How do you guys feel after using fitbit and what it offers?

[miladis444]

I am doing a project on fitbit for UCONN and I could love to hear from the fibit community like myself on how you feel about the CHARGE HR.

How did do you feel about...

• Price
• Quality
• Colors
• Style
• Heart  monitor
• Steps, distance, calorie counter
• Sleep tracker
• Alarm
• Caller ID and rechargeable

Thank you for your help.

Sandra

[susiebee44]

I upgraded in April (from a Fitbit One) to the Charge HR.  I'd been using the One for over two years and liked it very much.  I liked that one could wear it under clothing and didn't much like the idea of a wrist band.  However, I did want a HR tracker and had read reviews that said the Charge HR was fairly accurate.

So, to the attributes you're looking into:

Price:  Very fair, I thought.  This was a birthday present from my husband, so it really cost me nothing!  He found it at Fred Meyer, which was having a promotion for the device whereby you got a $25 gift card at the store if you bought it there.  So, yay for us.

Quality:  I've had no problems with the quality.  The device seems sturdy enough; I just wipe it down periodically to clean off any grease or lint or whatever might be on it.  No complaints, and no breakdowns.  I was surprised with how often it needed to be charged (compared to the One, which lasted 9-10 days wearing it constantly).  The HR, if you wear it around the clock, needs to be charged maybe every other day.  Within the first week, I was no longer wearing it overnight because of this; I'm not concerned with the quality of my sleep as it is just fine but I know a lot of people seem to be really concerned with this particular feature.  Anyway, now that I don't wear it overnight, I have to charge it maybe every 3-4 days. 

Colors:  When I got mine, black was the only color.  Fine with me.

Style:  I like it better than I thought I would.  It's a clean line, very in proportion with my size.  The fit of it is a bit weird because the guts of the thing take up so much of the band, there is a gap between the strap and the side of my wrist but I quickly got accustomed to that and it's not really apparent to others.

Heart monitor:  I set the "double tap" to HR, so I can check it easily during my exercise classes to make sure I'm working hard enough.  Good feature.  As to accuracy, it's probably as accurate as such a device can be without a chest strap.  I honestly don't know if those are any more accurate; I've never used one.  A couple of times I've checked the Charge HR while I'm on the treadmill to see if it's the same as the sensor in the treadmill. Seems pretty close.

Steps, distance, calorie counter:  It seems to me that the Charge HR credits me with more steps than the One did.  This is just anecdotal, as I haven't worn them side by side to check.  Somebody should do that.  One thing I've noticed when syncing with the laptop to look at "active minutes" is that the Charge gives me credit for way more active minutes than the One ever did.  Not sure what that's about.

Sleep tracker:  Don't use but could be of value if I had a problem or interest in this.

Alarm:  I've used a couple of times.  A bit confusing until you understand that after you set up the alarm (have to do it on the laptop, can't be set on the device itself), you have to remember to sync it again or it won't lock in the alarm.

Caller ID & rechargable:  Don't use my Charge HR with a smart phone, and I've alread mentioned above about the low charge life of the Charge HR.

I wish the Charge HR had an alert (vibration) on the device that told you every 30 minutes or so to get up and move!  Some activity monitors have this feature and I think it would be an attractive feature.  Of course you wouldn't want to have that enabled during your sleep time, right?

Good luck with your project... 

[Frank_fit]

I've had my Fitbit Charge HR for almost 2 weeks and I'm generally pleased with it. 

The HR monitor can sometimes go wonky so you have to adjust it to make it read again. It does need recharging every other day as has been said above but apart from those 2 things I can't fault it.

I came from using Map My Walks for my workout walks and a pedomitre for calculating my daily steps into the Charge HR so I can't compare it to other products on the market, either by Fitbit, Garmin or any of the other manufacturers.

I had have no problem with the price and was happy with the black strap. The steps are a lot more than my pedomitre used to say but the Fitbit calculates other movement than just steps walked and changes them into steps. 

Overall I'm impressed and wouldn't go anywhere with out it. I left it at work on Tuesday and drove back an hour in rush hour traffic just to get it. 

[iMike]

I purchased a Charge HR (size L) in January 2015.  In June I changed to a Charge HR XL. 

1) Price - Price is reasonable for the all the features

2) Quality - My only issue is the screen is susceptible to scuffing

3) Colors - My original Size L HR was black, the XL is plum

4) Style - Very comfortable, altough I find I get better HR readings from the XL.  I don't have super large wrists but the Size L was too small for it to fit loosely.

5) Steps, Distance, Calorie Counter - Steps and distance, very pleased with.  Calorie Counter I use sparingly

6) Sleep Tracker - I like to see how restful my sleep was so I like it

7) Alarm - I love this feature, it's a much more peaceful way to wake up

😎 Caller ID - I can live without this feature.  Device recharges quite well.

[Reyoflight]

Price: Great

Quality: Fabulous

Colors: I REALLY wish they had chocolate brown.  Brown is my black.  I don't want bright orange or other bright colors.  I want a low profile, match everything, neutral and for me that's brown cause I don't look good in black.  My Charge HR is black because it was the lesser of the evils. 🙂

Style: Great.  It keeps a low profile, if only I had brown. 

Heart Monitor: Overall through the day it working.  With My Fitnes Pal food tracking I have trusted the "Calories Burned" info coming from my tracker, based on pulse and activity and I am steadily losing weight, so it's working.  I do feel upset when I am doing a hard workout and can barely breathe and it says my pulse is 85.  That makes me mad because I don't get credit for the calories I am burning, but if I trust the overall day I am losing at a healthy rate and all is well so I try not to sweat it.  (No pun intended)

Steps, distance, calorie counter: Spot on it seems to me.

Sleep tracker: Very interesting.  It's not particularly useful to me.  Maybe because I sleep great, but I bet it would be informing to someone who is needing to track there sleep issues.  It just senses your motions and pulse.  It thinks you are sleeping if you tend to hold real still when you're chilling on the couch. 

Alarm: I LOVE the alarm feature.  It doesn't wake my husband and it's a gentle nudge for me that I rarely sleep through.  Snooze is just not pushing the button when it goes off, so it keeps going every 10 minutes for 3 cycles.  It can also remind you of things quietly when you need a reminder but need to stay quiet.

Caller ID and rechargeable: Well, I don't see why these are together but Caller ID and all bluetooth syncing don't work on my phone with the Charge HR.  My bluetooth works with other stuff, but not the FitBit. 😞  The rechargeable aspect is great.  It holds a charge for about 3-4 days quite well and charges quite fast.  I charge mine every other day when I am in the shower.

Needed Improvements would be water proofing, chocolate brown option, and a smart alarm that wakes you only when you are in twighlight sleep.  But overall my FitBit has landed my 15lbs lighter and counting.  Not to mention I am in MUCH better shape, and far more active.  I have had my FitBit for 5 months.  Love it!!

[Reyoflight]

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I wish the Charge HR had an alert (vibration) on the device that told you every 30 minutes or so to get up and move!  Some activity monitors have this feature and I think it would be an attractive feature.  Of course you wouldn't want to have that enabled during your sleep time, right?

---

Use the alarm feature and just set it to go off every few hours.  I think you are limited to 8, or something, a day but that's something at least.  But be forewarned, the alarm really uses up battery life.

[fitmissjen]

I upgraded from the standard Charge about 8 months ago. I upgraded after the side button fell out of my standard.

• Price - I paid $175.00 NZD which i think is a fair price.
• Quality - Pretty good. This one has laster longer then the standard Charge. I like the propper watch strap buckle, the push button thing on the standard one used to scare me. I was worried it would pop off and i would lose it.
• Colors - Mine is black. There was no other colour option on the shelf at the time.
• Style - Can be a little uncomfortable to wear at night. But otherwise is comfortable. I still get a rash on my wrist every now and again. Which can be really ichy and irritating. 
• Heart  monitor - Seems pretty acurate to me. Consistant with the monitors on the treadmill at the gym at least.
• Steps, distance, calorie counter - Seems pretty accurate, tho i did find once on a long road trip in a bumpy campervan it did count 18,000 steps!!
• Sleep tracker - Good, but as above, it can ge abit uncomfortable at night. At first i found i was taking it off during my sleep without even knowing it.
• Alarm - N/A, i dont use it.
• Caller ID and rechargeable - Caller id can be handy. Tho if I am out for a run, im not going to stop and answer my phone. Rechange time is pretty darm quick!

[KeepingUpWithMe]

Hi UConn! I wish I had known that solving issues means I have to post a question.  My HR will not sync with my iphone; I spend more time searching for the fix than I do using the data to improve my fitness.  I have had it one month and was initially super happy and geeked to set and hit my goals -- now I'm disappointed.

[Reyoflight]

Mine didn't work with my phone either, until I just got a new one. It doesn't work with every phone but that doesn't mean you can't benefit from it. Use the dongle on a computer if you have one. I LOVE my Fitbit. It didn't just help me lose weight. It changed the way I live! I eat better and I can literally climb mountains. Before, I could barely climb stairs. Lol. Use your computer or buy a new phone. It is totally worth it.

[KeepingUpWithMe]

How encouraging your post is to me.  I agree, time to spend some money and buy a new computer, load the app using the dongle and start my fitness plan.  I needed a boost, as I was ready to give up and put away the fitbit with my Jane Fonda stepper, my mini trampoline and my pilate bands. Thank you for your kind reply, you made my day. 

[Corney]

I love it, the price was reasonable, and the feed back I get from it is a motivating factor.  The most motivating factor for me is the exercise itself, it's the best high yiu can get legally.

[KeepingUpWithMe]

I paid $150 for my HR at Best buy; I would have paid this for the heart rate function and step counter alone - so I am fine with the price.  I love the feeling you get from pushing yourself to the next level, when running. This heart rate tracker helps me push myself - I felt great on my last run. 

[Diana832]

I love my ChargeHR.  The only thing I'm disappointed in (in general with this line of products) is that an "ID band" option isn't available yet.  I already have to wear my fitbit AND garmin while running in order to track my run stats....now I also have to wear a Road ID band for identification in the event of an emergency?  The fitbit bands look exactly like the Road ID bands - you should sell options for incorporating ID information into the fitbit bands.

[Incognito]

Price is a bit high for what you get, which is a disposable device.

Quality is quite poor in my opinion.  Bands are always falling apart and the materials are pretty generic.

Colors are ok.  Nothing too fancy.

Style can be better.  It is not something that looks good at a formal event.  

Heart Monitor:  Don't have it on my tracker and not really a dealbreaker.

The counter itself seems to be working just fine for me.  

Sleep Tracker is ok.  

I do not use the alarm anymore, but when I did, the vibration was able to wake me up just fine.

Caller ID function is pretty poor on my Charge.  I would get the notification after I had picked up my phone and answered the call.  Or I would get the notification after I missed the call.

Battery life is ok, depending on the options used.  I get about a weeks out of mine and it is ok.

To be honest, there is room for overwhelming improvements in all their devices and I unless the build quality is addressed, I would probably not come back.  What I really would like is that they make all future models with the ability for band replacement.