Fitbit Responds to New Rash Complaints, Suggests You ‘Take a Break’ From Wearing Its Fitness Tracker
I developed this slight rash after wearing the Fitbit Charge for several days. (Alyssa Bereznak/Yahoo Tech)
Fitbit’s rash just won’t go away.
In the wake of new reports that the company’s latest line of fitness trackers is causing skin irritation, Fitbit responded Wednesday afternoon to accusations that it has not adequately addressed the issue.
Their advice: You don’t have to wear the wearable all the time.
A company spokesperson told Re/code that, according to dermatologists Fitbit has consulted, the rashes “are likely from wearing the band too tight; sweat, water, or soap being held against the skin under the device; or from pressure or friction against the skin.” And any sign of a rash will “resolve quickly when users take a break from the device, usually within hours or days.”
This advice isn’t much different from what Fitbit told me when I contacted them about the skin irritation I experienced when I reviewed its latest $130 band, the Fitbit Charge. To be clear, the marks on my arm aren’t from wearing the band too tightly, it’s simply where the irritation spread. I usually wore the Charge loosely enough to slip a finger between my arm and the device. But it’s important to note that sometimes I couldn’t control how close it got to my skin (like when I was sleeping or running).
The problem with their advice, however, is that the whole point of a fitness tracker is that you wear it all the time. It’s designed to track and reward you for your continual steps and sleep. It even includes competitive games among friends to see who can get the most steps in a week. Any couple of hours or days away from the device may seriously interrupt that data collection. And for a company that recalled an entire line of its Force fitness trackers because of rash complaints, saying “it’ll go away” isn’t necessarily a comforting business promise.
On Wednesday morning, ABC7 News in San Francisco reported that it found over 200 instances of skin irritation complaints on social media, some of which have been collected in a now 149-page Google Doc started by one former Fitbit Force user who experienced skin irritation. They interviewed several victims of the Fitbit rash, including yours truly.
Though ABC7 requested lab results from Fitbit to understand what, exactly, might be causing irritation with the Charge, the company has yet to provide them with that information.
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