I need waterproof. Fitbit does seem to stand behind their products but sometimes the quality build plus I never got over the changes they made to the Dashboard.
We like to go kayaking and everything Garmin makes is waterproof. I may not wait and just plunge into the Vivoactive 3 and it takes standard watch bands, plus I don't like square watches. That means I can buy an inexpensive LEATHER band because I hate this silicone and don't want to put another $60 into an Ionic band to get leather. The "reward" for losing weight is wardrobe changes anyway
. The HR watch is a fitness tool, right? That is what I am telling myself. I would still be driven to lose weight and want to buy new clothes.
The only waterproof HR fitbit is the ionic and for the money I think you get a lot more from Garmin.
EDIT I have had Garmin car GPSs, Trail GPSs (etrex, foretrex, 60CSx), dog GPS (Astro 320) so feel pretty good about the quality of their build and updates.