My First Impression Of The Fitbit Charge 2.

While I work in/with technology I’m very much old-school when it comes to working out and my weight loss struggles. Struggles, being the main focus here. If you’ve been following my exploits on my YouTube and the other social media platforms I engage, you would have seen me drop about 40 lbs about a year ago, only to gain it all back the past few months. I’m determined to live a healthier life and while that determination still burns within me, boredom is truly my enemy.  I believe my weight-loss sort of plateaued (is that a thing?) around the same time and when I wasn’t seeing results I became as disenchanted as I was bored with working out.

After watching several review videos on YouTube, I reached out to the most fit friend I have and asked his advice on wearable technology. Without hesitation he recommend the Fitbit Charge 2. Still hesitant (I did say I’m old school) I stopped by the  local Best Buy retail store 2 times, before finally making the purchase. The $20 gift-card which came with the purchase did say my buying decision as well (smile).

Here are my thoughts on the Fitbit Charge 2, after 3 weeks of use…

Positive

• tracks steps, calories burned etc – since I’m very competitive, it’s natural I want to out-do myself daily (no boredom yet) I even park far from the door, so I can accumulate daily ‘steps’
• simple twist of your wrist (like looking at a regular watch) will automatically display your data
• you can set and track your own goals
• notifications – emails, text messages, phone calls (especially when I’m doing dishes, working in the garden etc and I don’t have my phone with me)
• tracks my sleep (sleep insights) – I never realized how important it is to get enough sleep, especially when trying to loose weight
• you can track your daily calorie intake (you must input the data)
• reminders (like a friend in the gym who will push you) you get little notifications to say “feed me.. time to be active” (gets me away from my desk)
• easy to flip between workout mode/types (to track)
• when you reach a daily goal (like 10,000 steps) you get that fireworks thing displayed on the screen. I feel accomplished and better about my health
• easy to read charts on the app (which is free to download/use)
• heart rate monitor isn’t as accurate

Negative

• If you wear it to track your sleep, it can dig into your wrist and become painful (especially if you sleep with your arms under your body)
• When in bed it will be a bit tricky to make it display when you move your wrist to a normal viewing position
• wish it was water proof
• wish it had built- in GPS capability and not dependent on my phone (data rates in Canada is insane)

Overall I’m pleased with my $200 (plus taxes) purchase of the Fit Bit Charge 2, especially since I’m constantly trying to to out-do my previous day and the days I fall short (like today) I’m encouraged to try to make up on the following day. I could not ask for a better opponent.. just wish I could track everyday activities as well. and not just as step count.