Fitbit Alta

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elphie754
elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone bought the Fitbit Alta yet? If so, how do you like it? What do you think are the pros and cons?

I have a Fitbit flex and LOVE it. I regretfully had purchased a vivosmart 8months ago because it had the "move bar" and digital display (I didn't like the display on the charge/surge) but the display has gone all wonky (top and bottom of number are cut off) so I went back to my flex. The Alta seems to have features I like plus a display, but I've been hearing mixed reviews.
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  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    I've had mine for a week now. I've also had the One and the Flex.

    I love it. No issues at all. The best feature for me is that reminder to move every hour. Also, it's great that it has a display so you don't have to synch to see your stats. It looks nicer than the flex. I'm thinking of getting a stainless band. It's a bit heavier than the flex and feels a bit more study.

    The clasp is similar to the flex. This is one feature I think Fitbit needs to work on.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Do you like it more than the flex? Is the size of the band the same as the flex in how wide it is?
  • TomInAiken
    TomInAiken Posts: 30 Member
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    I have also had an Alta for a week and I'm finding it works like a charm, once you get it set up. It took me several attempts to get it to initialize using my laptop running Windows 10. The only way it would work is by using the dongle supplied with the band. (Since then I found a post on the FitBit site saying there seems to be some issues with Windows 10 Bluetooth and the way around them is to use the supplied dongle.) Using the FitBit is a breeze and it has been over a week and I haven't had to charge it yet. The only real negative is that the display is very, very difficult to read in bright sunlight. Like WakkoW noted, the band can be a real *kitten* to put on and I would gladly swap it out with one that used the old, but reliable, type found on the Surge.

    FWIW: my wife also got an Alta the same time as me and I had identical problems getting it set up - even when I tried to use a Samsung tablet instead of my Dell laptop.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    TomInAiken wrote: »
    I have also had an Alta for a week and I'm finding it works like a charm, once you get it set up. It took me several attempts to get it to initialize using my laptop running Windows 10. The only way it would work is by using the dongle supplied with the band. (Since then I found a post on the FitBit site saying there seems to be some issues with Windows 10 Bluetooth and the way around them is to use the supplied dongle.) Using the FitBit is a breeze and it has been over a week and I haven't had to charge it yet. The only real negative is that the display is very, very difficult to read in bright sunlight. Like WakkoW noted, the band can be a real *kitten* to put on and I would gladly swap it out with one that used the old, but reliable, type found on the Surge.

    FWIW: my wife also got an Alta the same time as me and I had identical problems getting it set up - even when I tried to use a Samsung tablet instead of my Dell laptop.

    That sounds frustrating lol, but also sounds like it was worth the frustration. I actually have no trouble clasping the band I have now, and have one of those plastic sliders to keep it from opening, so that isn't a big deal for me.
  • haviegirl
    haviegirl Posts: 230 Member
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    I set my Alta up yesterday; it took longer than it said it would, but finally everything worked, even with an already existing dongle. I love its size and look, and I bought the blush pink leather band for its elegant appearance (IMO). I plan to wear the Alta when appearance matters, like when we dress up, go out to dinner, and things like that. I will continue to wear my Charge HR for exercising and everyday, since it gives me the most information. I also have a One, which I clip to my waistband or bra when I absolutely don't want a fitness tracker showing.

    My Alta was my reward to getting into the healthy BMI range, which happened yesterday. :)
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Glad to hear you guys/gals like it. I think I will get one when my tax return check comes.

    I just wish that it was able to track floors climbed, but oh well lol.
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Do you like it more than the flex? Is the size of the band the same as the flex in how wide it is?

    I like it more than the flex. It's about as wide. I have the small and I think its a bit longer than the small flex.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Okay good to know for when I order it.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I got the Alta last weekend and really like it so far. My Flex crapped out on me after 2 years, and I had kind of wanted to upgrade anyway. I also wish it tracked floors climbed, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me. It was easy to set up and I agree with WakkoW that the small size band is longer than the Flex's.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »
    I got the Alta last weekend and really like it so far. My Flex crapped out on me after 2 years, and I had kind of wanted to upgrade anyway. I also wish it tracked floors climbed, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me. It was easy to set up and I agree with WakkoW that the small size band is longer than the Flex's.

    That's why I got the Alta, I don't really do stairs. I had a Charge that fell apart after 7 months and I didn't want another Charge because I didn't want to have the same issue.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    I do stairs a lot at work which is why I was intrigued by bands that do floors climbed. However, I also do elevators a lot at work, and question if it knows the difference between stairs, escalators and elevators, which is why I'm not heart broken the Alta doesn't do stairs.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited March 2016
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    I do stairs a lot at work which is why I was intrigued by bands that do floors climbed. However, I also do elevators a lot at work, and question if it knows the difference between stairs, escalators and elevators, which is why I'm not heart broken the Alta doesn't do stairs.

    Yeah, it does. The newer Fitbits [Charge, Charge HR and Surge] have an altimeter built in so it can tell the difference between going in an elevator and climbing stairs.
  • SaraBelle0312
    SaraBelle0312 Posts: 328 Member
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    For those of you that have had the Alta, are you noticing a significant drain on your battery with the bluetooth connect? Do you have to have BT connected at all times to use the call, text, calendar alerts?
  • MysPBJ
    MysPBJ Posts: 1 Member
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    I've been thinking about purchasing an Alta but I'm curious about a couple things. I do Zumba and I'm wondering how well it does logging that exercise. I've also heard that it will try logging your driving in the car as walking. I'm also curious whether you have to keep it Bluetooth connected to the phone at all times or can I only connect when I want to sync it? Does anybody know anything that could help me?
  • GrinnyMae
    GrinnyMae Posts: 55 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I've had my Atla for about two weeks now. I previously had the One. The cons--the battery life drains quickly if you keep it connected to the app all day. I'm getting about 3.5 days per charge rather than the 5 day charge advertised. But to be fair, I have been checking the app and syncing it with my phone a lot in the first couple weeks as I check things out and get used to the new functions.

    Also, I feel like it sits up pretty high off my wrist--it's about 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch high. I do not like the cheap rubber band that it comes with. It is not attractive and it feels weird on my skin. But I never had the Flex or the Charge so this could just be me getting used to the feel of the band.

    I did notice that it will log a few steps while I am driving--but a minimal amount. I noticed 10 steps one day. I feel like it's slightly less accurate that the One. But I think this is going to be true of any wrist worn tracker.

    I love that it reminds me to get up and move every hour and you can set the number of hours you want the reminder. I have mine set from 7 am to 7 pm. I have found that even when the band tells me I got my 250 steps--sometimes when it syncs with the app it does not give me credit for those hours. I feel like this is a fluke that will be fixed with future software updates.

    I love that it automatically tracks some of my activity and exercise. It is advertised to automatically pick up walking, running, outdoor bicycling, elliptical, some sports and some aerobic activities. I can say that it did very well on the walking, running, and elliptical. I have not tried it while bicycling, sports or cardio. It does not count circuit or interval training. I think this is because any activity has to be continuous for at least 15 minutes before it will log it. But it is easy to just log circuit training myself, so this does not bother me.

    It vibrates when I get a text message and the message scrolls across the screen so I don't have to reach for my phone. It comes in handy when I'm walking my dogs and my hands aren't free to grab my phone.

    Overall, I really like the Alta. I do think it is nicer looking than any of the other Fitbit wrist bands and I too plan to buy the stainless band when it becomes available. Having the new Alta has made me excited to meet my step and activity goals again.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    GrinnyMae wrote: »
    I've had my Atla for about two weeks now. I previously had the One. The cons--the battery life drains quickly if you keep it connected to the app all day. I'm getting about 3.5 days per charge rather than the 5 day charge advertised. But to be fair, I have been checking the app and syncing it with my phone a lot in the first couple weeks as I check things out and get used to the new functions.

    Also, I feel like it sits up pretty high off my wrist--it's about 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 inch high. I do not like the cheap rubber band that it comes with. It is not attractive and it feels weird on my skin. But I never had the Flex or the Charge so this could just be me getting used to the feel of the band.

    I did notice that it will log a few steps while I am driving--but a minimal amount. I noticed 10 steps one day. I feel like it's slightly less accurate that the One. But I think this is going to be true of any wrist worn tracker.

    I love that it reminds me to get up and move every hour and you can set the number of hours you want the reminder. I have mine set from 7 am to 7 pm. I have found that even when the band tells me I got my 250 steps--sometimes when it syncs with the app it does not give me credit for those hours. I feel like this is a fluke that will be fixed with future software updates.

    I love that it automatically tracks some of my activity and exercise. It is advertised to automatically pick up walking, running, outdoor bicycling, elliptical, some sports and some aerobic activities. I can say that it did very well on the walking, running, and elliptical. I have not tried it while bicycling, sports or cardio. It does not count circuit or interval training. I think this is because any activity has to be continuous for at least 15 minutes before it will log it. But it is easy to just log circuit training myself, so this does not bother me.

    It vibrates when I get a text message and the message scrolls across the screen so I don't have to reach for my phone. It comes in handy when I'm walking my dogs and my hands aren't free to grab my phone.

    Overall, I really like the Alta. I do think it is nicer looking than any of the other Fitbit wrist bands and I too plan to buy the stainless band when it becomes available. Having the new Alta has made me excited to meet my step and activity goals again.

    Did you get the right size? My Alta sits right on my wrist, I don't have issues there, but I know my wrist size so I got a size small since it's about 6 inches around, maybe a little smaller.

    I have about 4 days of battery and that's with constant checking, it's an improvement over my Charge. My Charge would last maybe 2.5 days.

    No Fibits counts cycling as far as I know, and my Fibit picks up even ten minutes of walking so I like that. I also like that there's no floor feature, as I don't have stairs in my house.
  • GrinnyMae
    GrinnyMae Posts: 55 Member
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    Colorscheme, I do have the right size and it fits snugly against my skin. My complaint is the actual thickness of the tracker itself. I was hoping for something more flat like a wrist watch and this is definitely thicker than that.

    The ability to automatically track outdoor bicycling is a new feature and I have not tested it yet. I have a few friends that bicycle a lot in the summers and they are specifically interested in that feature. If you look up "SmartTrack" on the Fitbit site it gives a full explanation of the features and what activities it will track automatically.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    I'll have to take a look at the FB website, then.

    The band for the Alta is pretty thin, maybe slightly larger than a wristwatch but it's half the size of the Charge so I do like that.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Thank you everyone for your input. I decided to wait and see the product in person (like at Best Buy) before I buy it. I wish they had more colors for the band (like the flex), but I can deal with that.
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for your input. I decided to wait and see the product in person (like at Best Buy) before I buy it. I wish they had more colors for the band (like the flex), but I can deal with that.

    They have a bunch of colors, and more are coming out.

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