Fitbit Force Recalled Due To Skin Irritation

At the beginning of this month, we talked about how Fitbit was working with the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) in order to determine what could be the cause of skin irritations that happened to those who wore the Fitbit fitness band. What kicked off as a voluntary recall on February 20, ended up as official yesterday, where the Consumer Product Safety Commission did vouch that the Fitbit Force is off the market officially. In a nutshell, it would mean that one is no longer allowed to list your Fitbit Force on the likes of eBay or Craiglist.

Right after an announcement several weeks ago, Fitbit had already stopped selling the device. Fitbit had clearly taken quite a lead in wearable technology, with estimates of the company owning more than half the market, placing it comfortably ahead of competitors Jawbone and Nike. Just how successful was Fitbit with the Force? They apparently sold 1 million units in the U.S. and 28,000 in Canada since last october, and the CPSC received 9,900 reports of “skin irritation” and 250 more of “blistering” which contradicts Fitbit’s original statement that 1.7% of users having reported a problem. This contradiction could mean that the government’s figures are not u to date. Are you a Fitbit Force owner, and were you affected by the skin irritation issue?

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets