Apple Watch AND a Fitbit Charge HR

[MrXiro]

I sold off my Surge when I got my Apple Watch in April. But with these holiday sales I'm wondering if it would do me good to get a Fitbit Charge HR to wear along with my Apple Watch. AW doesn't do auto sleep tracking or stairs. Also curious about the new SmartTrack feature.

Anyone wearing both or am I just a crazy person for wanting to try this?

[awood08]

I can't say what the big difference between the two of those are, but from everything i've read and the ratings the Charge HR has the best overall device rating from a lot of websites. Is there anything the Apple Watch does that the Charge HR doesn't?

[MrXiro]

As a fitness device? The only extra feature it has over the Charge HR is hourly reminders to stand. The Charge does do stairs which the AW does not... also the 3 days charge. I mainly am thinking to drop the Apple Watch as a fitness device and keep using it as a watch while using the Fitbit Charge HR as my fitness device since I enjoy the Fitbit Ecosystem. But I might look like a crazy person with all these things strapped to my arms.

[awood08]

Whatever you feel most comfortable, I wear both my Flex and a watch and I don't think I look crazy lol and none of my friends or family has said it looks crazy. If you enjoy both for different purposes, I say keep them both 🙂

[Smittty]

There is plenty the Apple Watch does that a Fitbit device can't do.    Keep in mine the Fitbit Charge only handles Fitness Activities but a Apple Watch is a smart watch that keeping extending it's value because the Application Developers are adding new apps. I use my watch for fitness tracking, checking weather, stocks, Facebook Notifications, Arming or Disarming my home alarm, DirecTV pause, rewind, play.  Metra trains schedules, Airline Flights, Apple pay.  Playing music from iHeart Radio, Pandora and Apple Music.

[DrMarm]

I am an avid Fitbit fan and coming up on my 2 year anniversary.  I will admit to thinking the badges and challenges were for "kids." I am 52...however, we have created an amazing Challenge group and many times all 100% of us make goal.  We encourage and cheer one another on.  For this reason, I will keep my Charge and wear my new Apple Watch on the other arm.

I went to Best Buy to get the watch knowing I could keep it until Jan 15, while I made up my mind.  

I wore the watch for a couple of hours and then went without it for the weekend.  There were many times, I thought...that was on my watch.  Love it!  I am adjusting to life after an injury that prohibits me from working.  After gaining 40 pounds in 4 years, from meds and inactivity...the AW will help with the little motivation and other apps for activity and fitness.

In this time, there will continue to be countless new products and we all will be able to decide whether we want to change from Fitbit, or add it on.  

I am thrilled to have double support for activity and the HR which I do not have on my Charge, which I wear very loose on my arm.  

[DrMarm]

Smitty, very valid points.  With all of the classes that are occuring on line, there will be many new apps focused on fitness and health.

I am so excited for both of the tools to get me more active.  AW will compliment what I am already doing and give me another way to network and build a like minded community.

Since I am so fond of the Challenges and our faithful group of 10 and the cheerleading that goes on with our Fitbit...I do get the notification on the AW, just can't comment from the watch.  Time will tell, but I am excited for both 🙂

[DrinkMixer35]

Hi @MrXiro.  I have done the EXACT same as you.  Started with the Surge, but then purchased the AW. As a result, I was FitBit-dormant for some time. At the time, my Weight Watcher app was able to retrieve fitness data from Apple's native Health App.  

That was until recently.  Once WW changed their points method, it appeared that (after numerous bang-your-head-against-the-wall conversations with their technical support) WW no longer was connecting to the health app.  That being said, I purchased the FitBit Charge HR. 

I am about a week in with it and very happy with the results. I have kept the auto-tracking defaults (15 continuous min's) to track exercise, and it works very well.  You can also categorize these workouts. Of course you can manually start/stop exercise tracking whenever you want..  

At present, I have to say I am a fan of the Charge HR. I hope this info was helpful.  I am sending you a Friend-Request...I would love to comare notes with regard to using both the Charge HR and AW.  Have a Happy Holiday.

[Smittty]

DrMarm, 

The point you made about the challenge group is my points as well.    I have about three challenge groups of 10 were people are now getting the Apple Watch since they can do much more than just fitness tracking and want to continue to participate.    Everyone enjoys the layout and messages that Fitbit has in the apps. 

I don't wear my Fitbit device anymore on the weekends since I don't do challenges or if i'm dressing up for client meetings at work  I just enable my iPhone to track instead. 

We're still looking for a good platform that would work well for all of us in our Fitbit Challenge Groups. 

[Ggal]

I love my AW for so much, but I miss the challenges and sleep tracking. I am using Pillow on my iPhone to track sleep, but I do not like the way to presents data. Please le me know how the integration of the Charge HR and AW are going. Sending a friend request to both of you. TY.

[Smittty]

i miss the challenges and thinking about getting beddit for sleep tracking. I getting tired of sleeping with something on my wrist. Tried Sleep Cycle also.

I've been trying sleepio

[Ggal]

I have been using Pillow on my iPhone.

[EdNap]

I've been a FitBit wearer for over three years now and progressivly moved through the model up to the BLAZE. Love having all my fitbit data and also the challeneges with fitbit friends. I also use the Aria weigh scale as part of my start to each day.

Was disappointed with the Blaze so reverted back to my Charge HR and for the past few months have added an Apple Watch to my left wrist.

Sure the Apple watch does a lot of things I very very helpful, partiuclarly in regard to notifications and time management. But I am still leaning heavily towards my Charge HR as my fitness tracker. As a fitness tracker it is a lot easier to use than the Apple Watch and I admit I also like keeping my FitBit history.

[SouthernDad]

Like you EdNap, I have an Apple Watch on my left wrist but a Fitbit Flex on my right wrist.  Now, my Flex has gotten buggy and is beyond warranty period.  The community and the challenges are why I still wear a Fitbit.  This is something that Apple missed the mark on.  Hence my delima.  Should I replace my Flex with another Flex or should I look at a different Fitbit model that does a bit more tracking.  It's a tough question.  I'd go straight to the Blaze or Surge but then it's going to look like I'm wearing a watch on both arms.  Well, actually I would be.  The Charge or Charge HR might be the right one.  

[rspat]

the app Sleep++is the only one that looks similar to the fitbit sleep tracker, in my opinion

[Dominique]

@rspat: which Fitbit tracker are you talking about, and thus which type of sleep tracking (regular vs. sleep stages)?