Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker - Rosewood

Every fitbit ive ever had has been junk. the charge 2 broke on me three times, each conveniently after 1 year. it wasnt a problem then as I had a retail hookup to replace them for free past warranty. The 3rd time I paid for the charge 4 on a black friday deal.charge 4 broke February 2023, a few months outside of the 1 year warranty. Never wore the device in the shower, or exposed it to water. the plastic that hooks into the band disintegrated and now it cant be worn. I knew from experience fitbit and google just makes junk hardware so I got the warranty through walmart.youll need your original receipt, and time. filed the claim feb 1st, had to chat w support to get claim approved, then they offered me a lower cash settlement, to which I asked for a replacement. ... MoreEvery fitbit ive ever had has been junk. the charge 2 broke on me three times, each conveniently after 1 year. it wasnt a problem then as I had a retail hookup to replace them for free past warranty. The 3rd time I paid for the charge 4 on a black friday deal.charge 4 broke February 2023, a few months outside of the 1 year warranty. Never wore the device in the shower, or exposed it to water. the plastic that hooks into the band disintegrated and now it cant be worn. I knew from experience fitbit and google just makes junk hardware so I got the warranty through walmart.youll need your original receipt, and time. filed the claim feb 1st, had to chat w support to get claim approved, then they offered me a lower cash settlement, to which I asked for a replacement. they told me ok, then no on the replacement as they saw I bought the black friday pricing and it would be cheaper to reimburse me that (typical insurance company stuff). got a walmart gift card for what I spent before taxes.I really like the fitbit app user interface, google excels in software, but hardware theyre terrible. I dont believe im just unlucky to have gone through 4 devices in 6 years. Going to look into a switch, maybe samsung or garmin.

Easy to use, simple functions, nice overall look, not too big

I have fun roughly estimating how many steps I took and the distance I traveled. If I do a lot of chopping or washing dishes that seems to add a lot of steps, though, so it is a rough estimate and not an exact science. But that's enough for me! It's water resistant enough for me to not have to freak out when washing my hands, technically I could even swim with it (never tested that, hate swimming) so that's super cool. I swapped out the band for a more breathable band with a lot of holes in it because the solid band was too...sweaty or whatever, for me. It needed to be rinsed daily or it would stink! The sport one with the holes has not ONCE stunk. I use several of the functions almost daily, so definitely worth the money. I like that I can SEE the SMS and phone ... MoreI have fun roughly estimating how many steps I took and the distance I traveled. If I do a lot of chopping or washing dishes that seems to add a lot of steps, though, so it is a rough estimate and not an exact science. But that's enough for me! It's water resistant enough for me to not have to freak out when washing my hands, technically I could even swim with it (never tested that, hate swimming) so that's super cool. I swapped out the band for a more breathable band with a lot of holes in it because the solid band was too...sweaty or whatever, for me. It needed to be rinsed daily or it would stink! The sport one with the holes has not ONCE stunk. I use several of the functions almost daily, so definitely worth the money. I like that I can SEE the SMS and phone call but can't do anything about it, really. Slight connectivity, but like once removed.

FitBit made a great product...with a few imperfections!

Pros.- Silicone strap is extremely comfortable, the watch integrates well with the app, and the watch packs a lot of features into a very compact case that doesn't shout 'look, I have the latest you-know-who, fruit-themed competitor product!'. Weather, a 'relax' function, Spotify controller, Agenda updates, Timers. App is nice to use. It has all you need really. Different clock faces are fun, battery life is excellent and it's a robust little package that doesn't cost the earth.Cons.I've actually bought two of these now - one for myself and the other for my wife. Mine is early gen and the screen is much dimmer than hers, to the extent that a couple of the watch faces are not practical to use. That said, the watch is still highly usable so that's a minor ... MorePros.- Silicone strap is extremely comfortable, the watch integrates well with the app, and the watch packs a lot of features into a very compact case that doesn't shout 'look, I have the latest you-know-who, fruit-themed competitor product!'. Weather, a 'relax' function, Spotify controller, Agenda updates, Timers. App is nice to use. It has all you need really. Different clock faces are fun, battery life is excellent and it's a robust little package that doesn't cost the earth.Cons.I've actually bought two of these now - one for myself and the other for my wife. Mine is early gen and the screen is much dimmer than hers, to the extent that a couple of the watch faces are not practical to use. That said, the watch is still highly usable so that's a minor gripe.Also I had a screen of death issue on the first boot, which led to me searching forums for a fix (effectively a hard reset procedure and a software fiddle) since FitBit's online support documentation wasn't especially useful, although I did complain to them on Twitter and they were accessible and pleasant.Woven 'premium' strap is itchy and a waste of time - doesn't make for comfort or suit the watch given the sensors underneath, also gets dirty quickly. I use the silicone strap supplied instead, which is much better.Connecting to GPS is also a bit iffy and can take time. TBH I hardly engage it half the time I go running in any case, and just let it calculate distance according to steps. In any event, that's less of a battery drain.

Loved It, Now Not So Sure.

My complaint about this product is that it is a replacement for a previous charge 4 that was still a functional tracker but rendered unwearable: The cleat on the side of the watch that the band snaps into sheered away from the watch body. To my knowledge, there was no traumatic event that caused it - maybe I snagged it or bumped a doorjamb and just didn't take note. I chose to buy anogher Charge 4 here because I like the functioonality and I already owned two aftermarket watchbands - I had to replace the original 8 months into ownership becuse it broke from what was clearly friction from the buckle moving and wearing at the silicon band. I had JUST bought a third band when the cleat holding it to the watch body sheered away. The watch was 13 months in my posession ... MoreMy complaint about this product is that it is a replacement for a previous charge 4 that was still a functional tracker but rendered unwearable: The cleat on the side of the watch that the band snaps into sheered away from the watch body. To my knowledge, there was no traumatic event that caused it - maybe I snagged it or bumped a doorjamb and just didn't take note. I chose to buy anogher Charge 4 here because I like the functioonality and I already owned two aftermarket watchbands - I had to replace the original 8 months into ownership becuse it broke from what was clearly friction from the buckle moving and wearing at the silicon band. I had JUST bought a third band when the cleat holding it to the watch body sheered away. The watch was 13 months in my posession when this happened. I didn't replace it with a Charge 5 so I can continue to get value out of my aftermarket watchbands. If however the same thing happens with the replacement, I don't think I will buy another Fitbit. I had the first version of the Charge that lasted me years before the battery finally gave out.

Strap broke in months

I chose this Fitbit as it seemed to offer the functionality I was looking for and was a good size and colour. Within months the strap was showing signs of wear and was cracking at the sides of the holes through which you put the closure. Within 6 months it was broken. I went back to Fitbit and discovered this is such a common problem that they have a whole section and claim form on their website dedicated to it. Whilst they validated my claim they could not offer me a rosewood coloured replacement strap. They wanted me to take a mismatched blue or white one. Why would I pay all that money to have the rosewood colour to then accepted a strap of a different colour? Therefore I made a claim for them to replace the whole Fitbit. Whilst they agree rosewood was out of ... MoreI chose this Fitbit as it seemed to offer the functionality I was looking for and was a good size and colour. Within months the strap was showing signs of wear and was cracking at the sides of the holes through which you put the closure. Within 6 months it was broken. I went back to Fitbit and discovered this is such a common problem that they have a whole section and claim form on their website dedicated to it. Whilst they validated my claim they could not offer me a rosewood coloured replacement strap. They wanted me to take a mismatched blue or white one. Why would I pay all that money to have the rosewood colour to then accepted a strap of a different colour? Therefore I made a claim for them to replace the whole Fitbit. Whilst they agree rosewood was out of stock again. They offered me a “one time only” replacement with an upgrade to a charge 5. My concern is that this has the same strap and when that inevitably breaks they will refuse any further assistance and I am left out of pocket. I am therefore forced to seek a refund. I would not purchase another Fitbit with a plastic strap.

Too many functions, too complicated, but appears very accurate.

I received one of these as a Christmas gift last December and returned it because it was so much more difficult to use than other cheaper trackers i have had in the past. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for and i finally grew weary of the cheaper trackers being so grossly inaccurate. So..i recently bought this Charge 4 and am determined to use it, not because i need or want so many of the features which are of no value to me, but because of the high ratings i see from other reviews about its accuracy which is my top priority. I am old and have several health problems .When i work out I need accurate information readily available to monitor primarily my heart rate, so i dont exceed my target rate for any extended period of time. Unfortunately, i am having a very ... MoreI received one of these as a Christmas gift last December and returned it because it was so much more difficult to use than other cheaper trackers i have had in the past. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for and i finally grew weary of the cheaper trackers being so grossly inaccurate. So..i recently bought this Charge 4 and am determined to use it, not because i need or want so many of the features which are of no value to me, but because of the high ratings i see from other reviews about its accuracy which is my top priority. I am old and have several health problems .When i work out I need accurate information readily available to monitor primarily my heart rate, so i dont exceed my target rate for any extended period of time. Unfortunately, i am having a very hard time getting the face of my Charge 4 to open up without having to tap on it multiple times, and that isnt easy while on a treadmill going at a fast pace. I also dont understand why Fitbit couldnt provide a color face option so i could see the info more easily. I do like that they provide many options for what shows on the face when you open it up. I have been reading the user manual to try and tweak several areas of the setup options, but i need to do a much better job of that and ask Fitbit for help if I continue to struggle. Finally, the charger for my Charge 4 sucks compared other trackers i have owned which are much easier to accurately connect to the tracker. i realize that Fitbit wants its own proprietary charger like Apple, but I prefer other trackers where the end of the tracker fits into a USB port to charge. I havent been able to remove the strap from the tracker without fear that i will have to pull so hard i break something.Fortunately, the small strap which came installed on the tracker is just barely large enough for me. Overall, this charger is much more complicated than i need or want, but i will probably keep it because of its accuracy. I had previously bought an off brand which was much simpler to operate and synch with their app, but it turned out to be junk..totally inaccurate...it was geared toward Seniors which is why i bought it...why doesnt Fitbit try to provide a tracker or two geared to Seniors which is simpler and easier to operate? If they do I'm not aware of it.

Waste of money. Not a serious fitness tracker.

Disappointing product. Not for anyone who is serious about actually tracking exercise activities. The GPS is a joke. Takes forever to connect and still loses GPS on at least 30%-40% of runs or rides which means elevation gain is no longer tracked and syncing activity with other fitness tracking apps like Strava is not possible. Additionally, the tracking is not accurate or precise in the least. My girlfriend and I both have the Charge 4 and run together on the same route but get significantly different total mileage. I’ve spoken with FitBit customer service but, aside from advising you to unsync/resync your watch, they have no substantive solutions. Battery life is quickly deteriorating as well. Lost nearly 40% over the course of an hour run most recently. Could not ... MoreDisappointing product. Not for anyone who is serious about actually tracking exercise activities. The GPS is a joke. Takes forever to connect and still loses GPS on at least 30%-40% of runs or rides which means elevation gain is no longer tracked and syncing activity with other fitness tracking apps like Strava is not possible. Additionally, the tracking is not accurate or precise in the least. My girlfriend and I both have the Charge 4 and run together on the same route but get significantly different total mileage. I’ve spoken with FitBit customer service but, aside from advising you to unsync/resync your watch, they have no substantive solutions. Battery life is quickly deteriorating as well. Lost nearly 40% over the course of an hour run most recently. Could not count on it lasting through any extended activity. Not a lot more frustrating than having your watch lose GPS or simply die halfway through your outing. Oh, and the charger is a bit flimsy as well. One of the two prongs broke off about two months after purchase so when your watch does die in the middle of your exercise, you can charge right up as soon as your new charger is delivered.In short, if you are just looking for a step counter and heart monitor that displays the time and doesn’t take up a lot of room on your wrist, this watch is a moderately effective, albeit expensive, tool for that but nothing more. If you have any interest in actually tracking your exercise activities, don’t waste your money on the Charge 4.

pretty solid fitness tracker, bulky face/band

decided i wanted a low-profile tracker and chose this over the charge 5 because 4 still has an altimeter (fitbit ditched it for the 5, which has other bells and whistles, but if i'm going to bother tracking my lazy butt i want that to include stairs and hills). the band it came with isn't uncomfortable, but it is extremely bulky, so i found an off-brand replacement band made with velcro that's proven to be much more comfortable and adjustable and better fitted, making the fitbit easier/less noticeable to wear, including when sleeping. step tracker has seemed accurate, no idea about the exercise tracking but it seems fine when i've used it (including auto-detection), and the sleep tracking seems pretty accurate too. i haven't yet checked out other non-premium options ... Moredecided i wanted a low-profile tracker and chose this over the charge 5 because 4 still has an altimeter (fitbit ditched it for the 5, which has other bells and whistles, but if i'm going to bother tracking my lazy butt i want that to include stairs and hills). the band it came with isn't uncomfortable, but it is extremely bulky, so i found an off-brand replacement band made with velcro that's proven to be much more comfortable and adjustable and better fitted, making the fitbit easier/less noticeable to wear, including when sleeping. step tracker has seemed accurate, no idea about the exercise tracking but it seems fine when i've used it (including auto-detection), and the sleep tracking seems pretty accurate too. i haven't yet checked out other non-premium options like mindfulness. the app interface is a bit clunky and non-intuitive and perhaps a bit focused on encouraging users to upgrade to premium, but it's tolerable as i don't need to use it much. i did opt for the in-app squaretrade protection plan just because it covers drops/cracked screens and i was more worried about that than a device failure. all in all a decent tracker, too bad they removed a basic feature like the altimeter in the newer model.