Keeps Popping Off My Wrist Charge 5

[jsbes]

Just bought the Charge 5, my first Fitbit.  Have an iWatch but I was stoked to get a band so I could wear regular watches again.  Anyway, this thing will not stay on my wrist!  I just worked out and it popped off 5 times during my workout.  In addition it popped off a few times when I was doing yard work today.  This is super disappointing.  Anyone have any ideas on what’s going on?  I have a big wrist and have the large strap attached. 

thanks in advance 

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[Joachster]

Sorry - no clue - but same issue -  I've had a few different FitBits - love the new Charge 5 for performance, but agree that the bands connections are dicey.  Any lateral movement at the wrist - like taking off a sweater, or in-out movement of a pocket can disengage the mechanism. Mostly one sees it lying on the floor...However, I was just moving a kayak into my truck, came inside the house and noticed my Fitbit was gone - never found it.

The customer support folks were nice and replaced it for me - but without a band - luckily my wife lent me a spare until I can buy another one.

[jadedragon001]

An update from me.  I did reach out to Fitbit support and they shipped me a replacement device (just the device itself, no retail box or straps) and I shipped mine back to them.  The replacement is better than the original one as at least the Fitbit original straps would stay connected.  I have been wearing it for about a month now without any issues.

However, the aftermarket leather strap that I have purchased is super lose.  It wobbles with a 1 to 2 mm gap between the metal connector part and the device itself.  Although I have not been able to get it to come apart without having to press the button, I do not dare to use the leather strap with the device. This is disappointing as I have always used aftermarket straps.

[RichardFranco]

I've experienced the same issues. I've read the reviews and feedback. I most certainly made sure that that band was properly attached and yes, it made the "clicking" sound. However, still continued to come undone and fall off my wrist. The Charge 5 band attaching design is very flimsy and weak. I wore a FitBit Charge 2 for a couple of years prior and never had an issue with the device falling off.

[SunsetRunner]

I've finally reached a conclusion regarding this band popping off issue. For the most part it seems to be a problem with after market bands bought elsewhere than the Fitbit website. I'm the guy who finally superglued a stainless steel mesh band to the watch. Problem with this is eventually the superglue just crystallizes and the seal is easily broken. I put back the original silicone band to which I am mildly allergic and all is good, nice tight fit and won't wiggle off. Fitbit provides all the information one needs regarding this problem: wearandcare instructions at https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/productcare So here's the deal, either use the band provided with your Charge 5 or buy another product which allows interchageability of bands. I don't know for sure but it's possible the bands Fitbit sells online will fit fine. It's the aftermarket bands found at Amazon and elsewhere that may be the problem. So, the problem is not with the Charge 5 though designing a more versatile universal band attachment mechanism would have been thoughtful and nice. But if you are having a problem with the silicone band you would do well to discuss this with Fitbit as they will stand behind their product when it's used according to how they want you to use it.

[CDS3]

My husband and I both got new Charge 5 fitbits in Feb 2022. Mine has been perfect, never falls off, but my husband's has fallen off a few times. I clean the band end and the fitbit with a dry brush and it will stay on for a few days. The first time it popped off when he was putting his hand out to signal a turn to a tailgater, thankfully it dropped inside our truck. A few times it just randomly fell off. Once it feel off into the pool when he was cleaning it. Also this rubbery band gives him a rash, i think he needs a canvas band instead.

[SunsetRunner]

Problem #1 Fitbit keeps falling off may be due to a faulty connection at the watch end and you should contact Support about that.

Problem #2 being allergic to latex can be an issue. I put the watch on loosely to allow two fingertips of space as recommended by Fitbit plus take the watch off for an hour every day to allow the skin to dry a bit and have had no problems.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, I'm sorry to see that many of you have experienced this issue with the wristband of the Charge 5. 

As it's been mentioned by many of you earlier, I do recommend that you continue the communication with the Customer Support team so they can let you know what are the options available for you. If you haven't done so already, you can click here to get connected and chat with us or give us a call. 

Thanks again for all the information provided so far. The team continues to work to improve the Fitbit experience and your feedback is a big part of that process. 

[BBrostuen]

Thank you.

I want you all to know that I found my missing Fitbit. It fell off of my wrist that day when I was getting ready for work. I was filling my water bottle and it fell into the ice maker. That is why I could not locate it when walking around my house/ property. My husband ended up a couple of weeks later with it at the bottom of his water bottle. Yes, it charged, I finally got it to connect to the app after days of trying... And yes, I will be contacting support to report and maybe see if they could put it through a diagnostic procedure to make sure it is ok. The face is all scratched up and I did find a Supcase band that would completely surround the watch. I will be using it from here on our either in this watch if it is ok, or in any replacement they send.

And just to be clear, David, I did already contact support and they were extremely dismissive. I will be contacting them again now that I have found the damaged watch and I hope they will be more attentive. I loved this watch before the bad band allowed it to fall off... I did pay for the insurance policy. I had also only had this watch for 2 weeks before it fell off.

[Almasonata]

Hi Davide, 

My husband never was able to find his Fitbit as it fell off while he was working. After starting a claim with Fitbit, he was told he needed to send it in for a replacement and as he did not have it, he couldn’t do so. He was told multiple times they were looking into what they could do, but as I said, I think he was one of the first people to report the issue, and lost the watch. No one got back to him and he last communicated with Fitbit support in December (vie email and on the phone for hours). Is this something that we can expect resolution for or assistance at this point? We paid full price for the watch and it fell off never to be found within the first week he wore it. He was told that someone would get back to him but no one ever did. It’s pretty disappointing.

Thank you for your time.

[Runzord]

I guess i just keep using it till it decides to pop off, once that happens im just going to slip it into my pocket and let it die like i did the charge 3 when i got the thing. Seems like the only bad thing about the chaa0rge 5 is the strap, how unfortunate 😞 it is a lovely device apart from the fear of the straps failing. Fingers crossed im one of the lucky ones as i got this as a graduation present fromy parents

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, thank you for sharing these updates and your experience with this. 

There are a few ways to get in touch with the Customer Support team, e-mail usually takes a bit more time, but they should eventually respond with a resolution. If you haven't received any information in a while and you don't see any e-mail from them in your spam folder, I do recommend that you use the chat option or that you call them directly for a faster response about the status of your case. 

Since any warranty evaluations and replacement processes are handled by the Support team, it will be necessary to get in touch with team so they can provide you with more information about the options available for you. If it's been a while since they sent you a reply, please feel free to use the other options I mentioned earlier as well. You can click here to get connected. 

See you around. 

[BBrostuen]

I have contacted Customer service... Twice! Once when I lost it and couldn't find it... Claim rejected as I didn't have the unit... Somewhat understandable. But then when I found the unit... As stated before... When it appeared in my husband's water glass after traveling through my refrigerators ice machine... It had apparently fallen off when I was getting ice before work one day... They still rejected my claim. I asked to speak with a supervisor... I did. The elevated it to the powers above... Who by the way we as customers are not allowed to speak with. And it was rejected because "you had not previously reported a problem with the band". WHAT??? I'd only had the watch two weeks when it disappeared! They refused to replace the watch which is still charging but not working well and is also severely damaged nor did they replace the band, which is irreversibility damaged and unusable. With obvious problems noted by thousands of people... Why is this all my fault and therefore not under warranty?

 

 

 

[T1BlueNoser]

I too am having this problem.  Fitbit support is sending a new strap despite me sharing this thread with them.  They want me to try a new strap but I am worried about losing it in the meantime. They offered no other advice or solution and then ended the support chat while I was still asking questions. 

[Gabby98]

I’ve never had a band pop off, but my husband’s band popped off on Friday lifting sheep… and it shot through the shearing shed floor. No retrieving that one. I’m going to get him another one and see if he can loosen it a hit before lifting heavy weights

[vikvac49]

I just got my Fitbit five also and I’m having the same problem one side you hear the click when you put the band on the other side I don’t and it’s coming loose so I’m just gonna take it back to the store that I bought it from and either get my money back or replacement I’m really disappointed in this I lost a Fitbit three due to the same problem can’t afford to lose any more fitbits.

[UsernameLW]

I did contact customer service about this issue and they told me that since they can’t see the defect in the photo they asked me to send that they can’t do anything about. I’m really disappointed. I’ve had various Fitbit products for years, but this is making me rethink my brand loyalty. 

Absolutely agree. I am really disappointed in the Charge 5. 

[T1BlueNoser]

Even though the strap is not damaged in any way Fitbit support insisted on sending a new strap.  Even with the new strap, the same problem occurs. When the back of the watch rubs against the skin the release switches can sometimes catch on the skin and release one end of the strap.   It often happens when I am reaching into a deep pocket and the watch is pushed against my wrist or when I am sleeping.  The problem is that if the watch switch is triggered the band might not fully disconnect until I am jogging or walking and might fall off and be lost.   It has fallen off many times but luckily so far it has been in my vehicle or house, so I was able to recover it.  If you examine the releases switched, they stick out a little further than the back of the watch, so the design flaw makes it easy for them to catch on the skin.  I am tempted to take some fine sandpaper and sand them down.   If they didn't stick out so far, they might not release so easily.   I hope that Fitbit fixes this, as it wasn't a problem on the previous Fitbit Charges. 

The design flaw is seen clearly in these images.     

[Anchorage76]

I recently purchased a Charge 5 and this occurs to me literally 1-2 times a day.

It simply falls off my wrist, the connection between the end of the device and the strap pops off.

I do attach it properly and hear a "click" but it still falls off my wrist, seemingly randomly.  It is very frusturating.

[mchcpa]

Sunset Runner could you please post a picture of where the gap you're referring to is.  I tried building up the connection with teflon tape for it to hold only about one day.  TY in advance.

[Radiocat]

Hi there, replying to this somewhat old post, but I have a Charge 5 purchased in 2022, replacing my Charge 3, and both Fitbit’s had problems with the factory-issued band. It’s a design flaw. 

My recent purchase has fallen off in bed, on the street, to the floor of my Pilates studio, and just when I thought I’d lost it, I found my Charge 5 in the vegetable-crisper.

I have been very meticulously about ensuring it is clipped in. It keeps happening. Fitbit needs to address this. And I’m quite certain I would have trouble claiming back this lost item from Fitbit due to this design flaw.