Is Fitbit Ionic Waterproof?

[malakai]

Have to say I have had an Ionic for precisely 3 weeks - waterproof....went for a swim in the sea for a couple of hours and then it stopped working - not waterproof then.

I spoke to support and went through all the reset options, even sending them a video to show what I was doing......no good - please return and we will send you a new one.

They received it last Friday, they have confirmed they have received it and yet they cannot send me another until their warehouse confirms receipt.....up to 5 days.....but they confirmed they have received it!

So in short 2nd new fitbit returned to them.....100% failure rate then and awful customer services - which I had stayed with Garmin

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject for Clarity

[Rich_Laue]

Technically it is not waterproof. It is only rated as water resistant to 150 feet of pressure. 

However it is possible with currents to get up to that pressure long before the watch reaches 150 feet. 

As for their return policy, I agree that it needs to be seriously looked at by Fitbit .

[malakai]

I accept that but my G shock (casio) has never leaked and it is 15 years old - surface snorkeling while out with dives of less than 20 feet will never reach a pressure equivalent to 50 m so I feel there is an issue here and I noted a number of complaints along the same lines as mine so it is not a one off

How can a company say it wont send out a replacement until it has confirmation that the old unit has been returned even though they can see it was delivered tot he warehouse last week! - Apparently fitbit computer systems take up to 5 days to confirm this....about as good as the operating system then!

I have never experienced such poor customer service and returns from any other company - well done Fitbit

[bbarrera]

Welcome to the new Fitbit 😞

[Souldeep]

Sorry to hear this. 

My Fitbit started playing up after my first swim in the sea with it (quick menu from left button press kept popping up automatically). 

My last swim this weekend might have been its death. Since yesterday Bluetooth no longer works on the Fitbit and I note the left button is stiff (I wonder if salt gets in the device somehow, even though I rinsed it on each occasion after swims).

Factory reset applied.. And now it remains in a loop with the Fitbit icon repeatedly displaying on the screen).

On top of this apparently my phone not supported. Only had it a month and a half. Most expensive toy I've ever bought. I'm totally stuck and out of pocket. 

[malakai]

Exactly what happened to mine - nothing would work - initially the lock code screen came up then flashed back to clock and no button pressing would sort - then reset and stuck at fitbit splash (how appropriate) screen.

Luckily mine is supported and will be replaced when the numptys finally get of their backsides and sort it - my next stop will be UK Trading Standards to investigate repeat selling of an item that is not as described and not fit for purpose!

Back to Casio and Garmin - never ever let me down

[Souldeep]

Lol.. Splash screen 👍🏻 

[Jillyholli]

same with mine. Took it for one swim. Died immediately. Customer service refuse to acknowledge that it isn't waterproof. After six weeks they sent a replacement which I didn't want - just wanted money back so I could buy a Garmin. 

[AdamMSC]

I am sorry that this has been a crappy process for you. If it helps any, I have taken my Fitbit swimming many times, and I always wear it while surfing. I have yet to have a single issue with regards to the water, and I am often in the ocean for hours at a time.

[Souldeep]

@AdamMSCThat's promising to hear. Thanks for sharing the positive experience. I'd like to continue with an Ionic if it can cope with the sea. No better test regarding pressure, than the Ionic surviving a wave crushing down on you surfing!

Guess it's just those of us unlucky enough to have faulty devices, posting here, that in turn, makes it appear like the Ionic has an issue with the sea.

[malakai]

I really wanted mine for that too, yes it may have been a one off but there are a few people who have had the same issues....  And their customer services is appalling.... I will use it in the sea but if it is going wrong again I will get a refund 

[sconnolly]

Having the same issue regarding the ionic and charging issues, logged it with customer service and have had to follow up with calls each time as incredibly slow response to mails.

ive sent them a video of the iconic not changing but they are sending me a replacement charger cable to test that first before progressing any further.

Was also told the cable is on back order and no timeline for shipping it.

Customer service is terrible.

[PeteG-1]

@sconnolly You can get a set of cables, aftermarket (it's just a charge cable, just check some reviews, really), for less than a single, original cable from FB.  

It doesn't carry high-current, so really even a halfway decent cable is going to work, just maybe not as long as the original (probably past the life of the watch anyway).

Anyway, I was reading the Ionic forums, because I've killed my 2nd Charge2 now, and it's NEVER been swimming, or even underwater, lightly rinsed occasionally to remove road grime and salt (I'm a road cyclist, just part of the game, everything gets salty/grimy, over time).

I was trying to decide if I wanted to try the Ionic again (I had an earlier model, BT chipset-wise, and sync consistency was a nightmare), and found some threads like this, which are making me go hmm...

Right now I'm on that same 5-day thing with my Charge2, which is frustrating, it's not my fault that one died at 7 months (HR stopped working and then battery died, fully), and the replacement died, 3.5 months later, just the HR sensors (at the time I returned it) had quit working.

I'd like to stay with the FB family, if for no other reason than the UI is by FAR the best out there, and data portability is terrible; you will lose at least some data moving to a new platform, probably a LOT, unless you go to extreme measures (entering tons of data manually, the parts that won't export/import properly).

I wish FB would come out with a new Ionic(or successor), hopefully actually sealed, reliably, and with a solid BT chipset (like the revised Ionics some have gotten).

I'd probably take the "plunge" at this point, because I have no faith in my next Charge2 lasting for more than a few months, based on my last 2, and LOTS of similar posts...

Reliability should be Priority 0, for FB, at this point, IMHO.  

A fanbase only lasts so long, if things aren't reliable.

[SantiR]

Hello everyone! Thanks for your participation and posts on this thread regarding Ionic being waterproof and Fitbit's customer service. 

Thanks for providing your feedback about customer support. I understand it has been a long process for you. However, keep in mind that Fitbit will send your replacement units and will keep in touch with you until you confirm you have receive it. Please continue to contact them through email or call to check on the progress of your case and get any updates about it. 

Also, please know that Ionic is water-resistant up to 50M. It should not get damaged while taking a bath or swimming. However, if your does, please let customer support know and they will provide the best option to get you back on track. 

Thanks for your patience on this process. Keep me posted! 

[JP_Mul]

Brought my Ionic into the swimming pool yesterday, I was apprehensive after reading so many negative comments but I'm happy to report that it performed like a trooper! 

[Rich_Laue]

No watch can be advertised as waterproof, since at some depth it will fail.

At best it may be able as water resistant to X feet. In the case of the ionic this is 150 feet which makes it found for shallow seeming. 

[SantiR]

@JP_Mul Welcome to the Fitbit forums! Thanks for taking the time to post the positive experience you have had with Ionic while swimming. I'm glad it worked properly. Now you can enjoy Ionic while doing water exercises.

@Rich_Laue Thanks for sharing your experience on this thread. 

Also, take a look at the Discussions Board as you will find a lot of interesting things there. Feel free to post on any thread you want. If you are looking for Fitbit friends to compete with on challenges, check this thread to add some! 

See you around! 

[SunsetRunner]

the ionic is about as water proof as a boat full of holes let put it this way I went swimming and mine went down faster than the titanic.. software wise 

[Giampi71]

Being swimming in swimming pools weekly (using the wonderful app MySwimPro and my Ionic never let me down.

[Rich_Laue]

bombs. Of a change in the law, back in the 1060's the legal term is "Water resistant to a froth of XX". Legally there is no definition for waterproof. 

The ionic has a rating of 150 feet, but that is in perfectly still water with a very slow descent. At best this standard is only rated for shallow swimming, with a snorkle.

No high diving in a pool.

Now if simple swimming did affect the ionic, then it would be time to reach out to customer support.