Wear your Fitbit too long and you may get a rash, admits Fitbit

Fitbit Surge

Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Force wearers have been reporting rashes seemingly caused by the wearables since last year, and now Fitbit is finally owning up to it.

The company said in December that it wasn't to blame, but now it's issued a warning to Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Surge users, reports Digital Trends.

"Prolonged contact may contribute to skin irritation or allergies in some users," the disclaimer reads. "If you notice any signs of skin redness, swelling, itchiness, or other skin irritation, please discontinue use or wear the product clipped over a piece of clothing."

Apparently the irritation is caused by the high amount of nickel in the Fitbit wearables' bands, something the company will reportedly address in future gadgets.

The company also said that the rashes may be caused by soap or sweat trapped between the wearables and users' skin, and that suffering users should loosen the bands or take a break from wearing them.

Granted, that sort of defeats the purpose of a fitness wearable that tracks your every step and snore, but for now it seems there's nothing else to do.

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.