What's a good alternative to a fitbit?

December 4, 2015 11:55 AM

My girlfriend's fitbit charge has fallen apart twice now - are any of the competitors hardier?

My girlfriend's had a fitbit charge for 9 months now, and while she loves it we've had to replace it twice already. The rubber band keeps falling apart. I can't fault fitbit support - they've replaced it without any questions beyond proving that we bought the original legitimately and without charging freight.

But, in March it'll be a year and I'm already anticipating this new replacement falling apart.

Are any of the competitors hardier? The things she loves are the step counter and the screen since she uses it as a watch. The sleep tracker's nice but not a necessity.

posted by Silentgoldfish to Technology (22 answers total)

I have an old, very inexpensive jawbone. I only paid about $30 for it because I wanted a
"starter" so I got an older version about six months ago on Amazon. I have beat the crap out of it, very seldom even notice I'm wearing it, and it's still working great. I will upgrade when this one wears out, but it looks like it will last forever. My model has a little cap that you pull off and plug in to a usb charger. Takes about 30 minutes once a week.
posted by raisingsand at 12:06 PM on December 4, 2015

Mine does not have a screen, though.
posted by raisingsand at 12:07 PM on December 4, 2015

My husband and I have both had the same problem with our Fitbit Charges, and although I don't have any great suggestions for a competitor, we super-glued ours back together and that seems to be holding OK, so it might be worth a shot.
posted by Cygnet at 12:12 PM on December 4, 2015

I'll be watching this with interest, as my Misfit Shine lasted about a month before it crapped out.
I won it in a contest on Twitter, so I didn't bother with griping about it.

I'm thinking about going with a Pivotal Living wristband tracker and scale in January, when the bands are back in stock.
You can't beat the price, that's for dang sure.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 12:18 PM on December 4, 2015

I've had fitbits of the clip-on-to-your-bra variety for more than 3 years with no breakage or problems. It might just be that they get banged around a lot out on your wrist. I also prefer the greater discreteness of the bra-clip since you can wear it even with nice clothes where a plastic bracelet wouldn't work. If you don't find a bracelet-style replacement you're happy with, try the clip. I think the one I have is called an Ultra and before that I had a One (which still runs, I just passed it on to a family member).
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 12:20 PM on December 4, 2015

Apple Watch is built like a tank and has much more functionality than any Fitbit. Obviously costs a bit more (about 2x the cost of Fitbit HR for basic 38mm Sport model).
posted by w0mbat at 1:09 PM on December 4, 2015

I have been using a Fitbit One for maybe four years. I tuck it either under my shirt or in that odd little extra pocket that pants have (the one that looks like it should be for a pocket watch, but is just the right size for my Fitbit). I prefer it aesthetically to a wristband and I think it has held up better protected inside my clothing. I recommend it.
posted by epanalepsis at 1:29 PM on December 4, 2015

I received a FitBit Zip for free as a prize at work. I adore it. But after reading this article I bought my parents mi bands. They arrived promptly, they work great, the app is straightforward and $15 + shipping you can't beat it. No watch tho - YMMV
posted by xicana63 at 1:42 PM on December 4, 2015

I use a Garmin Vivofit, which has a screen and replaceable bands, and has been quite sturdy. The bands come in multiple colours, and are very easy to swap out, but secure during use.
posted by misfish at 1:45 PM on December 4, 2015

I've had the old Jawbone linked above and the newer model of the same and they're quite durable. No strap problems at all.
posted by quince at 2:15 PM on December 4, 2015

If she has an iPhone, an Apple Watch Sport is the right answer. The fitness tracking is very good, the heart rate tracking is interesting, the data is automatically synced to your phone and available to nerd out with if you want, and HealthBook has enormous potential. Yeah, it's more expensive, but you also get a very functional, waterproof[* not advertised] notification center and timepiece out of it. (And a remote camera viewfinder, weather at a glance, etc. etc.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 2:32 PM on December 4, 2015

The other thing about the Garmin is that the battery lasts a year. No cables, no recharging.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 2:33 PM on December 4, 2015

I recently bought my husband the Garmin Forerunner 225 since we've also burned through a bunch of Fitbits. It's big and sturdy!
posted by Ostara at 2:59 PM on December 4, 2015

I have a fitbit one that I've had for years. It's been through gallons of sweat, freezing cold, and both the washer and dryer.

If she's willing to use a clipon, I've been happy with the one.
posted by 26.2 at 4:04 PM on December 4, 2015

I had a Fitbit Flex for a long while, then switched to a Garmin Vivofit 2 to get more features and stop breaking bands. I am pretty rough on wearables and The Garmin has held up very well and has the bonuses of fitting a small wrist, being waterproof, and having a multimodal display w/watch, timer, step counter, and syncing with common heart monitors. I think those features may be comparable to the Fitbit Charge. The thicker Garmin band has held up better than the Fitbit did. Might be worth a look!
posted by skye.dancer at 6:25 PM on December 4, 2015

Mi band. $15. Who cares if it breaks, was my logic... And it just, won't? Still looks brand new like almost a year later.

No screen, but the bands are like 50 cents and I'm still on the original one. Step counter and sleep tracker are on board. A heart rate+screen model is coming very soon for maybe $25 I believe.
posted by emptythought at 9:28 PM on December 4, 2015

I know others have promoted jawbone, but I'm on my 3rd Up24 in less than a year, and it no longer syncs with the app on my phone. My research for a replacement suggests that within brands, durability is really dependent on the model, although the Garmin and the Mio seemed to get consistently good reviews.
posted by scrute at 5:36 AM on December 5, 2015

May depend on the way in which it's falling apart, but the band on the Fitbit HR is much better than the one on the regular Fitbit (has a watch-style clasp). I've only had my HR for five months, but no problems so far.
posted by ethorson at 7:00 AM on December 5, 2015

Ya, my fitbit flex and I have a love/hate relationship. I've lost it twice at golf courses where it was miraculously recovered, and now it is lost somewhere in my apartment. It connects (or did before the battery died) with my phone so I know it's here somewhere, but the bands are really the weak link in them. Wouldn't buy another.
posted by OkTwigs at 9:07 AM on December 5, 2015

Looks like the Garmin might be the best bet. Thanks all!
posted by Silentgoldfish at 12:52 PM on December 5, 2015

I'm on my third Garmin Vivosmart (not to be confused with the Vivofit.) I like the functionality, and it's better made than my wife's Fitbit Charge, but Garmin has now twice assured me that the display problem is fixed.
posted by JMOZ at 5:20 AM on December 6, 2015

but the band on the Fitbit HR is much better than the one on the regular Fitbit

It hasn't helped with the issue I have. However they attach the rubber band to the hard plastic step counter just doesn't hold up for me. It just comes untucked, and then starts catching on things and looking terrible. I had the issue on my old Fitbit Charge, and Fitbit replaced it, and am now having the same thing on a three month old Fitbit Charge HR. I'm sure they will replace it, but it's still a hassle.
posted by smackfu at 7:52 AM on December 7, 2015