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

[hawkstv]

I’ve been personally looking at Garmin Vivoactive 3 or the Garmin Fennix 5S

[Greythorp]

Giampi71,

Thanks for your informative post. My frustrations have largely been with the Ionic not performing basic functions correctly (Heart rate, swim length counting) but you are right, the run app is extremely basic and inferior in functionality to my £35 Polar chest strap and the Polar Beat free app.  I'll certainly wait a month or two for the app gallery and firmware updates before resorting to ebay to fix the problems.  I've only used Polar monitors in the past and have been accustomed to them just doing what they say on the box and working reliably.

[Giampi71]

In defense of Fitbit I had a Polar m600 and the its GPS is absolutely awful, while the HR sensor is top notch.

[willow71uk]

The Ionic will be my last Fitbit I ever buy all because the software is appalling very amateurish compared to the other Smart watches out there

[njakobs]

A very difficult question to answer for me.

1) I love the Ionic, lightest best fitting smart watch I have ever worn. A lot of the time I even forget I have it on, a thing that was not possible with other smart watches I have had. So from this perspective I would buy it again.

2) I do feel that I a have been sold a dud though. As the software is far from customer ready. I feel like I am using a beta product. Which is fine, I love beta testing and trying new tech. But that is not what I brought. I hope they can sort it out and soon otherwise I will be moving on to the next new product that comes to market.

3) Biggest frustration is that it is a watch. So it should show the time when I look at it. However this is a hugely hit or miss proposition. I have resorted to either an exaggerated swing or just pushing button to see the time. I even find I just go to my phone more often than not. So overall as a watch it is just a straight fail.

4) Some people have complained about GPS and heart rate accuracy. They are idiots and just don't understand the limitations of the technology. Do some research and understand what you are buying.

5) One of the reason I got the Ionic was for tracking sleep. I have been able to wear the watch all night without issue and the data I have been getting is great. So even if I gave it up as my 'day' watch I would probably still wear if for sleeping.

6) All of the issues I have with the Ionic can be fixed with software updates. Which comes back to feeling like a beta tester. Perhaps it would be better to wait six months for the bugs to be ironed out and for the app store to be active. They can turn this product around and turn it into a fantastic device, maybe.

So all in all I am 50/50 on whether I would buy it again. The next month or two will give me a clearer answer. If I knew what I know now before I got the device I would have waited a few months. 

[LwrHrtRt]

I've had nothing but sync headaches with mine, with no current end in sight.

The only reason to buy the Ionic now, or give it positive reviews, is if you're an employee and/or own stock in Fitbit.

Will the warranty be up before they fix these issues?  It's the chance people here are taking by being "early adopters" and trusting Fitbit. Fitbit is not offering any perks also for our involuntarily accepting to be their beta testers.

If i could return it, I would, but it's past the return period from the store.

[MakMak]

Hi, @MelissaRN! I've got to say, it's all about what you're looking to get out of the device. I really like the Ionic. I also have the Blaze, which I use for activities where I'm planning to let my tracker take a bit of a beating, since I'm not ready to do that to my shiny new Ionic!

To be perfectly honest, I'm interested in seeing what will come with all the new apps, but in some ways, I feel like the release of a "smart watch" was a little premature if apps are what you're looking for.

However, on the plus side, the Ionic fits a lot more nicely on my small wrist than the Blaze and still has all the same great features I like in the Blaze. Feel free to ask any specific questions you have on the difference between the trackers and good luck with your decision!

[JulBock]

I don’t like the fact that I can’t see who is calling because I don’t have an iPhone.  Hope they change this

[MelissaRN]

I read your self-described "longish" review and thought it was excellent.  Thank you!  

[LwrHrtRt]

What phone do you have @JulBock?  I have an Android based phone... Samsung Galaxy S5.  And for the issues that Ionic has, seeing who's calling isn't the problem except when Ionic fails to communicate\sync completely.   Please check that under Notifications "Calls" is on. And "Enable Notification Widget"  is on.  All Day Sync and Always Connected may help you too.

[Thx1158]

If Apple would extend battery life and come up with a sleep tracking app as good as fitbit, I would dump the ionic in the blink of an eye. Overall....as most have said...I don’t feel it was ready. Apps and software issues abound.

[SunsetRunner]

Honestly, I would absolutely purchase it again. My device might be the outlier, but it has done every single thing as advertised with limited hiccups. I have all my notifications with my phone, music playing on the phone controlled by the watch listening with bluetooth headphones, weather app works fine (accuweather only updates it's data once an hour, which mostly sucks, but that's not the watch), GPS is spot on, heart rate is mostly accurate when compared to chest strap I have. 

Then, I had equal success with the Surge I purchased (it still works 100%). (Both purchased through Amazon, btw.) Oh, the occasional sync glitch crops up, but then, I'm used to that from the Surge. A simple restart the watch and bluetooth and it's back to working.

[jambrz]

Around $300 the followings are also good (similar to Fitbit Ionic) options:
- Garmin vívoactive 3,

- Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR.

[MattFitbit]

Hi everyone! 

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for providing such great feedback on your Ionic experience. I am glad to see that so many of you are enjoying your Ionic so far!

For anyone having a tough time getting Ionic to sync, I would highly recommend performing each of the steps detailed in this article. I know many have found these tips helpful. 

In regard to any discrepancy with the heart rate monitor, I would suggest wearing your Ionic one finger width above your wrist bone when not exercising. During exercise, I suggest experimenting with wearing the device higher on your wrist for an improved fit and better results. 

For more tips on improving heart rate accuracy, check out this article.  

If notifications aren't coming through, I would make sure that they are set up correctly by following each of the steps, here. For further troubleshooting tips, this article is very helpful as well. 

I hope that these tips help to enhance your experience with Ionic. If you have any questions, you know where to find me! 

[racertempo]

I love mine and would buy again tomorrow without hesitation, the Flyer headphones too. 

[RL7]

I'm back in if I see updates that address the syncing issues. Will continue to monitor the forums and will repurchase when improvements are made.  I just didn't feel like I was getting my $300 worth with the way things are now.  

[EvKo]

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@bcalvanese wrote:

I am on my third Ionic.

I am compulsive when it comes to these things. Returned my Garmin fenix 5x because it freaked out on me and I had the BestBuy 2 year coverage. Used the money to get a Garmin Vivoactive 3. The next day the Ionic came out at BestBuy so I picked one up. I kept the Vivoactive 3 and the Ionic for a couple days to test them against each other and liked the Ionic better, so I returned the Vivoactive 3. Then when the Samsung Gear Sport came out I returned the Ionic to try that. I didn't like it all that much so I returned the Samsung Gear Sport and got another Ionic. I then decided to go back to the Garmin fenix 5x and realized it was way too complicated for me, so today I returned it for another Ionic.

So yes. I would buy it again...:)

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This has to be by far the most amazing/unusual posting that I have read on this website. I envy your for your persistence on detail and for the maximal exercise of your consumer rights!!!

[JulBock]

Th. I can see who is calling now. 

[EvKo]

I have bought my Ionic five times. The first one I bought it from Fitbit. The other four times I bought it from myself and I almost got it for free - only the last time I asked myself for fifty dollars and finally negotiated the price down to thirty.

Happy fitbiting!

[Greythorp]

What a 3rd rate bit of kit the Ionic is! After two weeks of struggling with the HR tracking issue, swim tracking issues, accuracy issues I'm now getting the sync issues. Although some people seem to get on with the Ionic, many others have multiple issues.  I think the conclusion to draw is by all means buy one if you like its functionality, but its reliability is going to be a lottery - it might work for you, but then again....