Is the fitbit charge 3 worth it?

[Wnb0816]

My charge 2 died and i need a new one. Should i buy another charge 2 or should i give charge 3 a chance?

[DramaQueenDiva]

Hi @Wnb0816, have you taken a look at the Tracker Comparison Page?  There's a short quiz you can take to find out which tracker is best for you.

[RenoRichard]

The Charge 3 is fine except if you want to use it in bright sunlight. Then you really can't easily see the display. I would have purchased a different tracker if I had known that the Charge 3 was not as bright as the Charge 2 I replaced. 

[KCinAZ]

I had a Charge 1 for two years and it was very accurate.  Unfortunately, the band constantly needed to be reglued.  I bought a Charge 3 in January and have had nothing but trouble. Several conversations with support trying to get autotrack to work have been unsuccessful.  If you want a device that only tracks steps, get a pedometer or the Charge 3.   My HR3 only recognizes walks; it doesn't recognize hikes, runs (treadmill, road or trail), stair climber, fitness classes, weights, or treadmill. Good luck. 

[Nathaniel_S]

Bought a new Charge 3 a couple of weeks after it was released, then it started becoming unresponsive and cutting out at random times, took it back to where I bought it as I thought it was faulty and got another Charge 3, had the same issues with that one and exchanged it for another model altogether - not worth your money at all.

[Rich_Laue]

 Please remember that when asking on a help board about people's experience with a device, be aware that usually only the very few that are having issues will be reading your post. You'll never get the opinions of the many without issues. Setting that in the first month more Charge 3s where sold than any other model any responses here will be greatly skewed.

[celticfriend]

My charge 3 needed recharging.  It has never worked correctly but I keep hoping I will find the answer to why it doesn't count correctly, doesn't sync correctly, etc.  While my Charge 3 was in the charger from 8pm last night till just 10 minutes ago it counted more activity than it had all day yesterday.  Just like when I sleep.

[phatlad]

If you want a device that tracks thousands of extra steps and dozens and dozens of extra floors, this is the device for you.

If you want a working device with no problems, I'd stick with the 2.

Just look at the reviews here and on amazon if you want genuine look at what a travesty the 3 is.

[James_Vierkant]

Wnb,

Given this is a support page for people who are experiencing issues, you're going to get more negative responses than positive.  On that note...

I purchased a Charge 3 Special Edition the week after Black Friday. Seemed like a really good deal to replace my Samsung Gear Fit 2.  I was intrigued by the wireless pay option and the longer battery life.  It didn't have all the notifications and fitness options that my Fit 2 has, but I felt I could deal with that.

I got about 2 mostly good weeks with the tracker before I started noticing that it wasn't syncing with my phone.  Step counter was always off, even with the most stringent setting.  My drive to work would add 1000 to 2000 steps and the HR sensor showed 60 to 80 bpm even when running.  My blood pressure cuff confirmed the errors.  It never counted floors climbed accurately at all.  Climb up a 4 story building and it might register 1.  By Christmas I discovered that my tracker had not been syncing with my phone for at least 2 weeks.  Then the screen went blank while I was on a trip and didn't have access to my charger.  I had to do a factory reset to get the screen back - changing the clock face didn't work as the tracker was not communicating with my phone.  After that it would not sync data to the phone.  I deleted and reloaded the app, reset the tracker and then it would sync for about a day.  Changed from all day sync and it still would take an hour or more before it would perform a requested data sync.  Notifications from my phone would not show up on the tracker during this period, too.  Then, it quit communicating with my phone.  I tried setting it up on my wife's phone, but the bluetooth transmitter had died on the tracker, apparently.  At this point, it's a brick.  Target had quit taking them back as returns because just about every unit they sold from Thanksgiving thru Christmas were returned as faulty.

I've gone back to my old tracker and, despite the short battery life, it's working like a charm.    

So, no, I would not recommend at this time.  Maybe after they figure out the communication problems between tracker and phone, then I could recommend it.

Oh, and the Charge 2's are discontinued, so good luck finding a new one of those.

[NapoABC]

Hi. I just returned my charge 3. I bought it 3 days ago. The band kept popping off on just one side. I tried to exchange just the band at the store for a new band. The Fitbit company policy is very strict that the entire unit has to be returned. I had spent $20 at Verizon getting help bc it would not pair w my phone. Did I want to go through that again w a new one? Bye bye Fitbit.

[Sharober]

I received a Fitbit Charge 3 January 3019.  Within one year it was non-functioning and Fitbit sent me a replacement.  Today, less than 2 months after receiving the replacement, it quit and all I was offered was a 25% discount if I purchased a new one through them.  I feel that a product selling for $149 should last longer than a year, or even longer than 2 months.  Be aware.