If you own a Fitbit Force — a fitness tracker with a built-in OLED display that we like quite a lot at Cultofmedia — you might want to check under the band.
Do you see any redness? If so, you should avail yourself of a voluntary recall of the Fitbit Force.
In a post on the company’s website, Fitbit CEO James Park has apologized for anyone who has found themselves having problems with skin irritation, which Park says is as many as 1.7% of all Force users. Those people, it seems, are experiencing allergies related to the material used in the band.
All Force materials are commonly used in consumer products. However, some users may be reacting to the nickel present in the surgical grade stainless steel used in the device. Other users are likely experiencing an allergic reaction to the materials used in the strap or the adhesives used to assemble the product.
Sales of the Force have been halted, and anyone with a Force can request a return kit and a refund here.
If you aren’t experiencing issues with the Force, though, you might consider holding onto your device: it does not appear that Fitbit intends on modifying the Force’s current design to address these issues. Rather, they are promising a “next-generation tracker” that they will announce details about soon.
Source: Fitbit