Fitbit Alternatives?

[janardan108]

I’ve had Fitbit since 2016, and I really like their products and software.

my main problem is that they are disposable and there are no repair options whatsoever.

I’ve had an HR, Blaze, and my last one was Ionic. I even bought an Aria 2.

My Ionic suddenly stopped charging a few weeks ago and tried every troubleshooting options. The charging connectors looks busted. I’ve contacted Fitbit here for repair options but they basically told me that my device is out of warranty and they can no longer do anything about it.

 

[Odyssey13]

Hi @janardan108  each case is handled on an individual basis. These devices have no repairs. If a screen is replaced, would the seal keep it safe when the owner jumped into the water? That was just an example, not necessarily what's going on with your Fitbit. Some items are best not repaired and having a repair center across the world would be difficult. Sorry you're unhappy, but some purchases last longer than others. I had a printer die eight days after the warranty and got no help from the same company. I liked the printer, so I got the identical one which is still working over six or seven years later. Things happen in every area of our lives.

[janardan108]

Printers are generally repairable though so not the best analogy. It’s just hard to justify buying another Fitbit when you know it’s basically disposable after the 1 year warranty.

[Odyssey13]

Everyone is different and some people seem to enjoy the use of their device for much longer than others. I had a Fitbit die within two years and read on the forums that another member had the identical Fitbit and it lasted six years. You just never know how long your device can make it. In your case, if you really wanted to fix it, there are third party repair services, but it might cost more than replacing the Fitbit.

[SunsetRunner]

It would seem most people, let's face it there are a lot, when they get fed up of fitbits unreliability and bot-like customer service mantras, they seem to get an apple watch.

Most of these are easily repairable and it's fairly easy to get parts for them too, the only issue might be paired components needing to be sorted at a store.

Garmin seem to be the option for the more athletic people who have fell out of love, or warranty with Fitbit.

Samsung are another option too but they suffer with hard to source, expensive spares that often need a fair level of knowledge and skill to fix.

Here in the UK all of them only have a year of manufacturer's warranty, which really doesn't seem anywhere near good enough.

One option is just buy almost any other watch for a fraction of the price and have it last for years and years and not worry about smartwatches or trackers.

[SilviaFitbit]

@Odyssey13 Thank you for your assistance and information shared on the thread. 

@janardan108 and @SunsetRunner  Hi there. Thank you for sharing your experience with Fitbit. Your feedback and comments are appreciated, we're always striving to improve our services offered. 

Just wanted to share the Fitbit Warranty with you: Fitbit warrants to the original purchaser that your Fitbit-branded device and accessories that are certified refurbished by or on behalf of Fitbit (the "Refurbished Product(s)") shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase (the “Refurbished Product Warranty Period”).

Read the full Fitbit Warranty here. 

See you around. 

[SunsetRunner]

Why is it not possible to purchase parts, from Fitbit, and repair it yourself?

Screens and batteries are fairly easy to do with the right, fairly inexpensive, tools.

Parts could be supplied, linked to a fitbit account and all warranties voided if a self repair is attempted.

[Odyssey13]

@SunsetRunner if you really want to fix it yourself, search the internet for a place that sells the parts. Fitbit, as many other companies, chose not to have bits and pieces of their devices for sale. As for Garmin and Samsung, even Apple, I have friends who used their devices and came back to Fitbit. It's just individual choices. 

[SunsetRunner]

Hopefully the right to repair laws that are slowly coming together will promote a more sustainable future and encourage companies to make spares available to people who want their products to last longer.

[SilviaFitbit]

@Odyssey13 Thanks for your input. 

@SunsetRunner Thank you for getting back. If you'd like that this could be an option in the future, please post your idea in our Feature Suggestion board, those are reviewed by our team and the status will change depending on Fitbit plans. 

Hope to see your idea on the board.