Unfortunately, if there are two things I love, they're eating and drinking. Turns out, if I do too much of those second two without enough of the first one, I turn into a big balooba.
Now there seems to be 3 main problems with being a big balooba. 1: It looks gross. 2: Apparently it's very bad for my health. And 3: It FEELS gross.
So my strategy is to do as much exercise as possible, without noticing. At least now I have a device to do the noticing for me...
The fitbit ChargeHR is the first product I've tried from the fitbit range, and it's a pretty comprehensive selection; by my count there are at least 7 different fitbit devices currently on offer to cater for your unique fitness monitoring requirements.
Don't be confused, these are not smart watches. fitbit seems pretty committed to creating a separate place for itself in the wearable market it calls, "Activity Trackers." In saying that, some of these devices do tell time and display notifications, so I'm detecting a slight overlap at the top of their range.
The ChargeHR is one step down from the smarter, but far bulkier, Surge. The Surge is bigger because it contains GPS technology and has a larger screen to display text notifications. The Surge also features a music controller, one of my favourite features on my smart watch, but probably not absolutely essential when it comes to fitbit's primary focus; tracking your fitness journey.
The pared-down ChargeHR is a much more subtle affair, featuring only the smallest of screens, no wider than the strap itself. To look at the ChargeHR is almost identical to the slightly cheaper Charge, but for an extra $20 you get a heart-rate monitor as well. (I'm guessing that's what the HR stands for, but I'm no branding guru)
I can't think of a single reason why you wouldn't spend the extra $20, unless you simply don't HAVE an extra $20. If that's the case, wait till next payday and spend the extra $20. Heart rate monitors are cool and I struggle to see the point of any kind of fitness tracking without one. If you want to know if you're doing the same thing you did yesterday, but harder, monitoring your heart rate seems to be a pretty good way to go about it.
How accurate these kinds of monitors are is always up for debate. It's a mystery to me how a couple of little lights shining on the back of your wrist are supposed to take your pulse. I compared readings between the ChargeHR, my smart watch and various pieces of gym equipment while doing various pieces of gym and I rarely got anything like the same reading from all 3 devices. It's funny to see me with a smart watch on one wrist and a fitbit on the other though.
However, just because the numbers may not be that precise, doesn't mean they're not useful. The whole point of this kind of fitness tracking is to improve over time - so even if the BPM you've recorded is out, as long as it's out by the same amount tomorrow, you'll still know whether you've improved? Right? Seems like a good theory, anyway.
The real magic behind any fitbit device is the app or (and here's where a fitbit really DOES differ from your average smart watch) the browser-based dashboard. That's right; you don't even need a smart phone to run the ChargeHR, it comes with it's own dongle so you can sync straight to your PC or laptop.
I've used a lot of different fitness apps, but fitbit is one of the most straightforward and helpful. You can customise exactly which aspects of your life you want to track and leave out the ones that are less important to you.
Steps, distance, calories burned - those are pretty popular areas to start with. But if you want to set a weight goal and track your meals, that's easy enough too. I'll talk more about that in couple of weeks when I review the fitbit Aria wifi scales. (Yes, you read that right; WIFI scales!)
All of this stuff syncs back to your fitbit account periodically throughout the day, automatically appearing on your phone app or the dashboard on your computer. Once you've achieved your daily goal (steps, distance, calories burned or stairs climbed) the ChargeHR vibrates the hell out of your wrist to let you know how clever you are.
Those good vibrations can also be set as silent alarms (they will definitely wake you) or even to notify you of an incoming call on your phone. You can scroll through your daily progress on the wee screen, which shows the time too. The display is a pretty low-tech, Space-Invaders style, white-on-black affair, which you can also activate with a slow double-tap. It's basic, but given you're not trying to read emails or texts on it, it's all you need. Because the screen is basic, you'll squeeze at least 4 days battery life out of the ChargeHR without having to plug it in. When you do charge it, it tops up fast - from 0-100 in well under an hour.
Cosmetically, the ChargeHR is neither unattractive or a fashion statement. The band, available in black or purple (grape? aubergine?) is light and comfortable with more of a rubbery than a plastic feel to it. This is important if you're planning to wear it to bed to track your sleeping habits. I'm not sure why people track their sleeping habits, although it's certainly weird to see how often you get up to pee logged on an app.
What I like most about all this is it all happens without me thinking about it. I love not thinking. This is because the ChargeHR is recording everything all the time, and that's the real difference between a fitbit and a smart watch; the device itself is driving the the tracking process, whereas a smart watch is really just a way of interfacing with the phone it's paired to.
So am I fitter? Have I lost weight? Give me a chance, it's only been a few days. What I can tell you is I'm definitely on track.
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