Key Features
- Review Price: £129.99
- All-day activity tracking
- Sleep tracking and silent alarm
- Cardio Fitness Level score
- Multi-sport with automatic tracking
- Breathing exercises
- New customisable bands
- Notifications
Fitbit Charge 2 long-term review
It may have been released many moons ago, but the Charge 2 remains one of the best fitness trackers you can get. If you follow any of my fitness tracker reviews, you’ll notice I often make comparisons to the Fitbit Charge 2 as, more often than not, I’m wearing it as a control against whatever new and shiny wearable I’m reviewing at the time.
That’s to say I’ve grown to trust the numbers crunched by the Fitbit Charge 2, be that the number of steps in my day, the beats of my heart or the zzz’s I catch at night. I say over and over that the numbers themselves don’t necessarily matter – every tracker will use different algorithms or sensors – but it’s the consistency that’s key, and that’s what I’ve been finding with the Charge 2.
I find the Charge 2’s automatic exercise tracking to be super handy, too. I recently went on a GoodGym-organised run, admittedly for the launch of a rival sports watch, but the Charge 2 was right there with me. It did a stellar job of tracking the start-stop nature of the day’s run without any interaction from me.
Breathe mode has improved since the device launched, adding haptic feedback akin to the Apple Watch‘s own Breathe mode. These slight vibrations let you know when to inhale and exhale, meaning you’re not sat there staring at the screen and better able to actually relax. I still don’t use the Breathe function that often, but this tweak does mean that when I do, the experience is greatly improved.
App notifications have also been made better, with Fitbit expanding support to include the likes of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger – far more useful for someone such as myself, who abandoned SMS long ago. Other updates are continuously rolling out, too, which is always commendable.
Sleep Insights have been added for the Charge 2 – alongside all other sleep tracking Fitbit devices – which provides guidance and coaching to get a better nights sleep. It’s literally only just become available, so the level of insights I’ve received so far haven’t exactly been insightful, such as just telling me I get more sleep than the average for my demographic. Supposedly the insights will get more personalised over time, however.
Sleep Stages has begun rolling out to Charge 2 users as a software update, but it’s not yet available to everyone. Considering it was one of the better functions of the Fitbit Alta HR, it’s a useful addition. It’s a much better approach to sleep tracking compared to what was offered previously, providing a much better breakdown of sleep phases as well as providing a benchmark against other users in your demographic. Previously, it was difficult to know what the numbers meant or if you were getting enough quality sleep.
As for the physical condition of my Charge 2, it is beginning to look like it’s been put through one too many Tough Mudders as the face is now rather scratched. A more robust material such as Gorilla Glass wouldn’t go amiss here, instead of the hard-coated plastic.
The fact that there are threads discussing different screen protectors on Fitbit’s forum only serves to reinforce that it’s prone to scratches. I didn’t even know Fitbit screen protectors were a thing, and they really shouldn’t have to be.
Battery life has held up, and I generally only have to charge the device every five days – which isn’t a huge inconvenience. Having to take the Charge 2 off to shower each night is still a hassle, though.
All in all, I’ve actually grown more fond of the Charge 2 since my initial review, which isn’t something that happens often. There have been some decent updates to both the device and the app, making it a compelling fitness tracker for anyone who doesn’t need dedicated GPS.
I’ve since reviewed the Fitbit Alta HR and Iconic and I’d give the Charge 2 the edge for anyone who doesn’t prioritise the slimmer design of the Alta HR and hit and miss smart features of the Iconic.
What is the Fitbit Charge 2?
Fitbit says that its original Charge and Charge HR were its best-selling fitness tracker. So it’s not surprising Fitbit has taken everything that proved popular on the original and used this as a basis for the Charge 2, which was recently introduced alongside the new entry-level Fitbit Flex 2.
First off, the heart rate monitoring of the Charge HR now comes as standard, so there’s just one model of Charge 2. This helps bring down the sheer number of Fitbit trackers available, which was becoming confusing. The PurePulse heart rate monitor of the original makes a return, and brings with it continuous and resting heart rate monitoring.
Packed with everything you could want, except GPS, the Charge 2 covers all of the basics. You can consider this device more of an evolution than a reinvention, but by correcting many of the shortcomings of the original, the Charge 2 proves to be a great all-rounder.
Fitbit Charge 2 – Design and Setup
The main change with the Fitbit Charge 2 is its more sizeable display – it’s four times larger, in fact. This means significantly more at-a-glance information and better handling of notifications from your connected smartphone. The original Charge had only a tiny slither of a screen, displaying one metric at a time.
It uses a black-and-white OLED, and you can adjust the brightness; I never experienced any problems reading the screen outdoors. The display turns on when you rotate your wrist to look at it, helping to conserve battery life.
Annoyingly, maybe one in four times the display failed to turn on automatically. There is a button on the side to manually turn it on and toggle through the different displays, but for times when your other hand is occupied, the finicky display is a frustration.
Each of the menus has a number of sub-menus that you access by tapping the screen. Again, this was occasionally a little hit and miss. You need quite a firm rapping of the display to get it to trigger.
Otherwise, the Charge 2 isn’t a great departure from its original design, aside from being slightly more slender. The elastomer strap is comfortable to wear and since it uses a standard watch buckle, putting it on isn’t fiddly – unlike some previous Fitbit trackers that used difficult clasps. I didn’t encounter any discomfort with it on, even when I became particularly sweaty during a run.
Where the Charge 2 does deviate from previous models is in its potential for customisation. Much like the new Flex 2, you now have the ability to change the bands. Fitbit has Classic, Luxe leather and Special Edition options. There’s an array of colours available, too, and the Special Edition versions have rose gold and gunmetal finishes for the tracker itself to add another layer of class and sophistication. These cost a little more (£149.99) than the standard editions, though.
I was sent the standard black elastomer band version for review. I definitely prefer some of the more vibrant colour options I saw in the flesh at IFA. Swapping out the bands is incredibly easy thanks to release clasps on the underside. You can swap them out within seconds. The Fitbit Charge 2 is available in three different strap sizes; small, large and XL. It’s important to choose the right size for your wrist for reasons I’ll come to later.
The Charge 2 works with Fitbit’s Android and iOS app, and setting it up is as straightforward as any other tracker. Simply create a profile, entering your gender, height and weight, then select a number of goals. These include the usual steps, sleep and weight targets.
Once paired over Bluetooth, you can then sync your activity to the app and receive rudimentary notifications from your connected smartphone. These only include caller ID, messages and calendar reminders.
Originally, the Fitbit Charge 2 could only display SMS messages. I can’t remember the last time I received a standard SMS message from anyone that wasn’t a marketer, so how useful you’ll find this is questionable.
Thankfully, a recent update to the Fitbit app now allows message notifications across different apps, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. This makes the function much more useful and is a very welcome update. There’s still no way to interact with the message, and notifications for WhatsApp don’t scroll the message, but you can at least see the message sender. It helps you to decide if it’s worth whipping your phone out.
Fitbit Charge 2 – Activity Tracking
As you’d expect, the Charge 2 has the usual all-day activity and sleep tracking with silent alarm. Slightly disappointingly, it isn’t a smart alarm that can wake you up at a more optimal time. The Charge 2 can begin automatically tracking selected sports and exercises such as hiking, cycling and, of course, running. Otherwise, you can trigger these from the button on the side.
Without the waterproofing seen on the new Flex 2, swimming is a no-go – which is a shame. There’s also no built-in GPS, but if you do go for a run with your smartphone paired, the Charge 2 can use connected GPS for tracking distance and routes. You don’t need to trigger the run from the app, either. Just start running and it will track in the background, or use the Charge 2 to manually start the run if you want running metrics on the display. GPS information will automatically get pulled in.
I took the Charge 2 for a number of test runs, including running the same route back-to-back – once with connected GPS and once without. The real surprise was the margin of error between the results. The first GPS-connected route was recorded at 2.64km, while the run sans smartphone came up at 2.65km. That was impressive considering accelerometer-based tracking can be significantly off the mark.
However, distance even with the connected GPS seemed to sell me short. I’ve run this route a number of times before using Strava and the GPS in my Huawei P9, and it’s typically recorded at around 2.85 to 2.9km. This distance was confirmed by the GPS built into the TomTom Spark 3 I wore simultaneously, which measured each run at around 2.9km.
As an aside, a Jawbone UP3 I wore put both runs at a combined 5.79km distance – unfortunately, it didn’t split the two laps. As I literally sat on my doorstep sweating profusely between the two runs, I can add the two distances from the Charge 2 together without much discrepancy. So this compared to the 5.29km total from the Charge 2 confirms it does come up short and shows how accurate the Jawbone UP3 is.
It’s worth noting that I was using an Honor 8 Android smartphone this time around during testing. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to conduct the test again to see if the discrepancy was caused by the GPS in the Honor 8. I’ve found various phones have tracked distances differently, even through GPS – and this was confirmed. I ran again, this time with Strava using my phone’s GPS, the Fitbit Charge 2 using connected GPS, and the TomTom Spark 3.
Both Strava and the Charge 2 now reported the first route as 3.3km – over-tracking the distance. The TomTom Spark 3 was once again more accurate, factoring in any deviations on the route to avoid obstacles, at 2.93km.
I then ran the route again with my smartphone turned off, so no connected GPS from the Fitbit Charge 2. This time, it tracked the distance at 2.86km, so closer to a truer result. It shows that an inaccurate GPS sensor can throw off your results, which is why I generally prefer to have GPS built directly into the running device. It will ensure greater consistency, even if you change your phone.
As for basic step-counting, the Fitbit Charge 2 appeared to be quite generous with steps, counter to what I found for distance. It averaged around 500 steps more per day than the Jawbone UP3, and around 800 more than a Samsung Gear S2.
All manufacturers use slightly different algorithms for detecting actual steps and to make sure it’s not just you flailing your arms around. So it’s more about consistency, and in this regard the difference between trackers was at least generally the same between days.
I was told by a Fitbit ambassador that the Charge 2 actually uses a barometric sensor to calculate its steps by tracking changes in pressure. That’s an interesting approach of which I wasn’t aware, and also explains the lack of true waterproofing; there’s a small hole for the sensor on the underside of the tracker.
The Charge 2 has been improved over the original in that there are now move alerts. Since the release of the original, move alerts have become a basic inclusion with rival trackers, so I’m pleased to see its presence.
The Charge 2 will detect when you’ve been idle during a set time window – say, your working hours when you’re sat at a desk – and then provide a vibration to tell you to get up and take a walk. This will happen 10 minutes before the hour if you’ve not taken 250 steps in the past 60 minutes. You’ll receive a motivational message on the display, too, and it’s a surprisingly handy prompt.
Alongside the 3-axis accelerometer there’s also an altimeter, so you get a record of the number of floors you’ve climbed. It’s a small touch, but one that can prompt you to take the stairs in lieu of the lift more often. When motivation is what makes or breaks an activity tracker, it’s the little things that add up.
As for the PurePulse optical heart rate tracker on the rear of the device, I tested this against the Wahoo Fitness Tickr X chest-based HRM and the wrist-based optical HRM from a TomTom Spark 3. Pre-run, the Charge 2 initially put my heart rate around 10 BPM above both the Tickr X and TomTom Spark 3.
Post-run, this was the case as well. The Charge 2 gave me a 144 BPM read out versus 134 BPM and 135 BPM from the Tickr X and Spark 3, respectively. Strangely, the Charge 2’s heart rate reading then plummeted briefly to 60 BPM, while I assume it struggled to get a proper reading before eventually finding it again. At this point, all three heart rate monitors levelled out at a 120 BPM post-run reading.
Fitbit says that “like all heart rate tracking technologies, accuracy is affected by physiology, location of device and different movements”. I mentioned earlier that the Charge 2 is available in different sizes. I was initially sent a large size, which, while not ridiculously loose, wasn’t quite as tight as I’d have liked – even on the smallest hole. I have very slender wrists. To protect my ego I’ll say that I can still bench two plates even with this disadvantage.
Fitbit replaced my strap for a smaller model and this improved the heart rate reading while running, since this is where you’ll want a snugger fit. It meant that on my second set of test runs, there was less difference between the two laps I ran. Still, the Charge 2 was basically as prone to deviations as I’ve come to expect from most optical HRMs, where they typically struggle with continuous readings during intense exercise. Typically, a chest-worn HRM will have a greater sampling rate, meaning it takes readings at much shorter intervals for accuracy.
The Charge 2 does better taking resting heart rate measurements throughout the day and while you sleep, and this has always been a good indication of your cardiovascular health. It’s a metric you can track over time, so as you aim to become fitter, you can track your resting heart rate decreasing as your cardiovascular system works more efficiently.
I’ve now been using the Fitbit Charge 2 for a few months, and being able to see how my resting heart rate has changed based on my training programme is a useful insight. I’ve (intentionally) put on some weight in a bid to pack on more muscle, but as a side effect, I can see that my resting heart rate has increased from around 54 BPM to around 58-59 BPM. It shows to me that I should perhaps think about increasing my supplementary cardiovascular training.
You can also use the optical HRM for other exercise activities such as weightlifting or cycling, which you can trigger from the tracker itself. The results page is broken down into Heart Rate, Calories and Impact tabs. The Charge 2 told me that an hour-long weights session kept me in the “Fat Burn” zone throughout, burning 426 calories, and also contributed 1,616 steps to my day.
New with the Charge 2 is a VO2 max approximation to provide what Fitbit is calling your “Cardio Fitness” level. This is the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses during intense exercise and is another good indicator of your overall cardiovascular health. Fitbit calculates this by comparing your personal data against your running speed while using connected GPS and your heart rate measurements. Your score is provided against other people from your gender and age.
I actually found my Cardio Fitness score became slightly worse after my initial test run. This was most likely due to the anomalous heart rate readings that put it higher, and therefore more inefficient, than what the other HRM sensors I wore were reporting. The second lap in particular was quite a bit off.
Without accurate continuous heart rate tracking, the Cardio Fitness score won’t be as accurate. The second set of test runs, with the tighter strap, provided more accurate results and put my Cardio Fitness score back above 60. I’m proud to say that this puts me at “Excellent” for my gender and age. It won’t ever be as accurate as a true VO2 Max test, but in fairness, a proper VO2 test is a far more complicated and expensive process that wouldn’t be available to many.
It isn’t all about intense exercise, though. A Breathe mode takes you through guided breathing exercises. A circle pulsates on the screen to show when to inhale and exhale, and you can choose different durations. It uses your heart rate and adjusts itself accordingly to get you in a more relaxed state. There are two- and five-minute durations. Mildly annoyingly, there’s no way of cancelling one mid-way, so if you start one you’re going to need to follow through.
This feature isn’t drastically different to what you’ll see in the forthcoming watchOS 3 update for the Apple Watch although the implementation on the Apple Watch is more elegant. The Apple Watch uses haptic feedback to help you time your breathing, whereas you need to stare at the Fitbit Charge 2’s screen. How useful you’ll find the Breathe mode remains to be seen – we all know how to breathe, after all – but it could be a nice primer to just take it easy every now and then.
The Charge 2’s sleep tracking is an interesting one. It gives you a time “asleep”, which is the time you spent “awake” and “restless”, subtracted from your overall tracked sleeping time. It means that while you might have “slept” for eight hours, the “time asleep” reading on the dashboard might only read 2hrs 42mins. It’s worth keeping this in mind before assuming that the device isn’t tracking your sleep correctly.
I think this is actually a better, and less misleading, measurement than the overall “sleeping time” that other trackers and sports watches offer. It can show you why, even though you’re getting your target hours of sleep, you’re waking up fatigued and weary come morning. Really it’s the quality of asleep alongside duration that’s important for appropriate recovery and well-being.
In my case, with the sleep graph produced by the Charge 2, everything lined up as expected. This included the times I’m woken by the neighbourhood urban foxes who sit in the middle of the road and yelp incessantly for absolutely no reason.
Fitbit Charge 2 – App and Guidance
Over the years, I’ve worn a whole raft of Fitbit trackers and so have seen many of the changes that the app has undergone. One area the company should be applauded for is updating its app with new features and improving the interface. It’s really evolved over time to be clearer and now provides far more engaging features.
The dashboard provides plenty of at-a-glance information on your day, from the time asleep as mentioned above, to floors climbed, steps taken and distance covered. You can jump into each sub-menu for more detailed information, with everything logically laid out. The Cardio Fitness score is tucked away behind the heart rate reading, for instance, and the continuous heart rate readings graph is easy to understand.
There are also areas where it’s possible to log your food and water intake; useful if you want to have an overview of everything from activity to nutrition as well.
New to a recent update are Adventures, which are found under the Challenges menu. These are virtual tours of famous locations, such as Yosemite National Park. By getting in extra steps, you unlock content along the route, including facts and photographs of landmarks that you can view using the gyroscope in your phone.
It’s a nice touch, and gives you the extra impetus to be more active. They’re particularly great if you don’t like the idea of competing against friends, but would rather do something on your own.
There are, of course, the standard leaderboard challenges if you do want to go step-for-step with friends. You can opt into day challenges or longer ones, such as Workweek Hustle. You receive updates towards the target in a timeline, so you can see how you and your friends are doing.
You can also “Cheer” the updates, similar to a “Like” on Facebook. It’s a nice social element. There’s also a 7-day steps leaderboard, so you can see how you compare over time.
If there’s one complaint about the app, for me it’s the lack of guidance. I’d love for Fitbit to take a leaf out of Jawbone’s book with its Smart Coach feature, which lets you know how all of the data can affect your wellbeing and health. It provides useful prompts – such as staying better hydrated, or explaining how going to sleep 30 minutes earlier might have a positive impact, then offering to set you a sleep reminder.
You do get the occasional notification to tell you how well you’re progressing towards your goal, but actually having this in the dashboard would be better, since it’s easy to ignore or dismiss the notifications. You can opt into weekly progress emails as well.
Fitbit Charge 2 – Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is rated at around five days, which is about right. A major improvement over the old Fitbit Charge is the new “clamp-style” USB charging cable. This locks around the tracker on both sides and makes orientating it much easier, ensuring it stays connected. The old Charge had a connector that plugged in directly and therefore could easily become dislodged. You’ll get a notification and an e-mail to let you know the Charge 2 is running low on battery.
Should I buy the Fitbit Charge 2?
The distance, step counting and heart rate measurements, while perhaps not the most accurate, are consistent enough to prove useful. Combined, they do give you a measurable way to track your progress. The new Cardio Fitness score, too, is a useful metric. The Fitbit app has also come on leaps and bounds in providing motivation, but there remain areas where it can be improved.
There’s nothing really revolutionary about the Fitbit Charge 2. It’s very much an evolution of the Charge where styling has taken centre stage. The new customisation options will appeal to the sartorially inclined, but potentially there aren’t enough new features to make it a must-have upgrade if you have the old model. Especially since the Breathe mode feels like a gimmick.
The real disappointment is the lack of waterproofing. The Charge 2 is only water-resistant, unlike the other new Fitbit addition, the Flex 2. So while you can wash your hands wearing it, you definitely can’t go swimming with it on. You’ll have to take it off to shower as well, which can prove disruptive. Ideally, a fitness tracker is something you want to put on and only ever take off to charge. Every time you take one off is one more chance you’ll forget to put it back on, nullifying its purpose.
Connected GPS is an improvement over the old Charge and Charge HR, but it’s still not an ideal replacement for a dedicate GPS sensor built directly into the tracker.
A wearable such as the Fitbit Charge 2 will never be able to compete on accuracy, especially against expensive tests such as a VO2 Max. What you’re instead looking for is reliability, and this is where the Charge 2 does well. In the end, if you want a HRM-equipped everyday fitness tracker that you can dress up or down, the Fitbit Charge 2 is still a good all-rounder.
Verdict
The Fitbit Charge 2 is an improvement over the original, but it doesn’t really bring a whole lot new to your wrist.
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