Give the gift of fitness
Handy new Fitbit helps you ‘watch’ your figure
Suggesting to a loved one or family member that they need to lose a few pounds is always tricky. However, giving them a fitness tracker for Christmas can be the ideal way to help them get back on track for the new year.
Fitbit launched a few new devices this year, including the Charge 3. The previous version was perhaps the most attractive Fitbit for firsttime users, and the new version proposes upping the game with new features and better design.
The Charge 3 is made from aerospace-grade aluminium and feels great when you put it on your wrist. Its touchscreen OLED display with backlighting is made from Gorilla Glass and is almost 40% bigger than the last model. While it’s wonderfully light and easy to wear, it feels durable and tough.
The Charge 3 allows you to measure your heart-rate 24 hours a day. As you exercise, it measures your activity in the context of heart-rate zones showing you if you’re in Fat Burn, Cardio or Peak that lets you measure the impact of workouts.
Fitbit have worked hard on exercise recognition, and this new device does a good job at recognising if you’re swimming or running or even playing sports, and records this activity in the app.
The Fitbit app, which is available for iOS and Android, is the starting point for setting up the device, but also acts as a dashboard for your exercise and activity history. While Fitbit’s app is excellent, if you’re at home you can also review your account data on your laptop.
The Charge 3 is water-resistant to 50 metres, which eliminates the worry about leaving it on in the shower or bath, but also means accurate swimming measurement is possible, right down to laps.
While the Charge 3 doesn’t have the features of a fullspec smartwatch, you can keep in touch while you’re on the move with call and calendar alerts, text notifications and Android users even get the option for sending quick replies. Fitbit have unusual charging connectors, and I’ve always been concerned that replacing a cable could be tiresome if lost or broken. A standard USB connection would be welcome.
Also, there’s no GPS built-in, which is why pairing with a smartphone is important, but the lack of a GPS allows the price to remain fair.
Overall, this is an excellent upgrade to the Charge series. An improved battery life to seven days is welcome and the lighter build and bigger screen improve the look and feel.
If you are giving the gift of fitness this year, you may be tempted to add yourself to the Christmas list.