Is the Fitbit Charge HR worth the hype? yay or nay?

I'm going to start my first blog entry after a decade by doing an in depth review on the much anticipated Fitbit Charge HR!

I've been fascinated with trackers for the last couple of months. I tried the samsung gear fit prior which for some reason never quite worked for me due to constant issues with bluetooth pairing. It did not take me long to stop using it altogether! I wanted something to help me get on track with regards to monitoring my heart rate (I do suffer from chronic asthma from time to time), food/calorie intake and of course monitoring my workouts. I've checked out tonnes of reviews on youtube and decided to take the plunge with the Fitbit Charge Hr.

The product:
Fist off, I downloaded the Fitbit app from the playstore and paired it with bluetooth. Be sure to switch on bluetooth & location prior on your phone. If you encounter problems with pairing, try disabling "location" on your phone. I realize it works differently with some phone models. Start off by creating an account and keying in personal information.

I appreciated the simplicity of the product. It's literally idiot-proof and I never needed a manual to figure out the functions. The rubber strap was comfortable to wear throughout the day and night. It also comes in the S and L size I believe. The S fit me just fine and I still had wiggle room. There are 8 holes on the strap which you may adjust to your fit. A lcd screen displays the time (which can be customized), steps taken throughout the day, heart rate, km, calories burned, steps climbed, a stop watch feature as well as an alarm. I loved the feature of enabling calls where the Fitbit displays caller ID when paired with bluetooth, as long as your phone isn't too far away. I found this feature incredibly useful especially when I had my hands full throughout the day or during runs when my phone was in my pocket.

The device also lets you challenge your friends which is great motivation. Apart from that, Fitbit rewards you with badges when you've met a goal such as climbing 10 floors a day, taking 10,000 steps a day and etc. You get badges when you exceed the daily limit as well. The device on your wrist also vibrates to alert you when you have reached your goal. To customize any of the above, just get on your fitbit app and hit "Charge HR" it bring you to the device page and shows your current battery percentage. Tap again to customize how you want to sync your data as well as other cool features.

Pro's:
1) lightweight
2) ability to customize features such as what you would like displayed on the device, an alarm (there isn't a sound but the device vibrates to "wake you up"). I am a pretty heavy sleepy and it woke me up! haha.
3) The material - it was easy to clean and even when I ran in light rain, my device worked just fine.
4) Caller ID feature
5) It takes less than an hour to charge the device
6) It lets you customize goals according to your preference such as keying in data on how much water you have drank, calculates calories consumed based on a food log/how many more calories you should consume within the day based on your weight loss goals & shows how you've slept.
7) A weekly status update that's sent to your email!
8) The app on your phone notifies you when there's an update to keep your device running on the latest software.

Con's:
1) The first time I tried to pair the watch with my Note 5, I had to wait several minutes. Yes, several minutes of panic. So if your fitbit is taking awhile just stay calm and keep it close by! (However, I experienced no issues with a lost connection or found the need to pair my device all over again after the first attempt even when I changed phones or switched off bluetooth).2) If you arn't used to wearing a watch, it might take awhile to adapt to wearing the device on your wrist, especially while you sleep.
3) The device might not be suitable for people who work night shifts as a new day starts at 12am on the app (unable to customize this setting)
4) Battery life isn't as great as I'd have liked - I usually have to charge the device every 3 days.

Overall, this device is definitely a YAY! I found no flaws big enough to keep me from using this device. It does a good job with keeping me motivated! I found myself looking forward to my next workout and challenging myself to meet daily goals. I've also resulted in staying better hydrated and keeping with the recommended 2 liters a day!

If you're looking for a fitness tracker for losing weight, gaining weight or maintaining your current weight, the Fitbit Charge HR might just be your new best friend! :)