Fitbit Force giving some users skin rash; company offers refunds

Fitbit, the popular maker of wearable fitness devices, is now offering to refund or replace the Force, its latest product, after users began reporting that the gadget is causing irritation to their skin.

Reports of rashes caused by the Force began to surface in December on the company’s forum, where several users wrote that they may be having an allergic reaction to the device.

“I’ve had my Force for about a month now,” one user said. “About 4 days ago I started getting the burn/rash. I quit wearing it so my arm could heal but it is about the size of a baseball now and it burns. It’s also has started to swell. I’ve tried putting creams on it but it hasn’t helped.”

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Another user posted an image of the irritation on the Web.
The Force came out in October and is available for $129.95. Users wear the gadget on their wrist to track how much exercise they do throughout the day. The gadget communicates with an app on their smartphone to relay statistics in real time.

Fitbit addressed the skin irritation situation this week, saying it is aware of the problem.

“Our customers are our top priority, so we already have been taking steps to make this right with any customers who feel that they have an allergy related to their Fitbit device including offering a refund or a choice of a replacement tracker,” the company said in a statement to Consumerist. “Fitbit will handle all shipping costs and will provide a refund in any difference in price.”

The company has not said if it plans to recall the device.

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