At the end of 2018, I bought my second Fitbit. The first one was a Fitbit Flex that I received as a gift and I had used it quite well until the strap gave away after about 6 months. Replacement strap from Fitbit was not available and I went for a cheaper alternative, rather the only alternative, that was available on Amazon. It did not last long. It was poor quality and gave away too soon.
When I started practicing for 2018 half marathon, I started looking at Fitbit, Garmin etc. Garmin was out of my budget. Fitbit Versa had been released recently and I decided to go with Versa as I felt Ionic was too rigid and there was no use of in-built GPS for me. I run (used to) on treadmill. I had some sync issues with my phone for notifications. Otherwise, a good smart watch. I also wanted to track my sleep and heart-rate.
After about 6 months, the strap broke again. This time, the Fitbit India website had accessories section and I was hopeful of buying a replacement strap. Unfortunately, it was available only for Versa 2. I struggled to get the replacement strap. The Fitbit customer service was not being helpful. I thought about ordering it in US and have it brought through visitors. It was expensive for a strap but I was determined to get only Fitbit brand’s strap. Somehow, it did not work out.
I went ahead and bought a cheaper alternative on Amazon. It costed one-fourth of the original brand. However, that was the best option that I had at that moment.
I was skeptical and bought the band with the self-acceptance that this is going to break in a month. To my surprise, one year later, this is still intact. I use my Fitbit everyday and I still don’t see any sign of wear and tear.
Why am I telling this? I don’t know. It just hit me during a discussion about quality and price. Cheap doesn’t always mean poor quality. We just have to be open and stop playing the brand games. Instead, we should focus on functionality and value returns. The world doesn’t care about us anyway.
After the lock down, I’m less active than earlier. However, I am glad that my average sleep time has increased by 30 mins.
PS: If you are a Fitbit user and would like to win some challenges easily, hit me up.
Pointless & Prosaic 
AS USUAL A NICE WRITE UP. cONGRATS.
Thank you 🙂
I looked around and I think the only item I am brand loyal to is Dawn dish liquid. It’s only because it works 100% better than anything else, not some vapid attachment to brand.
I second that less expensive does not always mean compromised quality. If it did, nothing in our home would work, he he.
Glad it worked out for you in the end, my friend. ❤
Brands are overpriced to cover their marketing and advertisment cost. My father’s generation saved every penny and focussed on value return. But now 🙂