Fitbit Charge 2, Fitbit must be doing something right since these are all the rage.
As the name implies, this is the second version of Fitbit’s Charge model.
And man did they step their game up.
After spending a few weeks with the Fitbit Charge 2, its easy to say this is the best
fitness tracker on the market and it has certainly raised the bar for the rest of the competition.
Lets find out what makes this fitness tracker so great.
For $149.95 or $179.95, depending on the color you get…
youre getting a stylish Activity and Sleep tracker, with an integrated Wrist mounted
Heart Rate Monitor.
Opening the box is very easy and inside you’ll find the Charge 2 itself, some documentation
that you'll probably never read, and a charging cradle thats rather reminiscent to a predator
without his or her mask.
Its important to note, that when choosing your Charge 2 you must select the right size
wrist band.
Unlike the Fitbit Flex 2, the Charge 2 only brings one wrist band.
But don't worry, you can still switch out the wrist band.
You can even get classy leather wrist bands that will look great if you work in an office.
The stock wrist band that comes included with your charge 2 is made out of silicon with
a soft touch feel to it and a textured design on it.
The casing it self is made of aluminum and what I'm assuming is glass.
The Charge 2 over all is an exceptionally well crafted product.
All of the panels are flush, the wrist band its self dosnt wiggle where it interlocks
with the main case, the side button is stationary and has a satisfying click to it and the screen
it self is easy to read and is bright enough to see in any condition.
Just keep in mind this is not a traditional touch screen.
Unlike modern touch screens that relay on the conductivity of your finger prints to
read inputs, this screen reacts when force from a tap is applied.
This method of touch screen is usful because you'll still be able to interact with the
Fitbit Charge 2 even if its covered in sweat during your workout.
At a glance, the Charge 2’s screen will tell you the time, date, distance walked,
calories burned, flights climbed, and active minutes.
By pressing the side button you are sent to the heart rate monitor screen.
If you press the side button again you will then be sent over to the workout screen, here
you can tap the screen and select from a verity of workouts and when you see the one youre
about to do you can press and hold the side button again and the charge 2 will start tracking
said workout.
The charge 2 can automatically detect and start tracking your workouts, but we found
that for better accuracy you should initiate it yourself.
if you press the side button again you will then be sent to the stopwatch screen.
And if you press the side button one last time you will sent to the Breathing Session
screen.
Breathing Sessions are designed to help you slow down and relax by focusing on your breathing.
You can set the default sessions to be either 2 or 5 minutes long.
The Fitbit it self will guide you through your breathing and tell you when to inhale
and exhale.
After doing the sessions a few times i did find them to be useful and helped me calm
down and relax.
Now, keep in mind the Fitbit Charge 2 is not water proof.
So you cant take it swimming like the new fitbit flex 2.
It is splash resistant though which means you can get it a little wet like when youre
washing your hands or something.
but you better not submerge this guy.
Fitbit also advertises a 5 day battery life for the Charge 2, but honestly its more like
4 days.
The relatively short battery life is due to the hear rate monitor being on 24/7.
Aside from being able to track your calories burned, steps taken, flights climbed, distance
walked, and minutes active…
the Charge 2 can also take your sleep.
Through the fitbit app you will be able to see the quality of your sleep, times when
you were restless the night before, and how many times you woke up.
having data like this can be very useful when youre trying to improve your sleep quality
so you can be more productive the next day.
You can even set the Fitbit Charge 2 to wake you up at the best time when youre out of
REM sleep with its silent alarm.
Unfortunately I found the vibration from the wrist band wasn't enough to wake me up.
So if you do decide to use the silent alarm, have a back up set just in case.
Speaking about the Fitbit app, we've said it before and we’ll say it again… Fitbit
has the best fitness tracking app on the market.
When buying a fitness tracker youre not just buying the hardware, youre also buying into
the included mobile app.
Fitbit does a great job of laying out all of the nessacry information right in front
of you.
Its easy to read and understand, and if you want more detailed information about your
stats fitbit has you covered.
The Fitbit mobile app also does a great job of keeping users motivated through challenges
to beat and medals to earn.
You can even see how you stack up against your friends.
After testing the heart rate monitor against an EKG machine, we found it to be very accurate
for hear rates between 60 BPM and - 130 BPM.
It wasn't until we got into higher BPM’s like in the 150 BPM - 190 BPM range that we
saw the accuracy fall.
If youre an athlete that constantly works out in the Higher BPM range then you'll still
need to wear a chest strap heart rate monitor.
Also, if youre a runner thats interested in the Charge 2 its important to understand that
this guy dosnt have a built in GPS like the Apple Watch Series 2.
So if you want to map out your runs you still have to carry your phone with you.
Which will be ok for some and a problem for others.
If youre buying a Fitbit Charge 2 its because you want an accurate fitness tracker and not
so much a smart watch.
That being said, the Fitbit Charge 2 can also show you notifications when you receive text
messages or have an incoming call.
It can even give you a small preview thanks to the screen unlike the Flex 2.
Its not much, but it certainly helps.
In conclusion, the Fitbit Charge 2 is our favorite fitness tracker here at GYMCADDY.
its exceptionally well made, powerful and stylish for just $149.95.
The Fitbit Charge 2 is great if youre into running, aerobic exercising, yoga, bike riding,
crossfit or moderate weight lifting.
The Fitbit Charge 2 isn't so great if youre really into bodybuilding or powerlifting since
you cant wear it while you wear wrist wraps or wrist straps, so you cant track your workout.
But if youre looking for something that can track your calories burned, steps taken, track
your sleep and keep you motived in a sleek package then the Charge 2 is for you.