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Wearable devices have taken the world of healthcare and fitness by storm. For example, Fitbit offers a wide range of fitness trackers from the Fitbit Luxe, the Fitbit Inspire, Sense, Fitbit Alta, Fitbit Flex, or even the latest Fitbit Charge 5.
Despite all of the qualities, Fitbit smartwatches are only as good as their battery life, and they all require carrying a USB cable or a charging cradle to enjoy the many benefits they have to offer.
In this article, we will go through all you need to know when it comes to the battery level of your Fitness tracker and how to make the most of your fitness device. The main issue is that each model comes with a different charging cable.
How To Tell If Your Fitbit Is Charging?
Have you just invested in a Fitbit? In that case, you should carry on reading our mini-guide to your Fitbit.
The first thing you need to know is if your Fitbit is charging or not. Sometimes, when you buy a new piece of tech, it is not easy to know if it is charging.
Here is how you can tell if your Fitbit is charging. First, you need to make sure that you know what model your Fitbit is. The models work slightly differently. For instance, it may let you know its status by vibrating and displaying a battery icon on the screen.
If you think that your Fitbit is not charging, make sure you have lined it up properly with the contacts on the back. You can swipe right on the battery screen to find out the status of your device. Different colored lights represent the amount of charge in the battery.
On the Fitbit Flex 2, a small white light indicates that your Fitbit has reached 25% of its charging capacity.
As with any new piece of tech, you should make sure that you refer to the manual. When thinking about buying a Fitbit second-hand, it is essential to have all technical user information.
How to charge Fitbit without a charger is also good to know. Don’t worry; we are going to cover that on this page.
What Are The Different Ways You Can Charge Your Fitbit?
As you will know, your Fitbit came with a charging cable. Most Fitbit owners use the dedicated charging cable to complete the charging process. However, if you travel around a lot and happen to lose your Fitbit charging cable, it is not always easy to locate a new one. So having a spare one handy is the best option.
Can I Use A USB Port On My Laptop?
By all means, you can use the USB Port on your laptop or computer to charge your Fitbit. First, plug the cable in your Fitbit device and then insert the cable into a USB port.
If, for some reason, the USB port does not work, try another one. On occasion, you may encounter a problem with one particular USB port.
You can also use a wall charger, but you have to ensure that it has been UL-certified. The alternative is to use a DC to USB adapter. Always ensure that the equipment you use for charging is suitable for use with your Fitbit. If not, you will encounter problems with the device not charging or slow charging.
Does your Fitbit come complete with a wall charger? No, it doesn’t, but you can buy suitable ones to use.
Can I Replace the Battery On My Fitbit?
It is essential to look after the battery on your Fitbit. In general, the same advice goes for all mobile equipment, including phones. To make your battery last longer, you should let it run as low as possible.
Eventually, this means you will only be able to charge your device at a capacity of 50%. If that happens, you may need to get a new Fitbit. However, if your Fitbit is still within the warranty period, the company should replace it for you.
Some companies sell battery replacement kits for Fitbit. However, most of them are based in China and are not endorsed by Fitbit. Do they work? The truth is that many of them will cause your device to misfunction.
How Do You Charge Your Fitbit When You Lose Your Charger?
You can buy new chargers for your Fitbit if you have lost the original one. Needless to say, it is best to buy one directly from the company to make sure you get a good quality product.
Should you try to make up your own USB wall charger? Looking at YouTube, there are ways to make up your charger. However, doing this is not recommended as it may affect how your device functions.
The best way is always to charge your Fitbit correctly. As long as you have your charging cable, you can charge your Fitbit using a wall charger or one of the USB ports on your computer.
Many Fitbit users invest in a spare charger. If you are a professional or semi-professional athlete, having a dedicated travel kit for your Fitbit is a good idea.
Fitbit Versa
Fitbit Versa is one of the most popular models. It is great. The only problem is that the charging cables between the various models are not interchangeable.
That means that if you own a Versa 2, you can’t use the charging cable to charge a Versa or Versa LE.
It is a bit unfortunate that the cables are not interchangeable. It could be that the manufacturer does not think that anybody owns more than one device. However, often there is more than one device in a family. So, if both you and your partner like to use Fitbits, it may be a good idea to invest in the same model of Fitbit Versa.
Fitbit Ionic
If you have lost your charging gear for your Fitbit Ionic, you need to buy a new one.
The smart money is on buying directly from the company, but you can buy charging cables from online sites. You can also check out local stores.
However, if you are stuck in the middle of Africa without a charger, it is best to have a backup one available. You can plug a wall charger for Fitbit Ionic into any USB port. Most hotels now have USB ports that their guests can use.
Fitbit Ionic is very popular with those who need to have a GPS function. However, it does have a dedicated charger, so you can’t charge by using a charger belonging to another model.
Fitbit Charge
If you are into fitness, you will know that this is one of the best fitness trackers.
As far as chargers go, there are different ones to choose from. Of course, you should look after your original one, but don’t worry too much if yours has become damaged or you lost yours.
You can buy a replacement charger directly from the company or on popular online shopping sites. The best charging device to have around is a charging cable. Can you use the charging cable in your car? Yes, you can.
Although the battery is said to last for seven days, it is a good idea to be prepared. As a charging cable is a relatively inexpensive item, having a couple is a good idea. In addition, dedicated athletes love to track everything all of the time.
Are External Chargers Worth It?
If you have ever found yourself wondering how to charge a Fitbit tracker without a charger, you are bound to say that external chargers are worth it.
When it all comes down to it, we rely on chargers for almost all of our mobile devices. And we rely on our mobile devices. Where would we be without them?
As we are heavily reliant on mobile devices these days, it would be fair to say that external chargers are worth it.
Do you need to have several different ones for the same device? Maybe that is what you should be asking yourself instead. Information is essential, and we want to quickly lay our hands on it. So having at least one backup charging option is important.
What happens if the device you need to use is not charged up and you have lost the original charger? To be honest, nothing is more frustrating. Think about it, and you will realize it is best to have a couple of external charges handy.
Traveling Far Afield Without The Gear You Need
When you travel abroad a lot, especially to countries with a challenging infrastructure to get hold of technical equipment quickly, you should pack spare external chargers. It is hard to appreciate how important it is to have at least one spare available until it happens to you.
Anything can happen. A disruptive and non-reliable electricity supply can even damage your charger. When that happens, you may indeed find yourself stuck without the use of your Fitbit in the middle of the African bush.
Just like you pack other extras, it is a good idea to pack spare external chargers for your Fitbit or other electronic equipment that you may need.
Compare the cost of the frustration of not having an external USB charger handy to the price of buying a spare one. A couple of spare external chargers will not take up a lot of room or cost too much. As a matter of fact, they are worth their weight in gold.
The Final Word on Fitbit Charger
It is best to be prepared when it comes to external chargers for electronic devices, including Fitbit. It does not matter if you are traveling or at home – make sure you have one available.
You never know when you are going to need it. So to make sure, keep a Fitbit cable in your car or have a power bank ready if you find you need to charge your device before the next long run.
