Even though my Fitbit user profile says I’ve been a member since November 2013, I’ve actually only used my Fitbit for a total of 7 months. The story of why includes a recall, but also it proves how much I actually like using my Fitbit and why I never wanted another tracker product. 

When shopping for a pedometer a couple years ago, I was doing a lot of reading and really liked Fitbit’s presentation of their products as well as their prices. I liked (and still like) that their products seem to be a fit for people of all ages, kids included.

Buying my Fitbit Charge HR

So I bought myself the Fitbit Force as an early Christmas present and loved it. Unfortunately, within a few months Fitbit announced a recall for the device I had. This mostly bothered me because it was ONLY the Force and I had become so attached to knowing my sleep patterns and all the other cool stuff. And so I returned it and received a check in the mail for my refund.

I did not have any adverse reactions to the Fitbit Force, but I also didn’t want to have a product that would stop getting firmware updates and so I decided it was best to part with it. At this time I also made the decision not to get a different Fitbit device. None of the others did what I wanted (no other wristband pedometer had a time display at the time). I also didn’t like any of the other brands, for which I had just done a bunch of research a few months before.

So I was without a pedometer until this past May. I read the Fitbit had a newer version of my Force and I ordered the Fitbit Charge HR. I went with this model because I really wanted a heart rate monitor, too. Tracking your heart rate when you are doing HIIT and workouts in general is great. Especially because everyone’s high point of cardio is different.

Fitbit Charge HR Review: The Good

Sleep Monitoring: By far one of my favorite features of the Fitbit Charge HR is the ability for it to track my sleep. I’ve had an IUD (birth control) for over 3 years now, and there have been times when my hormones were so wacky that I had terrible night sweats.

 

My heart’s been working today! #cardio #HIIT #Fitbit pic.twitter.com/UICLBR3RcL

— Zully Hernandez (@ZullyIHernandez) July 13, 2015

I actually was able to show my doctor reports of when and approximately how long the episodes occurred because of my Fitbit Charge tracker. Stuff like that is invaluable!

Competition: I love competitive games. I also love trying to beat my own records and the Fitbit makes it easy to combine that with your fitness goals. Wearing a Fitbit isn’t really about losing weight for me, but tracking how active I am and keeping myself in check before being considered “sedentary”.

Silent Alarms: My 2nd favorite thing, and what sold me on my first purchase of my Fitbit is the Silent Alarm feature. Set alarms to softly buzz on your wrist – it’s the least annoying way to wake up. But if you’re a heavy sleeper, there’s a good chance you’ll sleep right through it. You can set up to 8 alarms, which is awesome because you can use different ones to remind you of other tasks. I actually a few days a week that it goes off 3 times a day to remind me to take a short walk and drink water.

Water Resistant: I can go for a jog and if the Florida weather decides to randomly rain (very common here in the Summers), I don’t have to fret about my Fitbit Charge getting wet. Not to mention all the sweat from my wrist it’s subjected to during my workouts.

I have read on forums that some people even shower with their Fitbit trackers and don’t have any issues. I actually use my shower time to charge it back up (but I can usually go 3-4 days without needing to charge it).

Calorie Counter: I will be the first to admit I really dislike counting calories. I try my best to do it, but it just gets annoying. I don’t always track my food on the Fitbit app, but I try to on the weekends since that’s usually when I’m eating less carefully (family dinners, going out, etc.). The app has a daily bar graph, which shows calories in vs. out and I really like the way it is visualized. The designers of the app hit it right on the mark for me.

Notifications: This was a HUGE update! I am still thinking about purchasing an Apple Watch, but being able to see the caller ID on my Fitbit is basically all I need. If the phone rings while I’m cooking and my hands are gooey, I can look at my watch and decide whether it’s someone I can call right back.

Fitbit Charge HR Review: The Bad

I always wear my watch on my left hand. I am also left-handed. The watch is honestly a bit bulky, but I have gotten used to it. There are times when I’m working and have to take it off because of how I rest my wrist on my keyboard. But this would apply to any watch I wear.

The heart rate monitor does drain the Fitbit’s battery faster. You can choose to have it on all the time, only when you are exercising, or turn it off completely. I choose to leave it off unless I’m about to workout. That’s the only time I truly need it anyway.

 

Overview: I love my Fitbit and I’m at the point where I have so much tracked data with it that I don’t see myself ever using a different pedometer. I have eyed a Garmin, but it’s definitely too pricey for me right now. My fitbit does pretty much everything I need in an exercise tracker and I love their app, too. Fitbit makes activity tracking easy and automatic.

If you already have a Fitbit, add me so we can be friends! (the email for my profile is in the image above). If you don’t have a Fitbit, but are interested in knowing more about their devices, click the image below.

 

Are you on the market for a new pedometer? If not a Fitbit Charge HR, what other watches do you like? 

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post and I may receive a portion of the sale if you make a purchase when using one of my links. All opinions are my own.