TEST / Fitbit Charge HR

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Published le 3 Janvier à 16:37

Fitbit Charge is an activity tracker that helps you track your daily physical activity. Successor to the Fitbit Force, the Fitbit Charge HR incorporates its main features by integrating the heart rate sensor, particularly useful during your regular physical activities. This high-performance bracelet will be with you all the time, delivering real-time physical stats right to your wrist. In addition to the heart rate, the OLED screen displays the steps taken, the distance covered and the calories burned.

We've always been, until now, rave about Fitbit-branded devices.
The Fitbit Force was one, if not our favorite fitness tracker of 2013 alongside the Jawbone Up , but it suddenly disappeared at the beginning of this year, recalled due to skin reactions in users. It is therefore with an interested and curious gaze that we see the arrival of the Fitbit Charge. It is in fact the same bracelet as the Force but improved.

The Fitbit Charge HR system now allows, among other things, to see call notifications and automatic sleep monitoring but also to follow the heartbeat. Let's see if the Charge fits into the Fitbit tradition and if it can rise to the rank of best seller.

Design

The Fitbit Charge has the general appearance of a fitness bracelet - much like the Fitbit Flex - but it is indeed its small screen luminous which makes it enter the territory of smartwatches. The bright OLED display is clear and displays elapsed time, steps taken, estimated calories burned, steps climbed, distance traveled and heart rate on the HR version. You have to press a side button, or double-click (hard to do) on the screen, to scroll through the info on the screen, which otherwise remains dark to save power. The Charge is a sleek bracelet with a sober but effective design, currently offered in four elegant colors black, plum, blue and burgundy. It is available in three different sizes. Each band can be adjusted using the adjustment notches on the back. It is not possible to separate the case from the bracelet. The original Fitbit Force had a design problem that was sometimes quite annoying: the wrist clasp, which was a quick-release type, tended to come off spontaneously. Fortunately, Fitbit has improved its bracelet. So far, the new one stays firmly locked and won't come loose, even when pushed to its limits. It is quite comfortable, and the design is reminiscent of the bracelet Jawbone Up .

The Charge can record series or targeted workouts: hold the button, and you start a timed race. It can use your phone's GPS to map your route in the associated phone app (if you have a phone with you of course). Otherwise, it will simply record distance, steps taken, calories burned, “active” minutes and heart rate on the HR version. Featherweight, you barely notice you are wearing it, but be careful, it is not waterproof. And precisely because it's ultra light, it's easy to forget to take it off, which can sometimes be a problem. So avoid putting it in water or keeping it in the shower or during a swimming session. Thanks to this device you can also set silent alarms via the Fitbit application: silent because it is the vibrations of the device that will wake you up. Other bands like the Jawbone Up and the Pebble smartwatch do that too. And it’s very convenient. The Charge uses the same USB port as the Fitbit Force - just remove a small plug from the bottom of the band. Finally, you can sync the Charge to Android, iOS, or Windows apps, or manually sync to PC or Mac with the wireless connection.

The Fitbit Base Charge costs € 130. It's not in itself a bad price for what you get, but the Fitbit Charge HR, costs just $ 20 more and features heart rate tracking and a more traditional bracelet clasp. The price difference is so slight it's an easy choice: go with Charge HR, unless you don't really care about heart rate.

Type Bracelet
Type NC
Battery life NC
OSX Compatibility YES
Android Compatibility YES
GPS YES
Sleep function YES
Garanty NC

Compare features with challengers

Fitbit has gained recognition for its one of the most accurate step counting system in fitness trackers. The Charge is no exception to the rule since it accurately measures the steps taken, the distance, but also the difference in height (calculated as "steps climbed") thanks to an integrated barometer. Fibit Charge also makes the difference between “active” exercise (jogging or running) and “passive” (walking for example). We tested the accuracy of the distance measurement with the Charge, and found a slight deviation: a distance of 1 km displayed on the Charge corresponds to 0.94 km on the treadmill. Although the difference is tolerable, other bracelets and activity trackers, such as the Microsoft Band, have better results regarding the accuracy of the distance traveled. But what really makes the difference with the Fitbit Charge, besides the OLED display, is the PurePulse ™ optical heart rate measurement system built into this HR version. It makes it possible to see changes in heart rate in real time and even if the accuracy can be improved, it is a significant contribution compared to previous versions.

The Fitbit app
The Fitbit app is very well supported by a variety of operating systems, which is very interesting. It works on iOS, Android, and Windows Phones, including over 100 devices (check out Fitbit's full list and compatibility chart on the brand's website). It's not for nothing that this is one of the most popular fitness apps. Sleep tracking, monthly active exercises, and daily distance traveled are easily viewed via thoughtful and intuitive graphics. You can even share your results with others if you wish. But what is lacking in the Fitbit app is the lack of coaching and feedback on the results obtained, which the Jawbone Up for example. Overall it's a good app, but it doesn't stand out like it once did. Note that Fitbit has chosen not to integrate its iOS app with Apple Health. This has not really been a problem so far, indeed the health aspect has so far not been really decisive or even particularly useful. But if this health aspect is important to you, don't expect Fitbit products to offer it to you.

Social Networks
When it comes to social networks, Fitbit allows you to challenge your friends in various competitions, just like Nike or Jawbone devices. However, the application has aged. An update is planned, however, but we don't know when it will land and if it will feature heart rate monitoring.

Food Tracker
You can track your diet by searching the built-in database, scanning product barcodes with your phone's camera, and entering your weight, water consumption and your meals taken, but like its predecessors, the process is long and daunting. The Fitibit Charge therefore unfortunately does not do better in this regard.

Battery life
The Fitbit Charge is designed to last a week on one charge. We have only used it for a few weeks and so far it has been fine. Other trackers have a greater autonomy: the Jawbone Up lasts two weeks and the Misfit Shine lasts several months thanks to its built-in battery. A week's battery life may therefore seem low, but it is still reasonable. Charging is done via the supplied USB port and is easy, as long as you've thought about taking the cable with you. Be careful, this is a small cable, so it's easy to lose it.

Synchronization and pairing: almost automatic
Setting up the Fitbit Charge is easy. The app starts searching for your device and sets it for you. Downloading new firmware, which happens from time to time, still takes a long time and leads to some pairing problems. But, once connected, the Charge synchronizes its data automatically. No need to synchronize it permanently, the watch keeps the data in memory (for how long?). Once the switch for incoming call notifications is activated, a vibration is felt, and it is now possible to see on the bracelet who is calling. This can be useful in case you are waiting for a call while brisk walking, although this feature is not nearly as advanced as on other fitness bracelets or SmartWatches like the Samsung Gear. Fit or the Microsoft Band.

PROS

Ease of use
Measurement accuracy (declining)
Improved closure
Heart rate measurement 20$ extra)
OLED display with notifications display
Easy synchronization
Compatible with smartphones
Intuitive, simple and complete application
Pleasant design
Lightweight
Quality / price ratio

CONS

Not waterproof (Waterproof)
No feedback / Coaching
Optional heart rate measurement
Heart rate accuracy
Aging app (while waiting for the new version)
Long and inconvenient food monitoring
Autonomy (compared to the competition)
High price

BOTTOM LINE

A good fitness band, but not particularly special.
Today it's no longer rare to see any type of device measuring the number of steps taken daily. Lots of phones do this and even cheap and therefore more affordable pedometers like the Misfit Flash and Jawbone Move (priced at around $ 50) do. What was once Fitbit's stronghold has become, with the advancement of technology and competition, just a basic tool. Even so, the Fitbit Charge is good at what it does, really good. But it is the Charge HR and its PurePulse heart rate measurement system, even if it can also be improved, which seems to us to be the best option and makes this device a more complete and more competitive fitness device.

We liked the Fitbit's size and charging function, and the display makes it even more intuitive like a Jawbone Up24. But the optional heart rate monitor, lack of feedback and coaching makes this Fitbit and its high price tag a bit off the mark.