Blazin’

I’ve had my FitBit Blaze for four weeks now so I thought I had better tell you what I think. 

Firstly I’m going to say that I love the whole Fitbit thing. Yes, I know it’s not very accurate, Lakmal, but it’s motivating and good to see things on a screen. Plus I’m doing really well on it. So in a sense the app is more important than the watch itself. 

I got the Blaze because I had been using my friends charge HR for a month and was enjoying it but being the materialistic idiot that I am, wanted the best one. 

So I’ve made it clear that I like the whole Fitbit thing but is it necessary to spend the extra dollar on the Blaze. Here are my pros and cons based on getting the Blaze compared to the Charge HR or any other tracker.  

Pros

• It looks much nicer. This is one of the main if not the main selling point of the Blaze. It looks more like a smart watch than a fitness tracker with a nicer, less industrial screen. 
• Linked with this is the changeable straps. Not only does this mean that you can change the colour to suit your outfit but that if you wear through the strap through then you only have to replace the strap and not the whole tracker like you would with the Charge or the Surge. 
• It auto recognises some exercises such as walking, elliptical and running and allows you to tell it when you are doing other exercises so that it can match your HR and steps with this information for calculate the calories burned.
• If you wish to you can control your music or get your notifications on your wrist. This is a pointless feature for me but some might use it. 
• It has some fitness tutorials on the watch. Again not something I’ll use. 
• It has a timer which does come in useful. 

Cons

• The price is a little steep at around £159.99.
• It isn’t waterproof. Why oh why?! I always forget to put it back on after the shower. They do say it is shower proof but don’t recommend you try it essentially! 
• The screen doesn’t feel entirely durable. It feels like I could scratch or smash it very easily.
• To use GPS to track your runs or cycles you have to be connected to your phone which means the battery of your phone gets rinsed very easily. Especially if you have an iPhone nightmare!

So overall I’m glad that I got the Blaze as it suits my needs but mainly for aesthetic reasons and that I can track my weight training etc at the gym. As a simple pedometer/fitness tracker, don’t bother, get a charge HR. 

UNPACKED

The Verdict (2016): Love the Fitbit ecosystem. Not accurate (looking at you, Lakmal), but motivating. Blaze vs Charge HR? Bought the best one because materialistic idiot.

Why Blaze Over Charge HR: Looks like a smart watch not a fitness tracker. Changeable straps (replace strap not whole device). Auto-recognises exercises. Music control/notifications (pointless for me). Fitness tutorials (won’t use). Timer (useful). Pops out of strap for “bare below elbow” work requirement – counts steps in pocket.

The Problems: £159.99 steep. Not waterproof (forget after shower). Screen feels scratchable. GPS needs phone connection = battery killer (especially iPhone).

The Conclusion: Bought for aesthetics and gym weight tracking. For simple pedometer? Get Charge HR instead.

Worth Knowing: This review is from The Gym Era (2016). Fitbit tech has massively evolved since – newer models have better battery, GPS, waterproofing. The principles of what makes a good tracker still apply though.