Fitbit Charge Wireless Activity Wristband, Slate, Small

So. I debated and debated, spent probably four days doing deep research on these and on other similar products from different companies. Wound up on this one for several reasons, and I am VERY pleased with my purchase!! PROS: The SOFTWARE on this thing is extremely helpful and easy to navigate. There are fields to log your weight, body fat %, water consumed, and also to track your food consumed. The fitbit lets you set a goal of your goal weight and how soon you want to be there, and will help you by telling you approximately how many calories you have burned so that when you input your food consumed it lets you know whether you're under-track, on-track, or over-track. Makes it very easy to know your calorie deficit to cut weight. The sleep tracking is great, as well! It seems pretty darn accurate in terms of only starting when you actually fall asleep and not just when you lie down (which was one thing I was curious about). The caller ID function works well (provided your phone is nearby), and is handy in lots of instances, not just while working out. I sprung for the charge over the flex because of this function (I cannot miss work calls), and also because I wanted to be able to see my step count, and distance at a touch instead of through my phone. If you don't need so much instant gratification, you would probably be happy with the Flex. It has the same software. I decided on charge vs. Charge HR because the HR function is said to be MUCH less comfortable to wear, and the technology for HR monitoring in the wrist is still not where it could be quite yet. CONS: My main problem with this device, and my *WARNING TO POTENTIAL BUYERS* is that if you are a biker or a skater or do any kind of cardio besides running or jogging, there are some issues with tracking steps. So to explain, I have bad joints so I need low-impact cardio, aka an elliptical machine. I have an iphone6 with a (relatively accurate) pedometer built in. When I use the elliptical, if I have my hands stationary on the machine, and sometimes even while they're on the handles, it doesn't count all of the steps. So I now use the elliptical with my hands at my waist as though I was running/jogging. This is the only major issue I have. This is great for runners and joggers, noooooot quite as accurate for ellipticals, biking, etc. I heard lots of people talk about how the lens is easily scratched, I thought this was silly until about a month in and I rubbed it against the plastic lining of a storage tote and now there's a scuff on the screen. Seems like that wouldn't have done it, so I see what they mean. If you are super active (which, obviously you are, or would like to be if you are buying this) just be aware of it on your wrist and be careful! Overall: I highly suggest this fitbit if you intend to get fit, or are interested in your health and need a bit of help. I love it and never take it off except for when I shower (and I charge it then, it charges VERY fast and lasts about five days for me if I don't check it too much) Update 12/5: so the band which originally made this look sleek and simple is falling apart and now makes it look sloppy and messy. There have been a couple occasions where after fully charging it, it would be dead with no battery charge left. Odd. I have tried to exchange it for another one via Amazon, and was told they only provide a 30 day window. Ugh. If you live an active lifestyle (which you probably do or else you wouldn't be looking at this item), beware that it doesn't stand up to daily wear and tear for too long. Update update 12/20: I contacted Fitbit about the issue I was having and they are mailing me a replacement Charge at no cost! They were very friendly, and quick to respond and have definitely won my respect, in a world where so many companies take your money and then turn a blind eye to your grievances. If you've been on the fence, get one! If it breaks, they'll take good care of you.

Once connected to the Fitbit site, I was able to quickly replace my wife's "Flex" with her new "Charge" then re-gift and setup her old "Flex" for another family member. A note to those looking for accuracy. Take the time to setup your account. The more accurate you are with your numbers (weight, sex, stride length, etc.) the more accurate your Fitbit becomes. Using it out of the box is fine as it is consistent allowing you to compare from day to day. Bottom line, if it gets you moving more, than all the better. Both the "Flex" and the "Charge" are fairly new arrivals to my family - about six months. My third product is the "Force" which is over a year old. This was a gift so I did not know what to expect, but I was intrigued and soon learned its value. The "Charge" is the replacement to the "Force" therefore I provide the following lessons learned with my experiences with the "Force" and expect the "Charge" to be very similar if not identical. Walking: Very accurate. At first, I often watched the step counter while I walked - both on the device and on my phone app. I was impressed with the accuracy of the step counter with or without swinging my arm. Of all the pedometers I have used, this continues to be the most accurate and trusted. Cheating the Software: Of course this is possible. You can get "bonus" steps (my words - not theirs) for shaking the device. The device is not too sensitive to shaking but does give you "bonus" steps. if you are concerned about these then I suggest that you bump up your daily step goal. Watch: The clock on this device is synced to my phone so it is as accurate as my service provider. It has not (yet) replaced my watch. In-Coming Calls: The "Force" received a firmware update this fall and started to show my in-coming calls on the "Force" display. I was pleasantly surprised as my phone is often kept on silent. The very useful "activity minutes" display was removed. The claim was that calculating the activity minutes was best left to the phone app, which is true as you use the app to record your exercise. However, I suspect that it may have also been a firmware size issue on the device and something had to make way for the in-coming calls. Either way - it was a fair trade and I greatly appreciate being able to see who it calling without interrupting my meetings. Sleep Calculator: My wife LOVES this feature, but I only have one word for it: Freaky. It records my every movement during sleep which is valuable but my subconscious seems to sense that the device is recording my every movement. The "Flex" and "Charge" also knows when you are sleeping and knows whey you are awake. They have a manual start/stop mode but you do not need to use it - its all automatic. The start/stop times seem to be very accurate and the device won't give me any auto sleep credit if I take it off at night. Like I said - Freaky. Cycling: My wife and I cycle often so my advice here is to take it off, enjoy the ride and enter your exercise in the phone app. This is the most accurate for your step counter and your calories burned. You can wear it and get the "bonus" from the road/trail or wear it on your ankle where it does a nice job of counting revolutions. But for me, I have a cycle computer that gives me all the information I need about my rides. Swimming: Never used. My simple thought here is that I don't step when I swim so there is nothing to count. Running: We don't. Suggestions for Fitbit. You have something awesome here, but I wonder how long you will be able to stay ahead of the competition. You seem to be reluctant to integrate with other apps and personal fitness devices are about to take a giant leap forward. Right now these devices integrate with a larger host device for social integration, storage, and more accurate calculations. I am looking for devices capable of doing this with minimal host integration. I would not expect this device to replace my phone but it should be able to add significant value without my phone. I am not sure I will move up to your "HR" or "Surge" models as much now depends on where the market takes these devices.

After having a Jawbone UP replaced 3 times and counting in as many months I decided to get a replacement for the activity tracker. I also wanted one that had the capability of a watch so narrowed it down to the Fitbit Charge, Charge HR and Garmin Vivosmart. From reading the reviews I found the Fitbit Charge HR wasn't very accurate with heart rate during exercise which was the one feature that appealed to me above the my other choices. When it came down to it the Garmin Vivosmart with heart rate monitor was very appealing but was pricey and since I am fused to my phone a lot of the smartwatch capabilities didn't really put it above the Charge. If I wanted to see a text message I'd just read it from my phone. Anyway since I bought the Charge it has functioned almost exactly as advertised. I do miss Jawbone's app which was a lot more asthetically pleasing to me (Smart Coach, bar graphs etc) but Fitbit's app works very well. Pros: 1. Everything is very clearly presented in the app and functions seamlessly with My fitness pal which is a huge bonus for me. 2.I love the idea of challenges to keep you motivated. This is a feature I constantly utilize. 3.I love the automatic sleep/wake switch. It gives me one less thing to worry about and so far has seemed very accurate with sleep and wake times. 4.The size is perfect too. This is what put me off the Surge. I didn't want to look like I stole my boyfriend's watch if you know what I mean. It is the width of my index finger and the color and style are sleek and work well with most outfits. 5. Screen is excellent. Not to bright when looking at it in the dark but bright enough for daylight as well. I do like being able to see the time, number of steps I've taken, flights of stairs etc. I also like the fact that while timing a workout it limits those stats to the workout itself. Very handy. The cons for me are: 1. No idle alert. As much as I hated having to replace the Jawbone UP every month, this feature really helped me to stay active. I actually thought the Fitbit Charge had this feature as well and was very disappointed to find it missing. 2. Clasp isn't secure. This band comes off way too easily. Every time I put on or take off a coat or sweater, the band comes off with it too. I'm afraid that once I get too used to it it will fall off completely unnoticed. I think this was poor strategy to sell something for 120 dollars that falls off every time something jarrs it. I bought a bitbelt hoping it would help but since that doesn't stay in place I need to be on my Ps and Qs to ensure I don't lose this. Maybe this is their version of the idle alert: make sure it's still there and maybe you'll walk around a bit when you see it on your wrist and a lot if you don't! 3. Unable to see actual start time of a workout or fitbit url in the app itself. I really dislike having to go to the full site to see this information. 4. Sleep breakdown isn't as developed as activity breakdown. I like that it will let you know many steps you climb, number of very actove minutes etc but unfortunately doesn't do the same for sleep. I really would like it if it would give a breakdown of quality of sleep (light vs deep etc) 5. Counts certain hand and arm movements as steps. I didn't notice this until I went to a steel pan practice which is extremely wrist intensive. After practicing for about 2 hours I felt it vibrate saying I had completed my goal. I literally rolled out of bed into the shower then into the car to the place the band was practicing. Of course I knew I walked a bit but definitely not that much. After simulating the movement later that day I found it counted about 1-10 steps per note. In two hours I played a lot of notes ;). I'm pretty sure drummers have the same problem. I can't say whether this is true for other wrist trackers though. All in all I don't regret purchasing this. I've had it for a few weeks now and no major problems so far. It isn't perfect but definitely one of the best out there. Update: 1 year later... I am on my 5th band. Literally the band falls apart every three months almost to the day. I got my last replacement a few weeks ago and according to fitbit this is the last replacement I will be getting. Apparently it's my fault their product is not built to last... Anyway I'll hold on to this one until it dies and I will not be purchasing another fitbit product. Great software but they really need to bring their hardware up to speed. I feel I should get more than just about a year's use from a $120 product. Update: My fifth band has just fallen apart. However I was armed and ready this time with some superglue :). Definitely not the neatest look but I do hear that a third party is now selling parts to hold the damn thing together. Now that would not be the case if your bands were not falling apart for a lot of people huh Fitbit. And you said I was the only one... Well it will be interesting to see if my superglue job lasts longer than yours. Oh well.

Okay, if you want the best review of this bad boy, please see "She loved me and left me..." By Jonas Miller. However, for my review I will be focusing on the product itself, but I will touch up on the service and app. In short, PROS -Slightly tricky at first, but easy setup and sync -shows time, caller ID, steps etc -slick design -basic, but fits my needs -CUSTOMER SUPPORT, very awesome experience CONS -the clasp, (its a love-hate relationship) -battery life (short for me, but understandable and 2h charging is quite forgiving) -no option for to get a different style of clasp So if you read the review i mentioned earlier and you have decided to get a Fitbit charge, you will soon see that his review is right on the money. Don't get me wrong, this device is exceptional. Fitbit does not hold anything back since the it performs as well as they say. However, I underestimated that clasp, I love it because it makes it easy to put on and take off and it does not pinch my wrist, BUT at the same time just one tug and that thing will fall to the ground. Granted, I'm in the midst of an oil painting class and I would consistently be taking that thing on and off so I definitely loosened it up. HOWEVER, that should still NOT deter you from dropping Fitbit charge or any other Fitbit product from your wishlist because their customer support was absolutely amazing. Long story short, I'm walking downtown in Chicago, it was already dark (I also went with the black color, oh joy) and my guess is that I reached for my water bottle and it must have slipped there. Silly me, I didn't notice until a couple blocks after. I quickly opened the Fitbit app to see if it can get a signal to sync because I'm certain that it fell off somewhere given the nature of the clasp. My friends were more frantic than I was haha and did their best to help me find it, but TBH a busy street? very dark? very loud? Yeah right, it would've been a miracle if we found that thing ! SUPER HEARTBROKEN that not only did I lose my partner in crime, but it had only been a week and a half! How was I suppose to tell my dad that I JUST lost my new fitness tracker he so graciously funded for?! HAPPILY EVER AFTER: I went back home and searched ways of finding a lost fitbit. After regretting on not getting a bluetooth signal app, I emailed Fitbit's customer support since I've got nothing to lose. The next morning, BOOM "we're sorry etc etc, but we will replace your Charge this one time, free of charge" :D So I just submitted my paper, and I am currently waiting for my new Fitbit to arrive. For those of you looking into getting a fitness tracker, here is my best advice for you 1) First and for most, how are you going to use it? Fitness trackers are excellent to put your lifestyle into perspective. You can evaluate yourself since it gives you the facts on the food and fitness choices you make. Those of you who are trying to lose weight, listen up, this will NOT lose the weight for you. HOWEVER, it is a FANTASTIC supplement for those of you trying your best to do so. 2) Are you going to keep up with it? You need to be constant with this thing if you want this to work. It is important that you're syncing and logging in your data because boy does time fly and then you can't remember what you ate last night. 3) What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend? What functions are important to you? Yes, Fitbit is on the pricier side, however you are paying for that quality and service. You're suppose to be keeping up with this thing right, wouldn't you get something that will last a long time? 3) Look at all your options. There are wide variety of fitness trackers available, you don't necessarily have to go with Fitbit, however I had a great experience with it (given the circumstances) so far. Why I Initially went with the Fitbit Charge 1) I bought the tracker originally as a means of losing weight and so far I've lost 8lbs with it's help. Given, I have logged in all the food I have eaten and exercise I have done, everyday. 2) It was compatible with MyFitnessPal. I love that App because i started using it before the Fitbit. I liked their interface and it syncs well together. 3) I went with Charge because it fit my needs. I liked that it provided time (since I'm always on the go). The silent alarms are awesome and the caller ID is pretty convenient. TBH if you're super active and you're thinking the Fitbit Surge than go for it. If you're deciding between this and the HR, here is something to think about. Well, as long as you're exercising properly, there is really no need to be checking your HR all the time. Fitbit HR cannot 100% accurately give you your heart rate at the given moment. How do I know? Well as a nursing major the ONLY way to get an accurate HR is intravenously and last time i checked, nobody carries a needle/machine around to check their HR. HOWEVER if you're concerned about your HR or have cardiac dysrhythmias, then by all means get the HR. 4) For me, the Fitbit Charge fit my needs perfectly and it was within my budget.

I'm a very active person, or so I thought until I got Fitbit Charge. I don't have weight problem by any means but I've been trying to lose 8-10lbs for the past year and half; I've been the same weight +/- 5lbs over the past five years. I'm generally a healthy eater and I don't drink soda or eat junk food so there was nothing for me to 'cut' to help me lose the weight. I also practice yoga and other exercises on a regular. I do not want to go on a diet or deprive myself of anything because that'll never stick. I decided to give Fitbit Charge a shot after hearing a lot of positive reviews from my co-workers. I work in an office so I'm not very active during the day. I added a few friends to motivate me and I find myself walking and staying more active just to keep up with people. I love Fitbit challenges that you can participate in, I find myself walking/running more just to meet my daily goal. I've had Fitbit for less than a week and so far I've done 95,000+ steps, 600+ flights of stairs, and 40+ miles. I brisk walk daily during my entire lunch hour and climb 100+ flights of stairs every night. I really like the silent alarm, I feel like the sound alarm I used startle me every morning because it's so loud and obnoxious. I wake up for work a few hours before my boyfriend and I like that I don't feel like I disturb his sleep. I like that the screen is bright and easy to read, battery doesn't take long at all to charge. I love Fitbit app and the fact that you can add friends and motivate one another in challenges. I have a small slate, wear it on second to last hole and it fits me fine, I have no issues what so ever with the strap becoming undone voluntarily. I was thinking about exchanging my Charge for Charge HR since I just got this but I really like that battery lasts a little longer than the HR. I just bought Fitbit Charge HR for my boyfriend as a gift since he really like what I've been doing so far with mine and we can motivate one another. Depends on how he likes his HR, it'll be my deciding factor for keeping or exchanging for HR. Last Saturday we walked 5 miles to/from a bakery and split a small cupcake. I love working out when there is food at final destination :) I highly recommend this if you're looking for a good activity tracking device. UPDATE(2/12/2015): It's been a little over a month since FitBit, I've been doing a weekly workweek challenges with my FitBit friends and my boyfriend. I work on the fifth floor and have not gone in an elevator since FitBit. I wake up 45 minutes earlier now to run on my elliptical, I walk 3+ miles while listening to Audible books during my lunch hours, and I go for a 5+ miles walk nightly after dinner with my boyfriend. Since FitBit, I walk on an average of 10-15 miles a day and slightly more on the weekend! My daily goal have gone from 10k steps per day to 20k steps per day; I walk on an average of 24k+ steps per day now and hoping to get up to 30k steps per day once the weather gets nicer. I feel great and have lost 6 lbs in just about a month, my boyfriend have lost 15 lbs+ in a little less than a month. I get hungry ALLL THE TIME now, can't wait until I met my goal weight (-10 lbs total) and I can eat whatever I want (within reason) then!!

Background - I'm 33/M, and generally healthy although very lazy. A couple of months ago I was hospitalized for severe back spasms. As it turns out, my back isn't too bad from a structural stance, and my orthopedic doctor thinks that with a lot of exercise and strengthening I should improve. So I set out to get off my butt and start exercising. For my 33rd birthday I bought myself the Fitbit Charge. I did a lot of research before selecting the Fitbit Charge. I wanted the clock function if I was going to be wearing it on my wrist. And since I hadn't exercised at all for years, I thought a Fitness Tracker would be a good way to help me establish a baseline for myself and track progress at the same time. It's done good. Although I guess I should say I'VE done good. I got a gym membership and I enjoy working towards my step goals every day. I've only used the web interface once because I have an iPhone and I do all of the syncing and data input using the app, which is pretty nice. Here's a quick review of the functionality of the app for the iPhone: OVERALL APP DESIGN: I like the iPhone app a lot. It's very easy to use. At a glance, it shows you the different things that it tracks on the screen, like steps, calories, water intake, etc. If some of these things doesn't matter to you, you can hide them. You can also rearrange the items so that the ones you care most about are at the top. I keep water at the top because I'm constantly updating it with new data every time I finish a drink. And as of Jan 31, there is not a way to migrate data from the app into the Apple Health app. The only way to do this that I'm aware of is to buy another app (from the App store) called Sync Solver. It cost a buck or two, but it works really well. STEP COUNTING: Very accurate when actually counting steps. The only problem is that it counts a lot of steps that aren't ever taken. When I wear this thing to sleep, I often wake up with about 30 steps. I also accumulate a few more steps while driving. It doesn't count a ton of steps, so it's not really a big deal. And since my daily routine doesn't vary too much (drive to work, drive home, etc.) I can adjust my goal to take those non-steps into account. So it isn't really a problem. WATER: I love putting in the amount of water I drink. I used to drink zero glasses of water a day. Now that I'm doing weight lifting, my daily goal is 120 ounces. It's a good way to keep track of how much water I'm drinking. Inputting the data is super simple. MILES: Not sure how it calculates miles, but I assume it takes into account your height (which you input during setup) and the steps taken. I've never really tested it by using a treadmill. But I don't care too much about how far it thinks I've gone, I mostly want to keep track of the steps as a daily way to compare how active I've been. STAIRS: I disabled this function. You can disable (hide) any of the functions on the iPhone, which is nice. It always seemed to count flights of stairs that I never climbed. And climbing stairs isn't important to me -- I take the stairs every time I can, but it isn't exactly a set goal of mine. CALORIES/FOOD: It takes into account the fact that your body is constantly burning calories - even in your sleep. I guess it's interesting to see that by the time I've woken up in the morning I've already burned 600 or so calories. Neat. I do not input the food I eat. The search function makes it really easy to find packaged foods, and you can also very easily add your own custom foods, but it just seems like so much work to me. If tracking every item of food you eat is really important, and if you have the exact serving size and all of the nutritional info handy, I think it would be pretty easy. But I eat a lot of freshly prepared meals, so I have no idea how many calories or grams of fat are in the meals I prepare. ACTIVE MINUTES: If you hold the button on the band down for a second or two, it starts counting active minutes. Hold it again to turn off the counting. This is a very easy and good way to count active minutes. Every time I go to the gym I turn this thing on. The Dashboard feature of the app let's you see a calendar which shows you the days that you were active. It's great to see at a quick glance how active you've been, and which days you tend to not make it to the gym. SLEEP TRACKER: I like this feature for giving me an idea of how much sleep I'm actually getting at night. I'm not sure how it accounts for my periods of restlessness. I'm mostly interested in the actual amount of time that I'm sleeping, and for that it's great. After using this for about a month I'm seeing that during the week I average about 6hr 45m of sleep. Not quite enough. I don't think I'll continue tracking my sleep now that I know what my averages are. The hardest part about the sleep tracker is using the app to set it to sleep mode. It doesn't happen automatically - you have to tell it when you're going to bed, and then tell it again when you've woken up. If you forget to do one of those things, it screws up the data for that day. Kind of annoying, but I guess I don't see how this little thing could really tell when you're asleep or not any other way. CALLER ID: This works like a charm. It's kind of nice in meetings if someone calls me and I don't have to get my phone out of my pocket. But overall I don't use the feature very much and I haven't come to rely on it. CHARGING: Piece of cake. I only charge mine once a week and that works perfectly. Done and done. ALARM: Waking up to a vibrating alarm is nice, and I have to say it wakes me up a LOT better than I thought it would. I thought I'd sleep through a vibrating alarm, but there's no way I would now that I know what it's like. However, I have to give this feature two thumbs down for two reasons. 1) It says that it's silent. We all know that vibrating anythings make noise, but this thing is quite loud when it vibrates. Loud enough that it actually wakes my wife up sometimes. Not good, defeats the purpose! 2) Despite having a very small black screen, when the alarm goes off the screen gets BRIGHT! It lights up my side of the room and is hard to look at. I was really looking forward to a gentle wake-up. This alarm doesn't provide that. Too bad. BAND: The band itself doesn't seem to be too durable, but I haven't had any issues thus far (after about 6 weeks of heavy use). I take it off to shower, and I clean the inside of the band with some mild soap and water, taking care not to get the charging pin area wet. It does a great job of resisting bacteria and smells, because I sweat a lot at the gym and this thing never stinks. I'm 6'4" and about 220lbs. Based on their size chart I was right between the small and large size. I went with large, and I'm really glad I did. I probably could've gone with the x-large. Their size chart might be off, and I've read other people saying this too. I usually have this on about the loosest setting. My forearms/wrist aren't even very big, so if you're a big guy, you should go with the x-large. As for the screen scratching - I read that a lot of people were having issues with the screen scratching easily. So as soon as I got this thing I bought a super cheap clearance screen protector for an old iPhone 4 and cut out a tiny rectangle to fit the screen of the Fitbit. Works perfectly. I haven't had any issues with the screen now. Overall, I'm happy with the Fitbit charge and I'm glad I bought it. However, I don't see myself using this for years to come. Maybe for another few months. Once I really get into shape I probably won't care about my steps anymore, I'll probably just care about 1) Did I make it to the gym, 2) Did I eat well, and 3) Did I sleep well. And I don't need an app to tell me those things. But for now, it's serving its purpose. It's giving me great information and giving me some extra motivation. I've read some articles that Fitness Trackers are probably on their way out (because the Apple Watch and other similar devices are on their way in), and I tend to agree with that. Why would you want to spend $140 on something that can only give you limited information, when you could spend more (quite a bit more) but have infinitely more use from something like an Apple Watch?

What we have here is an expensive, uncomfortable watch. I wore it from September to January and then gave it away to someone else. First, Fitbit's advice for sizing was terrible. Their sizing tool recommends that anyone on the borderline between the large and small sizes should choose the large size. That advice caused me to throw away around $100 on this device, as I was on the borderline and picked the large size. Then I lost weight -- not even very much -- and it started dangling on my wrist like a bracelet. Now I have lost 12 pounds and it slides up and down my wrist, getting caught on things, detaching, and falling to the ground. At that point, I regifted it to a larger individual. If you are on the borderline, only choose the larger size if you are planning to bulk up. If you're planning to lose weight, go with the smaller size. Second, the reason I won't consider replacing my Fitbit with a smaller size is because the clasp is so unreliable -- as so many other users have complained about. For my entire life, I have worn watches with buckles. The buckle is a classic for a reason -- it's easy to put on, and I've never in my life had a watch whose buckle failed. The Fitbit clasp can be very annoying to align and attach, and as time goes on, the holes get looser and looser. The fact that the Fitbit is not waterproof means that I have to keep loosening those holes every time I take it off to do something simple like wash dishes or wash my hands. Because the Fitbit now hangs loosely from my wrist, it is often getting caught on things, and the poor clasp means that it will easy pop off and fall to the ground or get caught in my sleeve. It's a miracle I never lost it. A simple buckle design would be much more secure. I will not consider buying another Fitbit until they offer one with a buckle, so that I can know that it is securely around my wrist and won't fall off. Thirdly, I probably wouldn't purchase a replacement because the Fitbit did not work with my Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. I don't have a smart phone, and am not planning on getting one, but I thought it would work fine with my tablet. They claim that their app is compatible with the Note, but it is NOT. I tried it in both September 2015, when I purchased the Fitbit, and again in January 2016, when I was on vacation and away from my desktop. The app causes the entire tablet's system to slow to a crawl, often freezing, even after the app is closed. And I couldn't put my tablet into sleep mode without the entire thing freezing or crashing. I was able to use the app on my desktop, but I was unhappy about having to download an "app" from the Windows store, which required that I install the Windows store software, which messed up some of my Windows settings. It seemed so needlessly complicated; why couldn't I just download software from Fitbit's website, rather than going through a middleman? If they improved the clasp, and if I could be guaranteed that it would work with my tablet, I would consider purchasing a smaller size. I am a data nerd, and I liked having my data automatically collected in an easy-to-read, accessible database. However, I was especially interested in sleep data, and I am not convinced of its accuracy. First of all, no matter what mode it was in, it pretty much always said that I took zero minutes to fall asleep, which is laughable. I know this thing can't track brain waves, so I should take all of the sleep data with a grain of salt, but that right there is good evidence that the sleep tracker will give you ballpark measurements at best. Secondly, it has trouble figuring out when you woke up. Let's say I set the alarm to wake me up at 8 a.m., after which I turn off the alarm, get up, plug it in, and don't put it on until 8:45 a.m., after I've showered and had breakfast. It will tell me that I slept until 8:45 a.m. I don't know why it thinks I was sleeping, when it should "know" that I was awoken by the alarm, deliberately turned it off, and then plugged it in to be recharged. At first I was convinced that the Fitbit overestimated sleep. I was getting 8+, even 9+ hours of sleep on average, and would tell me that I only woke up once or twice when I could remember waking up much more frequently than that. It would also count long bouts of insomnia as "sleep" if I had been still enough. Then I switched it to "sensitive" mode -- after which I was getting 5+ hours of sleep on average. I'm not sure which measurement is more accurate, but either way it thinks I'm taking zero minutes to get to sleep. I was also annoyed by the total lack of an instruction manual. It took me forever to figure out simple things on my own, like how to turn off an alarm so it wasn't waking me up every 15 minutes. It was months before I stumbled upon my online account, on which I was able to make more changes than I had access to on my desktop app. It also has icons that aren't self-explanatory, and when you hover over them it doesn't tell you what they are. And I never figured out what the color-coded bar graphs meant, as there was no legend telling me what the difference was between yellow, orange, and green. All in all, I liked the data, though the sleep data was for entertainment purposes only. I liked the alarm, but only after I figured out how to turn it off so it didn't keep bothering me every 15 minutes. I will miss those things. But the bad advice they gave about sizing ended up costing me money, and I won't consider giving them more money with such a poor-quality clasp and such ridiculous compatibility issues with my Galaxy Note. An instruction manual would also be really nice. Plus, the person to whom I regifted my Fitbit runs Linux, so I'm sure he'll have fun getting that to work, as Fitbit doesn't support Linux. It's all just data, so having to mess with "apps" that don't work very well is pretty annoying.

Folks, I have had this FitBit Charge now for several months, Arrived Nov 2014. My main complaint is I keep loosing the thing. The pressure band hangs up on everything, shirt and jacket sleeves, digging into my pants pocket, you name it, off it comes. I have to admit I spend about as much time looking for the thing as I do working out, backtracking sometimes 2 to 3 miles an finding it on the trail etc etc. I was going to send it back for a refund but I think I have waited to long! Anyway, the longer I own it the looser it gets and the more I loose it and, and, and the hassle is starting to bug me... I will contact FitBit customer service and see if there is anything they can do about this, would be device. Darn shame, I love using it but no longer worth the chance of loosing it for good! The wrist band is a very poor design, IMHO! P.S. This thing would be a 5 star if not for the lousy pressure style wristband! :-( R/ The PhotogDog (Kent) UPDATED 4-18-2015 I contacted FitBit Customer service and explained my situation and problem at hand. After quite a lengthy discussion, and getting to the right person Mr. Diego L at the Fitbit Team Customer Service Department, positive things happened and I wish to report that a new Fitbit Tracker is on the way to me. Mr. Diego L. was very understanding and provided a solution that was very good for myself and the Fitbit company as well. I must admit that their Customer Service is "Top Cabin" and rates a Full 5 Stars from me. I will continue to do business with these great folks... Further update to follow-on after my new Tracker arrives, >>>------> R/ The PhotogDog (Kent) UPDATED 4-25-2015 Folks, my new Fitbit UpGraded from the Charge to the Fitbit Surge has been completed and the data transferred successfully. The fit, function and design are unbelievably great. The buckle style wrist strap is a huge improvement and stays on, :-) The increased function is beyond words and is meeting my every need. One needs to have patience to tune it in to you and your personal profile. That takes time to zero in... but doable! I am very pleased with the New Surge over the Charge. Now, I do understand that the New Charge HR has the new buckle clasp and that should elemenate all the issues I experienced with my first Charge. Now for the "Bottom Line!" where the "Rubber Meets The Road!" "Fitbit's Customer Service is the very best, "Bar None!" I have become a perminat Life Time Customer of theirs. They all bend over backwards to solve, mediate, resolve any problems that exist and "They Listen With Understanding!" I am passing the word, They, Fitbit DO stand by the customer and their product... I could not ask for more, I am very pleased. Thank You Mr. Diego L. PLEASE NOTE: I have changed my original 2 Star rating to a full blown 5 Stars and if I could, I would add a 6th Star for their CUSTOMER SERVICE! V/R THE PHOTOGDOG (Kent)

If you wish to buy a tracker that will last you 6-8 months or perhaps one year, then this is the tracker for you. Bought this as a gift for my wife in Dec 2015 after having purchased my own in July 2015, battery supposed to last for at least 3-4 days started draining completely in 12 hours after a couple of months usage. So you essentially had to constantly charge the item (not ideal for a fitness tracker when you are actually supposed to be moving around with it). Customer service was great - diagnosed the issue remotely and found the battery defective (happens to MOST of their trackers - just check the online fitbit forums and amazon.com reviews). Replaced the tracker since it was in the warranty period (of just one year). My own tracker bought in July 2015 was replaced once due to a bubbling issue on the strap (also happens to MOST of their trackers) (photo attached). Replaced once after good experience with aforementioned customer service - and then the new one had battery problems within 3 months but the original one year warranty had expired and company refused to replace or repair. Instead they offered me a 25% discount on a NEW tracker. So the business model is "first sell a tracker for a year and then upsell after it inevitably fails". Wow....as if I will buy a new tracker from them after this experience. This is from a publicly listed US company - can't believe it. Moral of the story: Buy cheaper trackers which do the same job or go for better brands like Garmin and the like.

Steps count is incorrect. Without moving anywhere sometimes it shows 1000 of steps. Without using stairs it shows #of floors covered. Even the battery got down within a day. Not expected something from such a big brand.

I think a review from me on my Fitbit Charge is long overdue. I purchased it on 15 Aug, 2015, So it has been almost 6 months since I've been using it. It has assisted me in keeping a track of my fitness. It keeps me abreast of the calories burned, steps taken, hours slept & whether I was in deep sleep or restless. It shows the number of stairs climbed, number of kilometers covered, the number of minutes, I've been active. Before purchasing this activity tracker, I had already been through the previous reviews of this tracker, so, the additional steps that it shows or adds when you drive your car or move your hands while eating, doesn't warrant the deduction of one star. This issue remains with all the other trackers too. However, the "fake" steps or calories doesn't have much impact on the accuracy of this tracker. I trust this tracker and have recommended it to my friends too. I was also aware that this tracker is not waterproof, so, please do not take it with you for a swim or drop it in a bucket of water. However, there is no need to worry, if it gets slightly wet in rain or due to sweat, you can always wipe it clean and dry it with a towel, handkerchief or any cloth. There are a lot of pros & a few cons that I can state and they are as follows: PROS: 1. USB Bluetooth Dongle: When I placed an order for Fitbit, I was apprehensive about whether will it be able to sync with my cheap Chinese phone via Bluetooth. My previous activity tracker(s) didn't(neither were they able to sync with any other phones, so to speak) . When I was opened the box, I was surprised to see a USB Bluetooth Dongle with the tracker, which meant that even if the tracker didn't sync with my phone, I'll be able to sync the tracker with my PC or laptop, through the Dongle. This was a massive relief for me. I can now sync the tracker with mu PC and check my daily activities without any hassle. Later on I realized that how pathetic was the bluetooth on my phone. I purchased OnePlus 2 in December & it works/syncs perfectly with my tracker. 2. Easy To Use App/Website: The Fitbit app is really easy to setup and use. I love the way the website it set up. It's all colorful and nice and pleasing to the eye. Setting up an account with Fitbit is as simple as setting up a new Email ID. Just keep in mind that you do need to know you weight & height at the time of setting up. You can change the measuring units as per your convenience. All measuring units are available on Fitbit. For eg:- For weights Kg, lbs & st, for height Ft&In., & Cms, Food gms, Oz, lb, piece(small, medium, large), etc., Drinks ml&L, Oz, etc +Kilo Calories or Kilo Joules are available. 3. Keeps you motivated: Fitbit or any other activity tracker keeps you motivated. It's there with you all the time & you cannot ignore it. If you are like me, a person who wants to lose weight without going on a crash diet or starving, then, Fitbit will motivate you. By wearing Fitbit won't make you lose weight, however, It keeps you motivated long enough to do something & be a bit more active than you usually are. I am trying to lose weight & it keeps me motivated. There are days, when you just feel that you don't want to exercise and just keep eating, however, this brings me back right on track the next day. I hope that it'll keep you motivated too, just the way it did with me. (plus, it's cost keeps me motivated too. :-D). I trust Fitbit and take it's readings as accurate & it has helped me a lot. 4. Comfortable on your wrist & Looks good. 5. Fitbit send a notification through it's App & through Email, informing you that the battery is low & you need to charge it. 6. Long lasting battery and can easily last for 6-7 days on a full charge. It also takes 1 hr to 1.5 hrs to fully charge the tracker. 7. Easy tap to check the readings. You do not have to press the button on the side to check the readings for the day. CONS: 1. Fake Steps/Calories: As I had mentioned it before, the tracker notes every movement of the arm and adds extra steps to your daily count, if you drive or use the same hand to eat. However, for me this is a non issue, as I had already known this fact in advance. I do not consider this as a con, but, others might do. 2. Food Database: This is a major issue for me. The food database of Fitbit is either US or the UK. So, it has the nutritional info of foods available in those countries. but, when it comes to Indian foods, it's databases are seriously lacking. Since, Fitbit is getting really popular in India, It needs to create a food database of all the foods and brands available in India, including the Indian snacks like samosas or chaat, etc, plus each and every regional food in India. Every time I eat anything, I need to search & record it's nutritional value. This is the most tedious work that I have to do on my Fitbit account. I'm now used to doing internet searches for the nutritional value of the food I've eaten, and select the website which I think depicts the most accurate nutritional values. This part might be a major turnoff for some, However, if you are determined enough, you can overcome this hurdle, like I did. 3. Not Waterproof: This might be a con for those who like to swim, but, not for me. You need to take it off when you are going for a bath, however, that's fine in my opinion. So, In short, I will definitely recommend Fitbit Charge to everyone. I know that the price can be a sticking point for some as it might blow their budget, however, I'll advise them to buy it on EMI's. I did the same. Bought it on an EMI for 6 months. You can get it a bit more cheaper during sales. Amazon sells it at 20% discount during those sales. If you are serious about keeping a track of your activity and leading a healthy life, Fitbit Charge will definitely assist you there & keep you motivated. When you are setting up your account with Fitbit, after purchasing any of their products, please enable their daily or weekly newsletters via Emails. Those Emails keep you up to date about exercises, foods, eating habits etc. I love my Fitbit Charge & would recommend everyone to get one or gift it to their loved ones. After all, HEALTH IS WEALTH. That's all I can come up with, however, If I remember something, I'll add it to this review later. P.S. - When I purchased my Fitbit, I was Obese (84Kgs), Now, I'm at the lower end of overweight category(69.3Kgs) and about to enter the normal weight category Soon. I had set my weight target at 63 Kgs & I will get there soon. :-)

Good stuff.

Solamente me lo quito para bañarme. Me gusta el diseño discreto para evitar robos; los que no saben qué es solo ven una pulsera de plastico sencilla. Los contadores son muy exactos. Solamente el tipo de broche no me gustó; cierra bien, pero no parece muy seguro en caso de una sacudida fuerte.