Feedback about Fitbit Ionic

[MelissaRN]

I've never owned a Fitbit product.  I recently began using the Fitbit app as a way to log water, food and steps and I am enjoying it and finding it motivating.

I'm thinking about making the plunge and purchasing the Fitbit Ionic.  (I also was looking at the Blaze.)

So question, would you buy the Fitbit Ionic again?  Do you regret it?  Love it?  Think it's worth it or not?

Any feedback is appreciated.   Thank you in advance!  

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[jjoonathan]

> Why do you keep buying them if you have had such a horrible experience each and every time?

Because fitbit support is really good at making their failures seem like your fault.

[Shmoo]

That is the truest statement ever on this forum. It’s never the faulty programming or the misspent resources. 

[Izlet]

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@Nick248 wrote:
I would buy the versa, I had problems with ionic, so far the versa works great and is less exprnsive.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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I popped into the Versa forums 'cos even though I dislike the design I did think about trying it since both Ionics have been sent back. There's tons of issues on there too, and customer service is exactly the same. Guess you've got lucky with yours

[Xenoide]

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@Ericws wrote:

My Ionic works great, thank you.

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Hi Ericws,

I am quite amazed (and a little bit jealous too) about your close-to-perfect Ionic. Wish the two I had tried so far were anywhere close to yours.

I'm curious: have you actually tried to compare the distance which your Ionic reports after some longer run (let's say 5mi+) with a GPS handheld? If both would match it would be quite interesting as for my two Ionics, the recorded GPS track always was excellent (compared to a Garmin GPSMap 64s) but the filed distance far away from that.

Indicating for me (and many others here) that GPS was actually not been used to provide the distance data but merely for drawing the track and maybe calibrating stride length from time to time.

Leaving actually two options:

Either your Ionic has a different hardware revision from ours where GPS distance was actually fixed

or you have a perfectly continuous stride length which was properly calibrated and set.

Anyways, I'm feeling happy for you that your Ionic experience is so good, always hoped for the same but Fitbit did not deliver for me.

I meanwhile switched to the competition, and there things are perfectly settled for me too now.

[mcgas2605]

Never, Ever again. I would rather burn the money.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/GPS-on-Ionic-is-not-accurate/m-p/2735699#M56275

[passaic]

Re: burning your $, ha, I just had a conversation with Garmin owning friend
about my dissatisfaction with the Ionic and how i might need to just smash
it to bits and return it to fitbit (after posting a video). He suggested
trying to sell it on eBay. I told him that I'd get greater satisfaction
smashing it.

[mcgas2605]

I agree. There customer service is awful. The bloke wasn't even in the slightlest helpful. The moment I started speaking and showing him the thread of my issues he was looking for a get out clause.

Funny too how Fitbit are mean't to be brilliant but my 4-5 year old TomTom watch works much better with GPS.....

[Ericws]

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@Xenoide wrote:

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@Ericws wrote:

My Ionic works great, thank you.

---

Hi Ericws,

I am quite amazed (and a little bit jealous too) about your close-to-perfect Ionic. Wish the two I had tried so far were anywhere close to yours.

I'm curious: have you actually tried to compare the distance which your Ionic reports after some longer run (let's say 5mi+) with a GPS handheld? If both would match it would be quite interesting as for my two Ionics, the recorded GPS track always was excellent (compared to a Garmin GPSMap 64s) but the filed distance far away from that.

Indicating for me (and many others here) that GPS was actually not been used to provide the distance data but merely for drawing the track and maybe calibrating stride length from time to time.

Leaving actually two options:

Either your Ionic has a different hardware revision from ours where GPS distance was actually fixed

or you have a perfectly continuous stride length which was properly calibrated and set.

Anyways, I'm feeling happy for you that your Ionic experience is so good, always hoped for the same but Fitbit did not deliver for me.

I meanwhile switched to the competition, and there things are perfectly settled for me too now.

---

I am totally serious in my Ionic experience thus far.  I am amazed at how negative others' experiences have been.  I have several "routine" routes that comprise the lion's share of my running.  I know with great certainty how long the loops are, and the routes' distances.  The Ionic is perfect in terms of its GPS measurements for the loops and the distances.  For example, one loop I do is 0.8 miles around.  Ionic measures each loop I do with precision.  Another route I do is 6 miles long.  Did that just the other day, and the GPS measured 6 miles for me.  

I did a 5k race on a new route 2 weeks ago, and it precisely measured the 3.2 miles I ran (taking into account that I did not run each corner on a tangent, etc.).  

So, I have no reason to complain.

Now, as I told passaic, I have not gone longer than 10 miles yet with it.  I should do so soon, if I really want to run my first ever 26.2.  I will report the results  when I do, as I bought this Ionic with intention to train long.  Maybe I will drop to 13.1.  I don't know yet!

With that said, with my very well defined distances I routinely run, my Ionic is spot on with my old watch (Soleus GPS 2) that I used for the last few years, and with any of my iPhone (and Blackberry back in the day) GPS apps (Strava, MapMyRun), that I have used for measuring my stats....

[Made-in-808]

@mcgas2605 The service I got was "lip service". The woman asked a couple of questions to confirm my identity but as soon as the question was asked where I bought it from this conversation lasted less than 5 minutes. I wasn't calling for her support since I knew she had no technical background but when she said I was denied TechSup the flood gates opened about why plus a bit of nonsense on my part. Once I started asking the "why's" she clammed and didn't say a word and after a bit of uncomfortable silence I knew it was a dead end with her so here I am voicing my disdain about FB like many others and would like to point out that some of these so-called people with the NTF "Golden Devices" are now seeing it on theirs so HA! - Gone elsewhere. I am now with Gear Sport and so far NTF but I will never say Golden Device because there are flaws over every hill but so far I love it. It has everything and then some over the Ionic and priced lower. Also for you people who have small wrists it's a better fit.

[Izlet]

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@Made-in-808 wrote:

@mcgas2605 The service I got was "lip service". The woman asked a couple of questions to confirm my identity but as soon as the question was asked where I bought it from this conversation lasted less than 5 minutes. I wasn't calling for her support since I knew she had no technical background but when she said I was denied TechSup the flood gates opened about why plus a bit of nonsense on my part. Once I started asking the "why's" she clammed and didn't say a word and after a bit of uncomfortable silence I knew it was a dead end with her so here I am voicing my disdain about FB like many others and would like to point out that some of these so-called people with the NTF "Golden Devices" are now seeing it on theirs so HA! - Gone elsewhere. I am now with Gear Sport and so far NTF but I will never say Golden Device because there are flaws over every hill but so far I love it. It has everything and then some over the Ionic and priced lower. Also for you people who have small wrists it's a better fit.

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I'm hopping to Samsung, always preferred the look of their devices, but only the Sport's waterproof. They're due to announce the Gear 4, so waiting to see what they have to say 🙂

[Ericws]

I think I will need to stop reading this thread, but my conclusions thus far:

1-  I am having a very positive experience with my Ionic, and hope it continues.

2-  I know I am not alone as others have posted that they are as well.

3-  Since thousands and thousands of people are buying this product, it appears that this board is primarily to give complainers a place to complain rather than for the majority of people who are not posting to get help or share tips.

4-  I find it odd that people who have moved on to other products are so worked up over this that they keep coming back to complain more and more.  If I buy what I feel is a "lemon", I might complain once, but certainly would not waste my time repeatedly coming back to complain over and over.  Seems curious- especially the one who said s/he has bought 5 fitbit products, and all of them have stunk- makes no logical sense to buy a product again from a company you detest.  Maybe some of this is fake reviews rather than real experiences.

Oh well.  I am 6 months in to my Ionic experience. So far so good.  I am using it a lot, and it has given me what I wanted and then some in terms of enjoying using it.  To answer the OP, I would definitely buy it again....  I hope others who make the investment into this product have similar positive experiences, and others who are having trouble figure it out or find a way to feel less bitter.

[Thx1158]

I’ve moved well on from Fitbit. I come back and read this for the entertainment value. If yours works....enjoy. I’d bet there are thousands who also have issues but don’t post.

I may at some point see if the updates fixed anything (another reason I read this). I’ve moved to a device which actually works and provides the features I need after being led astray by promises and waiting for the product as I was one of the preorders for the Ionic.

Sent from my iPad

[Shmoo]

Here's the text of an email I just sent to Fitbit Support regarding the utter inability to get my Ionic to show messages and alert, and to get it to show the correct time:

You'll have to forgive me, but your customer service is absolutely infuriating- if you even bothered to check your records you would see that I have already done exactly what you are asking me to do about 2 months ago, and as you can see it was to no avail whatsoever. You should also know that after 4 tries of deleting the app and attempted re-pairing I was able to finally connect the Ionic and my iPhone X. After redoing everything (deleting and reinstalling the app, and a total factory reset of the Ionic for the 3rd time!) I was actually able to get exactly one message and then absolutely nothing after that. This mirrored my experience the last time I spoke at length with a Fitbit rep and did this same exact procedure- so to review: after reinstalling everything I am able to get the Ionic to work as it should exactly once and then not again- no messages, no calendar events, no app notifications, no bloody nothing. Oh- and I had to restart it four times today just to get it to show the correct time. You clearly have released a product that is deficient, and you have no clue how to fix it or so it would seem. And I dont know if you bother to read your own support communities but there's an interesting thread there where people answer the simple question- if you know now what your experience would be would you still buy an Ionic and from what I can surmise I'd say its about 10% would buy and 90% so no bloody way and most of those have issues just like mine

Moderator Edit: Format

[Jillccc]

No, I would not purchase nor recommend.

[Made-in-808]

@Shmoo AMEN!

[Hebrews12-1]

@Ericws

I think you will find that as your runs get longer you will experience more GPS problems as that has been my experience. 

Here is an example of my last 7 runs

July 9 - 3 mile run/no problems

July 7 - 14 mile run/lost GPS ~ mile 8

July 6 - 7 mile run/lost GPS ~ mile 6

July 4 - 3 mile run/no problems

July 3 - 7 mile run/no problems

July 2 - 3 mile run/no problems

June 30 - 13 mile run/lost GPS ~mile 11

I have no confidence this is going to last a full marathon.  I'm probably going to have to go back to my 6 year old MOTOACTV to finish my long training runs and for the marathon.

[passaic]

Exactly. I lost connectivity this morning after ONLY 10 miles on the bike.
I chatted with Fitbit this morning about the growing community of
dissatisfied users and the fitbit reputation worsening. They don't seem to
get how many people have issues.

[bmw54]

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@Hebrews12-1 wrote:

I have no confidence this is going to last a full marathon.  I'm probably going to have to go back to my 6 year old MOTOACTV to finish my long training runs and for the marathon.

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To illustrate my already long and unhappy relationship with Ionic, I wore it on one wrist and my Fitbit Surge on the other wrist during this year's Boston Marathon.

Here's the correct results according to Surge (distance a bit greater than 26.2 due to all the weaving I have to do to continuously pass other runners):

2018 Boston Marathon, tracked by the Surge

And here's the miserable performance of the Ionic (it crapped out after mile 4):

2018 Boston Marathon, tracked by the Ionic

Why would I wear a Fitbit on both wrists? Because there wasn't one longer distance training run measured correctly by the Ionic. I'd basically given up on it as a tracker for runs & races that mattered to me.

Yeah, it was raining and I had long sleeves on. These are conditions Ionic always has trouble with. But years on, Fitbit's Surge keeps on working.

[passaic]

Another morning biking, another Ionic failure. Garmin time.

[Kira_Rose]

I wouldn't buy it again. My syncing issue has been ongoing for weeks. Troubleshooting isn't working I have been in contact with the fitbit team they have told me to do the troubleshooting methods I have already tried and it won't sync properly and the time is out by an hr and even if I can get it to sync the time remains an hr behind. I would never recommend it to anyone I am ready to chuck the ionic in the draw and begin using my charge 2 again. I paid $339 for a hunk of crap. Not happy.