Are FitBits worth the money?

Are FitBits worth it?

This is a question I had to consider recently when my two-year-old FitBit Alta bit the dust.

I loved my FitBit. But the fact that it was my third device in less than five years really forced me to consider whether or not I should both replacing it.

Here’s a look at things I thought about while making the decision.

Are FitBits worth it?

I got my first FitBit on September 2, 2015. I remember the exact date because it was a birthday gift from my husband.

Please note: he bought me a FitBit because he knew I wanted one. At that time, I was working out regularly and thought having a tracker would provide some additional motivation to keep going.

So, for my 26th birthday, Jeff bought me a FitBit Charge.

I wore my FitBit all. the. time. It did exactly what I hoped it would: motivated me. I loved it.

Which is why I was so disappointed when, less than a year into owning it, it started to fall apart.

The cycle begins

The first issue I encountered with my FitBit involved the band bubbling and peeling away from the tracker.

Through a quick online search, I learned this was a fairly common problem with the Charge model. At first, I shrugged it off — the tracker worked fine, it was just cosmetic damage. But eventually, I decided to reach out to customer service via email.

They asked a few questions, I sent along some photos and, within a couple days, a new FitBit was on its way, free of charge.

The experience with customer service was so easy and pleasant; I was really impressed.

When my new tracker arrived, I swapped out the old one and voila. Back in business.

I was pleased…until the band on the new FitBit started doing the same thing as my first one.

Goodbye, Charge; Hello, Alta

Once again, I took some photos and reached out to customer service. And it was through this process I learned the Charge had been discontinued.

The agent first offered to send me a new Charge from the remaining inventory but the options they had in stock didn’t appeal to me — either the wrong colour or the wrong band size.

So after a bit of back and forth, they offered to send me the newest base model, the Alta, free of charge.

The FitBit Alta solved the big problem I had been having with the Charge by introducing changeable bands. During the time I had my Alta, I ordered a few different bands for it — some through FitBit, some through Amazon — and switched them out regularly.

That swap happened in August 2017. I loved the Charge, but I quickly came to love the Alta, too.

A slow decline

I started noticing a decline with my FitBit Alta around November 2019.

It started with the battery life, which went from 10 days to six. I expected this, given the type of battery it uses. It wasn’t too concerning — other than not holding a charge as long, it still worked well for the most part.

I think that’s why the death of my FitBit Alta was so shocking to me. One day, it worked. The next, it didn’t.

My first step after it died was to look online to see if anyone else had this problem. Just like the strap, it turned out I was not alone in this issue, which made me feel better.

But it was through this process I learned something: during my almost two problem-free years with the Alta, FitBit customer service had started enforcing its warranty policy in a stricter way. Where my device was out of warranty, there was a good chance I would not receive much help from customer service.

I reached out anyway. And although I had a good experience with customer service, sure enough, there was not much that could be done. After some unsuccessful troubleshooting, customer service offered the only thing they could: a 25 per cent off coupon for a new device.

So…are FitBits worth it?

Faced with the prospect of purchasing a new device forced me to consider the question: are FitBits worth it?

Even with a discount code, a new device would be pricey so instead of immediately jumping to make the purchase, I took my time to think about it.

In the end, I purchased a FitBit Inspire HR. It came to about $120, after the coupon and the tax. Not exactly something I was planning to do, especially less than a month into my six month shopping ban.

But don’t let the fact that I purchased a new device fool you. I still don’t have an answer to the “are FitBits worth it?” question. What I do have, though, is three pieces of rationale behind the purchase.

I use my FitBit daily

This was one of the biggest factors for me: I bought a new FitBit because I use it all the time.

Along with tracking my steps, my Alta served as both my watch and a device to remind me to take my medication every day (love the silent alarm!).

Thanks to the discount code — and the fact that the Alta had been discontinued — I had the opportunity to upgrade my FitBit to an HR model, which meant I would also be able to track my heart rate and get a better picture of my sleep.

Buying a new FitBit gave me more time to research other smartwatch options

Even before my Alta bit the dust, I had been looking at other options for a smartwatch.

There are a few models I’ve looked at, but I’m very much the kind of person who likes to do my research on purchases — especially if they’re pricey, like most smartwatches are.

Instead of impulse buying an expensive smartwatch without doing my due diligence, I opted to stick with what I know for now. By going with one of the less expensive models and using the coupon code, I saved a little bit of money and bought myself more time to consider my options.

If I decide to move to a different watch, I can sell the Inspire

I didn’t set a timeline for researching and purchasing a new smartwatch…but if it happens before the Inspire starts to decline, I figure I can sell it.

The nice thing about the Inspire compared to some of the older models of FitBits is that you can change the bands. This opens up doors of who could buy it, since it’s not restricted to one size.

Will I get back what I paid for it? Unlikely. But I’m OK with that.

Final Thoughts

While I can’t definitively answer the question “are FitBits worth it?” I can’t lie: I’m glad to have a working one in my life again.

It might sound silly, but I really did miss it during that waiting period. Since getting my new one, I have been much more consistent with just…getting movement into my day. And I really have been enjoying the sleep tracking option. Will I stick with FitBit long term? I don’t know. But I feel good knowing if I do decide to move to a new brand, I’ll have taken the time to do the research.

Do you have a smartwatch? If so, what are you using? And do you love it?