One Availability and Alternatives

[KateFitbit]

Though Fitbit One is a popular product, as we introduce new products, we occasionally make changes to our product line to keep you on track with the most up-to-date health and fitness tracking tools.

As a result, we no longer sell the One. We recommend considering the other discreet options we offer- Fitbit Zip, if you prefer a clip-based tracker or Fitbit Flex 2 if you prefer a slim, wrist-based tracker. Or, take our quiz on http://www.fitbit.com/compare to see which device meets your needs best.

Please note that we will continue to support the One and, if necessary, provide replacements for devices in warranty.

We do know there are many fans of the One who would like to discuss alternatives and have created this thread for discussion and merged a few posts together. Please keep in mind Community Guidelines when posting. 

At this time, feedback has been shared on the One status and there are no plans to bring this particular tracker back at this time, we will not be able to comment further. 

We apologize for any inconvenience and hope we can continue to provide you with Fitbit trackers you love and help you reach your goals.

[RFS_UK]

So I reached out to the FitBit Facebook page to see if they would at least sweeten the deal to switch to an Alta - no dice.

Whoever suggested the Nokia Go needs their head read - I have never seen or more fully alternative short of the Zip!

If I was to go to a competitor, I would consider the Garmin VivoFit 3 - which also has third party clips available.

Are Fitbit going to bring back the One - no. They seem hell-bent on getting a share of the smartwatch market.

Are they going to bring out a Two? Doubtful ... 

Honestly - I don't care about the platitudes often posted by SantiFitbit or KateFitBit - they are just toeing the party line. 

There ARE clip-based activity trackers out there. Whether we choose to use something like the Alta and a clip or another manufacturer comes down to whether we want the hassle of getting new apps, syncing them with things like MFP or not!

[Jrby]

When I read about the One being discontinued, I resurrected an old Zip with a new battery.  I synced the Zip to an account on my phone and my One to a separate account on my iPad.  For 15 days travelling I wore both in virtually identical locations in my right hip pocket for the exact same duration each day.  The Zip was consistently higher, counting 2 to 6% more steps.  Likewise, the Zip recorded far more active minutes, without much consistency, like 145 minutes on the Zip and 90 on the One - only on two days were the readings comparable.  There was no relationship between the comparability of the step count between the trackers and high vs. low number of steps on a particular day.  I don't know why I expected a little more precision...

[dberger]

I personally don't like the Zip.Too wide. I need slim that I can clip in my bra or on strap of workout clothes. Also, loved the floors feature. Am highly disappointed in t he decision to discontinue One. I wanted another one. I find the look and size of the zip undesirable for my needs. I prefer slimmer and more discreet. I'll now have to see what alternatives I can find that meet my needs, which I am not happy about.

[michael2]

I started almost six years ago, over thirty million steps on my account - Zip is vastly inferior when compared to the One. I can’t wear a wrist tracker at work. It doesn’t have to be the One, but if Fitbit doesn’t have a comparable product by the time my battery goes you will lose a customer. 

[nesa76]

I've been using my Fitbit One everyday for the past 5 years, in my opinion it's a brilliant basic fitness tracker and I'm disappointed that Fitbit have not replaced it with a like for like replacement.

I am a petite lady with small wrists and all other wrist fitness trackers (Alta, charge, Garmin etc) all look like ridiculous "electronic parole tags" I continually check the dimensions of new fitness trackers in the hope that they are becoming smaller, alas no. Then Fitbit discontinue the only tracker I can use.

What I love about the Fitbit One:

It's discrete, I can clip it to my bra

It's accurate, I set up the stride length and compared it to my Garmin GSP and it's spot on for walking. I use it when hill walking in Scotland, where knowing distance and time can be literally life saving.

It's simple to use

It's small.

It's robust, it survived a long cycle in the washing machine, still works but the battery life has diminished.

The screen is readable

For what it's worth, I think Fitbit is going the way of Nokia: failing to innovate, getting out classed by cheaper alternatives, having too many product models that don't address the needs of their customers and resting on their laurels (we're number one, why try harder?)

No wonder the share price went from a high of $47 to $6 in 2.5 years

[dlorde]

---

@nesa76 wrote:

... 

For what it's worth, I think Fitbit is going the way of Nokia: failing to innovate, getting out classed by cheaper alternatives, having too many product models that don't address the needs of their customers and resting on their laurels (we're number one, why try harder?)

No wonder the share price went from a high of $47 to $6 in 2.5 years

---

I think you're right - strong competition from other manufacturers (Xaomi, Garmin, Apple, Samsung) caused their market share to halve from 24.1% to 12.9% between the second quarters of 2016 and 2017.

By the end of the third quarter this year, Fitbit's annual revenue had fallen 22%, the fourth straight quarter of double-digit sales decline, and they expect a 24%-26% sales decline for 2017. Figures from Motley Fool.

Not a good time to alienate your long-term customer base...

[LizzieR]

I have been using the Fitbit One for almost 4 years and love the product. It fits my needs - lightweight, accurate, track steps, and has a silent alarm. The product is ideal. Sadly, I understand that it will no longer be manufactured. This product is very useful and fits a need in the market for people who don't or can't wear something on their wrist, and do want to have a silent alarm and sleep tracking feature as well as view their step count on a display. I would like FitBit to please reconsider the discontinuation of this product.

The other alternative is to have a modification to the existing products to allow for it to be fastened with a belt clip (conversion kit for FitBit Charge 2)?
If the Fitbit One is unavailable when my device dies, I will be forced to look at alternative products. 

[RockSandyS]

I can’t believe you are getting rid of the One and keeping the zip. The zip offers nothing. Very disappointed. I love my One and don’t like things on the wrist. May have to look elsewhere 

[orracle]

My One just came back from the dead! It had gotten wet (long story) and I put it in rice etc. Now that I know they are being discontinued I don't know what to do with the One I bought off eBay--keep in for when my original does die, or offer it to someone else.

I sure hope someone in marketing is reading these posts--it's clear there is a market for this type of device. And the ones on Amazon--seriously? You think people will pay over $200 for it?

[RockSandyS]

I totally agree. Talk about ripping people off. I don't like watches.
Awful

[momice]

Why would Fitbit discontinue a popular tracker with features that so many people want, that aren’t available in the other trackers? Then they suggest substitutes which definitely don’t fill the need. My first Fitbit tracker was a Zip. It has less features than the One. It was not rechargeable, and I spent quite a lot of money on batteries because they drained so fast. 

Many people have stated they don’t want a wrist tracker. The Zip doesn’t have enough features. So the alternative is for us to switch brands. Is that really what Fitbit wants? 

[ScrapjenB]

Switching brands isn't really an option for me, with my Aria scale, Fitbit friends and family and data dating back to 2010 ... 

When the Alta was suggested as a replacement earlier in this thread, I dismissed the idea ... but I've given it a second thought and even experimented with it. I bought a 3rd party clip and borrowed(stole) my son's Alta.

Other than the floors issue, which I realize is a deal breaker for many ... I think almost all the other requests ARE found in the Alta (although I prefer the One's button scrolling to the "tapping" on the Alta). It is almost exactly the same size. I included pictures here on a little blog post (http://jenbsjourney.blogspot.com/2017/12/fitbit-one-done-alta-alternative.html). The basic Alta (not the HR) can be found for $99 which is the same price as the One. It has a rechargeable battery and stats on screen. The auto-tracking IS a step up from the One, it's a really nice feature!

It's still absolutely frustrating that Fitbit is eliminating the One. But instead of suggesting the Zip or the Flex, offer the Alta as an alternative. Market it as a clip with a wristband as an option. Add in the altimeter (I read somewhere that there just isn't "space" for everything, but the Alta and AltaHR are the same size ... seems like w/o the HR function there should be space). 

I like the floors feature ... I have 40,695 to my name as of now, but it isn't a deal breaker for me.  I guess I'll go with the Alta as an alternative when my One gives up the ghost. I'll still be wearing my One until it's done!

[DoubJay]

Unfortunate for Fitbit to have discontinued the One. I will be searching for another brand to replace the one. As others have noted, there's a significant market for people who do not want to wear a wristband. Not sure why Fitbit doesn't see this...

[Mcwheltle]

I ha e already purchased the third party clip for the Alta and Santa is bringing me an Alta for Christmas. I have no desire to jump ship as I like all the accumulated stats. The only stat that Fitbit doesn’t keep is a consecutive day streak. I record that by syncing with SparkPeople.com. After 3.5 years of hitting my daily 10k goal, (day 1282) I don’t feel like changing tracker companies. For me, the steps are my primary concern. I move my arms all the time so I think a wristband tracker would be inaccurate. Loving my One until it dies then bouncing to the Alta in the wings. 

[CMCM]

Good points.  It seems like companies that do well pay attention to their customers and what they say.  If Fitbit had profiled and advertised the One more, perhaps they would have had more buyers.  The other products out there are prominently displayed and advertised, so obviously buyers would know about and buy those items.  I bought the One because it was different from all the wristband things, or trackers that hang on your pants waistband.  I can see the One getting lost easily if it's floating around in a pocket or clipped on pants, etc.  It just seemed especially perfect for women because it could be clipped discretely at the center of the bra, and that's a spot where it would be less likely to get lost.  The big weak spot was the cover, which I've had to replace several times.  Fitbit was always great about sending me a cover replacement, even when my One was technically out of warranty, so I can't complain about that.  It seems like they could have sold them for a more reasonable price or in multi-packs like you see online from other brands, but I don't know if the cover part was an annoyance to Fitbit and part of the reason they wanted to jettison the One.  Hard to know.

Moderator Edit: Format

[nadasy]

I know this is a sad day for those of us who know at some point our ONE will bite the dust, but I have a few thoughts until something better comes along.

I know how nice it is to see your progress, the floors, the steps, the years of all the good things we can see on our dashboard.  I know if my One no longer functions, I'll take a screen shot of my Dashboard, and maybe the milestones.  In the grand scheme of things, I already know approximately how many steps I will have in a day/week, and floors, and have my routes that I walk/run on by time with my cross-country watch.  I've had that watch since 1990, and it was very expensive-it was the Apple watch of it's day without wi-fi.  When you are getting ready to compete a horse in the discipline I am in, you have walking, trotting, gallops, hills, for certain training days and months starting in the early Spring to get ready to compete.  What I'm trying to show, is that you can have a stop watch.  You basically know that your goal is a marching walk up and down hills for a month-then as the horse (and you) get fitter, you have 'sets' for trot, canter, gallops, hills.  You create a base line for time, temperature, respiration, heart rate and incorporate your next gait, trotting.  Those of us who spend our time getting horses (and ourselves) fit for competition, so that they can easily compete and complete without fitness injuries, for example, learn to back off or add an extra circuit when necessary.  Horses need consistent work, but not pounding.  Some horses are better suited because of age and breed to allow two days off a week, some ring work, some of this and that and there have been horses that are better when the sessions are split up into two -hour sessions a day.  (Especially horses that cannot be turned out due to weather or other reasons).

I'm sure most of you may not see my analogy as meaningful, but what I'm saying is that if you are training for Endurance riding, upper level Horse Trials, 2-3 day competitions, you have to be ready and fit with your horse at a level above your event so that it allows the horse an easier recovery time.  

With what we do, we already know the distances, the times and the amount of fitness we need to have, and if you pay attention to the schedule you have set, and you lose your watch (or your timing mechanism), or your One then you could carry on pretty well with out them-until you could replace it.  Losing a page of all your accomplishments is sad, but is it worth the angst and pain in the grand scheme of life-hardly-but that's just my humble opinion.  

I know at some point my One will go, but it won't stop me from walking/running competing or making sure I have adequate exercise every day, plenty of sleep, the right food, and water to hydrate.  

I guess you could say that lots of people loved the Chevy Corvair.  It was dropped from the line up and other styles were offered.  I don't think that there were massive protests against GM but maybe I'm totally off base.

We only have one life to live-as far as I know, this is one thing I cannot get too worried about.  Of course, being 75 in February may have something to do with my opinion.

Dinah

Moderator Edit: Format

[CCStrong]

A friend of mine tested the Alta against the One for a couple of days and there was a huge difference with accuracy.  I had considered the Alta, but now I'm moving to a different manufacturer.  

Moderator Edit: Format

[creaienie]

Half a year ago I bought myself a new android phone, since I got more and more problems with my windows phone and other apps. Yesterday I have been trying and trying to get my phone to find my one back, still no luck. So, I charged my old windows phone and tried to sync there and it works fine again. Is this a first sign that fitbit will not support the one anymore?? Reading a lot of comments here, I see noone is happy that the one is not sold anymore and neither am I. I have been looking for 1 of the others, a while back, since I wanted a heart rate device. I opted for a cheaper brand and found out I hardly look at it. So, I just want a new One, when my old One dies, I don't like the big bulky watches. So, I guess when my One dies, it's bye, bye fitbit.

[RockSandyS]

I totally agree. I called yesterday. Hopefully they will bring it back!
Told them the Zip was crap and they know it

[bluepinecones]

I also found a huge difference between the Obe and Charge2. The Obe being more accurate