any 3rd party bands for Charge 5 that actually fit?

[tanyastorm]

The alternative band options are so limited, and I do not like the white rubber 'infinity' band that came with my Charge 5. I also don't like the blue or black cloth band color options, and there are no mesh band options. Hence, I am looking at 3rd party sellers Most reviews say the bands don't truly work with the Charge 5 yet. Has anyone found a 3rd party metal mesh band or cloth band that attaches securely?

Moderator edit: format

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community forums, @tanyastorm.

Thank you for sharing your feedback about the Charge 5. 

It's always great to have wristband options available to choose from. If you haven't done so already, please consider voting for these ideas posted in the forums: 

• Stainless steel wristband for Charge 5. 
• Hook & Loop bands for the Fitbit Luxe/Charge 5 and other devices. 

If you have a more specific idea for a wristband, I recommend that you post this idea in the Feature Suggestion board of the Community, since this section is regularly monitored by the team of developers. Make sure to post your idea including as many details as possible. 

Thank you again for taking the time to share your feedback. The team of developers continues to work to improve the quality of products and services. 

Have a great day. 

[JasonW-1990]

I found a couple on Amazon.  Bought 2 different bands, one of them feels decently comfortable.  Cheap!

problem I had with the Fitbit band was it didn’t flex during the day, so I was constantly tightening/loosening the thing all day.

[SpiffyMagpie]

I've had good luck with bands on Etsy!

[DavideFitbit]

@JasonW-1990 @SpiffyMagpie Thank you for sharing your experience with this! 

See you around. 

[Mrsbmullin]

I was gifted 2 third party wristbands at Christmas and I bought myself a third party leather band.  The white silicone band that came with the FitBit Charge 5 is a good design, however, I'm not a fan of silicone bands.  Of the third party bands - one brand, VOMA, on the leather band, worked very well for about 6 weeks, then one side of the band kept detaching.  The Christmas gift bands - brand ZWGKKYGYH - metal bands.  The gold band worked fine at first, then also started detaching from one side of the Fitbit case.  I can switch the band around, changing the side the band hooks into, and that seems to work better, but is not foolproof - the band did detach once.  The silver band seems to work fine, but I just started wearing it.  I just purchased another leather band from IMPAWFAN - the leather seems more like plastic and is stiff, but so far the fit is tight on both side of the case.  I wondered if it was the bands that had the issue or the FitBit case, but my I tested it with my original FitBit band and that seems to have a good fit.  I bought some connector adapters to see if I could change them out on the VOMA band, but no instructions came with them.  Can anyone provide instructions on how to change out the adapters on the end of the band?.  I wish FITBIT had more of a variety of bands, especially leather.  I would gladly spend a little more money to get one that would work.

[Gabbee]

I bought ShuYo elastic bands from Amazon, which suited me and my wife perfectly. They were also a reasonable length which is a big plus because the supplied 'large' band was only just wearable.

The trouble with many of these 3P bands is that the connectors are plastic, which means they can get worn and not connect successfully after a period of time. I guess that's why they sell them in batches of 3, 5, 10 etc. I haven't had one do this to me yet, but I've only worn them for a month or two. I'd strongly suggest that you disconnect them as little as possible.

If you love one of these elastic bands there is a way to 'refurbish' them, but it's not simple. Buy some stainless steel Charge 5 connectors, plus some springbars of the right size (18mm, + a springbar tool if you don't have one). You want the springbar to be reasonably thick to reduce the wear on the band.

You then need to remove the band from the non-performing connector by breaking the plastic bar, and you can then attach them to the steel connectors using the springbars (a fun activity needing care and dexterity, and good eyes).

One other thing I've noticed is that the plastic connectors take some effort to 'click in' to the Charge 5. If they're not 100% engaged, they'll disconnect far too easily. Listen for the faint click.

[DavideFitbit]

@Mrsbmullin @Gabbee It's good to see you were able to find some alternative wristbands for your Charge 5. I'm sure this will be useful for other users as well. 

If you have other ideas to have more accessories available for the Charge 5, don't forget to add your suggestion in the Feature Suggestion board of the Community. 

See  you around. 

[SpiffyMagpie]

I've had luck with the seller 'ElsaDesignCrafts' on Etsy, my band was shipped with a metal connector. It ships from China and I was like oh no...but it works great.

For my day-to-day wearing, the seller 'LunaWatchBands' makes elastic bands custom measured to your wrist size. It's super important to measure correctly, but these are my favorite. No clasps, no metal (I'm allergic to nickel) and easy to wash. I wash my bands once a week and they are holding up great!

[Gabbee]

I had no luck with what I wanted on Etsy.I've checked them out before and all the elastic bands seem to be too thick and/or fancy for our taste.

Some of the plain elastic bands on LunaWatchBands would suit us, but I couldn't buy a band that isn't adjustable. We both adjust our bands once or twice a week as our wrists expand and contract. In addition, my wrist is ~21cm (8") and their sizes go up to 7.75".

Interestingly Etsy sells Charge 5 connectors including quick release springbars for $AU26 a pair + $AU21 delivery, which is far more than I'd be prepared to pay for them. From memory I have a couple of pairs I bought for about $AU8 a pair from other sources.

For those of us who are both fussy and time-rich, the idea of using a springbar connector appeals greatly. It means that you can buy any band that is the right length and uses 18mm springbars.