I’m a sucker for Fitbit. I’ve had pretty much all the different options you could own. As my workouts and needs changed, I found myself upgrading along the way. If you’re reading this Fitbit, it would be awesome if you offered a trade in program or something. Anyway, during Black Friday, tons of stores were offering some pretty heavy discounts. I walked myself over to Target and grabbed the new Charge 3. Now that I’ve owned it for a bit, I feel it’s a good time to give some thoughts on it!
I’ll start with the way it fits. I have pretty small wrists and don’t like anything too large. I find the Charge 3 the perfect size for me. The screen isn’t overwhelming and the band offers enough options for the right fit. I haven’t had any irritation yet with this band either. In the past I’ve had issues with the band that comes with the Fitbit but so far so good this time around. I do give my skin a break though when I take a shower. Even though the Charge 3 is water/swim proof, I still take it off just to give my skin a rest.

Now onto the fun stuff! I love that I can start or end a workout via the device and don’t have to worry about using my phone. You can pick a number of workouts for easy access via the screen. A few of my options include elliptical, weights, and workout. I use the “workout” option for my Saturday morning floor/chair class! I find the calorie counts to be pretty exact. When compared with a workout machine, they’re pretty close to the same. I always assume that a machine will overestimate since it’s not programed for you. My heart rate is pretty similar to what the machine reads as well. All in all, I’m pretty confident in the information that the Charge 3 supplies. Just like with the other devices, it’ll remind you to get your steps in for the hour (mine is set to 250 steps an hour). You can change the watch face too if you want. There aren’t too many options right now but most will show the time/date, your steps, and if you want your heart rate. Hopefully they’ll add more down the road. Oh and this one counts stairs as well! Not just steps. If that’s something you care about.
All in all, I’m pretty impressed with my Charge 3. I think it does a better job of auto detecting workouts vs the Alta HR (which was my last device). While on a trip visiting Karl and Jenna, it automatically picked up our 80 minute walk around an awesome cemetery. That means I feel it reads active minutes a little better as well. Honestly, the biggest advantage is being able to start workouts via the Charge 3. I had issues in the past with the Alta HR picking up elliptical workouts and it never really read my Saturday morning classes either. It was a pain in the ass to try and guesstimate calorie burn or remember to note whatever the machine said at the end of a workout. If you’re someone who’s torn between the Alta HR and the Charge 3, I’d highly recommend the Charge 3. I feel like it’s the perfect device if you feel the Versa is a bit much but the Alta HR doesn’t really hit all the items on your list. Right now you can grab one from Amazon for $130 Be sure to keep an eye on the Fitbit site as well as they’ve been having a number of sales lately. Other options include Target and Best Buy!
Do any of you have a Charge 3 or another Fitbit? What do you guys think? Does it help you move more? Let me know in the comments!