I have spent $600 on Fitbit devices which either broke immediately or became lost/trampled under normal city transit conditions. I confess this with a great deal of shame -- both at the depth of my depraved consumerism, and also at my grade-A gullability.
- My original Fitbit "Ultra" shattered into a few unsalvageable peaces the first time it hit the ground. As did my partner's. (-$200)
- My Fitbit "One" fell off on a bus never to be recovered. (-$100)
- My replacement Fitbit "One" fell off on a sidewalk someplace between the supermarket and home, never to be recovered. (-$100)
- My Fitbit "Flex" stopped accepting a charge from the charging adapter after about a month of use. (-$100) -- SIDE NOTE: WHY DO ALL OF THESE DEVICES REQUIRE SOME KIND OF STUPID PROPRIETARY CHARGING ADAPTER MADE TO THE SAME EXACTING QUALITY STANDARDS AS A HAPPY MEAL TOY -- GOD DAMN IT, USE NORMAL USB IMPLEMENTATIONS.
- My Fitbit "Aria" started registering every weigh-in as a "Guest" and stopped seeing our Wifi network after a few months, reducing it to a battery-sucking design piece with no more functionality than a normal scale. (-$100)
In each case, I liked the idea and the look of the product so much that I was willing to tell myself, "This time they've gotten it right! This time they have solved the issues with the prior product, and this time it will last."
It never lasts. There is a fatal flaw so obtrusive in the case of each new Fitbit product that they practically self-destruct. The only way for the issues to be more show-stopping would be for these little yuppie badges to actually exploded like tiny bombs.
Fitbit devices deserve the bizarre distinction of being activity trackers that are developed in a total reality vacuum, intended to be exposed to absolutely no activity at all. It's too dangerous for them. They can't handle it. They can't hold onto a pocket to save their lives. They can't handle sweat -- it corrodes their connections. They can't handle bathroom humidity. They need special treatment at every turn. If you want your Fitbit to last, you should take it off, place it on a satin pillow in a cool dry place, and never touch it again.
My advice is to fork over the $10 - $20 it takes to buy a normal ugly pedometer (you can get them at GNC, even though the employees there don't know the word "pedometer" or what one does -- true story). Write your steps down in a notebook each day. You don't need it logged for you. The focus it takes you to write down your daily steps will be more effective than automatic online logging anyway.
Alternatively, modern smartphones are coming equipped with motion sensors that can replicate the functionality of a Fitbit without the need for additional fragile hardware. When I upgraded to an iPhone 5S, I benefitted from such a sensor coupled with the app, "Moves" which is basically everything Fitbit wishes it was, but without the pricy plastic bit that is waiting for its opportunity to self-destruct.
As for me, Fitbit has already gotten way more money out of me than they'll ever get out of most people, and I guess I consider it a tribute to their savvy web design, elegant device styling, and my own eternal wish to lose 20 pounds. But I'm definitely cutting them off at $600. No thanks to whatever comes next from these guys. Thankfully "wearables" are being outmoded by the smartphones we already carry.
