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A fitness tracker that works like a dream

SINGAPORE — Fitness trackers are all the rage these days. If you are a fitness buff, chances are you already have one on your wrist and that it is from one of the two biggest brands available here — Fitbit or Jawbone.

The Fitbit Charge retails at S$169. Photo: Fitbit

The Fitbit Charge retails at S$169. Photo: Fitbit

SINGAPORE — Fitness trackers are all the rage these days. If you are a fitness buff, chances are you already have one on your wrist and that it is from one of the two biggest brands available here — Fitbit or Jawbone.

The former seems determined to emerge from a setback last year where the company had to recall its Fitbit Force following user complaints about rashes. It launched three devices last year: The Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge. We got our hands on the Fitbit Charge for a little one-on-one.

The Charge is a delightful device. It is good-looking, trendy and you can wear the band at virtually any type of event without it looking out of place. Although it has a wider band than those of some competitors, it is far from bulky. The 0.75 inch by 0.375 inch OLED screen is easy to read and the clasp holds strong.

Using it is also a breeze — you can wirelessly sync it to your smartphone within a 6m range to log your data or use the Bluetooth USB dongle provided to do the same on a computer.

In various ways, the Fitbit Charge functions like a smartwatch. You can receive real-time incoming call alerts on the band — it starts flashing when someone calls you and displays the caller’s name — and it has a silent alarm function, vibrating on your wrist to wake you.

A button on the left side of the band allows you to see the time and date, scroll through your daily steps, distance, calories burned and floors climbed.

Log your exercise by holding down the left button for two seconds, and it will begin tracking the session. To end the session, do the same thing.

The refreshed sleep tracking feature makes it easier to log sleep consistently. Unlike in previous iterations of the band, sleep tracking now works automatically, putting Fitbit Charge a step ahead of its rival the Jawbone UP24, which requires users to switch it to sleep mode manually. The function is relatively accurate and provides a highly detailed sleep assessment.

One area where the Fitbit Charge seems to be lacking is in its water resistance. While the company says it is “rain and splash proof”, users are advised to remove the device before showering or swimming. This can be inconvenient, because the gadget feels extremely light on the wrist and it is easy to go through an entire week without taking it off.

Still, where it lacks in the water resistance department, it makes up for with battery life. The rechargeable lithium-polymer battery is expected to last between seven and 10 days, Fitbit said.

I went through a substantial nine days with the Fitbit Charge never leaving my wrist (except for showers), including a couple of jogging sessions and playing a football match, before I had to recharge it.

In general, the Fitbit Charge works like a charm. At S$169 on its release, the Charge is definitely better priced than the Jawbone UP24, which was released at S$249 in April last year.

And if you are planning to get it as a gift, it is one of the few fitness tracking brands to support iOS, Android and Windows platforms, so you do not have to worry about compatibility issues. However, the Fitbit app does not work with Apple’s HealthKit platform, which might be a dampener to iPhone users who are already logging their data there.

The Fitbit Charge is available at authorised retailers.

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