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Fitbit charge hr discharges quickly. Official Fitbit app

About a year ago, Fitbit introduced a whole line of fitness trackers with a wide range of useful functions, among which anyone will find a suitable model in accordance with their requirements. Today we'll talk about the Fitbit Charge HR smart bracelet. This is an average gadget price category, which can compete with more expensive competitors.

So, Fitbit Charge HR is a fitness bracelet with a set of functions almost like the older model - Surge. This tracker will monitor your health and body condition 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Bracelet design

Our fitness tracker model, in addition to a heart rate monitor, also has an altimeter, a three-axis accelerometer, and a vibration mode to notify you of new notifications. Imagine - they managed to place all this in the main module with a width of only 2.11 cm.

Your choice is limited to four color options: plum, blue, black and bright tangerine. They all have a classic clasp with a choice of sizes: small, medium and large.

Fitbit packageChargeHR:

The fitness tracker comes with a USB dongle and a USB cable for charging. Nothing extra.

Features of the Fitbit fitness braceletChargeHR:

  • Has a pedometer
  • Counts the distance traveled
  • Shows time
  • Counts the number of calories burned
  • Sleep monitor
  • Altimeter
  • Records exercise time and intensity

All of the above features can be monitored in action on a small OLED screen blue. Your heart rate can be recorded throughout the entire time you wear the bracelet, that is, 24/7. In this case, the intensity of exercise and calorie burning will be calculated most accurately. Reminders and notifications, as we have already noted, will be triggered using vibration signals, of which there are as many as 8 options in the fitness bracelet.

The Fitbit Charge HR bracelet has a special application for collecting statistics. It will need to be installed on your smartphone. The program will allow you to conveniently track all parameters and training progress. You can share information on social networks and even compete with your friends.

Among the features of the bracelet is water resistance. But the manufacturer does not recommend taking a shower with the device on your hand.

FitbitChargeHR at work

The fitness tracker reveals all its main capabilities after synchronization with your smartphone. To do this, you just need to install the proprietary FitBit application. The connection traditionally occurs via Bluetooth. Once the smartphone “sees” the bracelet, you must enter the code on the screen and answer a few questions so that the program can correctly calculate the results.

It is also possible to synchronize Charge HR with a computer. To do this, you also need proprietary software and a USB key included in the kit. Then simply follow the program instructions.

The manufacturer recommends keeping the Fitbit Charge HR dry and clean to ensure accurate readings and prevent skin irritation. Let us recall that in 2014 there were customer complaints that the strap of the previous model caused allergic reaction. If you need to clean the bracelet, use only a soap-free product. If a rash is detected on the skin, you should immediately remove the bracelet.

There are complaints about the heart rate monitor, but only during intense training. The figures in this case will be somewhat overestimated. In normal mode, there are no complaints about the bracelet.

Summing up the results of testing the Fitbit Charge HR, we note that the bracelet performs all the stated functions without any complaints.

The fitness tracker can operate for up to 5 days on one charge, as stated by the manufacturer. In principle, this is enough not to be afraid that the battery will suddenly announce that it is time to recharge.

Pros of the bracelet:

  • Simple design
  • Convenient work with notifications
  • Vibration mode (8 options)
  • Comfortable silicone strap with classic buckle

Cons:

  • Questionable water resistance
  • Inaccurate heart rate monitor data
  • No text notifications

Last year was very successful for Fitbit, because it was then that Alta and Blaze were released. Now the company offers sequels to classic models – Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Flex 2.

Charge 2 costs 5,100 rubles - more expensive than Alta, but cheaper than Blaze, and approximately the same price as Fitbit Charge HR and Charge at the time of their sales launch. Charge 2 comes with new features and functionality including breath monitoring, interchangeable bands, a larger display and new system tracking data on maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 Max).

If the Alta has a noticeable desire for simplicity, and the Blaze has some capabilities of a fitness watch, then the Charge 2 is more difficult to classify. It's definitely not a smartwatch, but it's also not the most powerful fitness tracker available. Rather, it embodies a certain dividing line and approaches the "nearly the best" since it does not have the features that the Samsung Gear Fit 2 and Microsoft Band 2 boast.

We first tested this Fitbit bracelet for several weeks and gave a preliminary verdict, but then we carried out long-term testing and are ready to provide our conclusions about the Fitbit Charge 2.

Fitbit Charge 2: design and ease of use

Charge 2 retains its distinctive appearance Fitbit bracelets. While there are clear similarities to its direct predecessors, as well as the Fitbit Alta and a little bit with the Surge, it is much sleeker, with a larger black-and-white OLED display - four times larger than the older Charge gadgets. The polished silver body, the same as the Alta model, also adds elegance. The clasp design is similar to that of the Charge and Charge HR and holds the bracelet firmly in place. However, the clasp is not very comfortable and often requires additional effort to thread the strap.

The display is undoubtedly large enough and fits more comfortably on the wrist than the Surge. The overall design is quite aesthetically pleasing, perhaps due to the size of the display. It's larger than the Alta, but smaller than the Surge (and even the Fitbit Blaze), which means you can see quite a bit more information without increasing the screen size excessively.

For a device that typically requires so little user intervention, this Fitbit bracelet is surprisingly difficult to use. The indicators are scrolled by touching the touch screen. You can go to different modes by pressing the side button, and then move through the exercises by moving your finger across the display. To access the mode, you need to hold down the button. It seems that Fitbit is well aware that they are not so easy with the tracker - tips for controlling the device appear on the display during the first few hours of use. It will take some time to get used to it.

It's a little annoying to not be able to scroll back. If you need to return to the previous item, you have to completely scroll through the menu in direct order. There are not many menu items, but this still adds unnecessary fuss, especially if the user is in a hurry.

The sensitivity of the display also sometimes raises questions. The impression is that for it to work properly you need to be in a certain position and hold your hand at a certain angle. In addition, the display is not always illuminated when needed.

The heart rate monitor on the back of the case protrudes slightly. However, we used the Charge 2 for quite some time and noticed this feature less often than expected. Possibly searching correct position It will require some adjustment, but after that everything will be in its place and very comfortable. Just behind the wrist bone is the ideal place to read your pulse.

There is no doubt that, if desired, the bracelet can be worn for other purposes besides fitness - the strap is suitable for different things. The Classic strap for 1,500 rubles is available in black, dark purple, blue and turquoise, there are also special versions - a black strap with a gunmetal case or lavender with rose gold (the latter option is more expensive). As with the Alta, the Charge 2 comes with a Luxe leather strap available as an accessory in brown, pink or indigo. It will cost 4,300 rubles.

In fact, we're still quite surprised that Fitbit didn't include this feature in the Charge 2, even though the Flex 2 does have a waterproof design. The Charge 2 is waterproof in the sense that it's resistant to sweat or rain, but the manufacturers don't recommend taking it into the shower with you, which is annoying. If Charge 2 can do so much, then it should also give the opportunity not to take it off in the pool - so it seems to us.

Fitbit Charge 2: activity monitoring

Holding the side button starts manual tracking of specific workouts, and upon completion you will receive a detailed report in mobile application. Charge 2 also features SmartTrack, which automatically tracks running, cycling and other activities. Sleep is also tracked automatically, along with floors climbed, active minutes, and hourly activity.

  1. Sleep monitoring. Sleep tracking has proven to be quite accurate, although not always perfect. Comparing our fitness bracelet with a specialized sleep tracker Beddit 3, we saw that the indicators often coincided within five minutes. At times, Fitbit had difficulty determining the exact moment when you woke up - especially if you lay in bed for a while after waking up - getting confused restless sleep with wakefulness. Be that as it may, the device recorded toilet breaks and subsequent falls asleep very well, and this provides enough data to analyze each night's sleep. The lack of settings for the tracker itself for sleep mode or dimming the screen is annoying - if you toss and turn in bed, the fitness bracelet will illuminate the room.
  2. Pedometer. Now about step tracking. One thing Charge 2 definitely can’t be accused of is being stingy. It's not easy to check that pedometers are working correctly, but we definitely noticed that the Charge 2 overestimates the indicators. We first saw this in a long-distance test and comparison with the Garmin Fenix ​​3, but in our long-term test there was also a tendency towards overestimation. The Charge 2 also misses out on some stair climbing. This problem also occurs in other accessories for counting steps taken, and Charge 2 is simply no exception.
  3. Heart rate monitor. As mentioned, Charge 2 has a built-in heart rate monitor, so you won't have to choose between the two options. Fitbit's PurePulse technology is used to continuously track your heart rate both during and outside of your workouts. There's no built-in GPS, and the Charge 2 relies on a connection to your phone via ConnectedGPS to determine speed and distance. All of these features are present in one form or another in other Fitbit bracelets, but the determination of maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 Max) and controlled breathing training appear only in this model.

Maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2 Max)

In the Fitbit app, VO 2 Max is designated Cardio Fitness Level. When left on while you sleep, Charge 2 measures your resting heart rate. It then analyzes your user profile - age, height, weight and fitness data - and compares you with others of your gender and age. Fat burning charts, optimal heart rate zones for cardio training and peak exercise are also provided. So far this is the most detailed and complete instructions for training among all Fitbit bracelets to date.

There are some inconveniences with accessing the data - they can only be viewed in the Fitbit app on your smartphone. Unlike resting heart rate, long-term monitoring is not required to determine the “heart performance level”; it appears on the display after some time. We're not sure why Fitbit didn't give this fitness band the ability to see a graph of your maximum oxygen consumption.

Calculating your VO 2 Max properly requires you to pass a pretty serious test in a sports science lab, so you should understand that any Fitbit Charge 2 data will be an approximation. It gave us 49 – close to Jabra Sport Pulse (47) and Garmin Fenix ​​3 (48). Since this can be considered at the top end of the scale, there are no complaints here. We also gave the Fitbit to someone else for a day and it made a difference. The latter indicates at least the level of sensitivity to data changes.

The heart rate feature is one of our favorites on the Fitbit Charge 2. It's enough precise definition fitness parameters, new to the “ecosystem” of the company’s gadgets – and we hope to see how over time this function will develop and become even more useful.

Guided breathing

Deep breathing to calm yourself is not a new concept, so Fitbit didn't reinvent the wheel here. Rather, we were provided with a good, convenient reminder tool. Therefore, the controlled breathing option is somewhat unexpected, but useful and came in handy.

Fitbit Charge 2 personalizes its program breathing exercises, relying on your heart rate and finding a good rhythm, making sure you don't inhale too deeply or exhale too quickly. In fact, this is Fitbit's first introduction of some major new technologies, and the first time heart rate variability is used on such devices. You can also do a two- or five-minute session just for relaxation, or to cool down after a workout.

After taking your heart rate readings, Charge 2 prepares you to breathe in time with the pulsating ring that appears on the screen.

When we first used this option to cool down after a workout, it felt like we were doing something wrong—inhaling too deeply and practically holding our breath. The second time, the goal was to relax and relieve stress. This worked better, allowing me to breathe in time with the animation on the display. We then used the feature in both variants many times during long-term testing and were pleased. Charge 2 was able to accurately determine correct rhythm, allowing you to follow the display's breathing rate instructions. The animation has a strangely calming effect, and after prolonged use, two minutes goes by quite quickly. I also liked the lack of indicators as to whether you are doing everything correctly. You can call them up on the display, but if you don’t want to, no one is forcing you.

Workout with heart rate tracking

The accuracy of the new PurePulse heart rate sensor is interesting, but on the Charge 2 it's a frustrating mix of strengths and weaknesses.

One cannot but rejoice at the resting heart rate (RHR) option. When tracking it, we compared the results with data from our Garmin Vivosmart HR. It turned out that Blaze often overestimated RHR, so this feature shows clear progress compared to previous versions.

Overall, the long-term testing data was helpful. Although, when compared with measurements from the chest strap, the sensor took 10 minutes to detect the pulse.

We also saw that, despite fairly high accuracy over long-term tests, the heart rate monitor still tends to underestimate the current heart rate, often by 5 beats per minute. When it comes to HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), we tend to consider the Charge 2 more of a miss than a hit. We did a couple of high-intensity sessions and experienced a few issues with the Charge 2.

The first problem is lag. Often, after reaching a heart rate of 180 bpm, the Charge 2 would get stuck at 115. This usually corrected itself during the workout, but often the Charge 2 would lag almost an entire interval.

However, the heart rate discrepancies with the chest strap showed up more clearly in the current display readings than in the app results - it seemed like Fitbit's algorithm was better at understanding post-workout data. Often, after long workouts, the difference in indicators was no more than 3 beats/min, despite all the nonsense that was displayed on the display directly during the workout.

Fitbit has already released an update to address some of the device's shortcomings. For example, ConnectedGPS previously sometimes produced obvious errors. As for Blaze, it’s still clear: the device is more suitable for everyday life ordinary people than for hardcore fitness fans. Despite the addition of a VO 2 Max option, the device doesn't handle high-intensity workouts.

Notifications

The Charge 2 isn't a smartwatch and doesn't try to hide that fact. When you receive notifications, you won't be able to respond to them or view them on your fitness bracelet - they simply disappear.

Charge 2 can show notifications for calls, messages and calendar reminders, but your phone must be connected. Since our first review, WhatsApp notifications have started working on the Charge 2, but only with Android phones. At the same time, other notifications from the connected device now work with both iOS and Android.

When receiving a call or message, Charge 2 gives a short vibration signal, then displays the phone number (and/or name) of the subscriber. Long messages are shown cropped, and emoticons and emoticons are not visible at all. And yet, the next update will allow you to change the way notifications are displayed - so that messages are displayed before the contact data. You may also see a + icon to indicate that you have received more than one notification. This update will be available for Charge 2 in the coming weeks.

If you've used Fitbit before, you'll already be familiar with the app, which hasn't changed much for the Charge 2. All the information is in the usual places, including graphs and data about connected devices, and you can still see the leaderboard.

New things await us in the motivation section – Challenges. Fitbit has developed an "Adventures" game for its entire line, not just the Charge 2.

The concept of Adventures is quite witty and entertaining. Eat different levels and tasks on the number of steps for different locations - for example, you will need to take 15,000 steps to “walk” in the vicinity of the famous Yosemite Falls in California. This means that every step you take at home, at work, and anywhere else is mapped to a walking distance in the Fitbit app. You can see your distance on the map, and the app tells you how many steps you have left to go. You don't have to complete the entire game at once, although the app does give you daily challenges based on your average daily steps.

Completing a given number of steps on the “trail” opens another panoramic photo of real locations that were photographed specifically by Fitbit. These locations are called “Landmarks” in the application. The company claims that approximately the same number of steps would be required to visit these locations in real life. Upon reaching the location, you can move your phone to view the surroundings in a panoramic photo. There are also "treasures" to be found. “Treasures” are quite trivial - they are short quizzes on healthy image life and motivation.

Playing Adventures was fun and easy because all you have to do is press start. Sometimes you might even forget you're playing, so it's nice to get reminders of your goals on the Charge 2's display. But other than that, we liked to see the route on the map, which coincided with the usual number of steps per day. We definitely would have preferred to hike near a real Yosemite Falls, but that would be fun too.

Battery

Fitbit says the Charge 2's battery can last up to 5 days, depending on usage. This was surprising since the same battery life was claimed for earlier versions of the Charge with a much smaller display. By comparison, the Alta should last five days on a single charge, but lasted just over a week in our testing.

By turning on all possible notifications, we were able to use the Charge 2 for about six days without recharging. And after charging for 15-20 minutes, they wore it for another six days. As with the Alta, the battery performs even better than advertised.

It's nice to know that we'll get almost a week of battery life out of the Charge 2, but it would be even better to see a battery indicator on the device itself. However, in this regard there is also good news: The indicator will be in the new update, which is currently in the process of being released. Having to look through an app for information that feels like it should be on the screen of the device itself was annoying, so this is a welcome change.

Fitbit is no stranger to the wearable electronics market, and its products have found a large number of fans around the world. One of the brightest representatives of the company’s line of fitness trackers is the Fitbit Charge sports bracelet. Today we will get acquainted with new version this model, the main difference of which is the built-in heart rate monitor.

Equipment

The band comes in Fitbit's standard oblong packaging, and in addition to the device itself, you'll also find a charging cable with a proprietary connector and a wireless receiver for directly syncing the band with your PC.

Appearance

The Charge HR inherits the design cues of the base Charge model. The texture of parallel stripes was replaced by a fine mesh, and the bracelet itself received a classic clasp made of steel. On at the moment The bracelet is available in the market in four colors - black, pink, blue and bright orange. The latter will clearly appeal to young people who love bright accessories. All colors are matte, the only shiny element in the appearance is the display. By the way, the black version that was tested can be called the most discreet, but probably the most impractical. Due to the “tenacious” coating, dust collects in large quantities on the body and is very noticeable.




In general, we liked the design, despite its relative simplicity, this is the advantage of the Fitbit Charge HR - it can be combined with almost any style of clothing, regardless of whether it is a business suit or sports uniform V gym.

Ease of use

The Charge HR is available in three strap sizes thanks to detailed instructions On the official website you can easily select the one you need. By the way, the editorial office visited a bracelet in size S, and for a wrist with a girth of 17 cm it was enough. We recommend choosing a generous size, because, according to the manufacturer, to use the heart rate monitor function, the bracelet must be several centimeters higher than the usual position on the hand. We had no complaints about the clasp; if the size is correctly selected, the strap fits perfectly and you don’t have to worry about losing the bracelet even during very active body movements.



In terms of its dimensions, the Charge HR is one of the largest sports bracelets on the market, both in thickness and width. One of the problems with the tracker is its shape - the edges of the bracelet are quite sharp, and in combination with the tenacious texture of the coating and the large thickness of the case, this contributes to periodic feelings of discomfort when wearing the device. You will feel the bracelet on your hand every time you try to put it on outerwear with long sleeves. This would not be so critical if the device was used occasionally, but for a tracker that must track your physical activity 24 hours a day, this is unforgivable. By the way, thanks to the same features of the case and materials, sleeping with the Charge HR on your hand is also not very comfortable, especially if you like to put your hand under the pillow. In principle, the problem is not even in the dimensions, but in the overly tenacious material.

Another point worth considering is the relatively weak protection of the device from moisture. The bracelet easily resists sweat and splashes when washing hands, but the manufacturer strongly advises against taking a shower or swimming in it. And after each time the case gets wet, it is recommended to thoroughly wipe the gadget dry. However last recommendation already done for hygienic reasons.

Functionality

So let's move on to what makes a bracelet sporty. Let's start with the hardware. Fitbit Charge HR is equipped with an accelerometer, altimeter, optical heart rate monitor and vibration motor. Thanks to the accelerometer, the bracelet has the functionality of a pedometer, which is basic by market standards, and in combination with an altimeter, steps are counted. As for counting steps, here we can give the Charge HR a solid five: the counting is accurate, at least when comparing the distance traveled with GPS readings, the differences were minimal. Therefore, the bracelet is quite suitable for outdoor cardio training. By the way, it is not equipped with GPS, so if you want to track your pace and see the route you have taken on the map, you will have to use a smartphone or other third-party gadget. But the step counting is implemented extremely mediocrely, and you shouldn’t rely on it. During testing, the number of steps climbed included squats, taking the elevator, and simply walking up the street.


The next sensor of interest is the built-in optical heart rate monitor, thanks to which the bracelet received the “HR” prefix in its name. Heart rate measurement is carried out 24 hours a day, and you can see the heart rate indicator on the display at any time. Unfortunately, the accuracy is in this case- not the best strong point the hero of our today's review. During testing, we compared heart rate readings with a medical tonometer and a chest-mounted sports heart rate monitor. At rest, the measurement results did not raise any special questions, the discrepancies were extremely minimal. But with physical activity, we were unable to obtain data even close to reliable. Moreover, the Charge HR produced frankly underestimated performance both during jogging and during strength training. Of course, the manufacturer warns that the device cannot be used in medical purposes, but the band simply couldn't handle this feature, even though we followed all of Fitbit's recommendations for using the device during workouts.

The autonomy of the bracelet, according to the developers, is up to 7 days, in our case this figure was 6 days. To charge, you need to use the included cable, and the total charging time is almost 2 hours.

Let's move on from sports functions to the basic ones. The bracelet has the ability to track sleep phases, but, to our surprise, the bracelet did not receive the function smart alarm clock. The maximum that the device is capable of is waking you up using vibration at a strictly specified time. Speaking of vibration, it is quite strong and even noisy; waking up thanks to such an alarm clock was not very pleasant. Also, thanks to vibration, the Charge HR has the ability to notify you of incoming calls, and a small monochrome display helps with this, which can display brief information about the caller. And in standby mode, you have access to basic physical activity tracking indicators: heart rate, calories burned, distance traveled and current time. In standby mode, the display is turned off; to obtain information you need to press the key on the side, and to display the most important indicator you can assign access to a single tap on the bracelet body. Unfortunately, there is no way to display information when you bring your hand with the bracelet to your face, so you will always need a second hand to access the information.


Results

The Fitbit Charge HR sports bracelet turned out to be a rather controversial product. On the one hand, we have one of the most equipped fitness trackers on the market. On the other hand, it seems that each function was implemented by 75%, and in some cases even by half. But nevertheless, we did not have any special complaints about the hardware, with the exception of the operation of the heart rate monitor, and the developer can always improve the software component. If you like the appearance of the bracelet and need a good pedometer, look at the Charge model, at least this way you won’t overpay for what we think is a stupid heart rate monitor.
1,699 - 3,239 UAH
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The flagship Fitbit is a powerful suite of features that will continuously monitor your heart rate on your wrist to better assess your daily activities, track workouts, monitor your heart rate and changes to improve your health and, of course, your sleep quality.

But how does the Fitbit Charge HR stack up against competitors like Fitbit's own Surge and what additional functionality awaits us in the long-awaited Jawbone UP3? Let's find out about this further.

Fitbit Charge HR: Design

Charge HR models have the same look, although there are several colors available. The black option creates the least number of anonymous questions in the comments. The word "genderless" describes it better than "unisex."

Available colors of the Charge HR are plum, blue and orange. The screen matches the color of the strap and does not stand out against its background.

You can look at this bracelet here:

The screen has a monochrome OLED display, it is quite bright and easy to read, despite its small size. By pressing a button, you will switch between time, number of steps, distance traveled, calories, your progress and, of course, heart rate.

The clasp is like a regular watch, with a small buckle, familiar to everyone, attached to a rubber strap.

Users initially complained of skin irritation in their questions, which were received last year. In response, Fitbit encourages users to take breaks from use and keep them clean.

Well, I followed this advice and still suffer from irritation after vigorous exercise. It's possible to limit your Fitbit use, but it's bad that I experienced it. Nevertheless, editor-in-chief Paul, to protect everyone from irritation, recommends that people with sensitive skin think before purchasing.

On the other hand, the soft edges make the Fitbit really comfortable to wear. It doesn't feel like you're in shackles like the Microsoft Band, and it's comfortable enough to sleep in.

For comparison, look at these bracelets:

Fitbit Charge HR: Features

Activity tracking has been greatly expanded, Fitbit Charge HR records every statistic, every heartbeat. It will track your activities and calories during the day and monitor your sleep at night. Unlike older Fitbit devices, you don't have to notify it that you want to take a nap, the sleep pattern will start based on your movements and heart rate.

The Fitbit Charge HR also lets you monitor exercise, by pressing and holding the button on the left you can set it to 'stopwatch mode', which means it starts tracking intervals - but more on that later.

The final feature is a personalized identifier, a lightweight function smart watch. The bracelet vibrates when your smartphone rings and the caller's name appears on the screen. There's no other notification capability, and while it's useful for checking if a call is important and worth picking up, it's not a game switch.

The Fitbit Charge HR is resistant to water pressure of 1 atmosphere, which is great for the shower, but not suitable for swimming in the bathtub or pool. This is, of course, no reason to rule out swimming, which is why pool aficionados should take a look at devices like the Misfit Shine.

Fitbit Charge HR: Activity Tracking

Like any fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge HR mainly tracks steps and calories. While step tracking is an inexact science, the Fitbit recorded 14,000 steps per day in the same way as the Garmin Vivosmart HR and Misfit Shine, so we have no reason to doubt the purity of its health calculations.

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You can find out more information about these models here:

Now for runners and cyclists, there's no GPS built into the Fitbit Charge HR, but that's a big selling point for the Fitbit Surge.

Without GPS, running and cycling tracking will never be accurate in terms of distance or pace. An update has been rolled out since launch, meaning the Charge HR estimates distance, although accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. The 2.1 mile run is estimated to be 2.56 miles, which means the pace was set incorrectly. For some it's a big deal, but for others it's nice to see Sunday's running appreciated. It's up to you to decide.

According to latest update You can't currently use stopwatch mode for Fitbit tracking and interval training, but it's a really nice feature. Any activity from brisk walking to the bus before running in the gym will be recorded in the application, and the type of exercise you can mark later. This works well when you remember what time you started exercising.

The choice of activities is extremely varied: spinning, weight lifting, football, hockey, dancing and much more.

When you bench press or hit the track, you get a session report, showing your heart rate and time in the critical zone, calories burned and time elapsed.

Fitbit Charge HR: Heart rate tracking

Charge HR is better, however, for other types of activity. While many GPS devices focus on running and cycling and ignore the gym, the Charge HR embraces that, and lets you get accurate data on your workouts with an optical heart rate sensor that uses a bright LED to "see" you. as the blood pulsates down the wrist.

We tested heart rate information on a treadmill and on a device in the gym. Using exercise bikes and scales to measure stats, we compared the Fitbit Charge HR BPM readings to own technology simulators, the results of which at launch were quite far from the truth compared to the heart rate transmitter. This appears to be due to the extra noise created while bouncing on the track.

Fitbit Charge HR also measures your resting heart rate when you wake up. The idea is that if you are healthy, your resting heart rate will decrease. This great idea, and it's great that Fitbit uses this metric, but the concern is that the data may be incorrect. Our actual resting heart rate (heart rate measured the old fashioned way and using a Garmin Vivosmart HR) was well below 54 bpm. The Fitbit sometimes showed 68 beats per minute. This is extremely far from the truth.

Fitbit (up) vs Garmin chest strap, 35 bpm difference at 10:00

What conclusion can be drawn? Fitbit is a decent tracker physical activity, but its heart rate counting technology needs improvement. In terms of performance, it's pretty good, on par with the Garmin Vivosmart HR, which has also struggled with chest-mounted accuracy to become a more useful heart rate tracker. Heart rate can transform your workouts, but it's far from an effective training tool.

Fitbit Charge HR: Sleep measurements

We already mentioned that sleep tracking is now automatic on the Fitbit Charge HR, meaning no more missed nights.

This may surprise some, but Fitbit's sleep measurements are simpler and more reliable than any of its competitors. The graph shows a blue block, which is your sleep duration. The block does not show the phases of deep or REM sleep, like other trackers, but there are lines that mark when you toss and turn.

It's an incredibly simple sleep tracking feature that's surprising from a manufacturer like Fitbit, but as we've seen time and time again, sleep tracking is one of the least useful elements of fitness trackers. That's very little to tell you about your sleep, but enough to make sure you're getting your eight hours every day, something Fitbit is more than capable of.

If you are interested in seeing the details of the dream, use Withings Activité Steel or Misfit Shine, they do a better job.

You can find out more about Withings Activite here:

While not as deep as the Withings Health Mate app, or as open as Jawbone, the Fitbit Charge HR is really simple and easy to use. it syncs quickly without annoying splitting issues.

When you open the app, you see all of your data for the day, including steps, heart rate data, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed, active minutes, and stopwatch bursts. active work and sleep.

That's a lot of metrics to dive into, and without the additional food tracking, diet, and weight tracking that require manual data entry on a daily basis, that's still a long way off.

FitBit Charge HR review and app (video):

Any metric can be used to view the history of changes and week results. This is especially helpful for “activity minutes”—the amount of time per day with an elevated heart rate. Increasing this value means that you have become more physically developed.

Further delving into the application will reveal a variety of controls where you can configure the device for your dominant and non-dominant hand, and enable call notification.

You can also challenge yourself to achieve certain goals and even invite friends to participate. This is a good idea, although the selection of targets is disappointing. Each of the four challenges simply involves more walking, burning more calories or increasing active exercise. More meaningful goals still don't exist in the Fitbit app.

Fitbit Charge HR: Battery Life

Given the continuous heart rate display flashing on the device, the time battery life impressive. You can easily get five days of continuous use from the device and keep it charged easily.

Of course, after recent testing of the Withings Activité and Misfit Flash, which improved battery life to months rather than days, charging will be a bit of a hassle. But none of these devices reach the level of the Charge HR in terms of workout tracking.

In addition, there is a proprietary cable and a magnetic hook on the back of the device. Of course, if you lose a cable, it's your own fault, a ubiquitous problem with all wearables, but that's about where the Charge HR's problems end.

Thanks for liking the site! Be happy, sporty and active person Always! Write what you think about this, what gadgets do you use and why?

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Scope of delivery

  • Bracelet with choice of strap size – S, L, XL (XL sold online only)
  • USB charging cable
  • Bluetooth adapter for PC
  • Instructions

FitBit is trying to maintain its leadership in the smart pedometer market; for this, the company has expanded its line of devices as much as possible - the range includes both small clip-on devices (FitBit One), and bracelets or even sports watches. Even though they use the same technologies inside, these devices are very different in positioning and who chooses them. Thus, the majority of sales already come from bracelets (70 percent), a smaller part from clips, with which the company began to conquer the market, and it’s too early to talk about watches. The sports bracelet market has clearly evolved, these devices have become popular, and you can often see people wearing an ordinary watch on one hand and a sports bracelet on the other. Inside FitBit, the word “sport” is used extremely carefully, since most pedometers are not intended for those who exercise. active species sports, but rather for people who consider fitness as a component of life and good mood. For athletes - the same FitBit Surge watch.


The world is divided into those who want to know more about themselves and those who are not interested. There is no need to convince others of the benefits of the same pedometers; they still won’t understand it and won’t accept any arguments. Pedometers are already available on most smartphones as a built-in option, which is why people find it pointless to purchase a separate device. To some extent, FitBit Charge HR is a response to this trend.

The free availability of pedometers on smartphones makes their measurement inaccuracy secondary; many people do not care about this. It is approximately clear how much you have gone through, this is enough for the eyes. In fact, the rise of pedometers in phones is shrinking the market for FitBit, and the Charge HR is a response. Many devices have the ability to measure pulse, for example, Samsung phones There is a separate sensor that you can put your finger on and get fairly accurate data. But this is terribly inconvenient, and it is impossible to constantly obtain heart rate data in this way. FitBit decided that the pedometer should measure data 24/7, that is, constantly and without user intervention. Why is this necessary? It all depends on what you are doing. For regular people walking their 10,000 steps, this information can provide insight into their walking pace and whether they are burning fat or doing cardio. For those who are involved in amateur running, it will provide visual graphs of changes in pace and heart rate, allowing them to understand themselves a little better. Let's see how the product turned out, what features it has.

On the company's website you can print out the dimensions on a piece of paper and choose a bracelet that suits you. For my big hands Size L fits, but it's literally the last hole. XL bracelets are sold online only.

Externally, Charge and Charge HR seem to be twin brothers; the company even chose the same color schemes.


But the difference is that the strap clasp is now not a latch, but a regular one, like on a watch. It's plastic, which raises questions about long-term use, but at first glance, there shouldn't be any problems. If your hand is small, then the remaining length of the strap can be hidden under the lock.

The color options are like this.


The bracelet is soft, quite good on the hand. Due to the cells on the rubber with outside Dirt accumulates very quickly, you need to wash the bracelet (carefully, since it is not waterproof, only splash-proof). Some users report that they experience irritation from the bracelet if they wear it for a long time. I don't have much sensitive skin, but if you don’t wash the bracelet once a week, irritation appears, and the hand under the bracelet begins to itch. Moreover, it does not clasp the hand tightly! Nothing like this has happened to me with other bracelets; I feel like it’s all about the material. Let me remind you that things did not work out for the company with the first bracelet; many complained of skin irritation and that product was recalled from the market. Then I didn’t have any irritation, but here I have it. Everything is individual, as you understand.



From an ergonomic point of view, this is one of the most comfortable bracelets in its class. A small display scrolls by pressing a key information about time, steps taken, distance (in metric system or miles, inches), calories, number of flights of stairs, pulse. In the settings on your smartphone or PC, you can change how information is displayed and make the display more convenient for your tasks.

There is an additional setting: by double tapping, you can immediately bring up any of the listed parameters from rest mode. For example, I configured this option to show the number of steps. Pressing the button shows the time, tapping shows the steps. Comfortable.








Just like all FitBit pedometers, you need to configure software on iOS/Android or in your browser (for a PC, use the included USB Dongle), for me, it’s more convenient to set up synchronization with your phone, then you don’t have to think about it, all the data is always up to date.

When you first set up, you indicate your gender, weight, height and other information about yourself. It's probably worth indicating your real last name and first name so that your friends can easily find you and compete to see who has walked the most in a day, week or month. The social component in such devices is very important.

You can choose how the watch will look on the small screen, but the difference is not very noticeable.

There are silent alarm clocks, when you can set the bracelet to vibrate, it will wake you up very gently. You can turn it off by pressing the button.

You can charge the bracelet in an hour from a computer, this will be enough for you for 5 days, all data for 7 days (per minute) or 30 days (results of each day for each parameter) are stored in memory, but I think that synchronization will occur more often.



Among the new and somewhat useless options, I note that when connected to a smartphone, the bracelet is able to show the number or name of the caller (they scroll on the screen, since it is small and does not fit everything). I don’t know how necessary this is; the option, in my opinion, is quite useless. Bluetooth version – 4.0.


Sleep tracking is much more interesting, especially since the bracelet on your wrist does not interfere at all, even while you sleep.

On the Fitbit website, you can see all the information about your activity throughout the day (and other time periods). Additional options include the ability to enter data about food and your weight. Both the first and second options are unnecessary for me; I don’t use them. Perhaps someone will find them useful.

And now the most important thing is the social component. You can add other people as friends, see how far they have walked, this motivates many to do small feats, especially when they are good friends. The measurement accuracy of FitBit pedometers is one of the best on the market, they can be considered a standard, there are almost no false alarms. And it's all about the steps. But let's take a look at how things stand with measuring heart rate.



How the pulse is measured - disadvantages of technology

WITH inside you will see a heart rate sensor, these are two green LEDs, as well as an optical sensor. The abbreviation HR in the name stands for Heart Rate, but the technology was called PurePulse. MIO Alpha of all versions, and many other devices, work in a similar way. The advantage of this approach is that the measurement occurs by illuminating the skin with light from the visible spectrum, which does not cause harm. Changes in blood vessels depending on pressure are measured, and then this data is processed. The advantage is that the technology allows you to receive data 24 hours a day, for at least 5 days from a single charge. But if you turn off the sensor, the operating time will increase even more.


Now about the measurement accuracy. Of course, if you compare it with sensors that are built into phones and you need to put your finger on them, you will get approximately the same results. They won't be much different, but this is a measurement at rest that we shouldn't be too interested in. While walking, I compared the results with the MIO Alpha, they turned out to be approximately the same, I noticed that on the Charge HR these results come with a slight delay of a couple of seconds, perhaps this is how the measurement algorithm works.

And now the most interesting thing - the technology built into the Charge HR requires relative immobility of the hand; vibration or sudden movements will cause the measurements to be inaccurate. The company does not say that you cannot use the bracelet for some types of activity, such as playing tennis. But in fact, cycling gives the most accurate measurements, running - a little worse, playing tennis - quite bad. Any hand movements affect the quality of measurements! And here we come to the most unpleasant moment of this tracker, it is inaccurate in most situations under intense loads.

Imagine that you came to the gym and decided to do a little dancing. You jump, swing your arms, and the tracker measures your heart rate in those few moments when your limbs are in a fixed position. That is, it selects relative rest values, which leads to an underestimation of the heart rate, this is how the algorithm works, and it definitely loses to any cardiac belt that accurately reads the data. If you squat with a barbell or do a bench press, then another problem arises - the exercise puts a lot of stress on both the heart and blood vessels, but it is short-lived. That is, at the moment the measurement also does not occur and the value lags behind the real one.

There is a huge thread on the Fitbit support forum discussing the results of measurements with other heart sensors, at high load and intensity of exercise (for example, running), the difference between the Charge HR is in lower values, which differ by 20-35 percent depending on the person. This is extremely far from a statistical error, the results are extremely inaccurate, and cannot be used in practice. Look at the graph below.


One user showed a difference with the Polar H7 sensor, the Charge HR result is the bottom one with the shaded area. Is the discrepancy impressive? Wrong word. At the link you can find almost fifty pages of disappointments and very detailed comparisons with other heart rate sensors. The main feature that is advertised in the Charge HR has proven to be wildly inaccurate in the results it produces. Is there a use for the sensor? Of course, if you only walk and there are no heavy loads. Will a fix be available with new firmware versions? I doubt it very much, since it is impossible to change the sensor itself, and the inaccuracy is related to the algorithm of its operation. Garbage input data cannot produce accurate output data.

To be honest, I was disappointed in this bracelet because of the way it measures heart rate. Moreover, similar problems exist in the Surge, meaning the watch is also susceptible to the same problem. For those who wanted to buy these devices for running or sports, I definitely do not recommend them, only for walking, and then at a calm pace.

It’s probably not so important how the software on a smartphone is designed if the heart rate measurement doesn’t work, but I’ll still dwell on this point, there’s also something interesting here. Despite the fact that the bracelet has a vibration motor, there are no pulse measurement zones; they are shown later in the program, and the peak values ​​that are visible on the bracelet are filtered out for some reason, you don’t see them. Apparently, FitBit considered that there was a high probability of error. Zones are calculated according to the standard principle: 220 minus age is maximum value. Resting state is 50%, fat burning is 50-69%, cardio load is 70-84%, peak zone is from 85%.

There are no warnings about moving from one zone to another. Moreover, during training the screen goes dark and does not show data. The same Alpha Mio constantly displays them on a large and high-quality screen, the pulse is visible in any conditions.



Disappointment. Measuring heart rate on the Charge HR with relative accuracy is only possible for very specific users; in all other situations it is a useless toy that gives incorrect data. Focusing on the results of measuring the pulse on this device can be dangerous to health, since the pulse value in reality will be higher, and it will be easy to bring yourself to a state of fainting. This is what a report on heart rate and load looks like in a program on a computer or smartphone.













Impressions

FitBit is doing well, and sales of the Charge HR and Surge are such that they cannot be quickly purchased, even in countries where they have long been present. I bought my bracelet at MWC, where they were swept away at a speed of several pieces per minute, and the girls only had time to drag large boxes. There is a huge interest in such devices, people are trying out what it is.

But the problem is that this bracelet performs its main function, heart rate measurement, very poorly. Its price is 149 dollars/euro, while for 129 you can buy a regular Charge. And I think you won’t go wrong at all by choosing it. Why? Yes, because this bracelet simply counts your steps well and has all the capabilities except measuring your pulse. But if you need heart rate measurement, then the MIO Alpha is worth a look.

This watch has fewer functions, but it measures your heart rate more accurately and always shows it in real time. And this is a big plus for such a device. For jogging, it’s still worth looking at a cardio belt and some other device; nothing more precise has been invented, although this technology also has a flaw; such belts are not very comfortable for many. But measurement accuracy requires sacrifice. There is no point in buying the Charge HR; this device copes with the stated functions of measuring heart rate in a very conditional and inaccurate manner.