Fitbit Charge review – hands on with new activity tracker that shows stats on your wrist

The Fitbit Charge is an activity-tracker wristband that displays a bunch of fitness stats right there on your wrist. Unlike some of its rivals, such as the Jawbone Up24, Charge users don’t have to look to their smartphone app to see how they are doing in reaching their fitness goals and targets. See also: Jawbone Up3 features and release date

The Fitbit Charge is one of three new fitness wristbands to be released in the coming months. The Charge is on sale now, to be followed early 2015 by the heart-rate monitoring Fitbit Charge HR and heart/GPS–based, self-styled “fitness super watch” Fitbit Surge.
The Charge joins the body-clip-on Fitbit Zip and Fitbit One, plus the existing Fitbit Flex wristband in the Fitbit activity-tracker roster. It replaces the short-lived Fitbit Force, which never made it to a UK launch but was loved by its users. For a full breakdown and comparison of all the Fitbits see our feature “Which Fitbit is Best”.
The Fitbit Charge costs £99.99. There are cheaper fitness wristbands out there but market leader Fitbit offers a trusted brand and top-notch products.
If you think £100 is expensive, consider this. I had paid for my first Fitbit within two months just by walking home and not taking the train or bus when I could have. So a tracker can pay for itself in not much time, and all the while get you fitter and healthier.
This preview is based on our hands-on – or should that be wrists under – time with the Fitbit Charge. We have updated the review after trying the Charge for a couple of weeks.

Fitbit Charge: fitness features – steps, distance, active time, floors climbed

All Fitbits have a MEMS 3-axis accelerometer that measures motion patterns to determine your steps taken, distance traveled, active minutes, and calories burned. (All but the Zip also monitor sleep quality.)
The Fitbit Charge, Charge HR and Surge – as well as the One – also feature an altimeter that measures floors climbed, to push you to climb those stairs instead of taking the lift, or to take the hilly route home rather than the flat. Every 10ft elevation you walk is counted as one flight of stairs. Canny Fitbit users will know that walking up an escalator is a great way to semi-cheat the altimeter and score more points.