Surge Battery Charge Draining

[menonh]

Hello,

I've been a loyal and proud user of Fitbit Surge since Aug 2015. Recently, Surge has become of no use to me since it drains the battery charge so fast. Even after fully charging the watch, it is found that the battery charge drains so fast and the watch completely shuts off. You would need to recharge and sync again to get the correct time. I have tried all possible options to reduce battery usage ( turned off notifications, alarms, quick view, all day sync, and does not even use it for Runs (no GPS usage). Even with these changes, battery charge is not lasting. Can someone please help? 

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity

[skmommaof2]

Mine was great for 2 years. I didnt need to shut off any features u ntil now. Yours will still be under warranty. 


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[mtravis390]

Well Fitbit is giving me the run around about it.  Clear evidence that it's not working, and they claim they still need more time to monitor it.  So I guessing I'm getting hosed.

[IanG77]

I then received an email the same day telling me that my case was now closed!  No investigation... just lip service!  

Knowing that I've maintained my Surge very well over the 2 years of use I still followed their instructions.  I fully charged the watch, turned off all syncing and notifications etc.  I wore the Surge to bed fully charged and woke up in the morning with less than half a charge remaining... this was within 7 hours.  I wore another watch to work as I knew the Surge wouldn't make it through the day.  I returned home from work and there was barely a sliver of charge left on the watch and the charge was fully depleted before 10pm.  So, from my measurements and following Fitbit's instructions, the charge lasted less than 24 hours. 

But Fitbit resolved and closed my case in less than 1 day with my Surge holding a charge for less than 20% against its stated capability.  Appauled at this backhanded lip/customer service and support of your product Fitbit.  My exeprience with Fitbit Customer Service is an exemplary example of ineffective arrogance, a lack of integrity and shameful disregard to a legitimate question about what I thought was a qualilty product.  I'll hold no illusions about the Ionic when it craps out in 2 years.

Moderator edit: Word Choice/ Format.

[IanG77]

This feels/smells very much of the Apple 'planned obsolescence' through firmware upgrades to me.  It seems uncanny that so many Surge's are undergoing the similar problems... either that, or the battery only lasts 2 years (which very well may be the case) and this is something that Fitbit would rather not acknowledge about their products.

[IanG77]

Hi Ken,

I bought my Surge Sept/2015.  About 6 weeks ago, I noticed the battery was starting to decline... and beware, once it starts to go... it goes fast.  I've been back and forth with Fitbit about this and the watch is no longer under warranty, so they're not really interested in my complaints.  They offered me a voucher for 25% off my next Fitbit but I'd already purchased my Ionic (knowing full well that it costs $200/year to own a fitbit and in 2 years I'll be in the exact same boat as I was last month).

I'm running a test though.  My wife has a Polar and while it's much more of a fitness training tool, the battery life and features make Fitbits look like the toys they really are.  Her Polar is a year older than mine and is still going strong.  She wants a new one to take advantage of some new and additional features (she's a triathalon/marathon girl).  I'm going to watch how much longer her Polar continues to operate. 

My buddy just bought the Garmin Vivooactive 3 a couple weeks prior to me buying my Ionic.  We're going to run tests to see who's watch lasts longer.  It's funny... he had a surge but the strap bubbled on him, so he bailed from Fitbit entirely.  

Anyways... to make a long story endless.  No.  My Surge did not make it to 3 years.

IG

[Ken_Davies]

Thanks. I have given up on Fitbit, and bought a polar M430, so I was
interested to see your comments on your wife's polar. The manual for my
polar does say that it has a limited number of charge cycles (like all
rechargeable lithium batteries), but I'm hoping for a longer life than my
fitbit had. The HRM seems more accurate than the fitbit, but I think I
will get a chest strap for improved accuracy (not an option on Fitbit).
Occasionally even the polar fails to pick up on exercise (eg reading 90bpm,
when I'm really doing 150bpm), but it usually gets it right - whereas my
fitbit usually got it wrong.

I think your wife is on the right track.

Regards

Ken

[SunsetRunner]

wow @menonh mine does that too! and it has been doing it ever since i bought it. the fitbit people won't let me return it even though the very same customer service agent said "Victor: I could see your Surge battery behavior is not the best." 

this is a total sham!!! i cannot believe it- it has never worked correctly. 

please let me know if you find a solution for yours!!

thanks!

[ndsolo]

Yes I agree, fitbit Surge is a rubbish watch. I purchased one on 27 September 2016 and the battery only lasts 3 days.

Replaced for a new one and the clock face is not in the centre.

Replaced again and the battery again only lasts 3 days max, and now within 3 months down to less than a day.

Basically I paid premium price for 3 faulty watches!!!!

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi everybody! Thanks a million for reaching out. Your feedback and thoughts are very important for us. 

Please check that you're following the steps given this post and if after doing so you keep having issues, please let me know so I can request a case with our Support Team; they will be happy to check your warranty options.

I'll be around in case that you need help with that. 

[menonh]

@YojanaFitbit, My fitbit surge is still draining battery charge and does not even stay for 5-6 hours. I loved the product when it lasted and was a great promoter for the same. Paid about 250$ for it and in a couple of years, it is of less use. Wished I had invested that on a Garmin instead.  What are my options now? Does fitbit do anything to fix the battery issue? if they are unable to fix, will they provide any credit towards purchase of a new watch? I am not sure if I even want to try another fitbit (but I did love Surge when it was working perfectly 😞 ) Or my only option is to throw it out and forget about it? 😞 Please advise. 

[Ken_Davies]

I think all rechargeable batteries have a limited life expectancy - even
those in Tesla cars. However, I was disappointed that my surge only lasted
2 years. I now have a Polar M430, which I like because I can use it with a
chest strap, and get much more accurate HR readings when I am training. It
also has an optical monitor on the wrist (like the surge), but this can be
inaccurate  - typically taking too long to react to an
increase in exercise intensity. I hope my Polar will last longer than my
surge - but only time will tell.

I wish all these companies would start making products with rechargeable
batteries that are replaceable.

Ken

Moderator edit: Word choice

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi  @menonh! thanks for getting back! @Ken_Davies your comments and thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Thanks for trying all steps that we suggested here on the Forums, since those steps didn't solve the issue you're having with your Fitbit Surge; I've requested to our support team to create a case on your behalf. You should soon receive an email from customer support at the email you used to register with the Community Forums.

Please keep me posted! 

[IanG77]

Judging from my experience and reading others comments on this board,
Surges are designed to last about 2 years. My battery just gave up and it
forced me to buy another fitness tracker. I feel it's planned obsolescence
or that the battery tech is just maxed out at a 2 year lifespan.
​IG​

[YojanaFitbit]

Thank you for your participation in the forums @IanG77! We don't want to create frustration in our customers. Fitbit has been designed to provide motivation and help you to reach your daily goals to success.

You might have the time to read more about the Warranty Policies from Fitbit, so you can have a better understanding of the response that you got from our support team. Please know that the options that our team provides are optional, and only if you want to get back on track within the Fitbit family you can choose this option.

I'm sure our Customer Support team will be more than glad to help you further with this if you have doubts. I understand you've invested in the Fitbit Family; however, we as any other company have policies to follow through.

Thank you for your understanding.

[KSims108]

I’ve tried all of the tips mentioned and my surge is still draining of power in about 1/2 a day. What are the next steps?

[mtravis390]

If it is still under warranty you should get a new one.  After i got my replacement it held a charge for 3-4 days unless I had the bluetooth for my music.  Then it only last a day.

It's been 10 months, and now the watch band is starting to bubble up.  It's only a matter of time until I will need to replace it with a new watch.  Very disappointed that this only lasted a year. 

[KSims108]

Thanks. I’m not sure about the warranty I think it’s been over 12 months, but the battery hasn’t been right from the time ive purchased it I’ve had to charge it daily(and that’s without gps on). I just thought this was normal. It’s now running flat in a few hours. My husband just bought a
Fitbit two months ago and it died so needed to be replaced. I’ve also had a number of other people with battery issues. I won’t buy one again given the lack of quality! It’s reasonable to expect it to last more than a year or two for the money spent.

Thanks

Katie

Sent from my iPhone

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @KSims108 thank for trying all the suggested steps. @mtravis390 thanks for sharing your comments.

You've done a great job with your Surge. I noticed that you already have a case open for this, so please check your email inbox and reply with the information that they need to keep assisting you with this. I'll let them know the steps that you already tried here too.

Let me know if you need anything else.

[rick168]

I am having the same issue since the first week of January. My surge will last about 2 hours after a full charge. I do not have heart rate, notifications or blue tooth  on when it is in use because I do not carry my phone when I run. Fitbit needs to figure this out. Too many people are having this problem this month. How many people are not reporting this. Syncing is not the cause. I have had a Surge for 3 years and replaced 3 times because of other issues. My most recent is only 1.5 years never had battery life issues until this month

[Ludlow16]

 I have 2_fitbit Surges, both are now draining the batteries very quickly.Overnight for the one I've started using. What a coincidence! Planned obsolescence? I have loved using a fitbit because I like the app but I will probably go to a Garmin now, as will my family. I don't want to be coerced into upgrading, it's an unethical tactic that I abhor.