Life Expectancy of Charge 2

[bmor65]

My Charge 2 has died - battery will not hold a charge.  I started using it in March 2017 so it is now out of Warranty.  This is my second Fitbit product that completely died shortly after the warranty period was up.  What is the normal life expectancy of a Charge 2?  I used my all of the time, but I work in an office so it was very gently used.  While I really love the functionality and the Fitbit App, I'm very hesitant to spend more money (they offered 25% off a new one) on a new item that is likely to die shortly after the warranty period.

[xenaFB]

I purchased charge 2 Dec. 2017. I forgot to mention in my previous post my battery is fine. I don’t charge every day. I wait until the battery is low. I don’t know if that makes a difference. 

This is my first Charge 2 Fitbit. I had a charge Fitbit originally and that one finally died after it accidentally was left in my pocket and went through the washing machine. It worked, but was no longer accurate. It went through so much abuse I am surprised it was not damaged earlier. 

My charge 2 has not been abused as much as my original charge. It’s possible I damaged my screen at work, because of the type of work I do. Perhaps moisture has entered through the crack in the screen and that’s why it’s no longer counting flights and steps accurately. 

I’m just looking around the forums because I am curious how long the charge 2 is expected to last through normal wear and tear.

[icetea]

My charge two is 17 months old and I’ve had to replace the band already and the screen has a crack in it.  Fitbit offered me 25 percent off a new one also but I was able to purchase a new band. I’ve had 3 and the first I lost while was out at the Grand Canyon and the 2nd one broke as well. I’m not abusive to them either.  I love having a Fitbit but may go to iWatch next. 

[icetea]

Me as well. I love my charge 2 but same problems, band broke and cracked screen. Offered me 25% off new one, not a replacement band, found new band somewhere else and it works great. Mine also 3 months out of warranty. May be time for different type. 

[thejim2000]

Battery life is less than two years, nothing lasts forever BUT a $100+ product should last longer 

will never buy a fit bit product again 

sorry for my rant see others have the same problem 

[Mslbee]

Your rant is the absolute TRUTH. 

[kebells]

Mine was a little over 4 years old when it died. I'll consider myself lucky compared to others. Not sure I'll stick with the charge 2, move up, or try an apple. 

[icetea]

Unfortunately I forgot to take it off when I got into the shower and the screen was already cracked. Therefore, it must gotten wet on the inside and the heart rate wouldn’t work so I hit the bullet and purchased a versa 2 on HSN for a decent price. I like it a lot and hope it’ll last more than a year. Lol

Sent from my iPhone

[JacKC1102]

I started using my Charge 2 since 09/24/2017. Wear it 24/7 except when I shower or charge. Charge it twice a week. Still working fine.

[Mslbee]

👍🏼Happy for you!

[Anwimo]

My Charge 2 lasted 5 years. I went through about 3 or 4 straps. Recently, the battery life dropped noticeably, lasting only about 1.5-2 days.  I thought I'd replace it when it dropped to a day or less but it suddenly stopped working, which is disappointing. I had hoped it would simply last for a shorter time rather than stop. I'm thinking what to get next, not sure about the Charge 4 if it has the same problem.

[DiddlyD]

I'm concerned with the short life of these things, in the end they can be more expensive than the apple watch then.

[SueHK]

Mine (Waterproof Charge 2 SE) has just died at 14 months old.  It was great for about 9 months, lasted a week each charge. Then it dropped to a day per charge. Eventually I tracked that down to a problem with the app. The strap snapped at 10 months, the screen went at 13 months, now nothing - won't even charge.  Definitely not worth the money.

I'm getting a £25 step counter from the sports shop and replacing it every year from now on

[DiddlyD]

5 years in the tech world is a long time.  You might want to just get a watch then because this stuff will always fail at some point or become outdated that it won't run the latest OS.  Same with smart phones and computers it's frustrating but it is what it is.   If you don't buy the latest model, you can save a lot too.

[VikkiVegan]

I bought mine in September 2017 and this week it has decided to die after repeatedly losing time over the past fortnight. So I guess that makes mine precisely 3.5 years. My guess is, the better care you take of it, the longer it lasts! 

[Mslbee]

Pardon me, but I took very good care of my device. Maybe it was not made for the rigorous workout (5 days a week) and 15k-25k steps it received each and everyday. Anyway, Fitbit is NOT the only fitness monitoring product out there and I have since moved on to something better. 

If Fitbit wants to retain its consumers, I suggest they make the watch to be repairable or at minimum be able to change the battery since that's its major malfunctioning problem. 

[Williger]

Although LiPo batteries are only rated for ~2 years, I've noticed the Charge 2 tends to last longer but of course, care for the device, level of usage, charge frequency, temperature, and other numerous factors impact the life of any battery. The Charge 2 was discontinued in 2018 with the release of  Charge 3. You can replace the battery. Doing so will violate the warranty, but most if not all are already out of warranty. The batteries are available from Amazon. Happy stepping!

[VikkiVegan]

MSLBEE - Wow! You're rude. I was simply making a polite observation - I took good care of mine, I got my money's worth after wearing it daily for weekly 20 mile bike rides and 6 mile walks everyday for years. Why on earth you are offended by my observation is beyond me. I've just read your other comments on this thread and I'm surprised Fitbit hasn't thrown you out for anti-social behaviour. Oh wait, your Fitbit died and now you hate it and instead of directing your anger and frustration towards customer services at Fitbit, you're directing your hate towards other Fitbit users. Why not just remove your account if you hate Fitbit so much, your comments aren't helpful or insightful?

[Mslbee]

See, you don't recognized nor accept that you were VERY rude and offensive first to bluntly suggest that if I had taken better care of my device it would have lasted longer like yours did for 3 years. SMH!!! As for anything else that you said after rude...didn't read it because I don't care! Check yourself before you start getting into your feelings after you insulted a total stranger.

[Mslbee]

Thanks Williger. At the time when my device died, I tried everything including taking it to a local watch and cell phone repair place...no help. If I purchase the battery on Amazon, can I install it myself? Only asking because I tried opening where I thought was the battery compartment, but couldn't get it opened.

[AllTexas]

Wow, after seeing everyone's comments on how long their Charge 2 FitBit lasted?  I feel like mine is the best one.  I bought it in Dec 2016 and it is still working perfectly in June 2021.  I've replaced the band 4 times.  Once I got past buying the FitBit band and bought a knockoff, I haven't had another problem with it. I paid near full price for it and it was a splurge for me. It's had its share of sweat on it.  I would have been really unhappy to get just 2 years out of it.  The new ones don't impress me.  They have more features than I care to use.  I hope this one will keep working for a few more years.