Reviving the Fitbit

I purchased my first Fitbit over a year ago.

Before Fitbit, I relied solely on smartphone-based apps such as Map My Run. All of these apps were clunky and required me to manually log workouts.

I finally made the leap to wearables after seeing (the one and only) Zachariah Schnaap broadcast his workouts on Twitter and Facebook. It seemed cool, I had an extra $100 to spare…so why not?

Why I Like My Fitbit Flex

I have tried a few other wearable fitness gadgets but the Fitbit Flex remains my favorite for a few reasons:

• Wearability: The Fitbit Flex is the same size as those yellow Armstrong wristbands. It is secure enough not to get lost like a clip-on device and small enough to wear with a watch on the same wrist. It is relatively cheap too, so I am not worried about it getting snatched like an Apple Watch.
• Phone syncing: My Fitbit automatically syncs via bluetooth every time that I launch the Fitbit app on my phone. There is no need to log onto Fitbit.com for anything after initial setup.
• Battery charge: The battery for a Fitbit Flex can last up to a few weeks without recharging. The only caveat is that you cannot have your phone app set to constantly sync with your device – that will drain your battery in a few hours.
• Analytics and Competition:  I love how Fitbit allows you to track your weekly progress and compare yourself to your friends. (Almost like Google Analytics for fitness!)

I really started to appreciate the Fitbit Flex after my company launched a “Global Fitness Challenge” program.

The fitness challenge program included a free clip-on “pebble” tracker, which I promptly lost. The pebble also did not automatically sync with my phone, and they expected me to manually log my steps online.

Thankfully the Global Fitness Challenge website supports Fitbit.com integration, so I can automatically sync that way.

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The Fitbit didn’t survive my trip to Dallas.

By the time I got to Dallas, my Fitbit was dead.  I think it was killed by a combination of the severe heat and a low battery. I attempted to charge my Fitbit after getting to Dallas, but nothing could bring it back from the dead.

After trolling message boards for a while, I tried a variety of troubleshooting tricks including: resetting the Fitbit in the charger, cleaning the charging area with a toothpick, taping the device into the charger. (The last one made me feel really desperate.)

Nothing worked, so I finally called Fitbit Tech support.

I expected some automated prompts, but I was shocked when I quickly got a live person on the phone.

A free Fitbit replacement was on its way after a 5 minute conversation with the Fitbit tech support specialist.

I explained to her that I already tried the standard troubleshooting recommendations and no, I don’t have my receipt from a year ago. I could however provide my exact date of purchase because I signed up for Fitbit.com on the same day.

The Fitbit tech support person was also able to see that my Fitbit hadn’t been synced since the day it died, which helped verify my story.

After a few more questions she basically said, “Well, I trust you, so I’m sending a new one your way.”

It came a week later.

I think I’ll continue using my Fitbit Flex  for a while. It’s an easy habit to keep up.

Wearing the Fitbit hasn’t turned me into a marathon runner or an amazing athlete, it but it has encouraged me to be a bit more active, especially when I’m within a few steps of beating my friends.

That’s worth something, right?