Sunday 31 May 2015

Product Review - @FitbitSAfrica Charge HR - Activity Wristband

Hi Guys,

The technology and times have changed a lot since the start of watches when we just wanted to know the time at hand. But with the new and continuous developments in the watches from analogue to digital, there have been a new emergence of sector which have made the world a lot more conscious about their health also. This sector is ever growing and a lot of brands have in continuous competition to take this market share and wipe out the watches from the global scene.

Fitbit Inc. is one such brand which have developed a lot of new technology to keep track of your workouts, number of steps walked, heart rate as well as sleep monitoring. The company was founded by James Park & Eric Friedman in 2007 and the headquarters are in San Francisco, USA. I got the latest Fitbit Charge HR to review and here is my experience of the same. I must tell you that after using the device for almost 2 weeks, I am in love with the device and the reasons to do so will be explained in this blog post. 

Fitbit Charge HR comes with a constant heart rate monitoring tool as an upgrade from its predecessor Fitbit Charge. I instantly fell in love with this advanced feature as it uses Purepulse continuous heart rate monitoring system to measure your heart all day and during workouts also. It has three modes (peak, cardio and fat-burning) to calculate the heart rate burn zones which can be beneficial at times. It also tells you Resting heart rate and the Fitbit app (Android and iOS) will show you much more information in details. 

Fitbit Charge HR measures your number of steps walked which then is converted into the kilometers walked as well as calories burnt. They give you a target of 10000 steps per day and as you reaches the same the wrist band starts vibrating and when you double-tap the screen or press the side button, it shows you some dancing patterns to celebrate the same. You can customize the double-tap to show you whatever you want to see the most, as I set it on time as I completely stopped wearing my watches during the time review unit was with me. I even thought why I spent R2000 to buy a branded watch and could have invested in Fitbit devices. Fitbit charge HR also measures the number of floors you have climbed and sets a target to climb 10 daily. With every goal you achieve, Fitbit devices have several badges for you to earn and then you can share those on facebook and twitter.
Above all it measures your sleep patterns which is very much accurate and tells the sleep quality by showing times awakened and restless periods. I have liked the device a lot due to this hours slept measure as now I can schedule myself to sleep on weekends if not able to complete my daily sleep of 7-8 hours. I now know if my body is feeling lazy due to my unfulfilled sleep and this is one of the best feature of Charge HR. The device also has silent vibrating alarm which can be set and can be snoozed twice. The alarm can be repeated for any number of days in a week.

The battery life of Charge HR is nearly 4-5 days with a single charge and it takes around 2 hours to charge the device completely. You will receive an email when the battery level is low as well as the battery status is shown on your mobile app to keep track of the same. The device can be synced to your mobile via the bluetooth and internet connection and if you want to sync with your laptop a wireless sync dongle comes with the device. The charging cable is unique and you need to have the same to charge the fitband. In case of lost cable, you will need to buy it separately (if available) as there is no other way you can charge the device. 


Fitbit Charge HR also has call notifications features which shows who is calling on the device with some compatible devices. Otherwise for other devices, it starts vibrating to show that you are receiving a call on your mobile phone. It can also measure your active minutes during your workouts and data will be maintained and transferred to the app. Moreover, you can build a online community of family and friends and compete with them to track who is living healthier and completing his/her daily goals. 

Fitbit Charge HR is available in multiple colors like Black, blue, purple and orange in a watch like wristband. The wristband securely tightens on your hands and there is no chance of losing the same which happens with other activity trackers. There are several other features on the Fitbit app which I was not able to make use of like tracking your food plan, water consumption and track your exercise. 

The only thing that becomes cons of the device is its water resistance abilities. It is not shower proof and swim proof whereas it can take sweat, rain and splash upto certain extent. The wrist band looks cool with its diamond pattern which is flexible and made of durable elastomer material. 

Overall I would highly recommend this product for those who live an active lifestyle and wants to track their sleep, steps, workouts and heart rates. I would definitely try to upgrade myself to Fitbit Surge which has a built in GPS to track my jogging etc also but for everyone else, Fitbit Charge HR is a device to go and buy. I am sure you will also fall in love with the amount of information it collects on your behalf and helps you have consistent goal towards a healthy living and lifestyle. 

The Fitbit Charge HR is available only in Black at the moment and can be bought online for R2499 from http://www.istoreonline.co.za/category/237/fitbit

Cheers!!!


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