Product Review: Fitbit Charge

Fitbit Charge in Slate and is available here.

The Fitbit Charge is my first fitness tracker. I have used apps to track runs and calorie intake, but I wanted a gadget to also track my daily activity.I bought it a little over two weeks ago right before our 50 Day Transformation Challenge. Since I've had it long enough to give a true assessment I wanted to share my thoughts.

Basics: About the size of a small watch it tracks your calories burned, steps, miles, floors climbed, gives the time, and automatically tracks your sleep patterns. It works with most smartphones and comes in four colors. It retails for $129.

 Pros: Two things appealed to me most, first was the automatic sleep tracker and second was the caller ID. When you get a call it shows up on the LED screen with their name and vibrates. This is not only good while you're working out but any other time you're away from your phone, or forget you have it on silent, like I so often do. I like the sleep tracker to give me an idea of how much, in my case how little, I am sleeping. On the app it also let's you manually track your water consumption, which to my surprise was not much. The app design is simple and easy to use. You can also input your workouts, track runs, and food intake. Friends who also have a Fitbit can follow you, it's always good to have added support. The charge usually lasts 7-8 days, which is nice. The silent vibrating alarm has become my friend, it gently wakes you, and is much better than a loud alarm.

Cons: As with any fitness tracker accuracy isn't going to be 100 percent. Occasionally, I've woken up to find I've walked four steps, unless I sleep walk I think my tossing caused it.The sleep tracker gives you a time estimate, which is fairly close, but doesn't break it down by minutes. Instead you're given a weird graph that's difficult to read. The clasp is okay, has never fallen off, but I wish it was more like a watch and not two prongs you snap in. The ridge texture of the watch helps hide scratches you might get, but it would be better in more colors.

Overall: Using this has helped me noticed certain habits and has been a great tool. While there are many products out there, which do the same and more, I feel for the price point it gives you your money's worth. If I had to give it a grade, B+.