2 days.

That’s how long it took for my skin to react to the latex-free synthetic band that comes with the Fitbit Charge 2. (It was actually less than that. I’m rounding up.) Granted, I knew it would happen, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. Fortunately, the bands are removable on the Charge 2, so I ordered a leather replacement band and then set out to find a way to wear the Fitbit with the original band until the new band arrived. After a few less-than-successful (and rather ugly) attempts at creating some type of buffer using scraps of cotton T-shirt fabric it occurred to me that given the fact that I know how to knit I could probably whip something up with sticks and string that would be considerably nicer in both fashion and functionality. This is the result.

The Charge 2 has a heart rate monitoring feature, so there is an area on the back of the unit 1/2” wide by 3/4” long that needs to maintain contact with the skin for that to work. My goal was to create a knitted band that was slightly wider than the wristband with an open area just wide enough to accommodate the heart rate contact area and that would stay positioned under the wristband to prevent the wristband from making contact with the skin everywhere else.

This Band Guard was made to fit my 6 3/4” wrist with some negative ease to prevent bunching up under the wristband. It was knit in the round and could be sized by simply adding or subtracting stitches. If you meet the same gauge then you would not have to adjust the total number of rows or change or the number of stitches and rows used for the open contact area.

KNIT BAND

1. CO 64 sts. Join in the round.
2. Work 2 rounds of 2x2 ribbing. (This prevents the band from curling under on the edges.)
3. Knit 2 rounds. (1/4” stockinette)
4. BO 8 stitches and knit to the end of the round, turn. (You are now working back and forth in rows.)
5. Purl.
6. Knit.
7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 twice more.
8. CO 8 stitches and knit to the end of the round. Resume working in the round.
9. Knit 2 rounds.
10. Work 2 rounds of 2x2 ribbing.
11. BO in pattern or using a stretchy bind off. (I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.)

ADD STRAPS

1. At about 1/2” from the end of the open contact area pick up 4 stitches 1/4” in from the edge (where the ribbing meets the stockinette).
2. Work 10-12 rows of seed stitch. (I did 10 rows and the straps are very tight. I recommend 12.)
3. BO and sew end to band in the corresponding location along the opposite edge from where you picked up stitches.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 on other side of open contact area.

The wristband shown in the photos is not the cursed synthetic band but a replacement leather band. I had already given away the original band to someone who could actually wear it before I got around to taking pictures. Also, since I had worn the band guard 24/7 for a while before taking the pictures the yarn had gotten a bit fuzzy.