Surge still excellent for wide range of activities- Mini Review after 2 yrs

[Charles.K]

My wife and I both use the Fitbit watches.  My wife really likes the Charge HR as she has small wrists, so the Surge or newer Blaze is not an option.

I originally purchased the Surge when they first came out and loved the integration of the apps, software and the ease of looking at and analysing the data. My first Surge did have an issue with charging and it was replaced quickly with no issues.  Since then I have had my Surge for 2 years and I suspect the HR did not work as well the other unit.  Still it has been great.  

I was keen to replace my Surge as the battery and charging have started to have issues and I purchased the Blaze.  For multiple sport activities the Blaze is not well suited as the display is not on continuously, and the display is smaller.  The other issue is no GPS as sometimes you don't wish to take your phone.

In the morning in doing my 20min workouts I time each sequence of exercises, and with the Blaze not having the time elapsed on continuously is a pain, as you have both hands either doing push ups/planks and you cannot press the button or gesture your hand.

Out of frustration I then purchased the Garmin Vivoactive HR, which technically are very good, but the implentation of apps and software and usability is not very good.  After several days I returned the Garmin and purchased the Surge.

In essence the Surge is excellent, but it really needs an update to bring it into 2016.

Pros:

Continously on display which is clear

GPS built in. 

Comfortable polymer band.  The black is much softer and more comfortable than the blue.  It not until you try other makes of fitness trackers when you realise how comfortable the Surge bands can be.

HR is accurate for a wrist based monitoring, but it does vary from unit to unit.  Also not often mentioned it will depend a lot on a person's wrist anatomy and dynamics.  For some it will be very accurate and yet some may find it varies due to getting a good contact on the wrist.

Integration of the apps/software and the ease of use is what separates the Fitbit trackers from the other brands for now.  There are technically better fitness trackers out there but there a pain to use with apps/software.

Cons:

The lack of decent watch faces.  I would have expected by now that Fitbit would have added some other options for faces as it appears to be solely driven by software/firmware.  The analogue options are terrible in my opinion.  There is really one option I use is the larger digital display with time/date.

Styling needs a serious update.  In 2014 the styling was fine but as the top of the line fitness tracker I would really appreciate if Fitbit would listen.  I use my Surge 24/7.

In essence the Surge is still excellent but is on the cusp of needing a serious update.  I would also consider the updated Surge in two sizes, one for men and a smaller unit for women.  My wife would love to have a Surge, but it is way too large for her.

[SunsetRunner]

Totally agree with you on all points.

Im currently using a Blaze as encountered some battery issues with my Surge. However I do prefer the simple interface on the surge.

Hoping for a Surge 2 this year?

[SunsetRunner]

I too tried the vivoactive hr and it didn't last longer than a day with me. Came running back to my straight forward fitbit environment!

[MarreFitbit]

It's nice to see you around to the Fitbit Community @SunsetRunner @Charles.K, hope you guys are doing good today !

Thank you for your suggestion. We're constantly striving to improve Fitbit products and services, and we very much appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers. The best place to make your voice heard is the Ideas board on our community, which our product development teams consult regularly to ensure we're delivering on what our customers need and want. Please take a moment to visit and give us your feedback. 

I've found the suggestion "More Clock Faces and Customized for Surge" that another member has created already. If you find that one similar of what you want, you can vote for the idea and add your comments. Our product team looks forward to reading and incorporating your suggestions into future versions of Fitbit trackers and apps. 

On the other hand, your Fitbit Blaze battery can last up to 5 days. Because battery life is affected by use and other settings, actual results may vary. These tips might help when you want to prioritize battery life:

• Make sure you're charging Blaze fully each time. When you think Blaze is done charging, take it out of the charger and then put it back in briefly. If you should see a large, blue battery icon you'll know the tracker is fully charged.
• Each alarm you add up to the maximum of 8 reduces battery life by a small percentage.
• Since Quick View causes the screen to light up whenever you turn your wrist towards you, turning this setting off may prolong battery life. When Quick View is off, press any button to see the screen.
• Frequently using music control may reduce battery life.
• Using FitStar workouts reduces battery life.
• If you have call, text, or calendar notifications enabled, receiving a large volume of notifications (many hundreds) reduces battery life.
• Using the maximum Brightness setting may reduce battery life.
• If you’re syncing with an Android device, the Always Connected option may reduce battery life.
• If you're syncing with any Fitbit app, the All-Day sync option may reduce battery life on both the tracker and mobile device.
• Charging your tracker in extreme heat or cold may reduce battery life.
• If you don't need a heart rate reading, change the Heart Rate setting to Off. The Auto setting uses less battery than the On setting. Note that if you turn off Heart Rate, you'll need to restart your tracker after you turn heart rate back on.

Also, if you aren’t tracking runs or exercises that use GPS, your fully charged Fitbit Surge™ should last up 7 days. A fully charged Surge can track up to 10 hours of activities that use GPS. Because battery life is affected by use and other settings, actual results may vary.

These tips might help when you want to prioritize battery life:

• Each alarm reduces battery life by small percentage. To maximize battery life, consider setting fewer alarms.
• Since Quick View causes the screen to light up whenever you turn your wrist towards you, turning this setting off may prolong battery life. When Quick View is off, press any button to see the screen.
• Frequently using music control may reduce battery life.
• If you’re syncing with an Android device, the Always Connected option may reduce battery life.
• If you're syncing with any Fitbit app, the All-Day sync option may reduce battery life on both the tracker and mobile device.
• Charging your tracker in extreme heat or cold may reduce battery life.
• If you don't need a heart rate rating, change the Heart Rate setting to Off. The Auto setting uses less battery than the On setting.

You can shut down your Surge when it's not in use.

Hope this helps you both!