A poor soul has discovered that Google’s newest fitness tracker, the Fitbit Air, isn’t exactly compatible with bug spray.
Originally posted by u/le_cs to the r/fitbit subreddit, the user reportedly put some bug spray on the cuffs of their shirt while hiking this past weekend, which transferred onto the back of the device and began to break down the plastic. The user also noted that the same thing happened to their spouse’s Fitbit Air.
The user also noted that Google support told them it was environmental or accidental damage and that there wouldn’t be a courtesy replacement. Moreover, support told them that, due to the plastic breaking down, there would be no water resistance, and it would likely sustain further damage with normal use as a result — which will also not be covered.
Believe it or not, this isn’t an isolated issue. Another Redditor user also shared on the r/fitbit subreddit that their Fitbit Air also started to look damaged after less than a month of usage, which was also determined to be due to bug spray.
Why bug spray? well, the main reason is due to an ingredient inside bug spray known as Diethyl-meta-toulamide/diethyltoulamide, or DEET. This ingredient reacts with the back plastic on Fitbit Air devices, breaking it down as a result.
This isn’t new information either; Google support forums for the Fitbit Air mention avoiding direct contact with both sunscreen and bug spray and removing the device when applying these creams or sprays.
So if you are a Fitbit Air owner, I would recommend looking into either UV-rated shirts or mosquito-proof clothing instead of spray to prevent damage to your Fitbit Air device.
Source: u/le_cs, u/ariannafuri via r/fitbit
