Prime Members: $99.95: Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker at Amazon

iletired

Jul 16, 2024 1:16 PM

112 Comments

Joined Feb 2016

iletiredJul 16, 2024 1:16 PM

112 Comments

How are these in the water? It says water resistant, but l'm curious if anyone has real world experience. I am a swimmer here and that's the only thing I'd really be using it for to track laps/distance (in yards) in the pool.

1

jmeister927

Jul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

15 Comments

Joined Jul 2015

jmeister927Jul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

15 Comments

I've had the 6 since January. Even though it says rated for water I do not take it in the Pool, shower, or submerge it in anyway. My coworker told me his stopped working after using it in the shower. On the other hand I can tell you more than a few times I accidentally left it on at the water park or when I was in the pool. It did not have issues. Overall it is a great device. My only gripe is you have to buy the service to really get the data insights out of it.

1

jmeister927

Jul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

15 Comments

Joined Jul 2015

jmeister927Jul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

15 Comments

Quote from iletired

:

How are these in the water? It says water resistant, but l'm curious if anyone has real world experience. I am a swimmer here and that's the only thing I'd really be using it for to track laps/distance (in yards) in the pool.

I've had the 6 since January. Even though it says rated for water I do not take it in the Pool, shower, or submerge it in anyway. My coworker told me his stopped working after using it in the shower. On the other hand I can tell you more than a few times I accidentally left it on at the water park or when I was in the pool. It did not have issues. Overall it is a great device. My only gripe is you have to buy the service to really get the data insights out of it.

IgorO

Jul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

22 Comments

Joined Jul 2019

IgorOJul 16, 2024 4:22 PM

22 Comments

Quote from iletired

:

How are these in the water? It says water resistant, but l'm curious if anyone has real world experience. I am a swimmer here and that's the only thing I'd really be using it for to track laps/distance (in yards) in the pool.

I have charge 5 and I take it in the river often when I go kayaking and tubing. No issues with water resistance. Not sure how accurately it tracks swimming activities though.

blancorunning

Jul 16, 2024 4:23 PM

268 Comments

Joined Sep 2015

blancorunningJul 16, 2024 4:23 PM

268 Comments

Quote from iletired

:

How are these in the water? It says water resistant, but l'm curious if anyone has real world experience. I am a swimmer here and that's the only thing I'd really be using it for to track laps/distance (in yards) in the pool.

I used to have one and swam with it all the time.

holysin

Jul 16, 2024 5:10 PM

2.7K Comments

Joined Jan 2004

holysinJul 16, 2024 5:10 PM

2.7K Comments

Those that are looking at this I will give you one piece of advice if you're looking for something that will always read your heartbeat go elsewhere these start out really good and then as you wear them longer the heart rate detection gets worse and worse (much like the charge 5 before it) now (bought in early Nov) when I happen to look down to check my heart rate about a third of the time I have no heart rate it seems to be worse during working out but it's pretty much frequently losing heart rate now. I tried to talk to Fitbit to get it replaced and that was a massive headache resulting in a few weeks of back and forth before they told me to update it and closed the case requiring me to restart the process if I really want to try to force them to stand by their product.

To put it mildly I do not recommend Fitbit and especially do not recommend the charge 5 or 6, at least if you're looking for a 24/7 heart rate monitor and would get annoyed if in the middle of your workout your heart seemed to stop 🤷

Last edited by holysin July 16, 2024 at 10:52 AM.

5

2

roll_right

Jul 16, 2024 6:06 PM

649 Comments

Joined Aug 2011

roll_rightJul 16, 2024 6:06 PM

649 Comments

Quote from holysin

:

Those that are looking at this I will give you one piece of advice if you're looking for something that will always read your heartbeat go elsewhere these start out really good and then as you wear them longer the heart rate detection gets worse and worse (much like the charge 5 before it) now (bought in early Nov) when I happen to look down to check my heart rate about a third of the time I have no heart rate it seems to be worse during working out but it's pretty much frequently losing heart rate now. I tried to talk to Fitbit to get it replaced and that was a massive headache resulting in a few weeks of back and forth before they told me to update it and closed the case requiring me to restart the process if I really want to try to force them to stand by their product.

To put it mildly I do not recommend Fitbit and especially do not recommend the charge 5 or 6, at least if you're looking for a 24/7 heart rate monitor and would get annoyed if in the middle of your workout your heart seemed to stop 🤷

Fitbit overall has just gotten a lot worse since Google acquired them. The trackers tend break relatively quickly, within a year or two. I've heard the Garmin ones are a lot better now, but still need to try them.

2

new_yorker

Jul 16, 2024 7:27 PM

1.3K Comments

Joined Dec 2010

new_yorkerJul 16, 2024 7:27 PM

1.3K Comments

Never again FitBit! They simply killed altimeter and no more stair counts or elevation measurements on FB5, not sure 6 has

1

DarthWoo

Jul 17, 2024 12:15 AM

310 Comments

Joined Nov 2017

DarthWooJul 17, 2024 12:15 AM

310 Comments

I will in no uncertain terms recommend AGAINST buying a Fitbit. I'd used Fitbits since 2018, starting with a Flex 2, then a Charge 3, and finally a Charge 5. The Flex 2 was fine, if obviously limited in its functionality. The Charge 3 did what I wanted at the time, but due to a screen fading issue I ended up having to get a warranty replacement. The replacement itself was starting to go when I managed to get a Charge 5 on sale. That is where the major issues began.

My first Charge 5 developed an issue with the screen becoming locked up with color stripes and other nonsense and generally not working. The warranty replacement went fine at least. A couple months ago it suddenly went from reliably six days between charges to three at best. I was hoping it would resolve itself, but one day I went on a swim with it as I usually do twice a week. Within a few laps it had spontaneously shut itself off with absolutely no input or output possible. The sensor lights weren't even on. When I got home it wouldn't even charge or reset, just flashing a Fitbit logo over and over. Unfortunately Fitbit's warranty terms only cover a unit from the date of the original purchase, which continues to toll into the lifetime of the replacement. At best I might have gotten a discount on a new Fitbit, if anything at all.

If you check the Fitbit support forums, particularly the Charge 5 forum, you'll find dozens of new threads every day, mainly citing the same problems. Most people seem to believe it stems from a recent update that somehow caused the Charge 5 to run out its battery extra quickly. Many whose units aren't outright bricked find that they will charge to 100% and then die within an hour of removing it from the charger. Others claim that they die after a brief exposure to water when they had dutifully protected them from water up to that point. Overall the support has been dismal, with cookie cutter responses you'd expect from chatbots and any dissent edited or removed.

The Google acquisition of Fitbit has definitely not yielded any benefits for users. Instead, we're seeing what almost appears as forced obsolescence through bricking units, previously accessible data locked behind subscription paywalls, worsened customer service, and so on. I got a Garmin after this experience and I've enjoyed it quite a lot more than I ever did the Fitbit.

@iletired Compared to the Garmin, my Charge 5 had a pretty dismal accuracy when counting laps. It seemed to be getting worse over time. I could nearly rely on it under-counting laps by 10%. Additionally, it has a pathetically small amount of data to offer. Basically you got time, purported distance (by which lap count was extrapolated) and estimated calorie burn. That was literally it. The Garmin can track HR underwater (with some inaccuracy depending on how tight you keep it) and can track interval times and even individual lap times, strokes per lap, etc.

3

ECarlson

Jul 17, 2024 3:41 AM

2.1K Comments

Joined May 2004

ECarlsonJul 17, 2024 3:41 AM

2.1K Comments

Since Google Workspace accounts don't support Fitbit with the new Google app (the old Fitbit app works for now, but is going away), I won't buy any more Fitbits once my Fitbit charge 5 stops working. The one thing good I will say is the charge 5 is comfortable to wear.

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