Fitbit launched the Force late 2013. This wearable is an activity tracker that captures your steps, distance and floors climbed. The company made some needed progress with its design and capabilities. However, a small number of customers who purchased the wristband started to complain about skin irritations last month and Fitbit quickly issued refunds to those affected.
It’s now been a few weeks and it seems like the problem is more intense than originally thought. James Park, CEO & Co-Founder of Fitbit, has taken to the company blog and officially stated that he wants “to apologize to anyone affected.” Fitbit proactively hired “independent labs and medical experts to conduct a thorough investigation” of what is causing the irritations. The tests found that “users are likely experiencing allergic contact dermatitis.” In addition, some users were possibly reacting to the nickel found in the stainless steel, or possibly reacting “to the materials used in the strap or the adhesives used to assemble the product.”
Apart from the technology powering the device, it seems like the entire Force is an issue. To combat this, Park declared that they’ve immediately “stopped selling Force and have decided to conduct a voluntary recall.” If you have a Force you’ll be able to score a full refund within 2-6 weeks.
Fitbit also declared the next-gen tracker is in development and plans will be announced “soon.”
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
