Fitbit trackers unreliable, says Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ will no longer be recommending Fitbit fitness trackers, calling their reliability into question.

A survey by the organisation has revealed that more than a quarter of Fitbit fitness trackers purchased within the last three years now need to be replaced.

In addition, of the almost 800 Fitbits purchased by Consumer NZ members, 16% had faulty construction, while another 10% had battery, charging or connection problems.

“Fitbits generally do well in our fitness tracker testing and we’d expect more from such a well-known brand. But the reliability of these products means we’ll no longer be recommending them,” said Consumer NZ Head of Testing Paul Smith.

The survey showed that only half of Fitbit owners were ‘very satisfied’ with the product, while just 40% were ‘very likely’ to repurchase the brand.

A representative from Fitbit told Technology Decisions: “As the leader in connected health and fitness, we take customer satisfaction and the findings of this report very seriously. The quality of Fitbit products is a top priority for our customers. We conduct extensive testing and consult with top industry experts to develop stringent standards so that users can reliably wear and enjoy our products.

“We are committed to delivering a superior customer experience. We respond quickly when customers report issues and strive to work closely with them through our customer service channels to ensure their satisfaction. If consumers have any questions or concerns, they can contact us at help.fitbit.com.”

Apple smart watches topped the reliability rating, with just 3% needing repair and four in five owners ‘very satisfied’ with the product. The second most popular fitness tracker brand in the survey, Garmin, also scored higher than average reliability.

Almost 7000 Consumer NZ members participated in the survey, reporting on more than 15,000 products, including almost 8000 TVs and mobile phones.

The big four TV brands, LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, all scored at least 94% reliability. Around 81–83% percent of owners reported that they were ‘very satisfied’ with their purchases.

The Warehouse brand Veon rated average for reliability. While owner satisfaction was lower, Veon was the top TV brand for value for money.

“Veon TVs in the survey were more likely to be smaller HD sets. In general, we found owners of larger UHD TVs were more likely to be ‘very satisfied’ with their telly,” said Smith.

In the mobile phone category, Apple and Samsung proved overwhelming favourites with Consumer NZ members. Four in every five phones were from these manufacturers, who also scored the highest ratings for loyalty. 84% of Apple owners and 81% of Samsung owners were ‘very likely’ to buy the brand again.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Stephen VanHorn