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Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Black, Large (US Version), 1 Count
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Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
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Return this item for free
Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
Learn more about free returns.- Go to your orders and start the return
- Select the return method
- Ship it!
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Fitbit |
Model Name | pace |
Style | Modern |
Color | Black |
Screen Size | 6.7 Inches |
Special Feature | Time Display, Sleep Monitor, Calendaring, Sedentary Reminder, Text Messaging, Alarm Clock, GPS, Pedometer, Calorie Tracker, Notifications, Heart Rate Monitor See more |
Shape | Heart |
Target Audience | Unisex Adult |
Age Range (Description) | Adult |
Compatible Devices | Smartphone |
About this item
- PurePulse continuous, automatic wrist based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day
- Maximize your workouts using simplified heart rate zones (Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak). Splash proof. Do not shower with the device or submerge it in water
- See call, text and calendar notifications on the OLED display; Automatically track how long and how well you sleep and wake with a silent vibrating alarm. Reminders to move
- Get a better understanding of your fitness level and see how you can improve over time with a personalized Cardio Fitness Score; Use Connected GPS during run mode to see real time stats like pace and distance on your wrist
- Track all day activity like steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes; Find moments of calm throughout your day with personalized guided breathing sessions based on your heart rate, Like all heart rate tracking technologies, accuracy is affected by physiology, location of device, and different movements
- Sync stats wirelessly and automatically to computers and 200-plus leading iOS, Android and Windows devices
- Operating temperature: 14 degree to 113 degree fahrenheit, Maximum operating altitude: 30,000 feet
- The minimum and maximum circumference range between 170 206 millimeters
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Important information
Directions
Keep it Clean: Regularly clean your band and wrist—especially after working out or sweating. Rinse the band with water or wipe it with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. Do NOT use hand soap, body soap, dish soap, hand sanitizers, cleaning wipes or household cleaners which could get trapped beneath the band and irritate skin. Always dry the band well before putting it back on. Keep it Dry: While Fitbit devices are water resistant*, it’s not good for your skin to wear a wet band for long periods of time. If your elastomer band gets wet—like after sweating or showering—rinse and dry it thoroughly before putting it back on your wrist. Be sure your skin is dry before you put your band back on. Don’t Wear It Too Tight: Make sure your band isn’t too tight. Wear the band loosely enough that it can move back and forth on your wrist. If you use Fitbit products with Purepulse Heart Rate tracking, for better heart rate readings during exercise, we suggest wearing the band so it’s secure, but not too tight, and wearing the band higher on your wrist (about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone). Lower the band on your wrist and loosen it after exercise. Give Your Wrist a Rest: Prolonged rubbing and pressure may irritate the skin, so give your wrist a break by removing the band for an hour after extended wear.
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This Item Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Black, Large (US Version), 1 Count | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | -11% $132.94$132.94 List: $149.95 | $98.95$98.95 | $99.95$99.95 | -34% $87.04$87.04 New Price: $132.94 | -20% $119.84$119.84 List: $149.95 | -10% $135.56$135.56 List: $149.95 |
Delivery | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19 | — | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Mobile App | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
Battery life | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | — | 4.2 | 4.5 |
Sleep tracking | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.2 | — | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Accuracy | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | — | 4.1 | 3.9 |
Easy to use | 4.4 | — | 4.5 | 4.0 | — | — |
Sold By | Dayton Electronics | Amazon.com | Loyal Firm | Info-Tech | Bizzy Bee Bee | NE Solutions |
size | Large (Pack of 1) | — | 1 Count (Pack of 1) | Large (6.7 - 8.1 in) | One Size (Pack of 1) | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
operating system | windows 10 | android | android | — | Android | — |
display size | 6.7 inches | 1968.51 inches | 0.96 inches | 6.7 inches | 1.34 inches | 1.04 inches |
connectivity tech | GPS, Bluetooth | — | GPS | GPS | Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, GPS | gps |
supported applications | Fitness Tracker, Reminders, Calendar | Sleep Monitor, Heart Rate Monitor, Alarm, Phone, Fitness Tracker, Reminders | Sleep Monitor, Heart Rate Monitor, GPS | GPS, Reminders, Calendar | Heart Rate Monitor, Sleep Monitor, Find My Phone, Fitness Tracker, Voice Assistant, Music Player | Heart Rate Monitor, Sleep Monitor, Phone, Photo Gallery |
input interface | buttons, touch screen | touch screen | touch screen, touch screen, touch screen, touch screen, touch screen | — | touch screen | touch screen |
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Sleek And Versatile Fitness Tracker!
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 9.87 x 0.89 x 0.51 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 1.28 ounces |
ASIN | B01K9S260E |
Item model number | FB407SBKL |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. (included) |
Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #19,965 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors) #94 in Activity & Fitness Trackers #110 in Electronics & Gadgets |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
OS | windows 10 |
Wireless communication technologies | Bluetooth |
Connectivity technologies | Bluetooth, GPS |
GPS | True |
Special features | Time Display, Sleep Monitor, Calendaring, Sedentary Reminder, Text Messaging, Alarm Clock, GPS, Pedometer, Calorie Tracker, Notifications, Heart Rate Monitor |
Display technology | OLED |
Other display features | Wireless |
Human Interface Input | Touchscreen, Buttons |
Color | Black |
Whats in the box | Wristband |
Department | womens |
Manufacturer | Fitbit Inc |
Date First Available | August 29, 2016 |
Weight | 0.08 Pounds |
Standing screen display size | 6.7 Inches |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
Make every beat count with Fitbit Charge 2—the heart rate and fitness wristband built for all day, workouts and beyond. Pure Pulse continuous heart rate makes it easy to maximize workouts, better track calorie burn and get a snapshot of your cardio fitness level, while all day activity and auto sleep tracking, lets you see how your whole routine adds up. Record your workouts with multi sport modes to see real time workout stats on screen, or rely on Smart Track to automatically record select exercises for you. The large OLED display helps you stay connected with call, text and calendar alerts, stay active with Reminders to Move, and find moments of calm with guided breathing sessions. Plus, you can find a look that fits your style with customizable clock faces and interchangeable bands. Sync wirelessly and automatically to 200+ iPhone, Android and Windows devices, and with more advanced features in a sleeker package and a battery life of up to 5 days, it’s the motivation you need to push yourself further—every step, every beat, every day.
Syncing range: Up to 30 feet. Syncing requires Bluetooth LE and Internet connection. Windows 10 computers that do not have Bluetooth LE will need a wireless sync dongle in order to sync. Syncs with Mac OS X 10.6 and up, iPhone 4S and later, iPad 3 gen. and later, Android 4.4 and later, and Windows 10 devices.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the performance, ease of use, appearance and sleep tracking of the wearable computer. They mention that it functions well, is super user friendly and requires no additional tools. They also appreciate the sleep monitoring, saying it attempts to estimate sleep patterns. However, some customers dislike durability and differ on tracking, accuracy, and heart rate monitor.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the performance of the wearable computer. They mention that it functions well, has a lot of options, and is working well for motivation and tracking trends over time. The app itself is robust, feature-rich, and well-designed, and it keeps working in the background for them. It's an amazing piece of technology that is priced extremely well.
"...Everything considered, this is truly an amazing piece of technology that is priced extremely fairly for all that it offers, including the best..." Read more
"...I don't have to switch around a lot and it just keeps working in the background for me which is great. It just doesn't get in the way...." Read more
"...Build Quality: The Charge 2 is a far far superior quality than the original Charge...." Read more
"...All in all, I am very pleased with my purchase and it is working well...." Read more
Customers like the ease of use of the wearable computer. They say it's super simple to use, and can be customized to their own standards. Some say it has been invaluable as a simple to to use weight loss journal, and is very easy to put on. The display is geared to no-frills functionality, and comes with no instructions. However, many find it fun to play around with and a very useful engaging device. The Fitbit app added a seriously impressive fitness game, and it gets 3 stars.
"...The Fitbit app added a seriously impressive fitness game called Adventure challenge (it's in the challenges section) where your step count is shown..." Read more
"...interested in tracking their fitness and like to keep things simple and easy." Read more
"...It only takes a few seconds and is easy to do, so I do it whenever I charge...." Read more
"...While it works great for that it can be very annoying to put the watch on or remove it because it is a little hard to get the strap out of the loop...." Read more
Customers generally like the appearance of the wearable computer. They say it has a great look, with a bright off-white font and stylish design. The color choices are awesome, and it's easy to customize with different colored and styled bands. The charger was completely redesigned and feels more sturdy.
"...The charger was completely redesigned; the days of not having your Charge, well, CHARGE due to it slipping out are dead and gone...." Read more
"...The wristband feels more sturdy and the material is somewhat nicer...." Read more
"...It is NOT a color screen. The font is a bright offwhite, as opposed to the original Charge that had a soft almost blue to it...." Read more
"...First up was the Fitbit charge 2. The packaging was nice and very techie looking, similar to how Apple does theirs, but the quality of the device..." Read more
Customers like the sleep tracking of the wearable computer. They say that it's resistant, not water proof, and it tracks the time to bed, number of times restless, awake, and how much actual sleep. They also like the fact that it attempts to estimate sleep patterns, which is useful for those with insomnia or irregular sleep. The sleep and heart rate feature is really useful, and the stopwatch is super helpful. Customers are also making use of the extra features, such as the assisted stopwatch, to be more active and aware of their periods of inactivity.
"...bigger so you can display more information, which is useful for getting real-time stats on your exercise...." Read more
"...that this is a solid 4.5 star product and that it is the best Fitness tracker on the market right now in its price range...." Read more
"...The fitbit can also track sleep, and give you an estimate of your cardio fitness score...." Read more
"...Wiped it down, switched hands, rash on other wrist. Does sleep monitoring which is neat, but not usefull or accurate...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the tracking of the wearable computer. Some mention that the GPS can help track your runs and give you a more accurate picture of your workouts, while others say that it doesn't count your steps well when you're holding something like a cart or a phone. The tracker started to fail and no longer was able to track their heart rate as before, and some say that the device seems to count not steps but arm movements and converts these into steps. This makes it difficult to keep track of how far or fast you've gone, and it may be difficult to maintain a consistent heart rate.
"...There's still so much to try! The connected GPS looks like a pretty neat feature, and it's a nice extra to include!..." Read more
"...No issues with step counting on the elliptical I used to warm it up...." Read more
"...I just wish it would automatically use GPS tracking without manually having to turn on the exercise as I keep forgetting to activate tracking when I..." Read more
"...The built in GPS and waterproofing are great features as well.Accuracy: Fitbit..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the accuracy of the wearable computer. Some mention that it is impressively accurate with resting and active heart rate, and the start times have been very accurate. However, others say that it's not very accurate and not automatic. The accuracy of a few functions, such as the step counter, doesn't seem as accurate, and it' s pretty sure the altimeter is wrong.
"...times while I was on the treadmill or elliptical, the GPS kicked in and gave me crazy readings...." Read more
"...And I can say that it's accurate enough for my use case as I have lost 6 pounds since I started wearing it.Weight loss plan (TIP):..." Read more
"...The GPS tracking had some trouble initially and was inaccurate but it seems to have improved with a recent firmware update...." Read more
"...The FitBit app itself gives you a variety of different reports about all of your stats for that day/over time, along with a 'fitness score' based..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the heart rate monitor. Some mention that it tracks their heart rate, tells total steps for the day, and is accurate. However, others say that it stopped tracking their heart after two years, stopped reporting their heartbeat, and didn't measure heart rate or stairs climbed.
"...Exercise Tracking**Exercise tracking works for the most part automatically, except for when you want to have the phone GPS active and for..." Read more
"...keep the heart rate sensor against the skin, so the sensor slightly bulges out of the bottom of it...." Read more
"...Reason 1: Frequency of the heart rate monitorThe Apple Watch measures the heart rate too infrequently (every 10 mins)...." Read more
"...It really does look great.- Monitoring of heart rate using optical sensors has never been a problem for me, and this one seems to be no..." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the durability of the wearable computer. They mention that the bands aren't super durable, the screen cracked straight down the middle, and the protection sticker films are torn. Some say that the little brackets are flimsy and start to separate.
"...6 MONTH UPDATE!!!!The screen cracked straight down the middle and I don't even know how, I just looked down one day and it was like this......." Read more
"...I never showered with it or got it around water either. It just didn't hold up. Then, after that I bought the Charge HR...." Read more
"...it 18-months now and one complaint would be>> the screen has two hair line cracks. Maybe I whacked a wall, I don't know...." Read more
"...The build quality in general seems much better, and unlike the Fitbit Charge HR, the new version doesn't feel "cheap" anymore.**..." Read more
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It came today in the mail and I scurried off with it like Gollum and his ring...
My precioussssssss!
Oh where to begin! Let's see- well it came in lovely, easy to open packaging. Opening up the box felt like I was arousing my Charge 2 from his slumber in his comfy, plastic bed. I immediately noticed that the teal color was more vibrant than its predecessor, and the larger screen gave it an all around sleeker look. The band is now longer, so if the large size from the old Charge was a bit big for you- go for the small with the Charge 2; I have tiny wrists myself, and I'm two notches away from the last ring on the inside! EDIT: I just realized my review was placed under the large size...my Charge 2 is a small. But large or small, only the band is different in length, NOT the screen!
The charger was completely redesigned; the days of not having your Charge, well, CHARGE due to it slipping out are dead and gone. The new, blissfully longer charger clips onto the Charge itself, and as long as you align the hole in the charger with the button on the side of the Charge, you're good to go (see picture for reference)! Just make sure you clip it from underneath, and not over the screen or else it won't charge...not that I uh, made a silly mistake like that or anything. *cough*
Setup could not have been easier. The entire process from taking it out of the box to having it fully synced and functional was less than ten minutes. Whoa. I was setting it up using the app on my Android phone, and I was expecting that it would need to be charged first but nope! It sprung to life and was ready to go! After it was all synced I checked the battery and saw it was at medium power- right out of the freaking box!
Onto features...do you like lots of features? I like lots of features and the Charge 2 has ALL the flipping features you could possibly want.
I feel like Fitbit has been personally keeping tabs on me and my current interests. I just recently got into breathing meditation and interval training, and when I heard that the Charge 2 was going to include both these features I was pretty much like, "Shut up and take my money!"
After playing with the Charge 2 for about 30 seconds, I came to realize that when you want to choose a feature, for example the breathing exercise, after pushing the button on the side to get to that function, you then hold the button for a second to choose to start it. With the breathing exercise, it allows you to choose between a 2 or 5 minute breathing session. It works by having you breath in rhythm with a ring that expands and contracts on the screen, and it shows your breathing in and out at the bottom with a continuous little graph (see picture to clarify if this sounds wonky to you.) If it comes across as confusing don't worry- Charge 2 guides you through it...it's much more talkative (err, textative?) than the old Charge, and I like it!
So for once I was actually excited to hit the hall of pain- uh, I mean the gym, so I could test out my new buddy here. First thing I did was the elliptical; in the past I avoided it because my old charge wouldn't count it as steps. Now all you have to do is select the elliptical option from the workout menu on your charge 2, hold the button on the side and voila! Elliptical steps are now counted!
Next I tried out the interval workout option! What's extra awesome about this feature is that it's customizable; the folks of Fitbit really outdid themselves with this one in my opinion. By going onto the app on my phone, I was able to set the intervals to one minute of workout, and two minutes of rest for a total of five sets. Then while I was on the treadmill, I went to the workout menu, chose interval training, and it started right away. Once the minute was up, Charge 2 gave me two little buzzes to let me know to switch to rest mode, and after two minutes gave me another two buzzes to pick it up again. The buzzes aren't very strong, but I still felt them just fine.
Then I went onto strength training, and selected weights from the menu (this is all via the charge 2, not the app on the phone). Now the way I strength train is 3 sets of 12 reps, and then a minute of rest in-between. I'm honestly not sure if that minute of rest affects the readings or not, but my guess is no- that Charge 2 calculates everything based on pulse readings. And speaking of pulse readings, it feels like they've improved the technology in that department as well!
FYI- I have pretty low blood pressure due to hypothyroidism, so the readings below may seem off, but they're accurate in my case. My resting heart rate is usually between 61 and 66 bpm (beats per minute)
So that concluded my gym session. Upon looking at my readings later on, it was kind of neat to compare them. Now the weight training session showed that in 27 minutes I burned 99 calories and had 110 average of bpm. Now with the elliptical, I only did it for 10 minutes, burned 62 calories, and had a 130 average bpm going at a fast pace continuously. With the interval training on the treadmill (here's where it gets interesting folks) for 15 minutes I burned 122 calories with a 148 average bpm. Despite having two minute rest periods several times, I still burned more calories and had a higher heart rate than the continuous workout on the elliptical. Interval training all the way! Although...I wonder if you could do interval training on the elliptical and still have the steps count. I'll have to experiment with that... *EDIT* Yes you can in fact do interval training on the eliptical and have steps count!
There's still so much to try! The connected GPS looks like a pretty neat feature, and it's a nice extra to include! I'm not much of a runner myself being bite sized, but you can still track location for other things like walking, biking and hiking. Then there's call, text, and calendar notifications (adding the calendar was a great idea). You can also change bands now, so if you wear out your current band (like I did with my old Charge- bubbling issues anyone?) or just want a different look, you can switch them whenever your little heart so desires. Oh! And there's lots of screen options that you can choose from like a dial watch, extra bold print, and having time/date/steps/heart rate all together (which is what I ended up choosing)- and that's just to name a few!
*EDIT* So they added a feature which shows your fitness level by going into the heart rate section of the app and then swiping left to get to that screen. I originally thought it was fitness test type thing, but I misunderstood. The app already calculates your fitness level for you based on several factors (resting heart rate, your bpm during exercises, and other information collected from your profile). So sorry for any confusion! No tests for you.
Alas, there is but one problem I have encountered so far. I was walking while holding my phone in the hand that my charge 2 was on, and noticed that it didn't count my steps. So after experimenting for a bit (holding up my hands like I was pushing an invisible grocery cart, though it probably looked more like I was pretending to be A zombie) I came to the conclusion that if your hand is held up flat (palm up or palm down) in midair, like when holding a phone...the charge 2 doesn't register steps. However, it should be noted that when I put the charge 2 in workout mode, it DID count some of the steps, even when holding my phone, but it didn't seem to accurately count them all. I guess the solution is don't play on your phone while you walk? Or at least leave the hand with the Charge 2 on it by your side when playing Pokemon Go- you can play with one hand, right?
Everything considered, this is truly an amazing piece of technology that is priced extremely fairly for all that it offers, including the best fitness app that is included at no extra charge. Thanks good guy Fitbit!
In conclusion...
This is the one fitness tracker...TO RULE THEM ALL!
UPDATE: 9/20
Yes yes, I know what you're all thinking- how could I possibly make this exceedingly long review even better? MAKE IT LONGER!
Battery lasted from Wednesday afternoon (after fully charging it) to Monday night. It should be called Fitbit doesn't need to Charge all that often, amiright? Eh?
Motivation Man! Every hour (just day hours, or you can customize which hours and days you want in the app) you don't move (or hardly move), Charge 2 gives you a friendly little buzz, and the animated little Motivation Man (as I like to call him) says something cute on the screen like "Take me for a stroll?" or "97 more steps!" (to reach 250). Do it. Don't let Motivation Man down.
With the Fitness level tracker, my original score was placed in the good category and I was all happy that I was fitter than I thought. Well, the app suggests that if you want a more accurate reading, that you should go for a ten minute run outside with your Charge 2 synced to your phone for GPS tracking. So although I hate running more than kids who kick your seat continuously on a long flight, I did it. Upon looking at my fitness level thinking that my score was going to shoot up, it dropped down to fair, which is right after poor. Ouch. I mean in all fairness it's accurate but still...ouch. Went from feeling fitter to bitter.
What's not accurate, however, is if you're at the gym and your Charge 2 syncs with your phone app for gps tracking. A few times while I was on the treadmill or elliptical, the GPS kicked in and gave me crazy readings. Now don' get me wrong- my step count wasn't affected in any way, the app just showed me a map of the wacky, non-existent trail that went though multiple buildings and over a river. You can just delete it of course, orrrrrr you could show it off to your friends and make stuff up...like I always teleport over rivers when I work out, doesn't everyone?
The Fitbit app added a seriously impressive fitness game called Adventure challenge (it's in the challenges section) where your step count is shown on an actual map, like Yosemite Vernal falls to start off with, and the more you walk, the more you travel along the trail. Along the way you come across markers, and when you reach them, it shows you where you are on the trail with gorgeous panoramic pictures (hold up your phone, slowly turn left and right, and the picture pans out either way). There are also random "gems" on the map, and when you click them they either have a fun fact, a health multiple choice quiz, or a health challenge (like do tricep dips on a chair for a minute). You can collect them and earn a badge...or not-completely optional. However, I personally am having a blast with it, and I'm sort of stunned that they're including it in the app for free! It's like having an expensive dinner with Fitbit and when the check comes, Fitbit is all like, "Hey, it's cool. I got this,"...you sure do Fitbit. You sure do.
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
It came today in the mail and I scurried off with it like Gollum and his ring...
My precioussssssss!
Oh where to begin! Let's see- well it came in lovely, easy to open packaging. Opening up the box felt like I was arousing my Charge 2 from his slumber in his comfy, plastic bed. I immediately noticed that the teal color was more vibrant than its predecessor, and the larger screen gave it an all around sleeker look. The band is now longer, so if the large size from the old Charge was a bit big for you- go for the small with the Charge 2; I have tiny wrists myself, and I'm two notches away from the last ring on the inside! EDIT: I just realized my review was placed under the large size...my Charge 2 is a small. But large or small, only the band is different in length, NOT the screen!
The charger was completely redesigned; the days of not having your Charge, well, CHARGE due to it slipping out are dead and gone. The new, blissfully longer charger clips onto the Charge itself, and as long as you align the hole in the charger with the button on the side of the Charge, you're good to go (see picture for reference)! Just make sure you clip it from underneath, and not over the screen or else it won't charge...not that I uh, made a silly mistake like that or anything. *cough*
Setup could not have been easier. The entire process from taking it out of the box to having it fully synced and functional was less than ten minutes. Whoa. I was setting it up using the app on my Android phone, and I was expecting that it would need to be charged first but nope! It sprung to life and was ready to go! After it was all synced I checked the battery and saw it was at medium power- right out of the freaking box!
Onto features...do you like lots of features? I like lots of features and the Charge 2 has ALL the flipping features you could possibly want.
I feel like Fitbit has been personally keeping tabs on me and my current interests. I just recently got into breathing meditation and interval training, and when I heard that the Charge 2 was going to include both these features I was pretty much like, "Shut up and take my money!"
After playing with the Charge 2 for about 30 seconds, I came to realize that when you want to choose a feature, for example the breathing exercise, after pushing the button on the side to get to that function, you then hold the button for a second to choose to start it. With the breathing exercise, it allows you to choose between a 2 or 5 minute breathing session. It works by having you breath in rhythm with a ring that expands and contracts on the screen, and it shows your breathing in and out at the bottom with a continuous little graph (see picture to clarify if this sounds wonky to you.) If it comes across as confusing don't worry- Charge 2 guides you through it...it's much more talkative (err, textative?) than the old Charge, and I like it!
So for once I was actually excited to hit the hall of pain- uh, I mean the gym, so I could test out my new buddy here. First thing I did was the elliptical; in the past I avoided it because my old charge wouldn't count it as steps. Now all you have to do is select the elliptical option from the workout menu on your charge 2, hold the button on the side and voila! Elliptical steps are now counted!
Next I tried out the interval workout option! What's extra awesome about this feature is that it's customizable; the folks of Fitbit really outdid themselves with this one in my opinion. By going onto the app on my phone, I was able to set the intervals to one minute of workout, and two minutes of rest for a total of five sets. Then while I was on the treadmill, I went to the workout menu, chose interval training, and it started right away. Once the minute was up, Charge 2 gave me two little buzzes to let me know to switch to rest mode, and after two minutes gave me another two buzzes to pick it up again. The buzzes aren't very strong, but I still felt them just fine.
Then I went onto strength training, and selected weights from the menu (this is all via the charge 2, not the app on the phone). Now the way I strength train is 3 sets of 12 reps, and then a minute of rest in-between. I'm honestly not sure if that minute of rest affects the readings or not, but my guess is no- that Charge 2 calculates everything based on pulse readings. And speaking of pulse readings, it feels like they've improved the technology in that department as well!
FYI- I have pretty low blood pressure due to hypothyroidism, so the readings below may seem off, but they're accurate in my case. My resting heart rate is usually between 61 and 66 bpm (beats per minute)
So that concluded my gym session. Upon looking at my readings later on, it was kind of neat to compare them. Now the weight training session showed that in 27 minutes I burned 99 calories and had 110 average of bpm. Now with the elliptical, I only did it for 10 minutes, burned 62 calories, and had a 130 average bpm going at a fast pace continuously. With the interval training on the treadmill (here's where it gets interesting folks) for 15 minutes I burned 122 calories with a 148 average bpm. Despite having two minute rest periods several times, I still burned more calories and had a higher heart rate than the continuous workout on the elliptical. Interval training all the way! Although...I wonder if you could do interval training on the elliptical and still have the steps count. I'll have to experiment with that... *EDIT* Yes you can in fact do interval training on the eliptical and have steps count!
There's still so much to try! The connected GPS looks like a pretty neat feature, and it's a nice extra to include! I'm not much of a runner myself being bite sized, but you can still track location for other things like walking, biking and hiking. Then there's call, text, and calendar notifications (adding the calendar was a great idea). You can also change bands now, so if you wear out your current band (like I did with my old Charge- bubbling issues anyone?) or just want a different look, you can switch them whenever your little heart so desires. Oh! And there's lots of screen options that you can choose from like a dial watch, extra bold print, and having time/date/steps/heart rate all together (which is what I ended up choosing)- and that's just to name a few!
*EDIT* So they added a feature which shows your fitness level by going into the heart rate section of the app and then swiping left to get to that screen. I originally thought it was fitness test type thing, but I misunderstood. The app already calculates your fitness level for you based on several factors (resting heart rate, your bpm during exercises, and other information collected from your profile). So sorry for any confusion! No tests for you.
Alas, there is but one problem I have encountered so far. I was walking while holding my phone in the hand that my charge 2 was on, and noticed that it didn't count my steps. So after experimenting for a bit (holding up my hands like I was pushing an invisible grocery cart, though it probably looked more like I was pretending to be A zombie) I came to the conclusion that if your hand is held up flat (palm up or palm down) in midair, like when holding a phone...the charge 2 doesn't register steps. However, it should be noted that when I put the charge 2 in workout mode, it DID count some of the steps, even when holding my phone, but it didn't seem to accurately count them all. I guess the solution is don't play on your phone while you walk? Or at least leave the hand with the Charge 2 on it by your side when playing Pokemon Go- you can play with one hand, right?
Everything considered, this is truly an amazing piece of technology that is priced extremely fairly for all that it offers, including the best fitness app that is included at no extra charge. Thanks good guy Fitbit!
In conclusion...
This is the one fitness tracker...TO RULE THEM ALL!
UPDATE: 9/20
Yes yes, I know what you're all thinking- how could I possibly make this exceedingly long review even better? MAKE IT LONGER!
Battery lasted from Wednesday afternoon (after fully charging it) to Monday night. It should be called Fitbit doesn't need to Charge all that often, amiright? Eh?
Motivation Man! Every hour (just day hours, or you can customize which hours and days you want in the app) you don't move (or hardly move), Charge 2 gives you a friendly little buzz, and the animated little Motivation Man (as I like to call him) says something cute on the screen like "Take me for a stroll?" or "97 more steps!" (to reach 250). Do it. Don't let Motivation Man down.
With the Fitness level tracker, my original score was placed in the good category and I was all happy that I was fitter than I thought. Well, the app suggests that if you want a more accurate reading, that you should go for a ten minute run outside with your Charge 2 synced to your phone for GPS tracking. So although I hate running more than kids who kick your seat continuously on a long flight, I did it. Upon looking at my fitness level thinking that my score was going to shoot up, it dropped down to fair, which is right after poor. Ouch. I mean in all fairness it's accurate but still...ouch. Went from feeling fitter to bitter.
What's not accurate, however, is if you're at the gym and your Charge 2 syncs with your phone app for gps tracking. A few times while I was on the treadmill or elliptical, the GPS kicked in and gave me crazy readings. Now don' get me wrong- my step count wasn't affected in any way, the app just showed me a map of the wacky, non-existent trail that went though multiple buildings and over a river. You can just delete it of course, orrrrrr you could show it off to your friends and make stuff up...like I always teleport over rivers when I work out, doesn't everyone?
The Fitbit app added a seriously impressive fitness game called Adventure challenge (it's in the challenges section) where your step count is shown on an actual map, like Yosemite Vernal falls to start off with, and the more you walk, the more you travel along the trail. Along the way you come across markers, and when you reach them, it shows you where you are on the trail with gorgeous panoramic pictures (hold up your phone, slowly turn left and right, and the picture pans out either way). There are also random "gems" on the map, and when you click them they either have a fun fact, a health multiple choice quiz, or a health challenge (like do tricep dips on a chair for a minute). You can collect them and earn a badge...or not-completely optional. However, I personally am having a blast with it, and I'm sort of stunned that they're including it in the app for free! It's like having an expensive dinner with Fitbit and when the check comes, Fitbit is all like, "Hey, it's cool. I got this,"...you sure do Fitbit. You sure do.
**Wristband / Build Quality**
The wristband feels more sturdy and the material is somewhat nicer. What's great is that you can now also swap it, though I haven't tried that yet, since the wristband is so much better than before. The build quality in general seems much better, and unlike the Fitbit Charge HR, the new version doesn't feel "cheap" anymore.
**The Display / Screen**
The display is not just better but also bigger so you can display more information, which is useful for getting real-time stats on your exercise.
Unfortunately, when flicking through screens to choose my exercise, I wish I had a second button instead of having to tap on the screen. Also wish I could customize the information displayed during exercise but I'm sure this will come with a later software update. The screen itself while still out of plastic (wish it was sapphire glass!), seems more scratch resistant. I wear my Fitbit when sleeping, during boot camp exercises and more. So it does get dirty and knocks the ground or walls occasionally. While my first two Fitbit Charge HRs got scratched within days and weeks, the new Charge 2 doesn't have a single scratch yet after three weeks.
Generally I was afraid that with the newer and bigger screen the Fitbit Charge 2 would become heavier, catch more attention (which I don't want) and have less battery life. Fortunately neither has been the case so far. So that's a big positive for me.
**Battery and Charging**
Battery life is also improved. Even with the display turning on with wrist flicks I'm getting close to 7 days. The new charger is also much better. With the old Charge HR the cable would easily fall off and you'd miss charging it. Now you just clip it in and it just works!
**Exercise Tracking**
Exercise tracking works for the most part automatically, except for when you want to have the phone GPS active and for rather stationary workouts like at the weights in the gym. You can track: Running, Cycling, Walking, Weights, Interval Workouts, Treadmill, Elliptical and generic Workouts. The workout option is the one option to track anything other than the other activities. It works for things like skiing or snowboarding but it's far from ideal and I wish Fitbit will add more sports eventually.
The GPS tracking had some trouble initially and was inaccurate but it seems to have improved with a recent firmware update. I just wish it would automatically use GPS tracking without manually having to turn on the exercise as I keep forgetting to activate tracking when I cycle for instance. Some other folks reported inaccuracy with the step tracking. I don't have that at all. If you do you can always adjust your stride length to make sure it's tracking it automatically. When biking my Fitbit also doesn't track my cycling as steps but as outdoor cycling activity. Unfortunately my commuting is often not really tracked because it's shorter than 10 minutes, which is something my Android Wear Huawei Watch automatically does with Google Fit.
If you are a serious runner or cyclist then the information displayed likely won't be enough for you. You get some of the standard stuff like your current heart rate, pace and average pace. But you won't be able to view your average HR or HR max or your current split pace and the sort. I myself, while liking these features can live without them, as you do get splits and heart rate charts in the app later at least. I hope that Fitbit will eventually add more metrics to the display to see during workouts with a software update.
If you buy this, you are buying into the Fitbit eco system, which is somewhat closed. While you can sync with some apps such as Runkeeper, MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, Withings, MapMyRun, Endomondo, and Strava you won't get as much of a choice as with other devices.
Fortunately there are some unofficial services that help to sync your Fitbit with services like Apple Health or Google Fit (or other apps).
See:
[...][...]
[...]
[...]
**Sleep Tracking**
Not much has changed here since the original Charge. You get the overall sleep time, restlessness and so forth, but it's certainly not as good as what I got with a Jawbone Up. You won't see light, deep and REM sleep and you generally don't get any advice on getting better sleep.
You also get silent alarms, which I like but you won't have flexible alarms where you get woken up when your sleep is the lightest like with a Jawbone Up.
**Social Aspect / Motivation**
Fitbit still hosts the largest platform, and most of my friends are on it. So if you like challenges and like to compete with friends then there's no way around it. I hope at some point as more people use Fitbits with HR tracking we'll also get challenges that are not step based.
The reminders to sleep and exercise are nice as well, though I still frequently ignore them unfortunately!
**Relax Feature**
I find this one relative useless so far, since I prefer closing my eyes when meditating instead of having to look on the Charge screen for breathing cues.
**Waterproofing**
I've been hoping Fitbit would finally waterproof the Charge. Unfortunately that still isn't the case. Though admittedly I almost never tracked any swims with my Garmin Vivoactive (which is waterproof) so it wasn't a big let down for me.
**Conclusion**
All in all I love my Fitbit because of its great build quality, software and seamless functionality. I don't have to switch around a lot and it just keeps working in the background for me which is great. It just doesn't get in the way. Even if I don't use the Fitbit software for weeks, I know that I still will have all the data. If you ever had to deal with Garmin's software or Android Wear you know what I mean. Too many times did I get incomplete workouts because my Garmin would bug or the sync wouldn't work. Not so with the Fitbit. Likewise you don't want to keep replacing your fitness tracker because it breaks every two months like my Jawbone UPs always did.
All of that makes the Fitbit Charge 2 a great allrounder for those interested in tracking their fitness and like to keep things simple and easy.
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2016
**Wristband / Build Quality**
The wristband feels more sturdy and the material is somewhat nicer. What's great is that you can now also swap it, though I haven't tried that yet, since the wristband is so much better than before. The build quality in general seems much better, and unlike the Fitbit Charge HR, the new version doesn't feel "cheap" anymore.
**The Display / Screen**
The display is not just better but also bigger so you can display more information, which is useful for getting real-time stats on your exercise.
Unfortunately, when flicking through screens to choose my exercise, I wish I had a second button instead of having to tap on the screen. Also wish I could customize the information displayed during exercise but I'm sure this will come with a later software update. The screen itself while still out of plastic (wish it was sapphire glass!), seems more scratch resistant. I wear my Fitbit when sleeping, during boot camp exercises and more. So it does get dirty and knocks the ground or walls occasionally. While my first two Fitbit Charge HRs got scratched within days and weeks, the new Charge 2 doesn't have a single scratch yet after three weeks.
Generally I was afraid that with the newer and bigger screen the Fitbit Charge 2 would become heavier, catch more attention (which I don't want) and have less battery life. Fortunately neither has been the case so far. So that's a big positive for me.
**Battery and Charging**
Battery life is also improved. Even with the display turning on with wrist flicks I'm getting close to 7 days. The new charger is also much better. With the old Charge HR the cable would easily fall off and you'd miss charging it. Now you just clip it in and it just works!
**Exercise Tracking**
Exercise tracking works for the most part automatically, except for when you want to have the phone GPS active and for rather stationary workouts like at the weights in the gym. You can track: Running, Cycling, Walking, Weights, Interval Workouts, Treadmill, Elliptical and generic Workouts. The workout option is the one option to track anything other than the other activities. It works for things like skiing or snowboarding but it's far from ideal and I wish Fitbit will add more sports eventually.
The GPS tracking had some trouble initially and was inaccurate but it seems to have improved with a recent firmware update. I just wish it would automatically use GPS tracking without manually having to turn on the exercise as I keep forgetting to activate tracking when I cycle for instance. Some other folks reported inaccuracy with the step tracking. I don't have that at all. If you do you can always adjust your stride length to make sure it's tracking it automatically. When biking my Fitbit also doesn't track my cycling as steps but as outdoor cycling activity. Unfortunately my commuting is often not really tracked because it's shorter than 10 minutes, which is something my Android Wear Huawei Watch automatically does with Google Fit.
If you are a serious runner or cyclist then the information displayed likely won't be enough for you. You get some of the standard stuff like your current heart rate, pace and average pace. But you won't be able to view your average HR or HR max or your current split pace and the sort. I myself, while liking these features can live without them, as you do get splits and heart rate charts in the app later at least. I hope that Fitbit will eventually add more metrics to the display to see during workouts with a software update.
If you buy this, you are buying into the Fitbit eco system, which is somewhat closed. While you can sync with some apps such as Runkeeper, MyFitnessPal, LoseIt, Withings, MapMyRun, Endomondo, and Strava you won't get as much of a choice as with other devices.
Fortunately there are some unofficial services that help to sync your Fitbit with services like Apple Health or Google Fit (or other apps).
See:
[...][...]
[...]
[...]
**Sleep Tracking**
Not much has changed here since the original Charge. You get the overall sleep time, restlessness and so forth, but it's certainly not as good as what I got with a Jawbone Up. You won't see light, deep and REM sleep and you generally don't get any advice on getting better sleep.
You also get silent alarms, which I like but you won't have flexible alarms where you get woken up when your sleep is the lightest like with a Jawbone Up.
**Social Aspect / Motivation**
Fitbit still hosts the largest platform, and most of my friends are on it. So if you like challenges and like to compete with friends then there's no way around it. I hope at some point as more people use Fitbits with HR tracking we'll also get challenges that are not step based.
The reminders to sleep and exercise are nice as well, though I still frequently ignore them unfortunately!
**Relax Feature**
I find this one relative useless so far, since I prefer closing my eyes when meditating instead of having to look on the Charge screen for breathing cues.
**Waterproofing**
I've been hoping Fitbit would finally waterproof the Charge. Unfortunately that still isn't the case. Though admittedly I almost never tracked any swims with my Garmin Vivoactive (which is waterproof) so it wasn't a big let down for me.
**Conclusion**
All in all I love my Fitbit because of its great build quality, software and seamless functionality. I don't have to switch around a lot and it just keeps working in the background for me which is great. It just doesn't get in the way. Even if I don't use the Fitbit software for weeks, I know that I still will have all the data. If you ever had to deal with Garmin's software or Android Wear you know what I mean. Too many times did I get incomplete workouts because my Garmin would bug or the sync wouldn't work. Not so with the Fitbit. Likewise you don't want to keep replacing your fitness tracker because it breaks every two months like my Jawbone UPs always did.
All of that makes the Fitbit Charge 2 a great allrounder for those interested in tracking their fitness and like to keep things simple and easy.
Top reviews from other countries
Dir Uhr ist am klicksystem ausgerissen
,wie können wir verbleiben?
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Viola Fuhrmann
Reviewed in Germany on March 6, 2020
Dir Uhr ist am klicksystem ausgerissen
,wie können wir verbleiben?
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Viola Fuhrmann