I have been a FitBit user since 2014. The first tracker I used was FitBit One. In March 2015, I got FitBit Charge HR and wrote about the similarities of and differences between the two trackers. After being quite frustrated with how long the tracker (Charge HR) lasted between two charges (3-4 days if I was lucky and didn’t move much) and not liking how it looked after being worn for almost two years, I decided to upgrade and got the new FitBit Charge 2 (HR).

How does it compare to FitBit Charge HR ?

It has all the awesome things Charge HR has:

• tracks steps, stairs climbed, calories, distance, hours slept, and heart rate
• has a clock
• has silent alarms
• gets call notifications (caller ID)

And it also has couple of more awesome things:

• it gets message notifications (you can choose the app from which you want to get these)
• it gets calendar notifications
• it has a lovely “relax” function
• stopwatch
• up to 7 exercise modes (and there’s quite a long list to choose from)
• the wristband can be changed!

Same as before, you need to have the data, bluetooth, and location services on for the notifications to work.

And yes, it is marketed as a fitness tracker so it is suitable for those who want to keep tabs on their walks / works outs. But it also has some nice smartphone perks (notifications).

My experience using it

I have bought my new gadget in mid-January (18, to be exact). There was a promotion and I ended up paying 644 lei / US$153.50 for it (from an online store in Romania).

It came with its charger and a booklet to explain how to set it up. Since the process is exactly as the same as for the previous one, I connected it to my account without having to look at the instructions. I noticed that it came without a USB dongle (which was available for the previous two gadgets I had).

Once connected I had to do the firmware upgrade or it would not work. And for that to work, I had to charge it.

Once set up, I fell in love with it. Sure thing, it is super cute when it vibrates and reminds me to be active. And sometimes it does work: I pluck my arse from the laptop and move or run in place.

The settings allow you to choose when it would go into exercise mode to track automatically, how sensitive it should during sleep, and many more variables.

I kept the same settings as before and I liked the default screen (on tap) so I didn’t mess with that either.

I did use the relax function the day I got the tracker. It guides you through 2 minutes of deep breathing to calm down – either after a workout or if you have other reasons to have an elevated heart rate.

Thanks to winter (aka cold weather) and my desk job, I haven’t managed to take it out for a serious walk (yet) but I did get in 10k steps (or came close) some days.

Right now, given my moderate level of activity, I go exactly 7 days between charges. I do not keep the notifications on when I am at home and only sync it two times a day. When I am out, it syncs continuously and has the notifications on.

I do still like the community and seldom participate in challenges. To be honest, it was more fun when we did this in a large group, but that’s probably just me.

FitBit also introduced “guidance”, a series of exercises designed by trainers (but it’s a premium feature).

Do I recommend FitBit 2 Charge (HR)?

Yes, but read the list of phones supported. I use my Sony Z2 which is supported and thus everything works great, but hubby’s phones are not (LG G4 and Hua3ei P8 lite) and he often has syncing issues with his Charge HR.

But if you don’t need a heart monitor or notifications, you can choose one of the cheaper options (Zip, One, Flex, or Alta).

Later edit Feb 24:
I am having an issue with the buldging bracelet. But because the site I got it from is NOT an authorized reseller (I didn’t know that, they didn’t write this anywhere), I don’t benefit from the 45 days return warranty.
If you want to purchase, make sure it’s from an authorized retailer. Find them here.
Although FitBit didn’t have to, they offered to send me a replacement bracelet free of charge! Every single experience with their customer service has been amazing!

Update Mar 6:
My replacement bracelet (plum, as I asked) has arrived today!

Update Nov 12:
After the latest Android app update I noticed that I didn’t get call notifications anymore. Sure , I only need those when I am out so it took a while for me to figure it out. Once I realized that, I started to trouble shoot. Reboot, restart phone, enable notifications again, etc. Tried many times, nothing, so I reached out to FitBit. They asked me to do the same things again. It did seem to be back to normal yesterday (I got one call and one calendar notification haha).
Anyway, the team at FitBit may be nice and all to try to help me but when they suggest the same things over and over…it did work though eventually (no idea what exactly worked but between restarting the Fitbit and the phone, somehow it started to work again).