Show swim laps, times and lengths on Charge 5

[Tessio]

Self-explanatory, but virtually all swimmers use lap counts and times to improve their performance, especially DURING swim. Add ability to set lap count as a Goal (not just time) in the tracker. Please add this to all devices. We're thinking of getting Fitbits for our children as well, but without this feature, we will look elsewhere.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[tech81toot]

I too was totally mislead by the Fitbit advertising on the Charge 5 as a swimming tracker.  There was no "fine print" disclaimer that it only displays elapsed time while in use for swimming. Relying solely on uploading tracked data to an app is not what is stated or implied.  This will be my first and last Fitbit purchase if the firmware is not updated to provide active display of swimming data while in use, including heartbeat rate data and lengths/laps.  It's worthless for swimming otherwise. 

[RhysLud]

I agree. Totally misled. Because I cannot trust their advertising claims,
when I replace this Fitbit and my wife's THIS WEEK (black Friday), we have
decided we will Avoid Fitbit because they betrayed our trust.

We will either buy something with better swimming capability or something
less expensive.

Goodbye Fitbit! Our relationship is OVER.

Sent from a pesky mobile device that randomly inserts typos.

[TamaraKenya]

Hello all, it would be really useful to be able to see the time while swimming. Could you please include the clock face in the 'water lock' in your next edition? thanks

[tech81toot]

Given that Fitbit had not made any noticeable effort in the last two-plus years to address the issues with heartbeat tracking and real-time display of lap/distance data being recorded by the any Fitbit devices, I have my Charge 5 to my wife and purchased a Garmin Vivoactive 4 on Black Friday sale for half-off ($179).  The Garmin's are compatible with Swim.com, which the Fitbits don't support. Goodbye Fitbit! 

[Surfista]

I will probably do the same at some point. I can live with not seeing my lap count until I get out of the pool, but it is not ideal. I do like the average time per hundred yards data. Even if my lap count is a little off, this lets me see how I did. Unfortunately, I think the Charge 5 is like one of those Swiss Army knives that has 87 tools in it. Fitbit tried to jam every possible function into the Charge 5 and as a result, it is so unwieldy that it does really not do anything well. 

[Azaharfran]

I swim 3 times a week and like others have said, I want it to show laps.  Yesterday I swam for 20 minutes and did 16 laps, but when I checked my phone app afterwards,  it showed I had swam for 40 minutes and did 31 laps.  I have correctly set the pool length to 25m.  I think that when I select swim on the watch it locks it, and assumes you are still swimming until you unlock it.  However I can't unlock it as soon as I out of the pool because I then go into the spa and then shower,  and then unlock it, but I think it might be assuming I am still swimming even though I'm not.   I think this proves it is not actually tracking your swimming or lengths at all, but just the time so is just a stopwatch and not a swimming trscker

[Surfista]

Azaharfran, you can turn off the waterlock when you exit the pool even if you are going into the spa and shower. The charge 5 is waterproof. The waterlock just turns off some of the sensors because fitbit says they dot no read accurately in the water. 

[Lorslee]

Tis is exactly what mine has done for a year!   Once in a while it is accurate, but mrst of the time it will say a time (which is usually wrong) and the totally wrong and random amount of laps.  I turn it off before I get out of the pool and then go do the spa, etc.  On my phone the app even has a different time swam than the fitbit said when I turned it off.  And what is crazy is that sometimes it will say the time ( maybe 30 min) and say 12 laps.  Just a random number.   I guess I complained SO much every day that last night my husband gave me an Apple Watch.   I really wanted my Fit to work, as the apple watch is too big for my wrist and like everything else about the Fit

[Thurza]

Fully agree with you. I use mine now just for the curiosity aspect of
seeing how incorrect it is each time. I have got over being frustrated and
cranky with it now it just gives me a daily laugh 😃.

[Lorslee]

so what are you using now for your swims?  I figure there is a swim clock and multiple clocks around and I can just use my head to count.  LOL!

[Olly3000]

I'm using my Charge 5 still but it's lame and I'm evaluating other
brands/options. Fitbit are over for me, losing quality in the hardware and
now the decent functions are on subscription... I'm done with Fitbit.

[Thurza]

Yes I just count as I swim, even if I miss a lap or two I'm still more
accurate than my Fitbit. 😀

[RhysLud]

My wife finds it useless as a swim tracker. I have purchased her a
different device for Xmas. If it works as I expect, we will both be former
Fitbit users early next year.

I feel I was lied to about the capabilities of this product. There are no
comments here from Fitbit. So I assume they don't care. I don't deal with
companies that make misleading claims and ignore their customers.
How many people have chimed in here and crickets from Fitbit. They do not
deserve our business and they'll not get another dime from me.


Sent from a pesky mobile device that randomly inserts typos.

[Olly3000]

I agree 100%.

What did you go for in the end?

[Lorslee]

So I used my Apple watch today (husband bought me it because I am forever complaining about the fitbit swim function - I mean, lack of function...) and it was flawless.  Counted every lap and even said how many laps of each stroke I did, even including kick boarding.  I had the fitbit on my opposite wrist.  This nice thing also is that while swimming you can look at the watch and see the time and number of laps and calories while you are swimming.  No need to stop and turn it on/off to see your progress..... I will probably wear both to compare until someone tells me I look like a dork.....

[starskyandhutch]

VERY LONG TIME Fitbit user with data back to 2015. This may be the deal breaker that gets me to switch over to garmin. Even Apple will now detect which stroke you are using and I cant even get a reliable length count.

[Azaharfran]

I count that I have swam , for example, 10 lengths x 25m, which should show 10 lengths and 250m. Instead it shows me that I have swam 16 lengths or even 25 -completely random

The Fitbit is inaccurate with regard to recording swim lengths and laps.  Can Fitbit give any advice on this.  For example, last week on one day I did 10 laps, but it recorded 15:   Another day I did 8 laps, but it recorded 5 laps.   I have set the length of the pool correctly and start and stop the swim function and lock correctly.  It makes me wonder if the other data (e.g. steps, sleep, heart rate, etc) are accurate 

[Azaharfran]

I have an Android phone, not an iPhone, so as far as I know I can't get an Apple watch, because I think it is only compatible with iPhone

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[Lorslee]

After my swim I just look at the watch and it has all the info.  I rarely look at my phone afterwards.   

[Azaharfran]

The Charge 5 doesn't have that option.  It is only possible to view the time, laps, etc on the phone app, when the swimming session is ended.  However, as previously mentioned the data it provides is completely wrong

[Surfista]

Lorslee, you are making all of us still using our Charge 5 feel deprived, sad and jealous.😭

[Lorslee]

So sorry.  I have had at least 5 Fitbits, and have been SO loyal to this company.  I didn't buy the apple watch and probably never would have never ever bought one.  My husband got tired of me complaining every day about  it and the swimming info.... I wore the fitbit and the applewatch together for 2 weeks just to make sure.  I loved my fitbit, but the company just didn't hear us....okay, one thing I dont like is that I have to charge the apple every day....

[Azaharfran]

I cannot understand why Fitbit do not read these posts and realise that their loyal customers are moving away to other brands because they are so dissatisfied with the product.  I know that the swim laps are incorrect, every time, so it makes me wonder if the other data, such as steps, or anything else, is accurate.  It is easy to know the correct swim laps, because easy to count them (although we shouldn't have to) but it is not possible to count steps throughout the day.    There have  been so many complaints on here, and not one acknowledgement from Fitbit

[Lorslee]

I totally agree. It makes me wonder if THEY even wear their own product....

[Surfista]

I am quite certain that they do not use a Charge 5 to track swimming.