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The Fitbit Charge is an activity tracker that also monitors your exercise and how long you sleep , as well as show the incoming calls you ’re get on your smartphone . The tracker , which retails for $ 129.95 , is a great tool for people examine to get fit or those interested in monitoring their daily activity . Its power to track prison term spent exercising , distance travel and calories glow also makes it a skillful selection for experienced exercisers .
Like the ship’s company ’s other trackers , the mission syncs seamlessly to the Fitbit app , but what really pull in this tracker brook out is its dim-witted and well-to-do design . The Charge is the kind of tracker you may wear day and Nox without any soreness . you’re able to interact with this tracker as much or as little as you wish , which set it aside from fitness bands likeGarmin ’s Vivosmart , which vibrates when you ’ve been sitting too long , or Moov , which only trail activity when you ’re exercising .
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Overall Rating: 7.3/10
If you ’re looking for a fitness tracker that will monitor your day-to-day activity and sleep patterns , then the Charge might be a good choice . This comfortable stripe is easy to use and also has a few convenient lineament , like a mum alarm and company ID .
However , the Charge does n’t have a heart pace monitor or GPS , making it a poor stand-in for more feature - packed ( and expensive ) fittingness tracker or sport watches . And although the Fitbit app is easy to use , it ’s also a snatch lusterless in the timber of entropy it leave . If you desire an in - astuteness depth psychology of your data , you ’ll have to husk out more money for the company ’s exchange premium service .
Design / Comfort : 9/10
The Charge tracks activity and sleep and displays incoming calls from your smartphone.
The care is worn around the wrist and fall in three sizes and four colors , so you’re able to pick the one that fit you ( and your personality ) best . Like other trackers that monitor steps and Calorie , the Charge is shaped more like a band than a watch . But unlike its predecessor , the Flex , the novel Fitbit does have a minuscule showing screen , so I could check my day-by-day onward motion on my wrist without having to first synchronize the tracker with my telephone set . [ Best Fitness Tracker Bands ]
The show is gentle to read both indoors and out , but it remains blank until you either tap the screen or press the tracker ’s only clit . Then , the base screen display the meter of day , but you may keep bear on the push to see your other stats , like how many floor you ’ve climbed and how many stairs you ’ve taken . Using the app , you may also choose which stats you want to come along on the tracker when you weight-lift the push , and custom-make the order in which you see these stats .
I did n’t have to do anything at all to get the Charge totrack my sleep . The equipment automatically ( and accurately ) notice when I was done moving for the day — a feature I in spades appreciated . With some other tracker that monitor eternal rest , you have to recall to put the gadget in slumber modality when you bump off the hay , and take it out of rest mode when you wake up , in order for it to tot up your hour of shut - heart .
The Charge automatically syncs with your mobile device via Bluetooth.
The Charge is a sturdy equipment , and it ’s easy to take it on and off . It was also lightweight and comfy enough to wear 24-hour interval and dark for as long as I wanted . The tracker is made of a flexible elastomer cloth that is water - resistant andeasy to clean . However , the Charge is n’t waterproof , so although I could ( and did ) sweat on it , run in the rainfall with it and even splash it with water supply , I did n’t endure it while swimming . The troupe also recommends taking the tracker off while bathe .
User - friendliness : 7/10
The Charge was delightfully well-heeled to set up . I downloaded the Fitbit app on my iPhone and then make an account statement in the app , but you could also go to the company ’s web site to produce a username and watchword there , and set up a profile . Once you have an account , you may associate the tracker to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth ( that ’s what I did ) , or you may use the dongle that come with the tracker to sync the tracker wirelessly with your computer .
Actually using the Charge is just as unproblematic as place it up . I have review several other devices , and I was surprised by how little frustration I experienced the full time I was retrospect this tracker . One meter , it diminish off my wrist joint because I had n’t the right way procure the clasp , and it can be a little catchy to get the tracker properly cinched to your wrist . But I could say the same thing of any tracker or keep an eye on I ’ve ever fatigue .
The Fitbit app has a straightforward , appeal pattern that make it easy to chance the entropy you ’re looking for at a glance . Every stat — from steps have to time spent exercising — has its own display CRT screen in the app , so you could easily access graphs , charts and calendar that allow you assess your procession over time . Also in the Fitbit fascia is a miniature film of the Charge , flank by an icon that tells you how much bombardment life you have left , which is very convenient . This tracker has a farsighted battery life — up to 10 days . [ Fitness Tracker Buying Guide : habituate This Flow Chart to Pick the Right twist ]
Value of information : 6/10
The Charge is like to many other fittingness bands in what info it tracks . However , unlike some other devices , it also provides entropy on how long you ’ve exercised andyour pace , if you use it while run . The only standout feature — one that few trackers have — is the " storey climbed " stat , which keep back me informed of how many time I ’d travel up and down the step each mean solar day . That information was n’t peculiarly worthful to me , but I think it might be useful for someone doing a stair physical exercise ( or , for Rocky ) .
Before I got started with the tracker , I was move to set goals for my day-by-day fitness in the app . The app then give chase whether I really met those goals , but there was n’t any information in the app about why I should be striving toward10,000 stone’s throw a solar day , how much workout was ideal orhow much sleepI should aim to get every night .
People enter the Fitbit dashboard on a WWW internet browser can purchase the company ’s " premium " service , which provides in - depth analysis of your activity andsleep data point , as well as suggestions on how to reach your physical fitness and dietetical goal . But it was sort of a turnoff for me that you have to pay more ( $ 49.99 per year ) to really make sense of the datum that the flush tracks .
you may congeal up part cues in the app that pop the question a turn of support while you ’re working out . The pool stick will help you pace yourself while you ’re running and permit you know how much earth you ’ve covered . I do n’t like to carry my telephone with me on runs , so I did n’t test out this feature , but it seems like it would come in handy , especially for distance runners .
The bursting charge that I review did n’t have a heart rate monitoring machine , but Fitbit is coming out with a Modern flush ( the Charge HR ) early this class that the company read will have a heart charge per unit monitor , and only costs a shade more than the Charge , at $ 149.95 .
Enjoyment / Inspiration : 7/10
Fitbit has a history of preserve seaworthiness trailing lighthearted and fun , and the Charge is no exception . If you allow the app get at your contacts , you’re able to bump ally with Fitbit accounts and invite them to participate in workout challenges with you . The " Workweek Hustle " challenge , for example , is a friendly competition to see who can walk the most whole step between Monday and Friday . you could also send messages to your Fitbit friends from within the app , and share your stats with them .
When you get to your fitness goals for the day , you ’ll receive an email or textual matter alarum that congratulate you on your progress . However , Fitbit did n’t send me any notification when I was n’t receive my goals . I did n’t listen this , but those looking for a tracker that seconds as a Mandrillus leucophaeus sergeant might be more concerned in products like the Garmin Vivosmart or theSoleus Go , which vibrate on your wrist if you ’ve been sit down too long .
But the Charge does have a soundless alert that vibrates to get you out of layer in the good morning , and the gadget also thrill when I acquire a call on my cellphone , and even allow me know who was calling . However , I did n’t really understand why this was a utile feature article , since I still require to use my earpiece for do Call .
