Two weeks after I purchased the Zip, the battery was dead. I called Fitbit's customer service, and they said that they would send me a replacement Fitbit Zip, which they did. The representative whom I spoke with told me that the problem was the battery and not a defect with the Zip itself. While waiting for my new Zip, I have replaced the battery, which is supposed to last four-six months, three times in 45 days. I just received my new Zip today and am hoping that it does a better job. BTW, when I woke up this morning my old Fitbit had credited me with 13,000 steps for the time I was asleep :)

Update: yesterday, I used my new Zip for the first time and noticed that the battery was barely medium strength. I called the company to inform them that my new device was the same as my old; the batteries don't last! The customer representative informed me that
they were aware of the issue and that is was caused by their latest app update, I was assured that they were trying to correct the problem.

Update: Receiving my third Fitbit Zip (free replacement). The Zip's charge is nonexistent, the steps get all screwed up when the battery goes, and it really is headache. I used to love Fitbit. If my third Zip doesn't work, and I am pretty sure it won't, I will move on to another device.

"Through dangers untold, and hardships unknown, I have fought my way to the Goblin Castle to take back the Zip you have stolen from me!" :D

We have come a long way when it comes to fitness activity trackers, and they seem to have become a standard commodity. There are trackers which cost many times more, and there are quite cheap ones under $10 (I tried one once. The clip fell off and it did not track very accurately. It was, frankly, a complete waste.)
If you are on a budget and do NOT need a sleep tracker, I have been using Zips for a few years now. They are the most inexpensive of the FitBit line, and I like it far better than the next one up in the range.

The FitBIt Zip does the standard activity tracking, and it syncs on your computer or smartphone easily. I love it, love it, love it. The clip is AWESOME: It attaches easily, and it STAYS ON! I have worn these for four years and never once did one slip off or become loose after time. Yet, they remain pretty easy to attach them to clothes. Many folks got caught up in the whole wristband with oodles of colors; for me, I like having a small unit I can forget I am wearing; this little bugger is perfect for that.

The directions are straight forward. They reset at midnight for whichever timezone you have selected. If you simply want a trustworthy unit that traces your steps accurately and resets daily, that will not loosen or fall off after you clip it; and if you want it to log into a free FitBit program that records your daily progress as part of a larger (also free) program including food/calorie tracking, goal incentives, water intake, and more, this little guy is minature and unobtrusive and a steadfast little mechanism.

Longevity: Mine have lasted a year or longer. But please: Try to treat them like a pet mouse. Because I lost my first one due to the washing machine. :O Yes. I admit it. The black ones are so unnoticeable. I forgot to unclip it and alas, it is not washer-proof :D. I suppose that would be a good reason to pitch selecting the fuschia or green versions. Or you could keep a cute note on the washer to remind you that your lil Zip does not respond to CPR.

Nobody asked me to do this review. I don't work for FitBit. I reviewed this because I've used Zips for 4 years and thought they deserve a High Five, especially when there are probably others out there that are stressed at the idea of paying over a hundred bucks for a step counter. This one works consistently well.

Holy Cow. October of 2017 now. First time seeing my old review here. Just to clarify: I bought mine for around $50. I think $60 was the standard for years. Also, besides step count, the Zip tracks the miles/kilometers you are covering within the day, and shows the time.

Love this little guy. Nice and small. I personally just carry it in my pocket. Seems to be pretty accurate in the amount of steps. Works well with the fit bit app where you can keep track of your steps, distance, food intake, weight and more. Hold competitions with other friends that have a Fitbit as well. Great motivation to get your steps in, Fun little unit and I love the size. It does not do some of the things that the watches or other bigger units do such as stair count, But honestly that's fine with me. Would buy again!

[...]

This is a great little bare-bones fitness tracker for anyone who just wants to get a general idea of your daily steps to stay motivated and active. It doesn't have a lot of fancy features, but in my testing the step count is right on. It works best below the waist (obviously), but I get a fairly accurate reading from my bra strap as well.

The best part? This poor little thing has been through three wash and one dryer cycles and it's still going strong! I took off a star simply because it's too basic to be a five star product, but if you're looking for an inexpensive fitness tracker, this may be the one for you.

I've had my Fitbit zip for a little over a year. The battery died and when I tried to get the battery cover off it was stuck. I tried a quarter a flat head screw driver, everything. After multiple attempts the battery door is stripped. I called Fitbit and I was offered 25% off a new device. Why would I want to spend more money on a device with a fatal flaw? So I emailed them in hopes that they could come up with a solution and I'm not out 50$. I have attached a photo of the email response. I am sure I just have a faulty unit but I don't have $ to just throw away and that is exactly what happened with this fitness device. Don't waste your money.