Fitbit Charge HR worth the investment?

ScaredCurly92

Years ago, I swore by the Polar FT4 (sp?) HRM. I still think it's great, but I'm ready for an upgrade and some new gadgets. I did some research online and saw that the Fitbit does a lot more than count steps now, and some of their devices like the Charge track your heart rate and calories burned. Do any of you guys use the Fitbit Charge? How does it compare to more traditional HRMs, and how has it helped your fitness goals? Is it worth the investment?

NorthCascades

My girlfriend returned hers because the HRM was almost useless. It worked great when she was sitting on the couch but it was all over the place when she was actually exercising.

Chest straps (like your Polar) are more accurate and respond more quickly than wrist strap HRMs, in the best of circumstances. Fitbit's HRM isn't the best among wrist straps (Mio might be, or Scosche Hhythm Plus which goes on the arm instead).

It did a pretty good job of counting steps and also of counting "flights of stairs" which is useful hiking in the mountains. The exercise tracking was good for walks and hikes, but not for the elliptical machine.

Ultimately I think it depends what you want out of it. If you want it for the HRM or for exercise that isn't based on walking, there are probably better options.

CincyNeid

I do not have a Charge,

However

How does it compare to more traditional HRMs,

The optic heart rate monitors on your wearable are not as fluid or as accurate as a chest mounted strap sensor. The Garmin Vivoactive HR, and the TomTom Spark are both sited for being a little more accurate that a traditional HRM. But as the completion is heating up, we end users are befitting.

and how has it helped your fitness goals?

It keeps me walking more. If I'm low on steps I'll go out on a short 10-15 mins walk on top my exercise routine to keep me active. And I have Negative Calories turned on on my account so it will adjust my caloric intake through the day to keep me honest with what my body needs.

Is it worth the investment?

That's a personal choice. To me it was. To some people I know they feel it was a waste of money.

jgubdlach

ScaredCurly92 wrote: »

Years ago, I swore by the Polar FT4 (sp?) HRM. I still think it's great, but I'm ready for an upgrade and some new gadgets. I did some research online and saw that the Fitbit does a lot more than count steps now, and some of their devices like the Charge track your heart rate and calories burned. Do any of you guys use the Fitbit Charge? How does it compare to more traditional HRMs, and how has it helped your fitness goals? Is it worth the investment?

I had polar ft7 before and I've been using fitbit HR for about 6 months now and I love it. Although I think polar has a better HR estimate and it doesn't have a stop watch other than that it's way better. I recommend it and no stupid chest and!

harper520

I have a Charge HR after upgrading from the Flex and have found mine to be great at tracking both heart rate and activity and on those few occasions I've had an issue customer service (both via email and twitter) have been extremely responsive and helpful. Most of the issues I've encountered have been from syncing MFP and my Fitbit app. Its definitely helped me stay on track with my fitness and sleep goals.

Shells918

I like the charge hr. It tracks my steps and keeps me walking. Since I've never had any other hrm, I don't know if it's any more or less accurate than another but it's consistent with my workouts. I also like how it tracks my sleep since I have sleep issues. It's easy to use and their customer service is great.

lax75

I have a Charge HR and for my purposes it's exactly what I need. I'm not training for anything specific, so I don't really care about the absolute numbers, just the relative ones. (And I don't care about the calorie count - I had figured out before I got it how much I could eat when I stay with my normal exercise habits.) My resting rates have gone down over the 6+ months I've had it, which was the goal, and I really just want to know if that reverses. I can feel how hard I need to push when I run or row without knowing what the numbers are for a particular workout.

ew_david

I had one and sold it. My husband kept his and registered 16000 steps while driving a moving truck over 14 hours. So yeah...its accuracy is questionable.

GonzoMcG

I just ordered one, which should arrive tomorrow, I'm not training for a specific goal, my intention is to use it to give me a better idea of where I am at each day.