Fitbit Charge HR Review
Fitbit’s new fitness band does the usual + heart rate monitoring. Does it live up to the hype?
Wearability
If you’ve used Fitbit products in the past, you may be familiar with the the clasp used to keep it on your wrist. I’ve never had problems with this mechanism but I know co-workers who have lost their Fitbit due to it. The image on the left shows the clasp on other Fitbit products, but the Charge HR.
Fortunately, the Fitbit Charge HR uses a watch clasp which is much easier and secure. This is an improvement over other Fitbit products still on the market, like the Fitbit Charge.
I don’t have any major complaints in the way of comfort. Fitbit recommends wearing the Charge HR about one finger width above your wrist bone for best heart rate tracking. While this is higher on my wrist than expected, it doesn’t cause any issues with comfort.
As with many wearables, the Fitbit Charge HR cannot be worn in the shower or while swimming. However it is water resistant so no need to worry about wearing too much.
I would recommend staying away from the tangerine color Fitbit. This color seems to quickly wear and get a dirty, green look after some time. I exchanged for black, no problems with fading.
Usability
Using the Fitbit Charge HR is simple — put it on your wrist, hook it up to your phone, and move.
I was using the Jawbone UP24 prior to purchasing the Charge HR. The UP24 did not have any display on the device itself, requiring users to open the app to see step count. This is not the case with the Charge HR which can display your steps, heart rate, miles moved, and steps.
Software
As with most fitness bands, the companion app is the bread and butter. The Fitbit app works really well and motivates users to be active. While I am not usually a fan of apps that send a lot of iOS notications, I found that the Fitbit ones were encouraging. The app will also let you invite friends to different challenges that motive you to get up and move.
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There is also a web application that provides more information about your daily activity and resting heartrate.
Overall
Overall, Fitbit is the most popular fitness tracker on the market — but there is some competition on the way with the Apple Watch. The Charge HR is one of the steeper fitness bands at $149 but is worth the money if you’re interested in your heart rate. Otherwise, the $129 Fitbit Charge will likely be sufficient.
