Fitbit Charge 2 Review

I've really been enjoying going to the gym and being aware of my lifestyle and fitness a lot more during the past year. My gym routine has been pretty steady and i try to go 3-4 times a week and while my eating habits are never 100%, they are much improved.

Since going to the gym and being more aware of my lifestyle, i've noticed i've become more toned and definitely seen an improvement in my fitness levels. However, i'm not one to use scales as unfortunately i think i would focus too much on the number and potentially become obsessed with it, which is never a good idea. With that in mind, i still wanted some form of tracking for my workouts and i decided a fitness tracker would be good idea. There are many different trackers on the market, i know the Apple watch is a popular option. However, after speaking to a few people at the gym and after some online research, i opted for the Fitbit Charge 2.

The Fitbit Charge 2 is an all day activity tracking band which gives you stats about your workouts and daily activities such as steps taken, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes. It also gives you a gentle reminder (via a vibration from the watch) to reach your recommended 250 steps an hour, which i find really motivating! You can access various menus on the Fitbit by using the button on the left hand side of the watch or by tapping the screen lightly.

Away from the fitness aspect, the Fitbit is also able to track your sleeping habits by tracking how long and how well you have slept. I find this really interesting and quite addictive to seeing how much sleep you did actually get! My record sleep is 9 hours and 13 minutes!! Since tracking my sleep, i've found that i need to relax and put down my phone and iPad around an hour before i get into bed. When i do this, i find that i have a much more restful sleep pattern according to the Fitbit app. The Fitbit also has an alarm option where you enter the time you wish to wake up and the Fitbit will gently vibrate to wake you up nicely, much better than a beeping harsh alarm clock!

The Fitbit app goes alongside the Fitbit and gives you all of the stats that you could ever need! The app syncs by bluetooth to your band and gives you an accurate portrayal of your achievements so far and your sleep diary. There is also an option to log all of your food and water intake on the app, which you can link with your My Fitness Pal account, if you wanted to. As i'm not strictly calorie counting or watching my weight too much, i don't really use this section too much, but if you already use My Fitness Pal or just like to keep a food diary, then it is a great addition to the app. Another feature of the band that i find really helpful is that it lets you know of any incoming phone calls, text messages and calendar events, great if you are mid workout and don't want to be disturbed but are still aware of any calls and texts. The app also shows you how much battery life is left in your Fitbit, so you can charge it when needed. When you buy a Fitbit, it comes with a charger which cradles your Fitbit and takes 2 hours charging time to give you 5 days battery life.



I've talked mainly about the features of the Fitbit that appeal to me and that i use the most, however there are other features that could be useful if you are into other fitness activities. For Example, The Fitbit can track different activities such as Running, Weights and Yoga. If you are a keen runner, the band can connect to your phone's GPS to see real time stats such as pace and distance and a map of your workout which are then displayed on the app.

One of the reasons that i chose the Fitbit Charge 2 was that it looked great. It has a sporty yet modern look and is something that i wear everyday. There are four band colour choices which are blue, teal, black and plum (which i chose) and there are two rather gorgeous special edition choices which are lavender and rose gold and black and gunmetal stainless steel.

I have been using my Fitbit for a good month or so now and find it a great addition to my fitness routine. It allows me to see how i'm progressing in terms of fitness on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and has a whole host of other features to be discovered! I'm still yet to try the Relax feature where it guides you through personalised breathing sessions. Priced at £139.99, i think the Fitbit is a great option for those who want to increase their awareness of their activities and lifestyle