Charge 3 - actually waterproof?

[RRad18]

Just wanted to see if anybody else out there has successful swam or gotten their charge 3 wet without any issues? I’m a little wary on it actually being waterproof. 

Success stories, or fail stories, I want to hear them!

[SunsetRunner]

I've actually had no problems with the waterproof. Have done 6 dives with
my charge 3 down to 45 ft which isn't super deep but in salt water with no
problems so far. I don't shower with it though as personal preference.

[dtylereckel]

So I went swimming with mine yesterday and wasn’t in the pool very long at all and now it won’t keep its charge. I’ve tried restarting it like it says and nothing. It loses its charge within a couple hours. Never had an issue before swimming yesterday. I got mine in. February 2019 and I can’t live without it either. Hopefully I can get this resolved as this is why I went from the charge 2 to the charge 3 as I live in Florida and it’s summer and we are always swimming and going to the beach. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @SunsetRunner, it's nice to hear from you. @dtylereckel, welcome on board! I'm sorry for the delay in my response.

@SunsetRunner, I'm glad to hear that you've been enjoying your Charge 3, especially its swim tracking feature! 

@dtylereckel, thanks for letting me know about your device, as well for trying the restart process. I totally see where are you coming from as I also love using my device when swimming. I've reached our team and apparently they created a case to continue working with you via email. Keep an eye on your inbox.

I'll be around if you need anything else.

[Mizzles123]

NO some Charge 3 are not waterproof!!!

I have had my fitbit since March this year and I have used it twice to swim in a friends pool which i don't know the depth of but is all one depth and you can touch the bottom easily. the first time I was in the water for 20 mins max and when I got out of the water I dried my fitbit and wrist and within 5 mins it started to vibrate and kept showing the screen wake and notifications screen and I had to restart it which seemed to do the trick, the second time I was in the water for 40 mins and exactly the same thing happened but this time it would not restart and then the battery completely drained, charged it up and then it kept vibrating and showing screen wake and notification screen, the battery then kept being drained, left it off for a couple of days and did a system restart again which sorted the vibrating but now it will not hold its charge, fully charged last about 10 hours.

still waiting for Fitbit to resolve the issue.

My advice would be if you want a tracker to track swimming DO NOT BUY A FITBIT!!

[Mizzles123]

No The Fit-bit Charge 3 is not waterproof, I have only had my fit-bit for 4 months and worn it swimming twice, first time it kept vibrating and flashing various things when exiting the water, I reset it which seemed to work, the second time it did exactly the same but this time it took ages to reset it and then the battery kept draining, left it off for a few days and reset it again which stopped the vibrating but now the battery does not last a day. So disappointed as this was one of the reasons for getting this fit-bit was to be able to track swimming.

why say its waterproof and you can swim when clearly they are not 😞

[PatrickGSR94]

Well I haven't been swimming with mine yet, but I did stick my arm underwater a few times in our pool recently while getting it cleaned and setup for summer, and it did not seem to affect my Charge 3.  I'm still unsure about wearing it at the beach on our vacation coming up in a few weeks.  I'd like to keep it on mainly because I like having ALL my calories tracked for the whole day.  I don't like having gaps in the data.  But if there's risk of destroying it then I'd rather not wear it out into the water.

[depepsi]

I bought a Charge 3 to replace my old ONE. I do Aqua Zumba twice a week, and now as I read all the trouble users are having with theirs I wonder if the Charge 3 will hold up to the vigorous arm movements in Aqua Zumba. A classmate has an Ionic and she says it is just fine in the water. Today for class I'm going to do what I did last night at work.(massage therapist - can't wear anything on my wrist) I rigged up a "dog collar" and positioned the unit over my carotid artery. I'm not too sure about step tracking, but it kept record of heart rate beautifully in that unorthodox position. 

What do you think? Will the Charge 3 hold up to a Zumba class done standing in water up to your shoulders?

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Mizzles123. Welcome to the Community Forums. @PatrickGSR94 and @depepsi, it's nice to see you around.

@Mizzles123, thanks for bringing this to my attention. The Charge 3 is a swim-proof device, and you shouldn't have issues with it when using it in the pool for up to 50 meters. However, I'm sorry to hear that your device hasn't been working correctly, and thanks for the information provided. I've checked with our Support Team and apparently they already took your case under their wings. I'm glad to hear that you're working with them.

 @PatrickGSR94, I see where are you coming from as I'd also love taking mine to the beach this summer. As mentioned above, it'll be okay to swim with your device as it stands up to 50 meters. I'm sure you'll enjoy this feature.

@depepsi, thanks for sharing your experience with your Charge 3, and about your inquiry It'll be okay to have it on your wrist when doing Aqua Zumba. Just make sure it doesn't get hit too hard against the water. If you have any difficulties, let me know.

See you around.

[depepsi]

I cannot "not hit the water too hard" in Aqua Zumba class; that would be defeating the purpose of doing Zumba in shoulder-deep water - working with rapid Zumba moves against the resistance of the water. I did use the "dog collar" positioning of the Charge 3 for class and worked the class as vigorously as I am accustomed to working it. Seemed to track heart rate accurately. I bought a set of  extender bands for Charge 3 from Amazon. I just tell folks who comment on my Firbit in a black collar on my neck that I bark too loud. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @depepsi, I'm glad to hear from you.

Thanks for sharing your feedback, as well your experience when attending your Aqua Zumba class. I'm glad that it was able to record your information. If you're using an official Fitbit band, this could be an alternative, but just take in mind that we recommend to use the Fitbit device on you wrist to better accuracy.

I'll be around if you need anything else.

[Kellynolan]

I have just experienced the not so waterproof charge 3 SE. I was nervous to let it get wet for a while. I wore it swimming 2 weeks ago and it was fine. Then I felt emboldened to wear it in the shower...well about an hour out of the shower I noticed it kept buzzing. I looked down and it was flickering from screen to screen like it was shorting out! I looked it up and did the reset once it was plugged in. It continued to have lines through it! I thought maybe I could just deal with that and I once again took it off before showering. Unfortunately the next day it did the same thing AGAIN! I contacted customer service and they were helpful. I just hope my replacement comes quickly and that it does not happen again! I am not encouraged by the other posts here! 

[SunsetRunner]

Helllo, I was traveling for work and stayed at a hotel that had a lap pool. I used the C3 for a few days in the pool and have had no issues with it.   I do tend to take it off in the shower but that’s just personal preference. 

[dtylereckel]

Mine did come quick and I’m so thankful they were helpful. I just wish it was as waterproof as they say it should be.

Dani

[x5cupec]

I bought my Charge 3 specifically to swim in it and LOVE IT!

I swim laps so you can set it for either a time or for a distance. If I forget to turn it on to monitor that exercise under 'exercise' it will still count 'steps' when you swim. My Charge 2 would sit in the locker while I swam and I would not get any exercise credit. It did take some getting used to wearing it in the pool but the ad specifically mentions for swimming, so there you go. I have had it about a 6 weeks and no problems so far. I get the fireworks display when I hit 10,000 steps even when swimming.

thanks

pam 

[Mizzles123]

Anyone else had problems with Fitbit actually sorting the problem out??? 

Apparently a replacement was meant to be sent and my order has been processed but that’s as far as it’s got!! I keep being told the same thing........(After reviewing our records, we were able to see that your order for the Fitbit Charge 3 is still in process. We recognize that this situation has taken more time than usual and from the bottom of our hearts, we do apologize. 

We have extended your case to our specialized team to see what is going on with your order.In the soonest one that we get an answer for them we will contact you back).

But no one gets back to you!!! I have been waiting 10days now yet when I ordered my Fitbit it arrived within 2 days!! Funny that!!! 

[Gabbif22]

I swam with my Charge 3 for about an hour and a half and everything seemed fine, but the next morning it would not turn on. I left it in rice for a day and then tried to charge it, but it only got super hot. I ended up leaving it in rice for a week and a half and it finally turned on after it was charged. However, it now has black lines going across the screen. 

[rigilbert]

I’m not long back from three weeks of holiday on the Greek island of Lesvos, where I wore my Charge 3 every time I went swimming in the sea - and I swam a lot.  The device held up perfectly.

In addition, I wear my device in the shower, and when washing dishes or anything else. I’ve not had a single problem. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Kellynolan, @SunsetRunner, @x5cupec and @Gabbif22, welcome on board. @dtylereckel, @Mizzles123 and @rigilbert, it's nice to see you around. I'm sorry for the delay in my response.

@Kellynolan, thanks for letting me know about your Charge 3, and I'm sorry about the issues that you had with it. I'm glad that our team was able to send you a replacement, and I'm sure they'll work on that.

@SunsetRunner and @rigilbert, thanks for sharing your experience with your Charge 3, and I'm glad that you've not had issues with it. That's great to hear.

@dtylereckel, I'm glad to hear that you received your replacement. Your Charge 3 is swim-proof as advertised, so be sure that it'll work correctly when swimming with it up to 50 meters. If you happen to have any concern with it, don't hesitate to let me know.

@x5cupec, I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed your Charge 3 when swimming. I understand how you felt the first time that you wear it when swimming, and I' sure you're now having an enjoyable time. About the steps, has that happened only when you're not using the exercise app? When you got the step goal celebration, was the exercise app open on the Charge 3?

@Mizzles123, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. I'm sorry for the experience that you've had with your replacement order. I've contacted our Support team and I was informed that they're working on your case. As soon as the order ships, you'll receive a confirmation over email. I'd recommend to reply back to their last response for more details.

@Gabbif22, I'm sorry about your Charge 3 behavior, and thanks for the steps that you've tried to get it working again. I've gone ahead and requested a case for you about this situation. You should be getting a reply soon.

Keep me posted.

[Kellynolan]

Mine has black lines all over the screen now too. It also no longer tracks
my sleep or active times except exercises I type in...
I am ready for my replacement to arrive. I hope we all just got a bad batch!

Moderator edit: removed personal information

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Kellynolan, I'm glad to hear from you.

I'm also excited to know that your replacement is on its way and I'm sure you'll have a great experience with it. Thanks for the updates, and be sure that our team will continue working on our devices to improve them based on the Community posts.

See you around.