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So there we have it: an imperfect mix of accurate step-counting, rather curious counting of everything else, in a stylish and discreet band, with an app and background ecosystem that do an excellent job of making fitness "fun", or at least more fun than vomiting after doing shuttle runs under the watchful eye of the drill sergeant from An Office And a Gentleman or Full Metal Jacket.
We liked
The Fitbit Charge HR looks good. It's one of the best designed Fitbit products out there and while it's not as stylish as buying a smartwatch, it looks good on the wrist compared to other trackers.
It also does its core job well. Step tracking works and there are added benefits such as the heart rate and sleep tracking. It also has a battery that lasts just long enough to be not annoying.
The Fitbit app is great as it syncs quickly and reliably. While the Charge HR as a whole is both more sophisticated than most other bands, more useful, and less riddled with things that are hugely annoying.
We disliked
I'm not going to pretend there aren't issues here. It's expensive. It's not the most costly of the Fitbit range but it's at the higher end and it's a shame it costs that little bit extra then the original Charge. I don't see why Fitbit hasn't just replaced the Fitbit Charge and put this in at the same, lower price.
The other problem is the Charge HR doesn't really track anything other than steps in a way that makes much sense. That's an issue if you're after something that keeps an eye on the rest of your exercise.
Another big negative is the fact it's not waterproof. I want to keep it on when I enter the shower and it's a shame you can't do that with the Charge HR. Plus the battery lasts only just long enough to be not annoying.
Final verdict
However, here's the thing. I loved using the Fitbit Charge HR, and it actually did encourage me to exercise more. No other fitness device has had that effect on me.
I loved that it's so discreet, I trusted it enough to use the figures it was giving me as motivation, I really liked the look and feel of it, I bored my friends with my stepping exploits and to be honest, I even liked its quirkiness; the way it gamely tried to add my cycling to my daily activity log, even though it was confused.
Yes, I know, I got mine for nothing. I also had to think up several thousand words to write on what's basically a glorified pedometer, so sue me.
Would I pay £120/$150/AU$200 for it? Maybe not. But now I'd only have to pay £80/$105/AU$200 (sorry, Australia) for it, and it's a much easier buy - although there are newer models out there right now, such as the Fitbit Charge 2.
If Fitbit can make a few firmware and app updates that make the heart-rate monitoring more useful, I'd maybe shell even more.
Fitness trackers are weird tech. They're more art than science, and all too statistically fallible.
However, if you're not a hardcore runner, cyclist or iron pumper - and definitely not a swimmer, as this isn't waterproof, a fact I can still hardly believe despite mentioning it three times in this review - if you're a weight-watcher, an unfit person who wishes to change, or a fit person who wishes to show off, this is the fitness tracker I'd recommend right now.
First reviewed March 2015
