Is the Fitbit Charge 2 worth it?

lisa2113940

I'm new to running but have been working out for a while now. I'm thinking that my cardio needs a lot of work and thought that a Fitbit might help me make sure I'm hitting my target heart rate, etc. I've read complaints about the heart rate monitor being totally unreliable during intense exercise. As a newbie to running, my heart is usually racing pretty early on, so I wasn't sure if this would make it inaccurate... I also read that running at a steady pace helps but I run in intervals.

I know a lot of you use Fitbit, does anyone have experience with this that can offer insight before I waste my money? I know that the chest straps are more accurate, but I like the other features of the Charge 2 so I'm more interested in sacrificing 100% accuracy for the other features as long as it's only off by a few bpms.

capaul42

I've had a Charge 2 for almost 6 months now. Other than the first week where the numbers were a tad high, I have found it to be fairly accurate. That said, my workouts tend to be weights, walking or biking. So, I don't know if that's very comparable.

laurenebargar

I love my fitbit charge 2. Im not a runner, but I do alot of walking, and hiking. Mine is accurate, if I eat what it tells me to (through MFP) I lose what im supposed too.

dewd2

Being new to running I suggest you skip the gadgets for now and just run. During easy runs you should be able to talk and sing. Any faster and you are going too hard. After you've run for 6-12 months and you want to start training for serious speed/races, then get a running watch (not a fitbit).

HR can be a good tool for training but not really useful for beginners.

janejellyroll

I have a Charge 2 and I like it for tracking my steps and my sleep. I run and I pretty much ignore the HR information -- I train by perceived effort, not HR. For new runners, I generally think focusing on running itself (not HR) is more productive.

Duck_Puddle

I have a charge 2 and wear it along with a chest strap/Garmin when running. I like the activity tracking and ease of use of the Fitbit, and the calorie calculations for the day are accurate for me. I find the Fitbit HR to be pretty accurate for steady state cardio. It is accurate but slow for intervals where my HR doesn't get above 90% (very slow to reflect the change), but it's very inaccurate for HR over 90% and tends to end up 15-20 BPM lower than the chest strap - as well as being slow to reflect the change if it's an interval situation. I have other wrist HRM from other manufacturers and they all have the same limitations (along with issues depending on skin tone, amount of hair/sweat, how much your wrist is flexed, etc.). I don't care so much because my primary training info comes from my chest strap/Garmin. The Fitbit charge 2 is a great little device and it's worth it to me for a whole lot of reasons, but I wouldn't use it as a gauge for HR during any kind of intense or variable-intensity training. And that's assuming you're looking to use HR for training purposes and not calorie calculations.

enyagoboom

dewd2 wrote: »

HR can be a good tool for training but not really useful for beginners.

I respectfully disagree. I just hit 30 days of tracking and logging as a beginner and I have a really good view now of what I am doing as a baseline and where to go from here. I wouldn't go overboard on gadgets (I dug my fitbit charge out after not using it for 2 years I think? it's one of the early models) and it has been really good/motivating for me to see the a bigger picture. Your mileage may physically and emotionally vary of course.

What I do agree with is not getting bogged down in the details when you're starting out. Use it to get a better understanding of your body. Learn what your heart rate should be at and really learn how to measure your HR without a gadget as well. And then as you push yourself, figure out what works and what doesn't.

Good luck!

dewd2

enyagoboom wrote: »

dewd2 wrote: »

HR can be a good tool for training but not really useful for beginners.

I respectfully disagree. I just hit 30 days of tracking and logging as a beginner and I have a really good view now of what I am doing as a baseline and where to go from here. I wouldn't go overboard on gadgets (I dug my fitbit charge out after not using it for 2 years I think? it's one of the early models) and it has been really good/motivating for me to see the a bigger picture. Your mileage may physically and emotionally vary of course.

What I do agree with is not getting bogged down in the details when you're starting out. Use it to get a better understanding of your body. Learn what your heart rate should be at and really learn how to measure your HR without a gadget as well. And then as you push yourself, figure out what works and what doesn't.

Good luck!

Good point. If it motivates you, go for it.

yirara

How do you know your target heart rate? do you know your max? and if not then why do you think you know your target one? You should first think about those questions before deciding on some tech that can be misinterpreted.

if you want to run within certain heartrate zones then why not simply:
long, slow runs: you're still able to speak in coherent sentences or sing along to music
shorter, fast run: full out. Speaking? bit of groaning maybe
inbetween: inbetween.

lisa2113940

yirara wrote: »

How do you know your target heart rate? do you know your max? and if not then why do you think you know your target one? You should first think about those questions before deciding on some tech that can be misinterpreted.

if you want to run within certain heartrate zones then why not simply:
long, slow runs: you're still able to speak in coherent sentences or sing along to music
shorter, fast run: full out. Speaking? bit of groaning maybe
inbetween: inbetween.

I can't run for more than a block without gasping for breath, even at super slow speeds... not sure why that is.

jaymijones

I've had a Fitbit Charge HR for about 6 months. It just died (again) and Fitbit offered a free replacment (again) or a discount on an upgrade. I decided to go with a Charge 2 this time and am excited for it to arrive. (Fitbit is not selling the Charge HR anymore, apparently there were a few major design flaws and warrenty replacements were getting too expensive.)

I'm also new to running and found the Fitbit to be a helpful motivation tool. It's helped me hit my fitness and weightloss goals and I don't regret it. When the strap broke two days ago I felt lost.

As for not being able to run more than a block without running out of breath. I had that problem too. I thought I wouldn't because I had been using an elliptical regularly for months. But running was a lot harder. I stopped trying to force it and did a C25K program and now I can run a very slow 5k without stopping. I average about 12 minutes per mile and at the beginning it was closer to 15 minutes per mile. I could not get more than half a block at the beginning. I have tried running in the past without a structured plan and got nowwhere except back on my couch.

So I love my Fitbit and would recommend it, but if your still starting out, do a C25K or similar beginner program as well.